Master (Chaos Bleeds Book 8) (19 page)

When Spider lunged, Gash held him back.

Andrew burst out laughing.

“All of you are pathetic when it comes to women. They will drag you down, and you’ll be a pathetic excuse for a man,” Andrew said. “All of you. Do you really think I give a fuck?”

Over and over Andrew ranted. He raved about how annoying women were, and how irritated he was.

Gash listened, and with each passing second, a safe kind of peace settled over him. These were his brother’s last moments. For his club, for his woman, and for himself, Andrew would die.

Chapter Fourteen

Andrew was dead.

Stink stood with the men in the warehouse as they surrounded the man who had caused them so much trouble.

Gash was covered in blood as he’d been the one to finally end Andrew. They hadn’t tied Andrew down. Only a select few men had been given the chance to take a swipe at him. Pussy for Sasha, Whizz and Nash for Sally and Sophia. Devil for Simon and for Tabitha. Spider was supposed to be there, but he’d decided that his revenge was taken out with beating Russell. He hadn’t wanted to leave Paris’s side. No matter what anyone said, he just wouldn’t do it. Tiny had stepped out. The only one who was allowed to kill Andrew was the one who had the most taken from him. Gash had not only gone to prison for a rape and murder he didn’t commit, he’d lost a child, and Charlotte had almost taken her life. It was only fair for the brother to end the life of a brother.

Stepping away, Gash held the knife in his hand, droplets of blood falling to the floor as Andrew lay lifeless.

Silence fell on the warehouse as they all looked at one another, and then at the body.

“He doesn’t deserve a burial,” Gash said.

“We can burn him,” Tiny said. “There’s a guy who’ll make the body disappear for a price.”

“Do it,” Gash said. He dropped the knife and wiped his hands down his pants.

Taking a step back, he kept taking deep breaths, and Stink saw that he was losing it.

“Gash, you okay?” Lash asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. Gash, talk to us. We know he was your brother.”

He shook his head, holding up his hand. “I’m fine.”

“Dude, he just had to kill his brother. For any of us, that’s got to hurt,” Nash said. “As fucked up as Andrew was, for a long time they grew up together. I imagine it’s hard to push that aside.”

Stink looked at Gash as he crouched down on the floor, gripping his head. “I know that he needed to go down. He’s a fucking monster, but he was still my brother.” Gash snorted. “God, I was told to look after him, and I fucking failed. It’s right that I be the one to stop him. It’s my fault he’s the way he is.”

“Don’t do that, Gash.” Nash took a step toward him.

“Andrew did this to himself,” Lash said, taking a step toward him.

Gash nodded. “Yep, he did. I get it, okay. I get it all. I just … I need to have a minute.”

Stink helped to clean up the body as Gash simply watched. None of the brothers blamed him. This was what was supposed to happen all along. They cleaned him away, and as the first waves of morning sunshine started to come, Stink made his way toward the clubhouse.

It was over.

There wasn’t any celebration or euphoria, only regret.

Their women were waiting for them. Sandy rushed toward him, and he held her. Picking her up, he carried her toward their private room.

“What’s going on?” Sandy asked.

Kicking the door shut, Stink held her close, breathing her in.

“Stink, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Is Andrew dead?”

“Yeah, Gash was the one to deliver the final blow.”

“Fuck, is he okay?”

“As okay as anyone who has just killed their brother.”

“Wow,” Sandy said. “I thought someone else would do that.”

Stink shook his head. “He’s hurting.”

“I’m not surprised. It’s over?”

“Yeah, it’s over. It’s all over.”

Sandy caught his face in her palms, and pressed her forehead against his. “We can go back to normal now.”

“You’re not divorcing me.”

She chuckled. “Not a chance. You’re stuck with me now. You’ll wish you hadn’t given yourself to me.”

“That would never happen.” He kissed her lips. “I’ll take you on that honeymoon soon.”

“We can’t go yet. Not until everyone is back home.”

