To say he was surprised to see me was an understatement, but I couldn't blame him. If someone had told me I would be forced to show up here not even 24 hours after I had been kidnapped because of him, I probably would have laughed. I guess that was just my life now, a big fucking joke. He opened the door, the look on his face was priceless.
"Well, you look like shit." I rolled my eyes.
"Let's skip the pleasantries Dom. We've seen each other naked, I got kidnapped and almost killed because of you which you don't give a shit about, and now I'm here only because I have literally nowhere else to go."
"Uh...ok?"
"I need your help. And after all the shit you caused me, this is honestly the very least you can do."
"I guess I don't really have a choice then do I?"
"No, you don't." A beat of silence passed as he studied my face.
"So, what is it?"
"I need you to help me find the man who killed my brother." If I wasn't dead serious I would have laughed at the expression on his face.
"Maybe you should come inside." I nodded and followed him in to the clubhouse, which was surprisingly empty.
"The guys are at the bar with the club girls. It's just us and a couple stragglers." He gave me a suggestive look.
"Don't get any ideas. I came here because I'm desperate and I need your help, not your dick." He rolled his eyes and sighed, grabbing 2 beers and ushering me into his office. His desk was clear except for his laptop and a picture frame. I was caught off guard by the photo of him and Ace, arms around each other, laughing at the camera. They didn't look that much younger, but I had never seen them like this together. The image of Ace's smiling face sent a pain through my chest.
"You talk to him?" I shook my head.
"You didn't tell him what happened, did you?"
"I tried to call, he never answered." I just nodded, not trusting my voice. Dom cleared his throat.
"I went by the shop, but it was closed down. Shit was boarded up and everything. I guess he finally did it." My mind forced me to remember the look on his face as he left the clubhouse that night, the defeat that was so clear on his features. I felt my heart shatter all over again.
"Did what?"
"Left town. He's been saying that he would since we were 16 and I patched in." I had a feeling there was more to that story. Â I couldn't form any words, so I just nodded. Â My heart hurt, but the guilt I felt about that night was worse than anything.
"I guess I was wrong about you, Scar."
"What do you mean?"
"You really care about him. I'm sorry I got in between that."
"Wouldn't have worked out anyway." I looked away from him.
"You keep telling yourself that."
"Look I didn't come here for a therapy session, Dr. Phil. I don't need your apologies and I sure as hell don't need your pity. Can you help me or not?"
"Do you have any information on who it could've been? Rival club, personal enemy? I need something."
"Nate was killed 2 days after a big job went down with the Warriors MC. I don't know any details about the job but they have been our ally since my father started this club, so I know for a fact it wasn't them. But, Nate was worried that this job was going to cause problems with the Titans, some shit about territory. They never told me anything, this is just stuff I picked up on my own, so I don't know how accurate it is." Â The Sons of Shadows had always had an alliance with the Warriors, and since the Titans MC were their rivals that meant they were ours too.
"What about those neo-Nazi motherfuckers in your area? You guys ever make deals with them?"
"No, we would never deal with them. They tried to ally with us, but we always stayed as far away from them as possible. The Sons and the Warriors will never team up with them, so they could be working with the Titans for all we know."
"So the Titans. That's where we need to start." I nodded, leaning back in my chair.
"The only problem is how do we get close to them to do some digging without raising any suspicions?"
"I see some of their guys at the fights, mostly prospects that will be easy to scare and get some information out of. I'll ask around, see what I can find out."
"I need to be there, Dom." He gave me a look.
"That shit is dangerous Scar. Women aren't allowed to be just spectators in that ring." I rolled my eyes.
"So I'll fight. I've trained before, I know my way around the ring."
"No way. I'm not going to stand by and watch you get your ass beat. Valentino already wants my head, I'm not getting involved in that shit."
"It's not your decision. I'll find my way in, with or without you." He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.
"I'll see what I can do. For now, you should go sleep. I wasn't lying when I said you look like shit."
"Well, at least you'll never lie to me." I gave him a sarcastic smile before getting up, but he stopped me.
"Of all the places, why are you here Scarlett?" I avoided his gaze.
"I told you, I'm desperate."
"Shouldn't the Sons be handling retaliation for Nate?"
"They haven't done anything. It's been almost seven goddamn months. If they won't do something about it then I will. He was my brother before he was any of theirs."
"Maybe there's a reason they haven't made any moves." I felt the anger in the pit of my stomach.
"I don't care. Â He was the fucking president, they should've done something a long time ago and I'm done waiting."
"And Valentino?" I felt my stomach drop at the sound of his name.
"What about him?"
"He knows you're here?"
"He doesn't need to."
"Maybe you'll give me the full story one day."
"I doubt it. We aren't friends Dom. This doesn't change anything between us." He looked at me for a second before nodding towards the door.
"I'll let you know when I have something." I walked out of his office, passing the bar on the way upstairs and grabbing an untouched bottle of Jack. I went to Dom's room, not knowing where else I could crash. I threw my bag on the floor, collapsing on his bed. I tried not to think about the last time I was here. I felt like my mind hadn't stopped since the night Ace left. Now that I had a minute to myself, the only thing I could think about was ending whoever was responsible for the death of my brother. I would find him and I would kill him, for myself, for the club, and for his kid.
I could only hope that once this was done, I would feel some kind of peace.