Forever - Book 3 (Star Crossed MC Lovers) (14 page)

Chapter 22

Lucky

Lena’s scream lit my ass on fire, and there was no more being stealthy. I jerked back as Elec jogged down the stairs and stopped in front of me. Lifting my gun, I readied myself to pull the trigger as the crazy mother fucker stared me down.

“Don’t. I’m on her side.” He nodded toward the church. “Rafael has Selene’s grandmother tied up front. She’s going to be used as a pawn to make Sel suffer. I’m honestly not sure how we get her out of this, but my uncle cannot know of my deceit. Understood?”

It was as if someone had splashed cold water in my face. I stood in shock until the asshole reached out and popped me in the face. “Wake up, Lucky. Fuck. There isn’t time for your shit tonight.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I moved past him. “I’m going after Lena.”

“Let me take you in there like I have you under control. I’m serious. He’s not going to kill you until Sel makes a decision on who has to die.” He moved up behind me, and though everything inside of me warned against doing anything with a Delgado, something in his eyes told me that he was my only chance at not getting shot point blank.

I nodded and he moved us into the church, pulling the hand holding my gun behind me. It was smart move on his part, but I didn’t like it, not in the least.

“Look what the cat dragged in, uncle.” Elec spoke loudly, but I ignored him.

My heart broke in two at the scene before me. Selene was losing her shit, crying and kicking wildly as her father held her tightly. I pulled against Elec’s hold as he tightened it.

“Not yet, mother fucker. Don’t play hero. You’re insanely outnumbered,” he mumbled behind my head.

Selene’s Grandma stood at the front, her little shoulders pulled back and head lifted up. She was the toughest little thing  I’d ever seen. She’d been so good to me and Selene over the years and was one of the few people who knew the truth of our relationship. I’d come to love her and treat her like I would my own grandmother if I had one.

The fact that Rafael was willing to hurt her shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. The bastard honestly had no soul. He’d sold it years ago, and by the manic look in his eye, he was willing to do anything necessary to keep his power.

“Nice. Now the party can truly start.” Her father shifted, dragging Selene around to stand facing me as one of her smaller cousins held onto her grandmother at the other end of the church.

“Let’s start off with two simple questions,” her dad said. “Selene, do you love your grandma?"

“Yes more than anything,” she answered. “You know I do.”

“Next question. How long do you want your relationship with Lucas Morrison to last? And don’t give me a bullshit answer. I know when you’re lying. Be honest with me. Now answer the question.”

“
Forever,
” she answered.    

“Forever. So you love your grandma more than anything, and you want to love Lucas forever. You are in a difficult dilemma, little girl.”

“What does that mean? Is this one of your sick jokes?”

“Would you like me to explain what’s going on in my head?”

“Yes.”

“My beloved daughter is a rat,” Rafael said. “She betrayed me, the father who raised and loved her. And now she will face punishment. I’ll spare her life and forgive her. But she must pay a price for her deception and betrayal. She must feel the sting  she made me feel. When I learned what Selene did, my heart was ripped out. Now, she needs to feel that, too. And we’ll be even. An eye for an eye.”

“Dad, why are you being like this?” Selene asked.

“Because you belong to me.”

“Remember the fish and the butterflies? On all our special camping trips. Remember what you said? You can’t keep what’s not yours. I’m a grown woman. You need to let this butterfly spread her wings and fly away. And you have to give her a second chance when she screws up. I am so sorry, Daddy. You need to punish me, and me only. Make me pay. Just let Grandma go.”

“You’re rambling, Selene. And bringing up our camping trips… Really? Don’t try to bring sentiment into this. Asking for forgiveness? It won’t get you very far. Especially after what you did.”

“Selene,” I said.

“Baby? Lucky, they got you, too. We have to do something. Anything.” She reached for me, but her father slapped her hands down hard. I jerked against Elec again, quite glad that the bastard was as big as me, if not bigger. Otherwise, I’d have pulled lose and there would be nothing left of Selene’s father.