“I can wait. So long as I’ve got you to come home to, I can wait for anything.”

****

Charlotte ran a bath and started to remove the clothing that Nash was waiting for. It was covered in blood, and it had to go. Gash was just stood there, completely silent. Every man who touched Andrew was having their clothing disposed of. Charlotte eased Gash’s jacket off, and then the rest of his clothing. When he was naked, she left him in the bathroom, and rushed toward the door.

“How is he?” Nash asked.

“I don’t know. He’s not really talking. He should be fine. I’ll take care of him.”

“Okay. Give us a shout if you need us. The whole club is looking out for him.”

“I will.”

When Nash turned away to start downstairs, she closed the door, and made her way back toward the bathroom.

Gash hadn’t moved from where he stood in the center.

Holding him, she urged him toward the bath, and she reached for the soap. She didn’t force him to say anything. Charlotte waited, soaping her hands, and grabbing a sponge to soap the rest of his body.

Sometimes, silence was much more fun. She washed his body, focusing on him, nothing else.

“The water is the color of blood,” Gash said.

“So it is.”

“Time for a shower.”

He stood up, and she pulled the plug. The shower was in built with the bath tub. Gash turned it on, and she closed the curtain so no water would come.

“Get in the tub with me,” Gash said.

Leaning around the shower curtain, Charlotte gave a little scream as he hauled her into the tub.

“I wasn’t going to climb in.”

“I know. It’s why I made you.”

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing. I just want to look at you, and hold you.”

“What’s going on, Gash?” she asked. “Everyone is worried about you.”

“They don’t need to be.”

“They love you. Everyone loves and cares about you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

She growled, glaring at him. “It does. Today you killed your brother. Don’t pretend that doesn’t mean something because we both know it does.”

“It shouldn’t though.”

“Gash—”

“No, hear me out. He was a monster, Charlotte. Growing up he used to hurt animals, girls—he was a cruel boy. Then he got older, and his sickness only got worse. He took our baby from us, our future.”

“We’re together. Be upset that you had to hurt your brother. I get it. All of us do. It would be stupid not to. Don’t let it ruin you, or us. We’re together, and nothing is going to tear us apart, nothing.”

He cupped her cheek. “What would I do without you?”

“Probably be drinking yourself into oblivion.”

“Don’t you think I deserve it?”

“Oh, you deserve it all right. Just not tonight. Give yourself time to heal, and if you still want to go around shooting things, we’ll talk.”

“I love you.”

Charlotte smiled. “It’s never going to get old hearing you say that.”

“I’m never going to stop.”

He started to remove her clothing, and rather than complain, she just let him lead. Lifting her arms above her head, he took off her shirt, followed by her pants. She gave a wiggle to help him remove them.

“What happens now?”

“Now? I’m going to hold you against this wall, and fuck you hard.”

“After all of this? What do we do?”

“Honeymoon, living life, maybe kids. Things return to normal.”

“Normal would be nice,” she said.

“You know what, with all the shit that has happened, I agree. Normal would be fucking good right about now.”

****

Sitting in The Skulls’ office, Tiny, Devil, Lash, and Ripper all shared a drink. They had dropped Spider off at the hospital to continue his vigil on Paris.

“Can’t believe it’s all over,” Ripper said.

“It is all over, and we’re all living life now, and that fucker is burning in hell,” Devil said, swinging back a shot.

It was early morning, but he needed a drink. Lexie had the kids, and they were all heading toward the hospital to see Simon. Eva was going with her while they all had a drink, and acknowledged what had happened.

“You started without me, boys,” Ned asked, coming into the office.

“Seat right here for you,” Tiny said.

“Thought I’d come to have a drink for what we’ve achieved today.”

“What we’ve achieved?” Lash asked. “I didn’t see you there, old man?”

Ned started laughing. “I may be old, but I can still put you in your place.”

“Fair enough.” Lash tipped back another shot.

