The Skulls (17 page)

Chapter
Twelve

After seeing Lash off to the club Angel had finished
her breakfast while Blaine made some calls on his cell phone. She was going to
see Tate today, and she was waiting for Blaine to be ready to take her.

Sipping her hot coffee she watched the other man
talk in the cell phone. He looked relaxed and was smiling. When he was finished
he turned back to her, smiling.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah, who were you speaking to?” She cringed at the
invasion of privacy. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay. I was talking to my daughter,” he
said, smiling. He pulled a wallet out of his back pocket and handed her a
photo.

“You’re a father?” she asked, taking the photo and
seeing a smiling blonde looking back at him. The little blonde was in the arms
of a raven-haired woman.

“Yeah, that’s my baby girl, Darcy, and my woman,
Emily.” He cleared his throat. She handed back the wallet. “They’re both
beautiful women.”

“They are. Emily won’t let me see my daughter at the
moment. I’ve had a rough few years. The club has really helped me out. I know
I’m an old Prospect at twenty-five, but they’re my world. I’ll do anything for
them.”

Angel smiled. “I hope you figure things out soon.”

“So do
I
. Are you ready to
go?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah.”
They
headed out to the car. “Do you mind if I ask how old Emily is?”

The woman in the photo looked young.

Blaine went red. “She’s eighteen in the photo, and
she’s just turned twenty.”

“Did you…?” She couldn’t finish. Had he slept with a
minor?

“No, Emily was eighteen when we were together. I
would never do that. I fucked up, not Emily. She needed me, and I wasn’t there.
It’s my fault, no one else.”

Angel nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re the first person to
give me any details of their life.”

“No problem. I’ve been told I need to talk about my
family.”

They climbed in the car, and Blaine headed toward
Tate’s home. Angel pressed the button to call Tate to let her know they were on
their way.

Tate didn’t answer the phone, and Angel tried her
number again.

“I’m pleased you’ve told me. It must be hard having
a family and not seeing them.”

“It can be,” Blaine said, agreeing.

“Do Emily and Darcy live in town?”

“Yeah.
She
doesn’t want anything to do with me. I can’t do anything about it. She’s got
full custody and is an amazing mother.”

Angel smiled. When she couldn’t get Tate a third time
she left it alone, figuring her friend was too busy to answer the phone.

The rest of the drive was peaceful. Blaine talked
about his little girl and how advanced she was. Several times Angel rested her
hand against her stomach wondering if she was pregnant. Lash never wore a
condom with her. She probably should make him and get tested or something, but
she trusted him.

Shaking her head, they pulled into the driveway of
Tate’s home. She saw Steven’s bike and was thankful Blaine would have someone
to talk to.

They walked around back. Tate had told her to always
walk around the back. She let herself in the back door. The kitchen was silent.

“Tate, honey, we’re here. I finally talked Lash into
letting me come.” They rounded a corner, and Angel froze.

Steven was on the ground, a pool of blood around
him. Tate was stood with her arms out in surrender. Tears were spilling from
her cheeks as she looked at the man in front of her. Angel didn’t recognise him,
but she saw Murphy at the back of the group.

Blaine tried to pull her out of the way. He was
pulling a gun out of his pocket. It was too late.

Two shots were fired, and Angel felt his grip
loosen. He fell to the floor at her feet. Tate screamed, and Eva was jerked.
Angel stared at the man at her feet. She’d been getting to know him. He was a
father and turning his life around.

Going to her knees she stared at his chest and
stomach. Blood was oozing out of holes. Tears sprang to her eyes.

“No, this can’t be happening.” She pressed her hands
to the wound trying to stem the blood flow.

“Please,” he said, coughing.

Someone grabbed her arm tugging at her.

“Leave me alone!” She screamed, pulling away and
going to Blaine.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine said.

Tears spilled down her cheeks. No, it was so unfair.
He was making his life better. The club would fix him, and he’d get his happily
ever after.

“Don’t be sorry. This is not your fault.” She
applied more pressure to the wounds and cried as she felt the blood pooling out
of the wound.

He reached in his pocket. “Tell … Emily … I’m sorry
… I … was trying.”

“Don’t talk, Blaine. You’re going to see her.”

His eyes closed, and Angel didn’t have time to check
before she was pulled roughly to her feet.

“Get the fuck away from him. He’s dead, bitch.”

Angel didn’t feel the pain from being pulled. She
couldn’t tear her gaze away from Blaine or from Steven. They were both
Prospects, and yet they were dead at her feet like they were nothing. She’d
gotten to know them both, and now they were dead.

Shoved against Tate, Angel stared at the men before
her. She saw the Lion emblem, and instant hate consumed her.

“Why didn’t you take the hint when I didn’t answer
the phone?” Tate asked, crying.

“I thought you were in the shower or something.” She
was numb. There were no other words to describe what she was feeling.

 
“I wish I
was.”

“Call your fucking father, bitch. Let him know that
we’ve got this town, and his crew better stand in line or we’ll fucking kill
you.”

Tate was handed a phone. Angel saw the other woman
hesitate. She glanced at the back of the crew and saw Murphy staring at Tate.
What she saw next terrified her. Her father was stood next to Murphy. His face
was hard as if a mask had come over him. He glared at her but didn’t say a
word. Hatred filled her at the sight.
Her own
father
was the one responsible for all this mess. He was betraying The Skulls, and she
wished he didn’t make it through this day. The bastard deserved to rot for what
had just happened to Blaine.

“Make the call, Tate,” Angel said.

