Page 69 of Feint

“There’s something else you need to know.” I hobbled over to the back of the truck that had Mack’s body in it. I lowered the tailgate and removed the tarp, and Damien’s face dropped.

“W-what happened?” she asked, taking in the gruesome sight of Mack’s body.

“He was a rat. He was the one who turned on us. He was working with the Suns.” I spat on his body.

Fucking piece of shit had deserved what he got. I wished he had died slowly and painfully. An instant death was too good for a son of a bitch like him.

“I would have never… Was all of this over the VP spot?” she muttered as she yanked the tarp back over his body.

I nodded.

“Fuck… I never thought he would go this far. He said one day he was going to remove you from the list of candidates. But he was drunk, so I thought it was typical shit talk. I never thought he would actually try and go through with it.”

She looked defeated. I gripped her shoulder.

“Hey, ain’t nothing you could have done about it. No one knew just how off his rocker he was. Anyone who was willing to kill half his club for a position wouldn’t have stopped there. I’m glad we took care of it and we’re not that worse off for it.” And I was. This could have gone so many other ways. The fact that it’d ended with minimal casualties was actually a good thing.

We made arrangements for the fallen, and Wilder, Damien, and I went inside. We gathered around her office and discussed what precautions we should take to make sure when the Suns got wind of what had just happened, we would have our defensesready. By the end of it, I barely had the energy to call Rosalie and take a hot shower before passing out in bed.

CHAPTER 28

ROSALIE

Never thoughtI would be so happy to lie in my bed upstairs, but boy, was I wrong. I took the longest shower of my life and finally felt clean from the dirt and grime from the desert hills… and all the blood. I felt like a new woman, lying here in shorts and a tank top.

I let out a deep breath and sat up in bed, looking around the room. I saw the red marks on my wrists and ankles, then did another pass at all the things surrounding me. All of this… I had taken way too much for granted. I’d had so many close calls in things in my life so far. It was about time I admired the little things in life. Like how good it felt to be wearing clean clothes and slipping my feet into my slides as I got ready to go back downstairs.

Kordell had to stay back at the clubhouse after all the smoke settled from getting me back. I knew he had to help them take care of everything after Mack’s plans came to light. There were a lot of people to go through to make sure there were no other rats in their organization, he’d said to me before I left. But my parents had shown up and taken me home. They made sure I was all right, getting me food and the best-tasting strawberryshake I had ever had in my life. Also, when we had gotten to my place, I had been able to go upstairs and get cleaned up.

I could hear my parents’ voices talking since I had gotten done in the shower, but I needed a few more minutes. The past few days had been intense. It would be a lot for anyone to take in, and I was so tired. Exhausted, more like it, but I was trying to downplay it, so my mom and dad wouldn't worry as much.

I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs.

Mom and Dad were gathered around the kitchen island, and I walked over and planted my butt in one of the stools next to Dad.

“Hey, you guys didn’t have to wait for me. I felt like I was in there forever, just trying to clean the dirt from my nails and hair. I’m sure you guys have a lot better things to do than stick around for me.”

I gave a little giggle, but Mom and Dad didn’t laugh with me. They exchanged worried looks.

“Hon, it’s okay. You don’t have to put on a smile for us. It’s okay not to be okay after everything you went through.” Dad placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a side hug.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

“See, that’s the thing, Dad. I am okay. It was a lot to go through, you’re right. But I’m okay. Kordell’s okay. You two and Jayden are okay. I don’t have anything to really be upset about… right?” But even as I spoke, I could feel myself getting choked up.

So, I was lying a little bit, but could you blame me? I didn’t want to worry Mom and Dad. They’d been put through enough. The last thing they needed was to be here and be worried about me. The danger was over now. Kordell was safe. I was safe. I just wanted to move forward and to try and forget it had ever happened. A small speed bump on a curvy road I had been drifting along—that was all this whole thing had been.

Dad’s face looked sad, even as he gave me a small smile. “My brave girl, always strong when you need to be, huh? But, Rosalie, you don’t have to be strong around us. We’re here to take care of you.”

“I… I know, Dad. I just… if I talk about it, I’m afraid I… I…” I stopped talking because my words got stuck in my throat. I bit my lower lip to stop the tears from falling, and I blinked really fast.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry! You’re doing so good, Rosalie! Hold it together!

“Hey. It’s okay to cry, hon.” Dad was always comforting me, but I really didn’t want to sit here and bawl right now, so I shook my head back and forth and rubbed my eyes.

“Nooo… I-I’m okay. I just don’t want to talk about it right now. I think I’m so tired and hungry that if I do… I’ll break down because my body is so exhausted.”

I looked between Mom and Dad, and they glanced at each other.