Devil placed his glass on the table, waiting for a refill. “If it’s okay with you, we’re going to stick around for a little bit. Spider’s not coming home without that girl, and that girl’s not coming home just yet.”

“It’s fine with me. Lockdown is over. We can go back to finishing what we’re doing,” Lash said.

“What are you doing?” Ripper asked.

“We’ve got a bakery in town, opening up. That’ll be a hoot. A gym, and something else, which right now, I can’t think about. It’ll come to me. It always does.”

Lash poured another round of drinks, and they all raised their glasses, taking another shot.

Devil licked his lips, holding his glass so it didn’t get another refill. “It has been a long couple of years.”

“Yeah, it has. That’s it though. No more shit to come from us,” Lash said.

“Families are growing,” Tiny said.

“We’ve got to keep an eye on family. We don’t want anything bad to happen,” Lash said.

“Amen.” Ripper spoke up this time.

Devil placed his glass on the table, ready for another refill.

“What about you, Devil, what are your plans?”

“When Paris is all fixed and well, head on back to Piston County. Help that girl and her sister. Neither of them deserved the hell that Andrew put them through. We’re out of the drug and gun runs,” Devil said. “Since Gonzalez hit, and Jerry was killed, it doesn’t hold its appeal.”

“All of the guys are clean and sober. None of them are going back to that life,” Ripper said.

“Look at Dick now. Who knew that son of a bitch would ever settle down? Martha’s good for him though. She makes him fight, and that’s what he needs, a woman who’ll make him beg. It’s what Lexie does to me. She keeps me on my toes, and I’m grateful for having her near. Love her.”

“Speaking of drug and gun runs, The Skulls are out of that trade,” Lash said. “I’ve thought about it long and hard. We’re all settling down, we’ve got families to support. If the past couple years have taught us anything, it’s that life is so fucking short.”

Ned agreed. “It’s fine. I’m getting old, and I don’t want to be dealing with punk ass kids anymore. Times are changing. There’s no respect anymore. I see it on every single fighter that walks through that fucking door of my gym. They think the world owes them something, that they’re the next best thing.”

“What happens?” Lash asked.

“The first fight they’re down within seconds, every time.” Ned laughed. “It’s funny to watch, but I don’t have time for the bad attitude that comes my way. You want to fight, put your fists up, and fight. Don’t give me mouth. Mouthing only gets you hit. Your fists, that’s what gets people to listen.”

“I don’t know. Eva can scream some, and when she does, I pay attention,” Tiny said.

“That’s the exception to the rule. Women make the rules. Men follow them, and uphold them.”

“I can see why you’re such a hit with the ladies,” Devil said.

“Years of practice.”

“What was it like raising a girl?” Lash asked.

“Hell.”

“Be serious.”

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Tiny asked. “I raised Tate.”

“Eva raised Tate. You just spoilt her. Ned, he raised Eva. She was around fighters growing up, and she didn’t turn out too bad.”

“I was being serious. Having a girl is a fucking nightmare,” Ned said, taking another shot.

“How so?”

“Well, first, I had to deal with the fact that Eva was a girl. She was a sweet girl, and she liked being around the gym, which worked for me. Growing up, she gave me several heart attacks. She used to love climbing up everything, and over everything. Then, she goes from this sweet, cute phase, to this attitude phase, and let’s not forget puberty. She’s got lady parts, and once puberty starts, they do lady things. Do you know what it’s like for a man to discuss menstrual cycles?”

Devil smirked as he saw Lash go pale.

“Yeah, boy, you’re about to figure it out, aren’t you? Once menstrual drama hits, then it’s boys. You’re a guy. All you wanted when you were growing up was sex. Well, now all those punk-ass bastards want your precious, angelic little girl. Yeah, not on my watch.”

“Fucking hell. No, Chloe’s going to become a nun. She’s not allowed a boyfriend until I’m dead.”

“All the things I said, and I still have to deal with this fucker every time I come to visit.”