Dad laughs, shaking his head. “You’ve only been back a few weeks, and already we’ve got beef with a new MC.”
I shrug off the sting of his words. But I know my return to Opey is why this is happening. “You want me gone?” My fists clench so tight they ache, and I grit my teeth hard enough to crack under the pressure.
“All these problems started when you came back,” Gray replies, accusation clear in his tone.
I stand so abruptly that my chair topples over. “What the fuck does that even mean?” I bark, glaring at him.
Gray shrugs before looking away, his jaw clenched. “I said what I said.”
“Fuck you, Gray. If you can’t handle this shit, hand in your kutte and get the fuck out.” The need to unleash this toxic rage swirling inside me is powerful, and Gray makes an appealing target.
But I need to focus. “Instead of being pissed off at me, you should be mad they came after Ivy. Which might mean this isn’t about me at all.” It’s a low blow, but right now, I don’t give a fuck.
He stands taller, something like hatred flashing in his eyes.
I don’t acknowledge any of the emotions or even the hint of agreement in his gaze because fuck him. The only thing I care about right now is making those motherfuckers pay for scaring the shit out of Ivy. She’s not my girl, but she’s something more. She’s the best goddamn friend I’ve ever had, and no one is allowed to come after her, making her shake like a fucking leaf.
Dad’s hand lands on my shoulder, a strong yet gentle reassurance, grounding me for a minute.
“What are we gonna do about these fuckers? There’s no fucking way we can let this go unpunished,” I tell my dad.
“I agree,” Gray offers up as if anyone fucking asked him.
I glare at him and turn my attention back to my dad. “Tell me we’re going to do something.”
He grins, a hint of something that looks a lot like pride in his eyes. “What do you propose?”
I know this is another test. I know the right thing to say, but I also know there’s only one right answer. “Kill them.”
He chuckles, giving my shoulder a squeeze before he steps back. “Maybe we should try a little less firepower first. You can catch more flies and all that bullshit.”
I disagree, but I keep that to myself. I know he’s trying to get me to think like a leader, not just a pair of fists fueled by bloodthirst. “We can try, but I doubt anything other than handing me over will appease them.”
“Probably not even that,” Dad says with a hint of resignation.
“Okay, fine,” I say. “I’ll bide my time while we try a bunch of bullshit that’s destined to fail, and then I’ll get what I want.”
To end the Skull Crushers MC.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ivy
I refuse to deal with Gray after he gave me shit about hugging my friend. After all, Stone rescued me from a pack of wild bikers. But Stone has been straight-up ghosting me for the past twenty-four hours.
What the actual fuck? Who even are they anymore?
So, I’m having a day at home to myself, a day full of exciting activities like laundry and dusting, cleaning windows while I shake my ass to any music that will make me forget that yesterday ever happened.
I need a reset. ASAP.
Between late nights blending into mornings and hitting snooze a few too many times, the house has been neglected for way too long. I throw my hair up in a messy ponytail, tie a bandana around my head, and get down to business.
Adulting: 1, Ivy: 0.
The living room’s a breeze, aside from Sage’s shoes and socks scattered around. Girl, the hamper’s right there! I clean off the coffee table, do a quick dusting and vacuum.
I’m a little sweaty, but my music keeps me company. No worries about waking Sage—that girl could sleep through the apocalypse after last night. And if she does wake up, she can join the cleaning party.