Rocket (Hell's Handlers MC 5)

“I’ve known all along.” Esposito straightened, seeming to gain some confidence. Did he think he’d be getting out of this alive?

Laughable.

“I knew you didn’t kill the targets. I know you got ’em stashed away somewhere. And I don’t give a fuck. Cartel thinks they’re dead and I got my money. All’s well that ends well.”

“And?” Rocket couldn’t wait to hear the next words out of Esposito’s mouth.

“And DarkOps is done with you. I gave you my word and you know I’ll stick to it. I won’t so much as glance at you, your woman, or your club again. So why not just part as past friends and be done with this shit?”

“That’s an easy one.” Rocket pulled the trigger twice. The muted whoosh of each bullet leaving the chamber was followed by two grunts as the slugs plunged into Esposito’s jerking body. “Because you’ll continue murdering innocent people as long as someone is willing to foot the bill.”

Wide-eyed and slack jawed, Esposito sagged back against his pillows. He pressed a hand over the wound on his stomach as though he could somehow stem the flow of blood. Not possible. It was pouring out of two holes in the center of his body. He’d bleed out in five minutes, tops.

The other hand still held the smoldering cigarette between limp fingers. Rocket stood and strode toward the bed. He plucked the cigarette from between the old man’s fingers and stood watching the man gasp and struggle to remain conscious. Just as he began to drift in and out, Rocket moved to the end of the bed.

“Told you these things would kill you,” he said as he dropped the cigarette on the bed. Within seconds a small fire blazed on the blankets. Rocket shifted his gaze back to Esposito. The old man lay, eyes open, unblinking, staring at nothing.

It was done. Time to get out before the entire residence was engulfed in flames. And time to get back to his woman.

Despite having just taken a life, a sense of peace washed over Rocket. He’d finally put his past to bed. And now he was lighting the fucking thing on fire.

“YOUR MAN THROWS one hell of a party,” Copper said as he took a seat next to Chloe.

She giggled. “Think he had a little bit of help.” Or the ol’ ladies took pity on him and did ninety-nine percent of the work.

Rubbing his chin, Copper looked around the clubhouse. “Maybe, but he put in his time.”

Chloe studied him. He was looking much healthier than he did the first time she laid eyes on him. Still wearing the boot cast, but moving easier. “LJ sure seems to be enjoying himself,” she said pointing toward the newly patched man with three Honeys hanging off him.

Copper huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, don’t think he’s hating that. Never got the chance to properly thank you.”

Her forehead scrunched. “Thank me? For what?”

“For that.” Copper jerked his thumb in the direction of Logan, who was walking back from the bar with a drink in each hand. Shell walked along side of him and Logan was boisterously laughing at whatever she’d said. Probably a story about her daughter’s increasingly impish antics.

She cast Copper a look. “Where was he last night?”

Copper stared down at her, rubbing his chin. She didn’t know why she’d bothered asking. He wasn’t going to give her a straight answer, just as Logan hadn’t when she asked him at least a hundred times why he was going to be gone most of the night. She had her suspicions, strong suspicions, and she was good with it, but wanted confirmation.

“Let’s just say he was closing the door on his past and you’ll no longer need someone from the club tailing you all hours of the day.”

Just as she thought. He’d gone after Esposito. She supposed she should be more concerned with the fact that her man had murdered two people over the past few weeks, but she wasn’t. Both men deserved what they got and even more. The world was two sadists lighter today. “So go back to telling me why you want to thank me. Why I’m so wonderful.” She bumped Copper’s shoulder, making him laugh.

But then he grew serious once again. “You’re pulling him out of his shell. The man is happier than I’ve ever fucking seen him. No doubt that’s one hundred percent due to you.”

Warmth and genuine joy filled her as she watched her man close the distance between them. She was so mesmerized by the way he moved and the sexy smile he sent her, she barely noticed when Copper kissed her cheek before ambling off to meet his woman.

“Here, babe,” Logan said as he handed a gin and tonic to her.

“I love you,” she said in a rush, then her face grew hot. Smooth, blurting out mushy stuff in the middle of a raucous MC party.