Chapter Twenty

K olby lets one rip, sending a toxic gas through the air.

"Seriously, kid, what the fuck is your mother feeding you?" I mutter as I hold my kid away from me.

"Spencer, don't curse in front of him," Kaitlyn scolds me.

"Seriously? You're concerned about my language but not the toxic waste your son is releasing?"

"He ate sweet potatoes for the first time."

"Well, clearly they don't agree with him," I say over my shoulder as I start to walk toward his room to change him.

One outfit and a half package of wipes later, he's clean and ready for a nap.

As we walk back out to the living room, my phone rings.

"Here, I'll take him," Kaitlyn says as she reaches for him.

"Thanks, babe," I say as I pull my phone out of my pocket. "Yeah?"

"I caught a rabbit. Thought you might like to come help me handle it," Killer says.

Indecision weighs on me. I want to go, but at the same time, I don't want to leave my family. If I go, the sooner I can come back, and maybe we can solve this fucking mystery once and for all.

Kaitlyn must feel my gaze because she looks at me over her shoulder.

"Colt, you there?" her father asks.

"I'm on my way," I tell him.

"See you soon," he says before hanging up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

Kaitlyn shakes her head. "It's fine. Is everything okay, though?"

"I'll find out soon enough. Don't wait up, though, I don't know when I'll be back."

Kaitlyn nods. "Okay. Stay safe."

Walking over to Kaitlyn, I kiss the side of Kolby's head and then kiss her.

"I'll be home as soon as I can. Lock up after me, okay?"

"I will," she says as she follows me to the door.

I slip on my cut as I walk out the door and get on my bike. Thanks to the anticipation running through my veins and breaking the speed limit, I make it to the warehouse in record time.

"Thanks for joining us," Killer says when I walk inside.

"What did you find?" I ask as I give Reaper, Wrath, and Midnight a chin lift.

He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "Why don't you have a look for yourself?"

I head into the room he pointed at and stop in my tracks when I see who he has strung up.

"Son of a bitch," I hiss.

"You know him?" Killer asks.

"I found this bastard ransacking my dad's room at the clubhouse." I stare at the man.

What could he have been looking for?

Reaper snaps his fingers. "That's why he looks familiar, you had us run him, right?"

"Yeah." I nod.

"Did he tell you what he was looking for?" Killer asks, making me scoff.

"What do you think?" I snort.

"Well then, let's press for some answers." Killer starts to walk toward the man.

"Want me to do it? You know I love roughing them up," Wrath says as he steps forward.

"I'd like to try first, if you don't mind." I grit my teeth as I think about this being the man who shot my father.

"After you." He nods.

"Fall into any traps recently, Herc?" I ask as I approach.

"Fuck you," he spits.

Once I'm close enough, I punch him in the stomach, making him swing from the chain he's currently hanging from.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know?" I ask as he groans.

"You won't get shit from me."

I hit him again, and he curses.

"What else do we have around here for torture?" I ask out loud.

"Are your fists already sore? I told you, you should have started boxing with me years ago," Wrath jests.

"I say hit him where it hurts. His hair looks awfully important to him, I say take it all," Reaper says darkly.

"That's fucked. Even for you," Wrath says as he shakes his head, looking at our brother like he's grown a second head.

"We could always waterboard him,"Killer says.

I look over my shoulder and see he's leaning against the wall, cleaning under his nails with a pocketknife.

"Giving yourself a manicure now, really?"

Killer shrugs, and I turn back to our rat.

"Waterboarding might work. Have you ever done it before?"

"Once. Watching someone choke on water was a trip," Killer says.

"Fuck this man, this isn't what I signed up for," Herc spews.

"I have a love-hate relationship when they break instantly." Killer pretends to pout.

"Now tell me what's going on over at Lotus," I demand.

"You wouldn't understand, man. You aren't here." Herc sneers.

"Then tell me."

"Rogue broke the cardinal rule and started keeping cuts for himself like the greedy bastard he was. He was making deals without talking to anyone and doing shit behind the board's back. Rogue had to be taken out."

"What are you talking about? What proof do you have?" I ask, taking another step toward him.

Herc scoffs. "Proof? I don't owe you proof. All you need to know is his sins were enough to take out the line."

Something about his words makes me pause. "What do you mean, take out the line? What does that mean?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Killer push off the wall with narrowed eyes.

A sinister smile crosses Herc's face. "I guess you'll just have to wait to find out, but I hope you figure it out before it's too late. We've already messed with her once. Next time, the job will be complete."

"Are you saying his life is in danger?" Killer demands.

Herc starts whistling while Killer questions him, but me? It's as if time is frozen. All I hear is the pounding of my heart beating in my ears.

End the line.

End the line.

End the fucking…

"Kaitlyn and Kolby," I whisper, but they don't hear me.

"Kaitlyn and Kolby, are they in danger?" I yell, making both men look my way.

Pure panic crosses Killer's face when my words finally click.

