Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

GNAW

We're invited inside,but Atomic declines. The leader nods his head a couple of times, almost as if he thinks this is comical in some way. He's got a smile on his lips, and his eyes shift between the three of us.

I want to punch that smile off his face and demand to know where my woman is, but I decide against it, only because Atomic would be pretty fucking pissed if I did that shit. I already said some fly shit the last time we met with these people that started a gunfight.

So instead, I press my lips together and rock back on my heels as I wait for whatever is coming next. There is a long moment of silence before the leader decides to tell us his name, as if we give a single fuck about it.

I would rather tell him to go fuck off instead of knowing his name. But he speaks, like we're all sitting on the edges of our seats, curious to know his goddamn name.

"I'm Talon, and you guessed correctly. I am the current leader of the Southern Mafia. Born into the role but also raised for it. Trained for it."

I want so much to say something smartass, like we didn't guess anything, because we don't give a shit, but I decide against it. I bite my tongue and let Atomic take the lead. I am on edge, ready to kill anyone and anything at any given moment. I can almost taste blood, I am so ready. I want to fight. The rage is filling my veins.

"If you want to keep us out of Texas, you're going to need to make me an offer that we cannot refuse."

The cockiness is absolutely insane. Atomic laughs, but it's dry, and I know it's fake as fuck. He continues to speak, his lips twitched into a smirk that is less kindness and more smartass.

"I'm Atomic. Born into the club, trained to be a member since the moment I was born," he begins. "However, I am not one to make any goddamn offers to people who think they can just walk into a bar and kidnap three people."

Talon smiles. It's an evil-as-fuck-looking grin that causes my spine to shiver. This man is without a doubt possessed. He thinks he hasn't done anything wrong. That this was just to get our attention and it's all good.

It is indeed—not all good.

"At this juncture, I don't think you have a choice," Talon states. "You've killed some of my men. This is no longer just something that can end without a serious discussion."

I bite my tongue so hard that it bleeds, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Pressing my lips together, I roll them a few times as I rock back on my heels, trying to keep my body from reaction the way I want it to.

Because I want to kill this motherfucker, and all his men. I want to end them all without a second thought. I'm not sure who would give a shit if they were gone. We would probably get a medal, maybe even a key to the city of Shreveport if we did away with them.

"What does your offer look like?" Atomic asks.

Fuck, I want to start blowing shit up. I do not want to talk about offers. Fuck their offers. They started this shit, and I want to end it. I also want my woman back—immediately.

"I want in on your shipments and deliveries, at the least."

There it is.

He's been watching us.

Here I thought that it was only that fucking pimp from Arkansas. We got rid of his ass, but I didn't realize we were being watched by anyone else. Fuck. Either they're so good that nobody realized it, or someone in the club is in on the whole thing and we have a leak somewhere.

"What do you want, exactly?" Atomic asks.

I cannot believe he's even asking for the details on this. My fingers twitch, ready for my gun. But Atomic is playing it much cooler than I could ever be. Glancing to King, I notice he"s holding his body about as tightly as I am mine. He's just as ready for war as I am.

I am on the verge of it all, about to tell Atomic that I don't give a fuck about getting out of this unscathed.

Bring on the war.

"We want a piece of the shipments."

"You're going to need to be a bit clearer. Do you want us to deliver product to you? Do you want to do your own deliveries? What the fuck do you actually want?" Atomic grinds out, clearly growing more annoyed with each passing moment. I almost laugh, but I'm wound too tightly to even crack a smile.

Talon takes half of a step forward, his body almost serpentlike as he moves. I watch, wondering what the fuck he's going to do next. This man is not predicable. Not that he's done anything yet, but he didn't get to be the man at the top and stay there by being kind and compassionate.

"I want half of everything you make."

I bite back my burst of laughter. There is no way this man is serious.

But when his gaze flicks from Atomic to me, then King, and then back to Atomic, I realize he is, indeed, serious. It's fucking hilarious is what it is, because I know there is no way in hell Atomic is going to agree to that.

This is a business that our club is still building, and it's working well for us, but we aren't going to give any percentage of our profit away. That's fucking insane. And I realize this is exactly what he was trying to do to Sal.

Good news is that we're here now, and no way in fuck are the Southern Mafia going to try and worm their way into any of this shit. I don't care if they have kidnapped my woman. I'm not going to agree to a deal like that, and I'm going to get my woman back, too.

