Rubbing his shoulder, he focused on Ripper. "Nice face f.u.c.kwad. I were you I woulda just let me finish you off, now you gotta go round' life lookin' like Freddy f.u.c.kin' Krueger."

Ripper's gun hand started shaking. Jase grabbed his wrist and lowered his arm.

Frankie shook his head smirking. "f.u.c.kin' b.i.t.c.hes, the lot of you. Cryin' 'bout scars and missin' eyes like little f.u.c.kin' girls."

Frankie turned to him. "So I've been gettin' Hors.e.m.e.n sloppy seconds all these years. Wh.o.r.e coulda least picked an MC Prez worth f.u.c.kin'."

Furious, he took a step forward.

Mick's hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed. "He's baitin' us, Prez," He whispered. "Crazy f.u.c.k wants one of us to step to him."

Frankie grabbed a cigarette from behind his ear and dug out a Zippo from his front pocket, oblivious as all seven men tensed, ready to shoot.

He took a few long drags before he spoke again.

"Knew she wasn't a virgin when I took her the first time. She cried like one but she wasn't. Never would tell me who broke her in. Been tryin' to get her to give it up for f.u.c.kin' years. She won't, cuz she knows I'd kill 'em."

His chest went tight. She was protecting him from f.u.c.king Frankie. He didn't know whether to be insulted that she thought he needed protection from this f.u.c.k or to do a mother f.u.c.king jig because the woman obviously still cared about him.

"You're f.u.c.kin' twisted," ZZ spat.

"Don't matter anymore how f.u.c.kin' twisted he is," Jase hissed. "Cuz he's done."

Frankie ignored them. "Knowin' it was you, s.h.i.t makes sense now. b.i.t.c.h cries in her sleep, says s.h.i.t I don't catch but she's always grabbin' that f.u.c.king Hors.e.m.e.n tag round her neck and holdin' tight when it happens. Never did think much of it, seein' as she's had it nearly her whole f.u.c.kin' life but you gave it to her, yeah?"

He didn't say a word but he didn't need to. Frankie knew.

"Yeah," Frankie said, "You got to know, Deuce, that s.h.i.t ain't sittin' well with me."

Tap laughed. "Why the f.u.c.k should he care if s.h.i.t's sittin' well with you, you f.u.c.kin' a.s.shat? He's not the c.o.c.ksucker with seven f.u.c.kin' cannons pointed at his f.u.c.kin' head."

Frankie, as usual, never seemed to care about anything other than Eva.

"Figure he's gonna care when I'm rippin' out his insides and makin' Eva string 'em up on our Christmas tree."

"Yeah dude," Tap muttered. "You're f.u.c.kin' normal."

Frankie's head whipped left and he stared his crazy eyed stare until Tap took a step back.

"Prez, what the f.u.c.k we waitin' for?" Tap said warily. "Just f.u.c.kin' kill him."

Frankie grinned. An evil, s.a.d.i.s.tic grin that sent chills up his spine.

"Prez isn't gonna let you kill me," Frankie drawled. "Are you Prez?"

"No," He said flatly. "I'm not."

"What the f.u.c.k!" Tap yelled. "Look at your boy's face!"

He stared at Frankie feeling nothing but hate. "He dies, Eva dies. a.s.shole put some f.u.c.ked up death pack hit on her."

"f.u.c.k," Jase breathed.

"Then we can't kill him," Ripper said, pulling out his cell phone. "But were not lettin' him go so he can start decoratin' Christmas trees either."

"Yo, Gina, babe it's Ripper...Yeah babe, I know...Babe...Wait, I...No, I f.u.c.kin' apologized for that s.h.i.t...BABE...Yeah, through a f.u.c.kin' text message, what the f.u.c.k you want? A singing telegram...Would you just shut the f.u.c.k up and listen to me? I need you to run a Franklin Deluva and tell me what you got."

Frankie, looking bored, was leaning up against the side of the house, smirking at nothing.

Ripper held the phone away from his ear and glared at it. When Gina stopped screaming he put the phone back to his ear. "Deluva, D-E-L-U-V-A...Right."

There was a long pause during which Ripper started to smile. "f.u.c.kin' sweet...b.i.t.c.h, I f.u.c.kin' love you right now..."