"When she was forced to pull over. Was that you trying to intimidate her?" Killer demands.

"Dead men don't tell," Herc singsongs.

Fuck him , I think as I rush to the door.

"Wait up!" Reaper demands.

"Get in the truck, man. You can't drive like this. The last thing we need to do is scrape your body off the pavement," Wrath yells as I get on my bike.

I need to see them and make sure they're safe. I have to.

I giggle as I read about a guy who tosses a girl into the river to cool her down. While it's funny on paper, I would smack Colt if he ever did it to me. Either that, or I would drag him under with me.

I frown when someone rings my doorbell. No one ever stops by, especially unannounced.

I darken the screen on my tablet, setting it on the coffee table, and get up to answer the door.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I ask when I open the door.

"Can't a mother visit her daughter?" she asks as she brushes past me.

"Come on in," I mutter under my breath as I shut my door.

"Your place is a mess."

Looking around, I roll my eyes. The house is far from messy. Yes, I have bottles drying on the rack that we washed this morning, there is a blanket on the floor from when Kolby and I were playing earlier, and there is a basket full of folded towels that I just haven't carried to the hall closet.

"I think the definition of a mess is skewed."

She scoffs as she bangs around my kitchen. "Your kitchen is a disaster. Why would you have pots and pans across from your stove?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I bite my tongue. I really want to tell her that it's my kitchen so I can set it up however I want.

"The cabinet next to the stove is too small," I say instead.

"Yes, well, if you had less clutter and better organization, maybe this wouldn't be an issue."

"What are you looking for?"

"A kettle."

"Why do you need a kettle?"

"To make you some tea. I bought this lovely one from the farmers' market, and I think you would enjoy it."

"I don't like tea, Mom."

"Everyone likes tea."

"Not everyone, and I don't have a kettle…because I don't like tea."

How does she not know this?

"Of course you don't. That's fine, I'll make do, and you'll try this tea," she says as she pulls out a pot and fills it with water.

Whatever. It's just some tea and I can choke it down. It's not that big of a deal. If I do it, the sooner she will leave, I tell myself.

"How's Dad?"

"Your father is your father. Busy as always. You know how it is, the club comes first. Where is your baby?"

"Kolby is taking his afternoon nap."

She hums. "He seems to sleep a lot."

"He's a baby, Mom. They are supposed to."

We fall silent, not having anything else to say to each other.

"Do you think your shadow would like some tea too?" she asks after a few minutes.

I frown. "Who?"

"The man who is always lurking around you."

"Colt?"

"No, the other one."

"Fang?"

"If that's his name. I've never understood road names, but I must say that one is truly atrocious."

"Like Morgue is any better?" I snap.

"Don't talk to me like that," she warns. "Now go get him."

"I don't think tea is really his thing."

"Well, it's not yours now, is it? Go get him, I insist," she says as she starts pouring the leafy brew into cups.

Wordlessly, I get up and make my way to the garage. As messed up as it is, I would rather have someone in the room with us, acting like a buffer. Maybe, just maybe, this visit won't be that bad.

"Everything okay? I saw that the Wicked Witch of the West is here," Fang says as I shut the door behind me.

"Actually, no, she's insisting that you and I join her for tea." Fang makes a face. "That's exactly how I feel. Now please join us, don't make me go through this alone."

"Fine. But you owe me."

"One hundred percent. Hell, I'll owe you times two after you see how bad this is going to be."

We walk into the house and see my mom already sitting at the table with three cups in front of her.

"Took you long enough," she snipes.

"Sorry about that, I had to finish what I was working on," Fang tells her.

"I guess that's acceptable. Now sit and tell me about you. I want to know about the man who watches my daughter and grandson."

"What do you want to know?" he asks as he sits down.

"Where are you from? Drink," she says as she slides his cup closer to him.

I don't miss the slight wince as Fang picks up his cup. Reaching forward, I grab mine and take a drink. As soon as the taste hits my tongue, I fight the urge to spit it back into the cup.

Shit is nasty.

Fang coughs, making me look up. I see that he's fighting the urge to spit it out as well.

Glad I'm not alone.

"This is lovely. Thank you," he chokes out. "As for where I'm from, I grew up in Arizona."

"Are your parents married?"

"I was raised by a single mom," he says as he raises his cup.

Dammit. If he takes another drink, I have to, too.

Fuck it.

I bring the cup to my mouth and drink it down in one go. After swallowing the last drop, I shiver. Why was that worse than taking a shot?

Mom continues to pester Fang, and while part of me feels bad for throwing him under the bus, I can't help but be glad that her attention is off of me.

After a few minutes, my tongue and body start to feel heavy, and exhaustion hits me.

What the hell?

I look at Fang and see that he's frowning. I open my mouth to ask him what's wrong, only nothing comes out.

Something's wrong.

Something's really wrong.

My arms that were propping me up on the table start to slide until I'm laying my head on the table.

I'll just take a little nap, I think as my eyes flutter shut.