Beautiful Outlaw by Emily Minton

Be A Man

Bowie

“I told you what you wanted to know, so what the fuck are you waiting for,” Cash begs, letting his head drop down to his chest.  “Please kill me.”

I grab his hair and jerk his head back. It took hours of torture, but he finally broke.  Looking down at him, I have to wonder how he still has the strength to talk. His face is so battered that he’s barely recognizable.  His clothes are covered in blood, and the overpowering scent of burnt flesh surrounds him.  “You’re a liar, Cash.  I won’t put you out of your misery until I know you’ve told me the truth.”

“It’s the truth.  I promise, she’s at your house.  I knew you wouldn’t look for her there. It was the perfect hiding place.” The swagger Cash held onto in the beginning is just a memory. All that’s left is a broken old man.   

Before I can tell him what I think of his promises, Toke joins the conversation.  “No, he can’t die until we find your woman.”

In the past few hours, I’ve come to realize that Toke is a good man to have by my side. Still, I can’t forget all the years he was Cash’s lap dog.  Willingly or not, he followed Cash’s orders, even when he knew they could put my life in danger.  It’s gonna take some time to learn to trust him completely. 

“I’m not stupid. Ain’t believing shit that comes out of his mouth.  The bastard lives until I have proof she’s where he says she is.” 

Tin walks into the room just as the words leave my mouth, shoving his phone into his pocket.  “Rollo’s there.”

I pulled Rollo from the hospital and sent him to the house to check out Cash’s story.  If anyone can check the place out un-seen, it’s him.  “What’s he saying? Any sign of Shay?”

“I told you she was there,” Cash mumbles as blood leaks down his chin. 

Tin ignores his words and answers my question.  “He said his gut is telling him that she’s in there somewhere.” 

I would trust Rollo’s gut any day.  “If he says she’s in there, she’s there.”

“He also said there’s some fancy ass car in the middle of your driveway. The bastard didn’t even worry about hiding it.”

“The bastard’s there.” Lock’s hell bent to save his sister. He’s not gonna let her stay in danger any longer than he has too. 

He’s right. There is only one person that car can belong to: Marcus.  If he’s there, that means my woman is too. Just the thought of him near her causes my blood to boil. “Anything else?”

“He hasn’t went in yet, but he got a look inside,” Tin explains.  “Most of the curtains were drawn, but he got a peek in the kitchen window.”

Toke moves toward him. “Did he see anyone?”

“Yeah, he did.  No one breathing though,” Tin says with a nod before turning his head to look at me.  “There’s no movement in the house, but there’s a body on the kitchen floor. He said it’s Domino, but I don’t understand that.  She was in on this shit. Who would kill her?”

I couldn’t really care less if the bitch is dead; she got what was coming to her.  “I don’t know, and really don’t give a fuck.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s just one less bullet I’ve gotta waste.”

Tin nods his head in agreement before going on. “We need to get our asses over there. Rollo’s not gonna wait long for back-up before going in.”

Knowing what must be done, my focus shifts back to Cash. “It’s time, old man.”

“Let me do it,” Toke says, stepping up beside me. “A son shouldn’t have to kill his own father.”

“I don’t give a fuck who does it, but someone better kill his ass now, or I’ll be pulling the trigger my damn self,” Lock says, pulling a pistol from his belt.  “We’ve wasted enough time on this shit.”

I’m about to tell him that I ain’t got a problem ending the bastard, when Cash speaks up.  “No, the boy wants me dead.  The least he can do is be the one to kill me.”

“Don’t listen to his shit.  This isn’t something you gotta do,” Toke says with a shake of his head. “I know you would fight and die for this club, but you don’t need your father’s death on your conscience.”

Cash ignores him and moves his eyes to mine.  Some of the fire is back when he spits out, “It’s time to be a man, Bowie.  You think you can run the Outlaws? Prove it.”

Cash is right.  This is one deed that I’ve got to do myself.  In fact, it’s something I’ve been waiting to do for years.  Turning my back on Toke, I pull my knife from the case at my side and place it near his throat.  I look over to Tin, wanting to gauge his reaction.  His hands are fisted at his side as his eyes focus on our father. I may have to do this, may even want to, but my brother doesn’t need to be part of this shit.  “Wait outside.”

His eyes jerk to mine, and he shakes his head. “Fuck no.  I’m by your side on this one, brother.”

Knowing that he won’t budge, I look back down to Cash. “Are you ready?”

“Get it done,” he barks out, his voice filled with pain and a hint of fear. Defeat is written all over his face, as if he can see the Reaper standing over his shoulder. 

Sliding my knife across Cash’s throat, I watch as my father’s blood pours onto the floor.  As his body slumps against the chair, I wait for regret to fill me.  Instead, relief comes.  After years of living with his shit, knowing he put my woman in danger, the fact that he’s gone and I’m the one that ended him doesn’t leave me with an ounce of remorse. 

Placing my bloody knife back at my side, I turn away from Cash.   “It’s over.  Let’s get my woman back.”