“Here is how the game is played. Selene must choose one person to live. Who is it going to be?” Selene’s father asked her. “Your precious grandma who fights me every step of the way or your slimy boyfriend?”

“Neither! What kind of sick game are you playing?”

“Oh, Selene. One must die for your transgressions.”

“How can you kill an old woman?” Selene shouted. “Daddy, you’re not that cold!”

“Then choose Lucas. And I won’t be forced to kill an old woman.”

She gasped.

“Oh, right,” Rafael said. “He’s your
forever
. Can’t have forever with him if you choose Grandma to live. Man, you’re in quite the situation.”

“Your dad’s right,” I said, trying to comfort her. “Let’s just get this shit over with, and you can go home and take care of Grandma.”

The scream that ripped from my girl was only topped by the deep laughter of her father. I was done watching shit go down, but before I could pull away from Elec, everything turned to massive chaos.

Tears rolled down her grandmother’s face. I couldn’t let him kill an old woman. Selene needed her more than anything.

“Just let them both go,” I said. “You’ve got me.”

Rafael hit my head with the butt of a gun. “Shut up! It’s Selene’s choice! Not yours. I’ll let one of you go. But she must be the one to decide who will live and who will die. If she does pick you to live, you won’t like what happens next.”

I glared. “Gonna beat my ass again? Because I can take anything you throw at me.”

“Worse. Well, at least for you. I’m going to hand Selene off to Dante. And he’s gonna teach Selene how to be a real woman.”

“That’s not happening!”

He waved his gun. “Selene will fuck who I tell her to fuck. Got it? If she wants to live, then she’ll marry Dante.”

“Dante’s dead,” I said.

He looked at me. “Liar! Your mind games won’t work on me.”

“Daddy, please,” Selene begged. “Let them go and take me. I’m the one who fucked up! Not them!”

“That wasn’t an option. I think I made both choices very clear. It’s either Grandma or the Stone Wolf. Now fucking choose!”

“Daddy…”

“Selene, baby girl, you’re trying my patience. If you don’t decide, then I’m going to kill all three of you.”

She started to sob and her father rolled his eyes.

“Selene, do I need to speed things along?” he asked.  

I glared as he suddenly pointed the gun at my head.

“No, Daddy! Please don’t kill him!” Selene shouted.

“Finally!” Rafael shouted. “A decision has been made!”

“No!” Selene screamed.

He lifted his arm toward the front of the church and pulled the trigger on his pistol, the bullet hitting her grandmother square in the chest. With a moan, she fell.

Selene screamed, and I ran toward her. Suddenly, Elec fired off a shot, taking out Tom. I had no doubt that Elec had switched sides.

I’d almost made it to Selene when Rafael’s voice rang out loud and clear.

“Back the fuck up, you two-bit piece of shit, or I will end this right here and now.” He pressed a gun to the side of my girl’s head, and my heart stopped.

“No! Anything, just don’t hurt her.” I lifted my hands in the air and took a quick glance around the room.

Tom wasn’t moving, but Grandma’s chest was rising and falling, but only slightly. Blood pooled around them, which was never a good sign.

Lena wouldn’t stop screaming , and I could tell her father was close to shooting her just to get her to shut the fuck up. She was lost to the trauma of watching her beloved grandmother get gunned down by her father. My heart was bleeding just as much as Selene’s was. I loved her grandmother, too. And the pain of losing her made me a basket case. Why did it have to play out like this? Why? What could I have done differently?

“Listen, Butterfly,” her dad said. “You’re going home with Dante. That’s an order. Promise me you’ll follow my orders and I’ll let Lucky live.”

“Call 911 for Grandma!” she sobbed. “And let Lucky go. And I’ll consider it.”

“No ambulance will be called,” he said. “She saw me shoot her. That makes her a loose end.”

“Bastard!”

“But there’s still hope for your Stone Wolf.”

“You won’t let him live. Because you’re afraid he’ll go to the cops with everything he’s seen tonight.”