"That's not going to happen," Atomic states.

I almost let out a laugh, but again, I bite it back. I'm trying really fucking hard not to start any shit.

Talon doesn't seem upset by Atomic's words. He tilts his head to the side as if he's trying to figure out the puzzle that is Atomic, or us. Maybe he just hasn't ever been told no so forcefully before.

"Then we'll have no choice but to take over Sal's Bar and keep the girl."

My shoulder jerks, my spine straightens, and I am seconds, seconds away from pulling my gun out of my holster to shoot this motherfucker in the head. Atomic knows it, too. He lifts his chin and looks down his nose at Talon as he lifts his hand, stopping me from absolutely going crazy on this asshole.

"You'll do neither," Atomic grinds out. "You don't get to come into my territory and act as if you're owed anything. Indeed, you are owed absolutely fucking nothing. If it's a war you want, then it's a war you will get."

Talon jerks back slightly, and I watch him for a moment in tense silence, waiting for what is going to come next. I expect him to throw out some kind of signal to bring his men out and really get this shit rolling, but he doesn't.

He clears his throat. "You will regret this."

"Doubt it," Atomic snaps. "I want proof of life for Kyle, Sal, and Dennis. If you wish to have a reasonable conversation that doesn't include us giving you anything, we can do that. But as of right now, your demand for fifty percent of our income is not reasonable."

Talon's lips curve up again. This time, his smile seems genuine. He likes this. He's enjoying this verbal sparring, and I have no doubt he would also enjoy physical sparring as well. That's fine. I'm ready to take him.

Any time.

Any place.

KYLE

Xavier and I are separated.I thank my stars because I don't want to be anywhere near that man, ever. I'm dragged into a house, thrown into an empty room, and locked firmly in place. At least I'm not tied sitting to a chair any longer, but I'm not sure this is any better.

Standing up from the carpeting, I move toward the large window that is letting light into the room for the moment. But the sun is setting, and soon, it will be shrouded in darkness.

Then I'll have to turn on the light above me, but then whoever is on the other side of the door will know the light is on. All of this sounds so absurd, even in my own head. They know I'm here, so it's stupid, but I'm not being rational, not at all.

Nothing about this situation makes me feel rational.

In fact, I am the exact opposite of that. I want to scream, climb the walls, and cry.

I want to break free.

I want to be free.

I've always wanted to be free. Since the moment I came into this world, I've only craved peace. Free peace. But I'll never get it, not as long as Xavier is alive. Not as long as I am in this place of limbo.

I want Rider.

I want to be happy.

I want peace.

None of this is peaceful.

Blinking, I try to hold back the tears, but now that I'm alone, I can't. They roll freely down my cheeks. I allow it for the first time since I made the decision to run from Xavier. I allow it all. The tears fall, they flow, and I stare out the window.

Once I've felt sorry for myself long enough, I inhale deeply through my nose, hold my breath, then let it out slowly. It's time to get myself together. A few tears, and now I need to attempt to devise a plan.

A plan that gets me the fuck out of here and back to Rider. I want everything from him. I want the life that I imagine with him. Or maybe it's the life that I am imagining in general that I want.

Love, respect, kindness. I want all of it.

I want everything.

I know I don't deserve it, but I want it. I want it all.

The door opens behind me. I don't even flinch, let alone turn around to face whoever is walking through the doorway. When the person doesn't say anything, I decide to speak up, mainly because it seems if I don't, nobody will.

"What is it you want from me?" I keep my attention on the window.

I can"t figure out where I've been taken. There are still pine trees surrounding me. I don't know what that means, but hopefully, I'm still somewhere in Pineville. If I've been taken out of town, I have a feeling I'll be lost forever.

"We want a lot, and we're hoping we will get what we want by using you as trade."

I spin around and lift my chin slightly. Looking down my nose at him, I watch him for a moment, then arch a brow. Watching him, waiting for an answer. This is someone new. I don't know this man.

But I'm not surprised by the new face. He's dressed much like Rider and his men in more casual wear, and it takes me by surprise. Whoever these men are, it's clear they are going for that whole good cop/bad cop vibe. To me, they are all bad cops. I want nothing to do with any of them.

But I'm entertaining this one in an effort to stall. The longer I keep him, or any of them, from doing whatever it is they brought me here to do, the more of a chance I give Rider to find me before anything really bad happens.

I know he will find me.

I don't know how I know, but I do.