Tatiana

Last night, I watched as my brother’s body was loaded into a hearse, and was taken away from us to be cremated. He won’t even get a proper burial because of the way he died. How is that fair to him? He didn’t deserve to go out the way he did.

I shut down exactly twelve hours ago. I let my feelings dissipate into thin air. The logical side of my brain screams for me to open up, to let people in. I refuse to listen to it. My brain doesn’t experience my emotions. My heart does, and my heart is finished being broken.

The gate opens to allow Winter’s mother to waltz in with her guards. As if we don’t have enough going on.

“Why do you have these assholes with you?” Godfather laughs as he crosses his arms.

“I never go anywhere without them. I brought them the last time I was here. You should have expected this.” Iiana, Winter’s mom, answers.

“Take your fuckin’ trashy ass daughter, and get the fuck outta my town. My wife is stressed the fuck out.” Godfather yells, and before anyone has time to blink, Iiana’s men pull their guns.

The brothers waste no time drawing their own, and train them on Iiana’s men.

“You send your daughter to my town without askin’, and then you come here and draw on my family. Are you outta your fucking, goddamn mind?” Braxxon roars, his voice vicious and his entire body stiff with anger.

More guns. It is always more guns. There is never any peace here. I am so sick and tired of all this shit being brought to our door. I lost my brother last night, and now I have to worry about someone else I love being shot because of Sabine and her mother?

There comes a time in one’s life where she slams into the one wall that blocks her paths, and that person either gives up or knocks it down. I am not the person who gives up. I am going to be the bulldozer who plows it down. I’m done being nice. For years, they thought they kept this part of the business locked away from me. My ears were always listening, always paying attention to what was going on. Yeah, I was a spoiled brat, but this spoiled brat knows more than they think I do.

And if Winter’s mom thinks she is going to come in here and draw a gun on me, she is mistaken. I am not like most of the club members. If you pull a gun on me, you better intend to kill me.

Shadow jerks my arm to move me behind him, and I shove him while I grab the gun from the back of his pants. When I turn around, I aim it straight at the guy stupid enough to be holding his gun at me. I point at his gut and pull the trigger. I have no clue what kept everyone from opening fire after I did this. Everyone watches the guy fall to the ground with a loud cry as he grips at the bullet wound. My hands are steady, and no remorse flows through my veins.

“Get your bleeding man and your princess, and get the fuck off my property.” Braxxon explodes.

My gun remains aimed at the man on the ground. “You don’t point a gun at me unless you plan on using it,” I hiss.

My father comes up and gently lowers my arm. “Shh, baby, it’s okay,” he soothes.

I don’t respond as Dad fingers the gun from my grasp. ZZ is not a gentle character, and I’m alert enough to sense the tender, soothing way he uses to care for me. His actions and tone speak of his distress over what transpired a few moments ago. His daughter shot a man, a man who is laying there, bleeding to death, while I have no remorse whatsoever for doing it.

How can I feel bad for shooting this idiot? He was aiming a gun at me. If he were a patched member, he would know he shouldn’t have let mine or Shadow’s movements confuse him. He should have kept his eyes on my every move, and maybe then, he wouldn’t be dripping crimson all over the concrete of the compound.

“They weren’t going to shoot you. There was no reason for that.” Iiana chuckles.

I want to scream, “Don’t you give a shit about anything that is happening?” I shot her man down, and she’s over there laughing. Why would they pull their guns out if they didn’t plan on using them?

“Ma’am, I think I’m dying,” the guy I shot moans.

I roll my eyes. Of course he’s dying. I shot him directly in the gut. Who knows what organs I might have hit.

“Darlin’.” Shadow pulls me back against his body and keeps his gun trained on the enemies. “Don’t you fuckin’ move from my side, or so help me,” he growls low into my ear.

I try to jerk away. I am through caring about what everyone wants me to do. I’m going to do what I want, when I want, and how I want, from now on. If these assholes can, so can I. Having a vagina doesn’t make me inadequate.

“If you jerk me against you one more time, I swear to god,” I hiss back.

“Mother, take Sabine and go. We have had enough,” Winter says as she walks into the circle outlined with guns. Is she crazy?

“Angel, what the fuck?” Braxxon hollers, while he moves her behind him.

“You’re supposed to be on bed rest, Win. Come on,” Piper persuades her.

“I’ll go, but if they aren’t gone in five minutes, I’m calling the cops. I’m done doing this shit the illegal way. If they won’t leave, I’ll get the cops and the media to do the job.” She shoots an evil grin at her mother.

The media is the last thing this place wants to deal with. It might open secrets that need to stay buried deep down in the hard desert ground. We definitely don’t want anybody digging that shit up.

“Get back in bed, Angel. You can’t be up and moving around!” Braxxon growls.