“You’re making the right decision here.” T reaches forward and taps my shoulder.

“Get the fuck off me, T.” I brush it off, and move back to Morre. “Looks like it’s your lucky day. Or maybe your not so lucky day.” I bend my knees and crouch down to his level.

“Please, don’t let them take me, I’ll give you whatever you want.” The Mayor’s eye grow wide realizing I’m going to hand him over. Now the fucker starts to plead.

“You give me the name, I’ll see what I can do.” I’m not short of lying to the fucker to get what I want.

“Brent Harrison. He’s a street thug.” It’s the first truthful thing he’s told us since we’ve been here.

“Where can I find this fucker?”

“He hangs down by the dock in Redwick.”

Knowing this is all I’m going to get from him, I give him one final gift. “I was going to enjoy what I had planned for you next.” He licks his lips, his nervous tell showing. “I wondered if you’d piss your pants as much as your son did when I had him tied,” I lie through my teeth. If this shit with T and the Warriors falls through, I want Chad’s death on me, not Mackenzie.

“You?” His brows shoot up for a second, before lowering into a scowl.

“Yeah,” is all I say before delivering my final punch, and knocking him out.

“You clean this shit up, no trace this fucker was here,” Nix orders T.

“Nothing will touch you. You walk out that door, we don’t talk about it again. He turns up in a few weeks, you don’t bat a lid.”

I don’t know if I believe T or whoever wanted Morre, only time will tell. But I am going to trust my Prez and his decision. Kenzie and the club are safe and we have a name.

Brent Harrison

That’s all that matters to me right now.

We will sort out the fucker who laid his hands on Kelly.

For Brooks.

For the club.

For Kelly.

Twenty-Nine

Mackenzie

“Darlin’.” Beau’s voice brings me out of the fog in my mind and back to the emergency room.

“Where the hell have you been?” I look up as he takes a seat next to me. It’s late. For over four hours, I’ve been sitting here in a ball of anxiety and worry.

“It’s done,” is all he says, and my panic only deepens as Nix walks in next, followed by Sy, Jesse, and Hunter.

“What did you do?” I look at each man and back to Beau. My eyes grow wide when I notice Beau’s bloodied knuckles.

“Not here, Kenzie. We’ll talk later.”

“Oh, God, what happened?” I ignore his warning and find my feet. “Please tell me you didn’t kill him.” I almost laugh, but I don’t. I’m still wired after this mess of a day.

“Calm the fuck down. Not here.” He stands and drags me down the hall of the hospital, out of earshot. “I will fill you in back at the clubhouse. Right now, you need to pull your shit together.” His grip on me tightens, not enough to hurt me, but enough to anchor me to his words. “Tell me what’s happening with Kelly.” I calm my breathing, focus in on what he’s asking.

“We don’t know yet. At first they thought it was just a concussion, but then the CT scan came back and they realized it’s worse. She hit the ground from falling or being pushed, fuck, I don’t even know, but she hit her head bad. She’s bleeding inside, something about a hematoma. They had to take her in for surgery to drain the blood.” The tears I’ve only just managed to bring under control start back up.

“She was hit with a baseball bat.” His nostrils flare and his lips curl.

“Oh, God, Beau.” My eyes well up. The first tear falls then the second.

“Shit, darlin’, wasn’t thinking.” He pulls me into his chest. That could have been me.

“Brooks coping?” He pulls back, and takes my face in his hands.

“He’s a mess. Won’t talk to anyone. Kadence just left to pick up Mia from the babysitter’s and bring Kelly’s parents down.” He nods, knowing Kelly’s parents are too old to drive.

“Bell get him back to see her?”

“He saw her briefly, but they rushed her back for surgery.” His eyes darken and his jaw ticks. “I don’t know what to do, Beau. Everyone is just so silent, no one’s talking.”

“Everything is going to be okay. This is Kelly we’re talking about. She’s going to come out of the surgery and everything is going to be okay.” He pulls me back into him, kissing the top of my head. “The woman is just as fucking strong as you, darlin’. I have no doubt she’ll pull through. I won’t accept anything less.”

“Please, tell me this is over for real,” I whisper into his chest. Even if I don’t want him to have blood on his hands, I need to know this is over. That we can live our lives.

“It’s over, darlin’. I promise.” He gives me what I need, what I’ve been searching for. “Come on, let’s go be with our family.” He reaches down and takes my hand.

“Okay.” I steel myself and try to keep it together as I follow him back over to where the rest of the club sit, silently waiting and offering Brooks their support.

“Any news?” He claps Brooks on his back before taking the seat next to him. I take the spare seat next to Beau.

Brooks has barely spoken a word to us girls the last few hours, so I’m surprised he answers Beau right away.