“He won’t talk. Because if he does, then I’ll kill you.”

“I won’t say a word,” I said. “Please don’t hurt Lena.”

“See? I know his weakness. Now I’m going to hold him overnight as leverage. You do everything Dante tells you to do, and I’ll let him go in the morning.”

Selene gasped. “Haven’t you punished me enough?” she shouted. “You’re making me pay for my sins by shooting the woman I loved most, and then pimping me off to Dante. That’s my punishment? It’s sick and demented! ”

“Marry Dante!”

“That’s a lifelong punishment!”

“Marrying Dante is not a punishment,” he said.

“I won’t go with him!”

“Yes, you will. I’ve already promised your hand in marriage to him.”

“So you’re going to make me spend the night with him? What kind of dad lets their only daughter get raped?” she asked.

“No rape will be involved. Dante
won’t
have you against your will. This is
your
decision. But I suggest you pick wisely. Be with him tonight. Marry Dante tomorrow. And I’ll let you back into the family. We’ll forget all about your ugly transgressions. It’ll be like a fresh start.”

Her father was the most evil man I ever knew. Torturing his daughter like this was his specialty. And I thought my dad was a bastard. I wanted to fucking kick Rafael’s ass for hurting Selene like this, for hurting me like this. Dante was dead so I wasn’t worried about Selene being pimped out or married off. Right now, I was worried for Selene’s grandma. Every second counted and we had to get her to a hospital. I couldn’t take on all Rafael’s men. I didn’t stand a chance against his small army.

“Aren’t you afraid about what I said to the Feds?” Selene asked.

“They don’t have proof. Otherwise, they would’ve stormed in already. Just cut ties with them. And I promise I’ll give you a better life. One that won’t make you go behind my back. I’m sorry you hated me that much. That really tears me up inside. Something went horribly wrong between us. But I think we can fix this. I’m your father and I love you. Just give me a chance.”

“You love me? I don’t think so.”

“See? We’re going to fix this.”

“It can never be fixed,” Selene shouted. “My grandmother is dying! And you won’t call for medics. I’ll never forgive you for this!”

“Selene…”

“You’re a monster.  Now I see you for who you really are. And I can’t believe I wanted to be like you. That I wanted to impress you. That I wanted to be part of your club. That I took your stupid tests. What the hell was wrong with me? I know one thing, Dad. And that it’s I’m nothing like you!”

“Butterfly, c’mon.”

“You’re dead to me!” Selene shouted.  

The roar of the motorcycles outside caused all of us to stiffen. Someone’s MC was riding up, and I knew without a doubt that it was mine. The worst part was that it really didn’t matter. If Rafael killed Selene, I’d have very little to live for. She was everything to me.

I took a tentative step toward him. “What do you want? That’s the Stone Wolves, Delagado. Your ass is going down whether you kill your baby girl or not. Tell me what you want from me, and I’ll gladly give it in order to save Selene’s life.”

“I want you to leave town! And I want Selene to marry Dante.”

“It’s pretty hard to marry a dead guy,” I said.

“Shut up!” he said, refusing to believe it.

Elec moved up beside me, his gun raised and pointed at the door. “Mateo is outside, boss. How about you take Selene to the back door? I’ll create a distraction, then you make a run for it. No reason to kill Selene and have more blood on your hands. We both know she’ll listen to you and marry Dante. So go! I’ll clean this shit up for you.”

“You’re a fucking rat, too. You just killed Thomas, Elec,” Raphael screamed. He turned to look toward the door as Selene’s screams turned into body-shaking whimpers.

Fuck. I needed to get to her grandmother to see if there was anything I could do to help her. But when I made a move, guns were pointed at me.

“Fuck that. Tom was the rat. You just didn’t know that shit. I could have killed you, but I didn’t, did I? I could have taken Sel out of the city, but I didn’t, did I? Get to the damn door while you still have time.” Elec moved toward the back door and motioned for Rafael to join him. “Come on. Now!”