Allah steps forward next and Venom hands him the shears. He actually removes the thumb then gives Tek a confused look.

“Did you want the left or the right?” he asks.

“Which one did you get?”

“Left.”

“I need the right then,” Tek replies with a grin.

Crow moves toward Briggs and pulls out his knife. It’s nothing like mine. That shit has a nine-and-a-half inch, partially serrated blade. He keeps it sharp, too. Briggs can’t keep his head steady. The smell of blood fills my nostrils and it smells a lot like retribution. Crow drags a table over to Briggs and cuts his other hand loose, splaying his fingers on it. One clean slice and his thumb is gone. Briggs barely makes a sound.

Tek opens the briefcase, pulls out a laptop, and then starts rifling through the papers in it.

“Why...why are you doing this?” Briggs asks, his voice barely audible.

I stand and stare down at this pathetic excuse of a human being, now as helpless as the victims of his drug. “What were you thinking when you created Dutch Wife, huh? What? No woman could stand to be with a bitch like you, so you decided to take their choice away?”

His head lolls back. He’s losing a lot of blood and may not be conscious much longer. I need to get something out of him fast.

“Who’s your distributor?”

“Prez,” Tek calls out to me. “Found something.” He shows me a document. “It’s where the truck was headed. Address in ATL.”

“Well,” I say to Briggs. “Looks like I don’t need you anymore.” I jerk my head at Allah and Crow. “Torch it.” There’s no way I’m leaving this place standing.

“Please,” he begs. “I’ll pay you...whatever you want.”

I pull out my Glock and aim it at his head. “I don’t want your money.”

“Who are you?”

“Me?” I ask, right before I pull the trigger. “I’m the Grim Reaper, motherfucker.”

CHAPTER 8

***Gage***

My heart leaps into my throat when I walk into the bar and see her sitting on the couch with the prospects. Why? One, she’s out of the bedroom; two, she’s smiling. It’s been way too long since I saw her gorgeous smile. It grows even wider when she sees me.

“Gage!” she shouts in excitement.

She jumps to her feet and potato chips go flying everywhere. She almost trips trying to get to me but I catch her, wrapping an arm around her waist. When she looks up at me, she can barely keep her eyes open. They’re bloodshot and she stinks of reefer. That explains all the junk food scattered on the table. My baby has the munchies.

“You’ve been smoking?”

“I may have had a joint...or two...or three.” She covers her mouth and giggles.

I glare at Ron and he has the sense to look sorry. “You gave her weed?”

“Don’t...don’t blame him,” she says, petting my chest. “He didn’t force me. I just needed to...get away.”

Fuck. She’s worse than I thought if she thinks she needs drugs to cope. I take her hand and lead her to my room. She flings herself onto the bed, turning over to watch me while I undress down to my boxers. Her eyes follow my every movement, but she says nothing. There’s a knock at the door and I know it’s Crow come to collect my clothes for disposal. I bring them to him and turn back around to see her still staring.

“See something you like?”

“You’re hot.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “That’s the weed talking.”

“No, it’s not.” She slinks off the bed and stands before me.

I watch with interest as she traces the tattoo on my sternum with her index finger. My body becomes alert at her soft touch. I know I should stop her, but I don’t. Maybe I’m selfish, but I miss her. I miss her hands on me. If I can have her back for even a few minutes, I’ll take it.

She flattens her palms and slowly slides them down my chest, my stomach. Resting her hands on my hips, she peeks up at me.

“Kiss me, Gage.”

I take a deep breath, trying to control myself as her arms go around my waist.

“Please. I need to see...to feel something.”

She stares up at me with beseeching eyes, and I just can’t turn her down. I cradle her face in my hands, brushing her cheek with my thumb. As I lean in, she closes her eyes. My lips touch hers and I hear a moan. At first, I think it’s her, then I realize it’s me. My body’s response to her is immediate. Jesus.

I take it slow, gently moving my lips against hers. She steps closer, urging me to be more forceful, but I keep myself in check. I lick her bottom lip. She opens for me the way she usually does, and I slip my tongue inside. As I tease her tongue with mine, she grabs my hand and places it on her breast. This time, I know it’s me groaning. I find her nipple through her shirt and circle it with my thumb. Trailing my other hand down her body, I grab her ass, and pull her to me. Everything in me is screaming at me to stop. I know she’s nowhere near ready, physically or emotionally. I know it’s the high she’s on, but I want her to feel how hard I am for her. She pulls back and I instantly think I’ve scared her off, done too much too soon, but she just stares at me with dead eyes.

“Nothing,” she whispers distractedly. “Still nothing.”

I release her and raise a questioning brow. “Babe?”

She grabs the front of her shirt, brings it to her nose, and sniffs it. “I stink. I’m gonna take a shower.”

I watch in confusion as she walks to the bathroom. What the fuck just happened? That must have been some strong weed. I sit on the bed with my head in my hands as I think about the events of the night. I know it’s a long shot trying to trace the drug from the source, but it’s one I have to take. Somebody, somewhere along the line must have heard something. Once we find the distributor in ATL, I’m hoping we can shorten the list of suspects. There aren’t a lot of dealers around here, and it’s not a common drug.

She walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and another around her body. My still-hard dick throbs at the sight of her. I grab fresh boxers and head to the shower, leaving her to get dressed. As I stand under the water, I look down at my dick, wondering if I should rub one out. Shit. I haven’t choked the chicken since...I don’t know when.

I shower quickly and climb into bed next to her. She rolls over to face me, and I curl my arm around her.

“Gage?” She stares up at me with wide eyes.

“Hmm?”

“Do you still like me?”

“Of course I do,” I answer without hesitation. “You’re my baby doll.”

She places her hand on my jaw and gives me a weak smile. “I still like you, too. I promise.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to tell me I’m your monster-dick papi chulo?”

She throws her head back and laughs, and I have to take a moment to watch her. I haven’t heard it in so long I almost forgot what it was like. Her body shakes against me as it flows through her. I’m the reason it disappeared, and I feel a small victory for bringing it back. I pull her closer as she brings her gaze back to mine.

“Sí,” she whispers. “Eres mi papi chulo con una grandísima verga.”

“Good.” I kiss her forehead. “Go to sleep, doll.”

***

A scream drags me out of slumber. I turn on the lamp only to see Raven thrashing next to me, fighting off someone who’s not there. Fuck.

I straddle her, grabbing her arms. “Raven, wake up!”

Her eyes snap open, but they may as well have been closed because the only thing I see is fear. She struggles against my hold, breathing heavily, and screaming for me to let her go.

“Raven.” I give her a little shake. “It’s me...Gage.”

E comes rushing into the room, a few of the guys close on his heels. “What’s going on?”

“She’s having a nightmare. Won’t snap out of it.”

He hurries over, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. She doesn’t respond. Whatever’s happening to her in this dream, she’s begging for it to stop. I know she’s dreaming about the rape and just like I couldn’t help her then, I can’t help her now. I didn’t even see E move but he’s back now with a needle. He sticks it into her arm and after a few seconds, she calms down. She goes still and her eyes flutter closed. I comb my fingers through my hair and drop down next to her.