Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
A low murmur rolled through the room.
“Do they not know who they were fucking with?”
“They knew, and it didn’t even slow them down,” Grim answered. “But we don’t know shit about them. That’s the problem.”
“Shep’s already pulling intel, but I don’t need fucking names.” The veins in Prez’s neck pulsed with anger as he roared, “Anyone involved with what went down tonight is going to pay.”
“So, how do you want to play it?” Grim asked.
Prez reached over and grabbed a baseball bat from the wall. “We fight fire with fire.”
“And the intel?”
“We’ll bring it back with us.”
“I get you’re pissed. Hell, we all are, but don’t you think we need to stop and take a breath here?” Memphis asked. “We don’t know what we’re heading into with these guys. It could be a trap.”
“I’m willing to take that chance.”
“I’m with you, Prez,” I interjected. “Those motherfuckers are sitting back at that bar thinking they’ve really done something. Fuck that. We gotta go in there and show them just how wrong they are.”
“That’s how wars get started,” Memphis argued.
“The war was started the second they put their hands on my boys!” Prez snarled. “It wasn’t just some misunderstanding, they beat the hell out of them, and they did it while they were wearing their cuts. They knew damn well who our boys were. We can’t let them get away with that shit.”
“You think they’re still at the bar?”
“Only one way to find out.”
“Then, let’s do this.” Grim stood, grabbing another bat from the wall.
We all followed suit and were about to head out when Prez glanced back at us and said, “We make an example outta these guys… one that no one will ever forget.”
Prez didn’t have to tell us twice.
We knew exactly what he meant, and we did just that.
It was only a matter of time before these assholes knew exactly what happened when you crossed Satan’s Fury. It’s not a mistake you’ll make twice.
20
PRESLEY
The salon was usually my happy place. It gave me a chance to be with my girls and to get in touch with my creative side. I should’ve been thrilled. It was Friday afternoon, I was at work, and business was steady. I was able to spend some time with my girls, and I had a full day of clients.
But my heart wasn’t in it. I was just going through the motions.
Smile.
Wash. Cut. Style.
Move on to the next.
I tried to pull myself out of my funk. I even Door-Dashed one of my favorite coffees and a chocolate chip muffin, but it did little to take my mind off of Luke and what seemed to be the demise of our relationship or whatever we had going.
It had been over a week since the night I met him at the casino. He’d texted and even called, but they were just quick check-ins. Some teasing, a joke here or there, and a good morning or good night. But that was about it. There was no mention of another date or when we might get together again.
And the silence that wrapped itself around that lack of planning felt louder than anything he’d actually said. It made me doubt everything. I thought about the times we’d spent together. The night we’d played pool. The dinner at the small café. The lake. Dinner at his place and what happened after.
He’d looked at me like I meant something to him.
He’d treated me that way, too. It felt good. It felt real, like it might be the start of something more, and it didn’t make sense that he was suddenly pulling away.
I told myself not to read into it.
Men were nothing if they weren’t complicated, and recent events in his life had definitely been complicated. I knew that, but that did little to curb the doubts that kept creeping into the back of my mind.
Christina glanced at me through the mirror, and she was steadily trimming her client's hair when she said, “What’s going on with you today?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t give me that. Something’s got you twisted up. It’s written all over your face.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Oh, yeah,” she smirked. “You’ve been staring off into space like you’re in your own world over there.”
“Things just seem off.” I shrugged. “It felt like things were going so well with Luke and me, and now, all of a sudden, they’re not. It’s like it all fell flat, and I don’t know why. I don’t know what I did.”
“Men don’t pull back for no reason.” She continued trimming her client’s hair as she said, “But that doesn’t mean he’s doing it because of you. Could be any number of things.”
“You’re right.”
“I usually am,” she teased. “Now, quit worrying until you have a reason to worry.”
I nodded, but my chest still ached.
I finished sweeping my area, then went over and checked my calendar. I wanted to make sure I had the time right for my next appointment when I overheard the guy say, “It was probably one of the worst fights I’d ever seen. It was like coming up on a bad wreck. Only it was in a bar.”