Another long pause. "Aw, christ, Gina don't f.u.c.kin' start up again..."

Deuce grabbed the phone and tapped "End". "Care to share?" He growled.

"b.i.t.c.h said he's got four outstandin' warrants for a.s.sault and he's wanted for questionin' in two murder cases. She's 'bout six hours out so she's pa.s.sin' the bid to some dude named Crank nearby. Should be 'bout five minutes."

Never in a million years would he have ever thought he'd be happy that Ripper was f.u.c.king a bounty hunter, seeing as his entire crew was f.u.c.king swimming in illegal s.h.i.t. But there it was.

"Tap, man the front door. Jase, the back. Make sure s.h.i.t is tight until we get this wrapped." Last thing they needed was a Demon-Hors.e.m.e.n standoff.

"And Ripper, get rid of Nikki and put that f.u.c.kin' kick a.s.s b.i.t.c.h on the back of your bike."

"Yeah dude," Mick said. "Nikki's a c.u.n.t."

Ripper shrugged. "Yeah, but she's got great t.i.ts."

ZZ choked on his laughter. "Cuz you f.u.c.kin' paid for 'em to be great."

Ripper flipped ZZ off. "Gina's a drive by. Never f.u.c.kin' around. What the f.u.c.k would I be f.u.c.kin' in the meantime?"

He laughed. "Are you really gonna stand there and tell us you ain't got s.h.i.t to f.u.c.k 'sides Gina and Nikki? What a f.u.c.kin' crock. Ever since your face got all f.u.c.ked up b.i.t.c.hes been fallen to their feet wantin' to make your boo-boo's all better. I see your d.i.c.k so f.u.c.kin' much you'd think I'm f.u.c.kin' you."

"Yeah dude, you never put that f.u.c.kin' thing away."

Ripper glared at ZZ and ZZ shrugged. "What? You don't. And personally, I'm sick of seein' it."

"Tap!"

"Prez?"

"Find out who bought Eva's. .h.i.t from Frankie. Use whoever you got to, the f.u.c.kin' Russians, the f.u.c.kin' j.a.ps, cash in all my f.u.c.kin' favors, I don't give a s.h.i.t, just find 'em and end 'em."

"On it." Tap pulled out his cell and walked off.

"Prez?"

He turned around and found Jase standing beside Eva. She was staring at Frankie with tears in her eyes.

s.h.i.t.

"She came outside," Jase explained. "Lookin' for Frankie. She heard you, Prez."

"You put a hit on me?" She whispered.

Frankie wasn't smiling anymore. Eva took a step towards him and c.o.x stepped between them and pressed the barrel of his gun into Frankie's throat. "Don't come near him, Foxy."

"Why baby?" She whispered. "What haven't I given you that you needed?"

Frankie blinked. "Don't f.u.c.kin' cry baby," He said quietly. "Wasn't tryin' to hurt you, just wanted you with me always. Can't f.u.c.kin' sleep without you an dyin' is sleepin' forever. Can't sleep forever without you."

Eva's tears spilled over and Frankie went stiff.

"I love you so much baby," Frankie whispered. "I thought you'd want to be with me forever."

Letting out a strangled cry, Eva reached for him. He lunged forward to grab her but ZZ was faster. Catching her around her middle he started dragging her backwards.

"No!" She screamed, thrashing. "Let me go to him!"

Seeing Eva upset and struggling Frankie's face went ice cold and his eyes cut to c.o.x. s.h.i.t was about to go bad.

"c.o.x!" He bellowed. The crazy f.u.c.k grabbed the gun, head b.u.t.ted c.o.x, then dropped to his knees. One swift punch to c.o.x's b.a.l.l.s then Frankie was jumping to his feet, aiming at him.

He didn't think, just reacted and barreled straight into Frankie and they went rolling. By punching Frankie in his newly set shoulder he was able to gain the upper hand and managed to pin him face down in the dirt.

c.o.x was lying on the ground, cupping himself, groaning about never being able to f.u.c.k again; Eva was screaming hysterically and struggling violently and ZZ was having a hard time keeping a good hold on her. It was a f.u.c.king mess.

"Gonna find a way to end you a.s.shole," He hissed in Frankie's ear.

Frankie laughed.

