14. Chapter Eight

Trevante

The tension throughout the warehouse is tangible, I can taste it on the tip of my tongue. Every person in here is taut and tense, ready to strike in a second. I want to defuse the situation, but in doing so I would make her look weak and the last thing I want to do is undermine her in front of everyone. Call me crazy but a part of me knows that she needs to do this on her own to help her heal. She may not say it but I know being here in a room full of Irish men is fucking hard for her.

"That may be so but if you want my help and the help of my men you will answer my question." She bristles at Grandpa's demand and I can tell from the hard set of her jaw that she isn't going to answer him. In her mind who she was before no longer exists. She views her past self as weak but that's just the anger she is harboring inside herself.

"The girl that died, her name was Waverly Bronson and she was the twin sister to the Don of the Re Della Strada, Knox Bronson," Xander answers for her. Doxy's shoulders tense when Grandpa's eyes widen as he stares at her.

"Oh sweet fucking Mother Mary," Grandpa grits out as he scrubs a hand down his face and shakes his head. "Lennon, get her brother on the phone—" Before he can finish, Doxy cuts him off.

"No. I am not going back there until I finish this shit here first, then and only then will I go after my brother and claim his empire as my own." Shock ripples through each man in the room at her declaration. It's clear no one expected that shit to come out of her mouth.

"Come again?" Nano asks. He is one of the Captains that has turned against Karl and has dealt with Knox a lot over the years as he tried to keep the peace, but Knox isn't looking for peace now, he wants the blood of every Irish man on his hands.

Doxy slowly tears her gaze from Grandpa to stare at Nano. "If you're too stupid to keep up that's on you. I won't repeat myself when I know you heard me loud and clear. Knox is my next target."

"You want to go after your own kin?" Dexter asks from his place next to Grandpa.

"Yes. He is no kin of mine. He will pay for his sins like every single one of these bastards. I'm tired of explaining myself, I have a ship to meet and four men to kill. Either you will help us and prove you were telling the truth when you said you had no idea what your son was doing or you join the list of names that have to be killed and I save you for last before claiming my position as leader." Grandpa's eyes swim with respect as he stares down at Doxy. I know he meant what he said because I was with him when he began to outlaw the trafficking of women and young girls—what Karl was doing was behind everyone's backs. Most men in this room have daughters, sisters and wives and refused to take part in that shit when it was outlawed years ago. Bishop Murdoch was the one to start putting a stop to the skin trade and over the years many have followed in his footsteps.

"You have a lot to prove to me before you will even be considered as a leader for my people and before you protest, it has nothing to do with you being a woman. It has everything to do with you proving you are worthy of the title over my grandson who doesn't wish to lead." I eye the old man warily, I know how he feels about someone who isn't blood leading our people. He's up to something.

"Even if you don't approve, I'll still take that spot and there isn't a fucking thing you or anyone else can do about it." I can see from the way his eyes crinkle in the corners that he likes her spunk and the way she won't cower to his demands.

"We shall see. Your first test begins now. Explain your plan for the shipment tonight and then I will decide if my men will help you. Fail this test and you won't get another chance." Without missing a beat she begins to explain the plan and I share a surprised look with Xander. As far as the both of us were aware there was no plan, we were going to discuss it when we got here but clearly we underestimated her.

With three hours to kill before we leave for the port, I step outside to get some fresh air. Doxy is with my grandfather and the captains in the back room. To further punish me for not wanting the role as leader he told me to take a walk. The old fucker smiled as he closed the door in my face. The only reason I left her in there is because I know my grandfather won't allow harm to come to her, contrary to what happened earlier. I may not have told him exactly who she is but he knows me well enough to know that I had my reasons for keeping her identity a secret from him.

"I'll kill you if she gets hurt." I lazily turn and spot Xander in the shadows inhaling a blunt. I shake my head.

"You think getting high before a raid is a good idea?" A billow of smoke escapes his lips before he drops the blunt to the ground and stomps it out, then comes toward me, leaving a foot of space between us.

"You think keeping up this nice guy act is going to get you in her pants?" My jaw locks in vexation as I scowl at the fucker.

"You think you know her because you shared a past but you don't, she isn't that person anymore?—"

"No, but she will be."

I snort. "You think you're the one to make her see that becoming Waverly Bronson again is the answer to all her problems?" I don't give him a chance to answer. "She will never be her again, if you think for a second that you are the person to make her miss her old life, then you are fucked in the head."

"You think you're that person?" he bites out.

I shake my head. "You and I both know I'm not that person and nor are you. There is someone out there though that will bring her back but until that time comes, I will stand by her side and help her however I can for as long as she will allow me to." Xander presses in until we are chest to chest, his gaze boring into my own as he tries to read me.

"What the fuck are you getting out of this?" he snarls so close to my face I can smell the weed on his breath.

"Nothing–"

"Bullshit. You want something out of this…" He clamps his mouth closed and then narrows his eyes as he presses in closer, pushing his forehead against mine. "You want her." It isn't a question so I don't bother responding because he's right, I do want her and I'm not willing to let her go without a fight. From the moment my gaze collided with hers, I felt something deep inside me come to life. I've never wanted to be tied down or be at the beck and call of another but it seems it didn't matter what I thought I wanted because from that moment of meeting her, I've been willing to change everything about myself and my life to fit in with hers. "I'll never let you take her from me." The conviction he says that with has me believing that he would do anything to make sure he is the one who ends up with her.

"What if she doesn't want you?" I ask.

"She doesn't know what she wants right now," he snarls.

"What if she didn't just want one and wanted both?" He reels back as if I had hit him and looks at me with disgust.

"That shit was a one-time deal, it won't happen again."

I shrug and purse my lips. "Suit yourself, I'm willing to share if it means I get to keep her but if you're not…" I let my sentence trail off.

"You think you can just share?—"

Xander is cut off. "No one is sharing anyone!" At the sound of her voice I spin around to find her standing there with Nano, Vaughn and Grandpa, the four of them all stare at us with weird looks, clearly they heard our conversation and I feel like a dick that she overheard us discussing her like a piece of meat we have a right to claim. "Quit thinking with your cocks and get your fucking heads in the game or fuck off." She turns and heads back inside without so much as a backward glance. My shoulders deflate, I just fucked that up.

"So that's why you ordered her to be unharmed." I purse my lips and nod. Grandpa smiles and nods his head. "Very well, the girl will not be harmed but she will be tested, Trevante, and you will not stop that. She wants to lead, then she has to prove her worth like every other man."

"She isn't a man!" Xander snaps from beside me.

"No, she isn't, which is the only reason why I am open minded about this." I frown at his answer.

"What aren't you telling me, old man?" I ask.

"Time will reveal all, be patient, Grandson, and you may just see the rise of a true queen."