Sinner’s Redemption by Rebecca Joyce

Chapter Twenty-Three

Montana

The club was rocking when I stormed in. Brothers were partying, fucking and having a grand time. Making my way through the throngs of hot women and drunk brothers, I sat at the bar as Silver walked over. “Hey Montana. Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

“Who’s here?” I growled, looking around the room.

“The usual. Mercy is in his office. Storm is upstairs with the bobsie-twins. Shame is in the control room. Can I get you anything?”

“A whiskey.”

“Coming right up,” she smiled, grabbing a tumbler then filling it with top shelf amber liquid. Sliding the glass towards me, I noticed her hand still. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Malice approach.

Shaking my head, Silver frowned, then turned on her booted heel and walked off, ignoring my enforcer as if he were the devil himself.

Malice growled, taking a seat next to me. “She still won’t serve me.”

“What do you expect? You treat her like shit, man. What gives?”

“I don’t like her.”

“Too fucking bad. She stays.”

“Still don’t like her,” he muttered mulishly. “You confront your woman?”

I nodded, lifting the glass to my lips. “Yep.”

“What did she say?”

Swallowing the contents, I slammed the glass down on the bar. “Didn’t wait around for an excuse.”

“Want me to take care of it?”

Slowly, I turned to look at my enforcer and glared at him. Even though I was angry with Tessa right now, I wouldn’t let Malice punish her as he only knew one way to take care of things. “Fuck, no.”

Malice shrugged. “Just saying, I’m available.”

“Jesus Malice,” I sighed, reaching across the bar for the bottle of whiskey. Taking it with me, I headed for Mercy’s office when the club prospect, Pippen, stopped me.

“Prez, you got a minute?”

“No,” I said firmly, walking around him when he clearly said. “It’s about that personal matter Storm asked me to do.”

Turning, I looked at the kid and nodded. “Follow me.”

Entering my office, I took a seat at my desk. “Shut the door.”

Doing as he was told, I asked, “Tell me.”

“Largo Finn doesn’t exist.”

“What the hell are you talking about, kid? I’ve met the woman. I was the best man at her wedding.”

“The woman, you know as Largo, is not the real Largo Finn.” Pippen stated cautiously. “The real Largo Finn died in 1938 at the ripe old age of eighty-three.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It does if it’s not her real identity.”

I looked up at the kid questioningly. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Mercy’s wife is a ghost. On a hunch, I called a friend of mine who works for WITSEC and when I asked, he got cagey. Told me he would get back to me and I never heard from him again. When I tried reaching out to him again, I got some recording for a pizza place in south Florida. I’m sorry, Prez, but I’ve got nothing.”

“Shit.”

“There is someone who might find more, but I would have to farm this outside the club.”

I narrowed my eyes.

I knew who Pippen was talking about and there was no fucking way I was going to let that pissant sneaky bastard, Sypher, anywhere near my club. The kid gave me the heebie-jeebies with his ability to find shit. The kid was that damn good. “Forget about him. Just keep digging.”

Pippen nodded, then looked down at his hands.

“What?”

“It’s probably nothing, but Shame had me run a diagnostic on all the computer equipment and security systems for the club and your home when I found something strange. Do you give Barney access to Tessa’s phone and the passcode code to your home?”

Getting to my feet, I growled, “What the fuck did you say?”

“Barney,” Pippen gulped, backing up. “The owner of the Gentlemen’s club. He has a tracker on Tessa’s phone that goes directly to his club. He’s been monitoring her every move and yesterday he sent a coded message from Tessa’s phone to some guy named Benson Graves in West Virginia. He’s at your house right now.”

“MALICE!” I roared, running from my office.

Bumping into Mercy, my brother grimaced. “Jesus Fuck, Montana, slow the fuck down.”

Grabbing my V.P. I growled, “Call the board. Have them meet me at my house.”

“What?” Malice grunted, appearing out of nowhere, taking a bite out of an apple.

“Find Payne and tell him to raid the Gentlemen’s club. I want the place locked down by the time I get there. No one in or out. Got me?”

Malice shrugged, walking away.

“Then meet me at my house!” I shouted after him.

“The brothers are scrambling. Vicious isn’t answering.”

“He’s with Linsey at the hospital,” Turning to Pippen, I looked at the kid and sighed. Fuck it. “Kid, get your ass over to St. John’s Presbyterian Hospital. Tell Vicious what’s going on, then park your ass outside Linsey’s door.”

Pippen nodded, running towards the rec room.

“What the hell is going on, Montana?” Mercy asked.

“A hunch. I think I know who’s behind all this shit and the motherfucker is in my house right now with my woman and kid.”

“Wanna let me in on who the soon-to-be dead fucker is?”

“Barney.”

The lights were out in the entire house when Mercy and I pulled into the parking garage and shut off our engines.

I knew Tessa wouldn’t be asleep.

