Chapter 15

Stone

I speed down the highway, the wind whipping at my bare forearms as I head back to the ranch. The image of Ivy wrapped up in Gray's arms keeps flashing through my mind, and it's like someone reached into my chest, scooped out my guts, and tossed them on the hot concrete.

Why the fuck does it bother me so much? She's his girl; he's my friend. I shouldn't give a damn.But I do, and it pisses me off that I can't shake this feeling.

I take the long route back to Hardtail Ranch, trying to calm the storm raging inside me before the inevitable talk with my dad that I avoided two nights ago. "Fuck!" He's going to be pissed, and I have no choice but to accept it. This is all my fault—the fight at the bar and the attack on Ivy. It all falls squarely on my fucking shoulders.

I'll happily take the blame because I fully intend to put an end to this bullshit.

The last thing I wanted was to leave any of them standing, but Gray was right. I can't kill anyone without the club's approval.

I march into the house and follow the sound of Ma's voice. She's in the kitchen talking to my dad. The sight of Dad's hands on Ma's ass makes me frown instantly. "Y'all got a minute?"

Ma looks over her shoulder and offers me a smile. "Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

"Hey, Ma." I kiss her cheek and turn to my dad, gripping the kutte in my hand before tossing it on the back of the nearest chair. "We need to talk."

He nods, motioning for me to have a seat. His eyes narrow as he takes in the kutte. "What's this?"

"Skull Crushers MC." I describe what went down at the bar. "I killed him before he could kill me," I explain, so he knows that I understand I can't just act on my own. "You know this club?"

"Heard of it," he says, his gaze never leaving my face. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Shit.He knows. "I was going to tell you the night it happened, but I didn't because I wasn't ready to see that disappointed look on your face." I point to the exact look he's wearing now. The one that cuts deeper than any knife. "But those assholes came after Ivy today. They surrounded her on the interstate. Gray and I had to go get her."

"Is she all right?" Ma asks.

I nod. "She's not hurt, just scared." And safe in Gray's arms.

"Ford told me about the fight already. He said you tried to avoid fighting until he came after you." Dad's mouth splits into a grin. "How fucking hard was that?"

I relax a little and smile back. The thousand-pound weight on my shoulders finally lifts. "Harder than I'll ever admit."

"You're learning. Good." He nods at the kutte and sighs, the lines in his face deepening. "They're a problem, and they will retaliate. The guy you killed was an enforcer."

My fists ball up tight, fury coursing through me like hot lava. Yeah, this is my fault, but those motherfuckers started it. "Who do they think they are? Going into Smoky's place and acting like fools. Seriously, Dad. This is our turf."

"At least we know what kind of men we're dealing with," Dad says through clenched jaws, his eyes hardening.

"Yeah, we do. Dead men," Gray says from the kitchen doorway. His sudden appearance catches me off guard. Why is he here instead of with Ivy? He stands there with his arms crossed over his chest like he's tough. Which, I guess he is, but he's glaring at me with an intensity that makes me want to kick his ass.

What the fuck?

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.