Waverly
I PROMISED GIO I’d pick him up from his place right after work, but I was running a little late. I hated being late. I rushed up the stairs and knocked on his door, but he didn’t respond right away, so I knocked again.
"It’s open!" he bellowed.
I walked inside and stalled.
He was sitting on the edge of his sofa, a bandana pulled up over his mouth and nose, sawing off his cast with a hacksaw.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking this off," he said, nodding to the cast, an assortnt of tools splayed out at his feet.
"Well, stop doing that," I ordered, closing the door behind .
"I can’t," he said. "I need to be able to ride. It’s war."
"What do you an it’s war?" I dropped my purse on one of his ratty chairs.
He filled in on what happened to one of their recruits, and even though I had a feeling he was holding sothing back, the fact a man had been murdered because of a rival club freaked the hell out.
I sat in the chair I’d set my purse on and dropped my face in my hands. "So, this Warlock person has decided he wants Hatch to give him the cannabis operation and he’s going to kill people if he doesn’t?"
"Pretty much," Gio said. "Hatch won’t let that stand."
"What does that an?"
"It ans war, Fizzy."
"You said that before. What does war an, Gio?"
"It ans he killed one of ours, so Warlock’s goin’ down."
"Eye-for-an-eye type shit?"
"Yeah, baby, eye-for-an-eye type shit, although, I have a feelin’ Hatch ain’t gonna give Warlock the quick type of death Grip got."
I gasped. "Hatch plans on murdering him?"
Gio went very still and t my eyes. "Did I say that?"
"I’m about on the razor’s edge with you right now," I hissed.
"If soone killed Lennon, would you stand by and do nothing?"
"I wouldn’t seek revenge," I said. "I’d let the authorities handle it."
"Yeah, well, the authorities don’t always have the autonomy to do what needs to be done."
"Then, let karma take care of it."
He snorted. "Karma?"
"Well, yes. Delbert got his eventually. You live by the sword, die by the sword."
Gio cocked his head and then he shook it.
"What?" I asked.
"You’re not ready."
"I’m not ready for what?"
"We’ll talk about it later." He went back to sawing off his cast.
I sighed. "No, I don’t think we will."
"What does that an?"
"I didn’t sign up for this."
He studied again. "Are you fuckin’ bailing?"
"Do you expect to just look the other way?"
"I guess love doesn’t conquer all, huh?" he bit out.
"I can’t be in a relationship with soone who condones murder."
"Even if it ans you don’t get raped again, or another one of my brothers isn’t murdered in return?"
I squeezed my eyes shut. "We need to let the authorities handle it."
He scoffed. "You’re fuckin’ naïve."
"At least I can sleep at night."
"Liar."
I bit my lip, standing and snatching my purse off the chair. "Do not have followed."
"If you’re on anyone’s radar, Waverly, I will protect you." He glared at . "You don’t have a fuckin’ choice in the matter."
"Stalking’s a cri in this country, Gio."
"Again, don’t give a fuck."
I made my way to the door. "Please don’t get yourself killed."
"If you’re bailin’ on , on us, you don’t have a say in the matter."
I took a deep, shaky breath, then walked out the door refusing to let him see the tears streaming down my face.
The next afternoon, I had just opened a bottle of wine and pulled out a bag of Cheetos when my doorbell rang.
I checked my cara and dropped my head with a curse. I took a quiet breath, hoping if I was really, really still, maybe they’d go away.
Katie leaned in, close to the cara. "We know you’re here, Waverly."
"Goddammit."
"Darling," Maisie piled on. "Please just open the door, love. We only want to talk."
I engaged the microphone with a sigh. "Now’s not a good ti."
"Open the door," Katie ordered.
"I can’t."
"Why not?" she asked.
"I’m um, giving myself an enema. It’s impossible for to co to the door."
"Squeeze that anus closed, hold your water, and waddle on over to unlock the door," Katie hissed. "We’ll give you a minute."
"I have rabies."
"I have a shot for that."
"I’m already foaming at the mouth. Too far gone," I said, then snarled.
Katie smiled. "I will hold you down while you die."
"Scabies?"
"Got a cream and a spray for that."
"Scurvy."
"I have a Vitamin C infusion that will clear that right up," Katie retorted. "It’s also not contagious."
I let out a frustrated squeak. "If you’re here to try and convince to get back together with Gio, you’re wasting your breath."
"We’re not," Maisie said. "Please open the door, love."
I groaned, but made my way to the door and pulled it open. The won pushed in, and Katie closed the door behind them.
"Your ho is lovely," Maisie said.
"Thank you. I don’t an to be rude, but what do you want?"
"We need you to pack a bag. Enough for a week or two, and then follow us to my ho," Maisie said.
"I’m sorry." I frowned. "What?"
"We’re locked down," Katie said.
"What does that an?"
"As Razor explained, we’ve had so trouble with a rival club," Maisie said. "So, Hatch has locked the club down. This ans, family needs to be in a place that’s safe. Our ho is safe, and he’d like you there."
I threw my hand in the air. "Gio and I are not together."
"You’re family now, darling," Maisie said. "Even if you and Razor aren’t together, it’s possible the Spiders know who you are. Our ho is fortified, and Hatch would like you there."
"No."
Katie shrugged. "It’s not really a request."
"I just opened a bottle of wine. I have food in my fridge that will go bad if I don’t cook it. I have work!"
"Bring the wine, bring the food. We’ll cook it at my place," Maisie said. "You can still go to work. One of the boys will take you."
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