Not after the garbage I laid at her feet. If anything, my woman would be gearing up to rip my ass into shreds the second I walked through the door. I didn’t relish that conversation when the time came, but I would take my licks.

Getting off my bike, I had just taken off my helmet when a lone rider pulled into the garage. Turning, I spotted my brother Kansas.

“What the fuck?” I growled. “Why aren’t you inside the house?”

“Kali wanted Chinese,” my brother said, reaching into his saddlebag, removing a bag of takeout. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Barney’s in the house.”

“And?” Kansas asked, walking over. “What’s the problem? He’s sweet on Tessa. Unless you are jealous of the fat fucker?”

“He’s working with Benson Graves.”

Kansas whistled. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in years. Thought dad and the Rejects took care of that fucker a long time ago?”

I shook my head. “Apparently, he survived. He’s been hiding out and living it up on the club’s dime as Tessa’s neighbor back in West Virginia.”

Kansas frowned. “That makes no sense. Why go there? He had to know that if we ever found him, the club would hunt his ass down. If he was smart, he would have left the country. Why West Virginia?”

“Because of Tessa’s mom. Snoopy is Tessa’s biological father.” Mercy spoke.

Kansas sighed. “And you think Benson knew all along who Tessa was?”

“Yeah.”

Kansas smirked. “Fucker is stupider than I originally thought. Snoopy won’t think twice about snapping that fucker’s neck. Does Tessa know?”

“No. I haven’t told her yet. I was going to, instead I said some shit that I shouldn’t have.”

“And now you have to grovel,” Kansas nodded, taking a sip of the soda he got for Kali. Then grimaced. “I fucking hate unsweetened tea.”

Bikes pulled into my garage.

Watching as my brothers parked and then got off their bikes, I was about to say something when a loud crash from inside my house had all of us running. Kicking in the kitchen door, I shouted, “Tessa!”

Shattering glass had me rushing towards the noise only to skid to a stop as my woman swung around, her leg extended as she roundhouse kicked Barney in the face, knocking him the fuck out.

“Damn,” Kansas grinned. “Where the hell did she learn to do that?”

“I taught her,” I whispered, staring at my woman with respect. Looking at Malice and Fury, I ordered, “I want him strung up in the mailroom. Do not start until I arrive. I mean it. Wait for me.”

Malice frowned while Fury grinned. “Got it, Prez.”

I said nothing as both men walked over and hauled Barney to his feet.

“Payne called. The club is ours,” Mercy said next to me.

Nodding, I said, “Get everyone over there. I want that place torn apart. Make sure Storm and Shame save everything. I’ll meet you over there when I’m done here.”

“What about the girls?”

“They stay. I want to talk to them. My gut is telling me one of those bitches is helping him,” I said, as I stared at Tessa. She hadn’t moved since we all showed.

Motherfucker split her lip and reddened her cheek.

The fucker hit her.

I was going to kill him…slowly.

“Get out of here,” I growled, walking towards her.

Fury emanated from her eyes.

I could feel her hostility shooting at me in waves.

She was rightfully and justifiably angry.

Not only did I accuse her of betraying me and the club, but a trusted friend broke in and attacked her. My woman was at her limit. I could see it clearly.

Proceeding with caution, I raised my hands. “Baby. I didn’t know.”

The next thing I knew, I was holding my nose.

“God damn it, Tessa!” I cursed, taking several steps back from her.

She was really angry.

I knew what she was capable of. Only it had been a hot minute since I’d been the receptacle of her fury.

Fuck, I forgot how wicked her punch was.

Finding a seat, I sat and tipped my head back to stem the flow of blood. “I fucked up, okay?”

“Get out.” She seethed.

“What?”

“I said get out.”

Sitting up, I looked at the woman who was just waiting for the right moment to sever my dick from my body and narrowed my eyes. If she thought she could kick me out of my damn house, she had another thing coming. “This is my house, baby.”

“Not anymore. Get out.”

“I’m not leaving until we talk about this.”

She laughed manically. “That’s rich coming from you. Now you want to talk. Why? Have more insults and accusations you want to hurl at me? You haven’t called me a whore yet. Go ahead. Do your worst. You can’t hurt me anymore than you already have.”

I growled, “I said I made a mistake.”

“Mistakes indicate a lack of remorse. You’ve never felt remorse about anything, ever,” she stated furiously.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Barney had been visiting you?”

“Who I spend time with is none of your business. Just like I don’t ask you where you go and who you fuck when I’m not around. We are not married. You are not my father and you sure as hell don’t own me.”

I sneered. “That’s where you are wrong, baby. I do own you.”

“Fuck you!”

Someone cleared their voice, halting me from responding.

“Montana, go stay at the clubhouse before you say something you’ll never be able to take back,” a soft voice said from behind me. Turning, I spotted Kali and Kansas standing at the entrance of the living room. Kansas held a bag in his hand.

“Come on, brother. This won’t end well if you stay.”

Looking back at my angry woman, I knew Kansas was right.

So, I left.