Hammer (Regulators MC 2)

Because of this, I am filled with a renewed bitterness toward my mother and father. I’m not sure I will ever be able to forgive them for finally stepping up to take care of my Suzie when her life was over. I already know I will never be able to forgive myself for realizing too late that she needed my help.

I cover my face with my hands as I wonder for what must be the millionth time, Why didn’t you tell me that you were in trouble, sweet Suzie Sunshine?

The front door opens, and I jerk my head up to see Tank walk in with Roundman, the Hellions club prez.

Sass gets up and greets her man, who then practically consumes her in a sloppy and loud kiss.

I turn my head, feeling like I’m intruding on a private moment between them.

“Cut that shit out, you two,” Roundman barks at them.

They make their way into the living room where Sass sits back down beside me while the men pace around the room.

“I’m gonna cut to the chase,” Roundman starts. “Anthony Ricca, sound familiar? Antoney? Tony? Any of those sound familiar?”

I shake my head, and Roundman rubs his goatee as he thinks. Tank watches me as if I should know this name.

“Your sister”—Roundman looks at me—“you know who she was fuckin’?”

My mouth drops open in shock. Sure, Suzie and I talked. We talked about sex even, but I never thought about who she slept with.

“She started dating a guy. For a while, it seemed pretty serious.” I pause, thinking about what Suzie told me of her man. “She was smitten.”

“You got a name?”

Taking a moment, I think back. “Nino. She called him Nino. She never told me his last name. See, the first few dates, he was a perfect gentleman: said the right stuff, did the right things, total swoon worthy, as Suzie would say. Then he got pushy. That’s all she told me.”

Roundman looks at Tank, and they share some unspoken conversation as I sit back, baffled.

“How long ago was that?” Tank asks, still watching Roundman.

“Three months before she came to see me, give or take a week or two.”

“Nino Ricca is Anthony Ricca, great grandson to Luciano Ricca, head of the Chicago Ricca crime family. This is bad news, Desirae. We’ve gotta make some calls. Last word was Ricca tied himself to a man named Wellington. Nino Ricca might be related to big crime, but from what we understand so far, he wasn’t all that big himself yet. He was still working his way up the chain in the family mob business, and one of his moves to impress his Don was forging a working relationship with the major supplier of designer drugs in the area. That’s where Wellington came in.

“He’s a totally different story, an old-money type of man who never had enough, so he made himself a kingpin on the Chicago streets by dealing in pharmaceuticals. Maybe more. We’re still digging to find more info on both Ricca and Wellington. We’ll sort this out,” Roundman states, stepping out.

Tank shakes his head and remains silent. Sass sits with me as I take pause to reflect on what all of this could mean. Was Suzie tied to something with the Ricca family? How pushy was he?

I look up at the ceiling and begin to count the popcorn puffs to myself as I try to slow my thoughts. We never had secrets growing up. Now I’m worried my little sister may have had a whole life I knew nothing about.

There is a knock on the door, taking me out of my reverie. Tank answers it, and there are two bikers from Catawba I have come to know as Tripp and Shooter. They all greet in the man half-hug, back slap thing they do, and Sass gets up to give each man a hug of her own. I stand and simply brush my hands down my jeans nervously.

Shooter looks at me, holding a black box. “Desirae,” he pauses.

I nod, not understanding the box.

“We … umm, brought your sister to you.”

I stare at the unmarked container, and something inside me snaps. I can’t bring myself to reach out and hold it.

Collapsing to my knees, I sob uncontrollably. My parents didn’t want to pay for Suzie to have a funeral. I had already been informed of my parents plan to cremate her. I wasn’t prepared for the Hellions to step in and bring my sister to me, though.

After mourning her, thinking I wouldn’t be able to truly give her peace and put her to rest, she’s here. In that very box, she’s here … with me.

A dark part of me wishes I were there with her, instead.

Chapter

6

~Hammer~

“You shouldn’t cage a beast,” I state to the air around me.

“I never did play nice with others,” Evan mutters as he enters my room. “Angry today, big bro?”