Frankie was still laughing when a pair of headlights turned off the street and headed up the driveway.

Crank was a big guy. An ex-marine who had no trouble taking Frankie off his hands and chaining him up in the back of his ride. It wasn't the preferred ending but it was better than nothing and it would keep Eva safe until he could figure out Frankie's tangled web of crazy.

And speaking of crazy...

"NO!" I screamed, struggling to get free as Frankie was taken away. "G.o.d, NO! You can't do this! He won't make it!"

Frankie couldn't go to jail. He wouldn't last. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't play nice with others, it was a recipe for disaster.

"Good," Mick sneered. "Let's hope he doesn't make it five f.u.c.kin' seconds."

Her head jerked in Mick's direction. "You piece of s.h.i.t!" She screamed. "Can't ever keep your big f.u.c.king mouth shut! Always b.u.t.ting into business you have nothing to do with!"

"Reel it in, Eva," Deuce growled.

I stopped struggling and stared at him. Had he lost his mind? My husband is being sent to his death and he's telling me to reel it in? Oh, h.e.l.l no.

I let out a bloodcurdling scream and twisted out of ZZ's grasp, headed straight for Deuce.

"You f.u.c.k!" I screamed, slapping, punching, clawing at any part of him I came into contact with. "You stupid piece of s.h.i.t!"

It didn't take him long to bring me down. Straddling my hips and pinning my wrists above my head, he glared at me. I happily noted his fat lip, b.l.o.o.d.y nose and scratched cheek.

"What the f.u.c.k Eva?" He roared. "You find out your man's got a f.u.c.kin' hit on you and you're attacking me?"

I was so beyond upset, beyond angry, beyond hurt. I felt so helpless, destroyed, ripped apart by my seams and everywhere in between. I'd been taking care of Frankie for so long now and I was so tired but it wasn't his fault he was sick, that he couldn't see things the way other people did.

As for Deuce. Who the f.u.c.k did he think he was?

"Who the f.u.c.k do you think you are?" I screamed.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the a.s.shole who's trying to save your f.u.c.kin' life you stupid b.i.t.c.h!"

"Stupid b.i.t.c.h? Stupid b.i.t.c.h! Don't do me any favors you f.u.c.k! I've never needed your help and I sure as f.u.c.k don't need it now!"

Blue eyes blazing, he lowered his face to mine. "b.i.t.c.h," He growled, "We came here to bury your f.u.c.kin' man. What the f.u.c.k woulda happened if he wouldn't have told us 'bout the hit? Huh? What, b.i.t.c.h, you f.u.c.kin' tell me!"

I gathered as much saliva as I could and spit in his face. "f.u.c.k you!" I yelled and bashed my forehead into his. My vision swam. That was definitely not as cool as it looked in the movies. Deuce shifted both my wrists into one of his hands and slapped his palm down on my forehead holding my head down.

"YOU f.u.c.kIN' DONE?" He roared.

I was so far from done.

"The last time I saw you, you were getting your d.i.c.k sucked by a club wh.o.r.e and trying to make out with me at the same time! The time before that I found you in the kitchen with a half naked wh.o.r.e on your lap only a few hours after you f.u.c.ked me! You're f.u.c.king trash Deuce! f.u.c.king garbage! What the f.u.c.k makes you think I would be grateful to you for f.u.c.king anything?"

Deuce's eyes were bugging out of his head; his body was shaking with fury. Having a cold blooded killer boring down on you with a murderous expression might have made any normal person feel fear but I was so far gone. Pure adrenaline is more powerful than any street drug. And I was flying over the f.u.c.king mountain.

Not even the cold steel of Mick's gun pressed into my cheek could cool me off.

"Reel it in you f.u.c.kin' c.u.n.t," He growled.

"f.u.c.king do it," I hissed. "I f.u.c.king dare you, you stupid, mother f.u.c.king piece of s.h.i.t. Bring down every Demon in the f.u.c.king country on your stupid, piece of s.h.i.t a.s.s!"

"Reel it the f.u.c.k in Eva!" Deuce bellowed.

I looked back at Deuce. "Tell him to do it," I hissed. "But let me close my eyes first. I don't want your ugly f.u.c.king face to be the last thing I ever see."

Deuce's nostrils flared.

And that was the last thing I ever saw...for a little while.