Her hands were shaking as she squeezed her friend’s
hand. Glancing down she saw her hands were covered with red. Rubbing them down
the skirt she wore, she tried to wipe Blaine’s blood of her hands. How could he
be dead? He was getting his life together.

Shaking her head, she listened to Tate as she said
hello to her father.

The phone was loud enough for her to hear the
conversation.

“Hello, Tate, honey, what’s the matter?” Tiny asked.

“Dad, you need to come home. The … the Lions are
here, and Steven’s down. Blaine’s down as well.”

“Give me the phone, bitch.” The guy in charge
snatched the phone and started cursing down the phone.

“Are you happy now?” Tate asked. Her gaze was
directed at Murphy.

Angel wrapped her arms around Tate, holding her
close.

“Is this what you wanted, death? No wonder you
wanted to go with the Lions, they’re just fucking pigs in a jacket,” Tate said.
The man holding the phone backhanded Tate.

She got hurt in the process.

“I suggest you get your asses down here. We’re going
to end this, and then I’m taking your daughter, Tiny. She’s got a smart mouth,
but I know what to do with a smart mouth, bitch. Just ask the whores who work
for me.”

The phone was thrown to the floor and stamped on.

Angel went to her knees. She cupped Tate’s face and
saw her friend had a split lip. How she could see past the tears was beyond
her.

“We’ll get through this. Tate, look at me. We’ll get
through this.”

“Your daughter’s a dreamer, Marston.”

She didn’t let his words affect her. Holding Tate in
her arms she saw Eva was let go. The other woman went to Tate’s side.

“Come here, baby.”

Even though there was less than ten years between
the women, Tate curled up against Eva. “Your father will come, I promise.”

For the next thirty minutes Angel sat on the floor
with her legs folded waiting for the others to arrive. She never thought she’d
be so relieved to hear the sound of bikes. Outside the front window she saw the
shadows of the bikes crowd around. Letting out a sigh she held her breath as
the front door was opened. Tiny, Lash, Nash, Butch, Zero and several of the
other bikers including Hardy entered the house. Angel realised the shit was
going down in
Tiny’s
house. If this was her home,
she’d be pissed. From the look on his face, Tiny was more than pissed. He was
livid.

“You finally decided to turn up,” the man said.

“We meet again, Jeff,” Tiny said. “Tate, you okay?”

“Been better.”

“Eva?” Tiny asked. His gaze never strayed from the
man now known as Jeff.

“Fine.”

Angel looked at Lash. His face was hard as he looked
at her. Angel couldn’t do anything to comfort him. She was in pain.

“Now, let me tell you how things are going to go.
You’re going to pack your shit up, and you’re going to leave Fort Wills. This
is Lion territory now. My land, my club, and you’re going to get the fuck out
of town,” Jeff said. Her father was pulled to the front. “He’s transferred all
of your funds into my account. You’re penniless. I’ve won.”

There was silence at Jeff’s demands, and then Tiny
burst out laughing followed by the rest of the men.

“What’s so fucking funny?” Jeff yelled at the room.

“You’re so fucking stupid to think I’d trust that
piece of shit with my money. David got fuck all other than what we fed him.
In fact.”
Tiny held his hand out to the group. Nash handed
him a piece of paper. “We’ve got everything from your club. Your money, which
was very little, and we’ve bought your property, Jeff. You’re gone, finished.”

“What?
How?”
Jeff asked,
looking startled.

“Do you really think we’d let David loose on our
money? We’ve got cameras all around and to listen and to watch. We heard him
make the deal with you. He’s a sloppy guy, and it was easy to change everything
he did.”

Jeff turned to growl at David.

“I didn’t think anyone was watching me,” David said.

“You didn’t even check. You fucking idiot.”

“So, you’re in my house, threatening my family, and
you think you’re going to walk away from that?” Tiny asked.

Angel watched as Jeff went angry. The Skulls were
laughing at him, all because of David’s sloppiness and greed. It felt like it
was in slow motion, but Jeff moved to them. He kicked Tate out of the way and
pointed a gun at Eva.

Silence rang out once more. “I see I’ve got your
attention. How about I kill your nanny?”

The only way to describe the expression on
Tiny’s
face was cold. It was like he grew frozen.

“I see I’ve got your attention.”

“You’ve picked the wrong woman,” Eva said. “I’m the
working nanny. I’m not that important.”

“Shut up, Eva,” Tate said.

Angel screamed as another shot rang out. Eva slumped
on the ground holding her chest. Jeff walked close to the other woman. Tiny was
held back by his bikers.

“Let’s see if you’re right, honey. I think you mean
more to Tiny than you think.”

“Murphy, now!”
Tiny
roared the instruction, and all hell broke loose. Guns were fired, and Tate
forced her to the floor. Angel covered her head, curling up as tight as
possible as the fight rang out.

She didn’t know how long the fight lasted. Her arm
was touched, and when she turned around she saw Lash stood over her.

“We’ve got it covered, baby,” he said.

Looking around her she saw several fallen bodies,
but there were also some of the Lions standing. Wrapping her arms around his
neck he helped her to stand. “They shot Blaine. He’s hurt. We need to get him
to the hospital,” she said.

“We will. I promise.”

Tiny had Jeff around the neck. “You fucking breathe
in my direction again, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“I’m just going to handle this,” Lash said, stroking
her cheek.

Angel nodded going to Tate. She was knelt over Eva
who held her shoulder.

“I got shot,” Eva said.

“I don’t think it’s inappropriate to ask for a
raise,” Tate said.

All three women chuckled. “I never expected so much
excitement,” Angel said.