Reeve (The Henchmen MC 11)

Which, well, did not bode well for us.

In the long run.

In the short term, I had no doubts that the remaining Henchmen and all of Hailstorm would rain down bullets to get me back. But V would get away. And that meant that shit was about to change for us. All of us. For a long while. Until we could take her out again.

And lord knew it wouldn't go as smoothly as it had gone the last time. Because she hadn't anticipated it; because she hadn't been prepared for it.

Now she would be.

I had a feeling things were going to get ugly.

Reign, wherever he was, must have been shitting himself. This went doubly bad for him. It wasn't just his association with the club that was the problem. It was his association to Summer. And, well, their kids. This crazy ass bitch might be twisted enough to try to get to them.

True, they were already likely safe up at Hailstorm. But they couldn't live there forever.

I had a feeling a lockdown would be coming.

And I also had a feeling that poor fucking Rey was about to have her life uprooted.

Our women wouldn't be safe.

And Rey, as new as things were, and we haven't even discussed her being mine, well, V wouldn't care. She would know she meant something to me. And she would exploit that.

There was no way to secure her house.

She would have to uproot to either Hailstorm or the compound. With all her critters.

At least until we could find out where V was and could keep eyes on her and her men.

"So, where is my lovely son-in-law?" V asked, checking out what appeared to be a fresh manicure. "I would much prefer having this conversation with him."

"Get used to disappointment, V," I told her, watching as her lips teased up.

"I hear my grandchildren are getting older too. All three of them. The oldest one, what was her name? Ferryn, right? She is a young lady now."

"Fell fucking far from your tree," I agreed, letting out a grunt when the guy to the left of me pivoted, and landed a fist to the center of my gut, knocking my wind out hard.

"Show some respect, motherfucker."

"Don't worry, Benny. He will learn. Sooner or later," V promised, lips curled up. It was a Black Widow smile, nothing but maliciousness. "So, you must be one of the newer members. I heard about that war that took out most of the men. Such a shame I couldn't be there to see Reign taken down a few pegs. If there ever was a man who needed it, it was him. Oh, and my dearly departed ex as well," she went on, relishing in his death, this man who had kept her prisoner for years.

"Yeah, you're a real peach, babe," I growled. "Celebrating someone's death. Doesn't get much colder than that. Well, I guess it does," I went on, watching as her curiosity piqued. "Colder would be having women stolen off the streets, shipped somewhere, and raped until they aren't useful to you anymore."

Her eyes flashed at that.

I knew poking a bear was a bad idea.

But sometimes you had a stick.

And the fucking bear deserved it.

It wasn't until her chin lifted, and the anger banked down, that I realized I fucked up.

Because this chick had a stick too.

And hers turned out to be bigger.

"Women like that pretty blonde today? With those nice, long legs, and that innocent face with the big brown eyes? You know, blonde hair gets top dollar overseas..."

I had never laid a hand on a woman in my life before.

I didn't even think it was something I was capable of.

But the second those words were out of her lips, I was exploding up out of the chair, a low, menacing growl moving through me as I lunged.

"You fucking bitch..."

I didn't reach her.

I should have known I wouldn't.

The second I was fully on my feet, the guy at my side started swinging.

And when I got a few good hits in, and he went crashing back into the wall, the next guy came in.

Broken eye socket? Check.

Cracked rib? Check there too.

Knocked out tooth? Check again.

By the time I couldn't get back up again, I was pretty sure I was throbbing and bleeding in more places than were unharmed. My mouth and nose were full of blood. My vision was off, one eye already swollen.

I'd done some damage too. Some bruises on faces and bleeding lips. Judging by the way the first guy was hanging off to one side, a busted rib as well.

It wasn't enough.

But it was something.

"I see that is a hair trigger," V said a moment later, looking victorious, obviously liking having the upper hand. "Almost everyone has one, you know. That hot button. That thing that matters more than their own life does. Their kids. Significant others. Hell, even some with their morals. It's a real flaw when you choose this lifestyle."