Took three reconstructive surgeries to repair the bones he broke in her face. I killed him for it, but he still got off easy. Todd won’t get that same courtesy. His death will be slow and painful. I was sloppy the last time. I won’t make that mistake this time around.
**
I lift the punk motherfucker’s head up as blood seeps between his lips. “How long you been working for Lion?”
Mustering a weak smile, he spits a mouthful of blood at me. “What’s it matter? I’m dead anyway. Did she tell you how she screamed out your name when I fucked her?” A gurgled laugh erupts in his throat.
“No but I’ll be sure to tell her how you cried like a bitch when I cut your balls off. Get him up,” I tell Slick. This isn’t usually his thing, but right now I don’t trust anyone else. Not when I know Lion, my club Prez played a key part in assaulting Alexa. He’ll pay, but I gotta do it right. I’ve wanted the prick gone for years. It’s time to take him out and turn this club back around. Too many brothers are hooked on Cloud Nine and dying. Lion can’t see what he’s doing or he’s too damn greedy to care. I won’t sit back and watch him dig our graves. A man like him there’s only one way to take him out—by surprise and under everyone’s noses. It has to appear natural. Gotta beat him at his own damn game.
I rear my fist back and nail Todd in the nose with my spiked brass knuckles hearing his bones crunch.
Chapter Ten
“I tell you I’ve met someone and that I want a divorce and all you can do is say okay? When did you stop loving me? When did you stop caring about our family?”
I shake my head. “I’m not in the mood for more of your shit. Enough with the fucking games, Ruthie. If you met someone who makes you happy then fucking go be with him.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. You want a divorce then I’ll give you one.”
“So that’s it.”
“What the hell do you want from me?”
“I want you to fight for me. To show me you give a damn. To tell me you’ll kill him or me. That you’ll never let me go.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not in love with you.”
“You’ve met someone else. That’s all there is to it.”
“No,” I lie. My mind flashes to Alexa. Someone I can’t have. Someone I shouldn’t want but crave. If Rochelle found out I don’t know how she’d react. Ruthie would take her far away and Lion would put a bullet between my eyes. That’s not going to happen though I can’t and won’t let it. Everything inside me screams in protest as I take a step toward Ruthie. “You want me to fight?” I grab her by the back of the head and tighten my grip, forcing her head to tilt.
“You loved me once,” she whispers.
“Is there another man or not? You know what I did the last time you fucked around on me.” I slit that fucker’s throat and Ruthie helped me dispose of the body.
She licks her lips. “I just wanted to make you mad. Wanted you to come home and pretend that you give a damn about me.”
“Is that blood on your shirt?”
“What?”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing for you to concern yourself with.” I let her go. “I gotta get a shower then head to the clubhouse.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“I’ll be back, and we can talk then.”
“I don’t want to wait till later we need to talk about this now.”
“Well wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which fills faster.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“But I’m the asshole you married for better or worse. Guess neither of us knew that the worst part would last us till death do us part, huh, sweetheart.”
“I hate you. I hate you.” She cries, punching at me as she sinks to her knees.
Black streaks of mascara trickle down her face. “What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Why are you so heartless?”
“You moved another man into my house. Had him play daddy to my kid. You tell me how I shoulda felt about that?”
“I said I was sorry. You can’t hold it against me forever.”
“Play stupid games, babe, you win stupid prizes. Yeah?”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means you ever think for a minute that it was you who should be fighting for me?”
“You’re right. I’m selfish and terrible. But I do love you, James. You’re Rochelle’s father.”
“Is that all I am to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well when you figure it out you let me know.”
“I want things to go back to the way they were before all the bad,” she calls out as I close the bathroom door.
My life’s been nothing but bad since the first time I kissed her.
I hurry through my shower, I’m eager to personally deliver the news to Alexa that Todd is no longer breathing the same air as the rest of us. I exit the bathroom to find Ruthie in the bedroom. Candles lit, lined up on the dresser top. Soft music plays. She’s laying across the bed in a purple nightie. I take one look at her and feel nothing at all. She no longer resembles the girl I thought I loved when I was a stupid kid. Young, dumb, and full of come. Her dark hair rests on her shoulder, stick straight with a few highlights. Heavy makeup that makes her look old and worn. She never used to wear too much makeup. Back then she didn’t need it. Would look better now if she washed all that shit off her face. Still has a banging body though. I’ll give her that much. Hell, I paid for her to have a tummy tuck and get her tits
