“Fuck off, Teller,” he snarls. “You’re still a self-righteous little prick.”
“Enough.” Rock slams his fist into the table to get our attention. “We’re going in two teams. You’ll meet with your new in-laws. Rest of us will go to the camp for Carter.”
“Appreciate that, Rock.” Merlin dips his chin as if he’s about to make a noble offer. “But I should make things right and get Carter myself.”
Rock pinches the bridge of his nose. My father has patience for a lot of things. Stupidity isn’t one of them. “They’re expecting you to be at the meet,” he reminds Merlin in slow, deliberate words.
“Oh, right.”
“You been smoking their product?” Wrath asks.
“No. I don’t touch that shit.” His outrage seems to deflate when he realizes Wrath’s fucking with him. “I ain’t one of your bros.”
“Oh, I’m aware.”
Ignoring Wrath, Merlin focuses on me again. “You need time to get the money together?”
For an amount that large, I either need to hit the safe at my house, the one in the basement here at the clubhouse, or the one at Crystal Ball. Merlin doesn’t need to know we keep that kind of cash so close to home though. “Yeah, I’ll need a few. Why don’t I meet up with everyone down at Ward’s?”
“You need a vest,” Rock reminds me. “I’m not having you get shot again.”
“Now he’s definitely going to get shot, Prez,” Murphy says. “Why’d you have to say that?”
“Thanks, jackass,” I mutter. “I’ll stop and get one.”
“I’ll bring the hardware,” Wrath says. “Place is in the middle of nowhere. We don’t have to worry about being quiet.”
“Fuck yeah.” Z punches his fist in the air.
“Uh…” Merlin rubs his knuckles over his chest. “Can you look out for June? She’s tiny.” He holds his hand a few inches above the table. “Black hair. Pregnant.”
“That’s her name?” Rock asks. “June?”
“Yeah.”
“She gonna shoot at us first?” Jigsaw asks.
“I don’t think so.”
“Great,” Wrath mutters.
“I don’t know for sure she’ll be there.” Merlin shrugs. “But just in case.”
“We got it,” I say.
“Let’s get ready.” Rock claps his hands. “Meet out front in ten. Teller, see you at Ward’s.”
Everyone agrees to their assignments and stands to leave.
On my way out, I stop in front of Z. “Thanks, brother. You don’t have to do this.”
“The fuck I don’t.” He gives me a quick shove. “My son calls him Uncle. Lilly loves him.” The corners of his mouth lift. “She can’t stop talking about all the artwork they’re planning together. He’s family, Teller. We got this.”
“Thank you.”
He slaps my cheek. “Get your head on straight and let’s get these motherfuckers.”
I dip into the living room. Charlotte’s waiting where I left her. She lifts her head and our eyes lock. Taking her hand, I kneel in front of her and kiss her damp cheeks. “I’m going to get him back, Sunshine. I promise,” I whisper.
“Promise me something else.”
I search her face, waiting for her request.
“Kill them. Whoever took my brother and…hurt him. Kill. Them.”
“I promise.” I press her face between my palms and kiss her hard on the lips. “I’ll kill ’em all.”