33

The tension in the car was palpable. Leo was sitting in the front with his head back. I knew he was disappointed he hadn't foreseen what they were on. He took it seriously when he was told to protect me. I know he felt like he failed. However, he was family. We would get through this as we get through everything else and next time I'm sure he will pick a corner to stand in so no one could creep up on him.

Montel was chill, but I know he wished it had been him to go inside. Unfortunately, Leo couldn't drive for shit. He was where he needed to be for this mission. Reese and Dale were cool, they had done pretty well and everyone was still alive, so I figured, that whole situation could have gone so much worse.

Yeah, I had had a gun to my head. That didn't bother me much. I was too relieved to have it for once on the side of my head, rather than in my face. It was fucked up that I had a preference for having a gun to my head. However, it was facts. It sucked to look down the barrel of a gun. I had killed a man tonight. My first body and I didn't feel bad about it at all. Better him than me. We had another name to check off the list, and it was mostly thanks to Terrance.

I didn't know him well, but I didn't think he was an enemy. Yeah, he would need to be watched, but I don't think he means me harm. He had disrespected Christian, though. It seemed like, he didn't like my man at all. The way he had looked while taunting him had told me enough. He wanted me, the one thing I couldn't give him. I owed him my life, but I won't be bargaining with my pussy.

Christian sat beside me, tense and distant. He said nothing after we pulled away from the warehouse. I knew him well enough to know he was mad at me. I figured he was tripping off of Terrance again. I knew he wasn't a factor, but Christian didn't. I knew I would have to calm him down before he acted a fool and went after the guy who saved my life. He really had the nerve to have trust issues, which was funny. The irony. Still, I stayed silent until we made it to the clubhouse.

I didn't realize how much blood was on my body until I got into the light of the clubhouse. It was everywhere. After my sister checked me over and I reassured her I was not hit, she gave me some clothes and showed me to the shower. I didn't even know there was one in the clubhouse. It would come in handy, I thought.

Standing under the spray of hot water, I washed my body. The water gathered at my feet, turning the water red. For a split second, I saw the guy I had killed in that water. The look on his face right before I pulled the trigger. He had looked surprised as if he had never thought I would do it. He died with that same expression. That was one thing I would never forget.

I was startled as the shower curtain moved and Christian walked into the shower with me. As much as I wanted comfort, I knew he needed closure. His possessiveness would not let him rest until he knew Terrance was not a threat to what we have. Turning to him, I found him just as naked as I was. He also had stains on his hands and chest. Moving around him so that he was under the spray of the shower, I started to wash him. I waited for him to talk. When I had cleaned him completely, he took the loofa and the soap and did the same to me.

"What was that about?" He asked.

I didn't have to ask what he meant. I already knew, so I said, "He saved my life. I think we should just be happy about that."

"He has more than saving your life on his mind." He stated simply, pretending to be focused on washing my body.

"You know that will never happen," I said, touching his face so that he would look at me. His eyes still held the heat of his anger, but it was slowly dimming.

"I don't want you to see him ever again." He said strongly.

"Baby, the man saved my life. I think the least I could do is give him a sit-down and maybe a favor." I said, stepping back as he prompted me to do so that I could wash the soap from my body.

"I don't trust him," he said between gritted teeth.

"Neither do I," I said while washing my hair. "That's why we are going to have Dale and Leo find out everything they can about him. I don't trust him, but he did something neither of us could. He killed Corey. If I learned nothing else from that damn hitman, I know the value of life. He gets one."

"I don't like it. If he comes at you sideways, I want to know ASAP," Christian said as he turned off the water and pulled me from the shower. We both dried off, and I noticed for the first time that he was standing at full mast.

"I promised, you will be the first to know." I dropped to my knees before him and pointed toward his erection. "You want me to take care of that for you?"

Needless to say, we were in that bathroom for over an hour.

When we finally left the bathroom, we were met with hoots and hollers from the guys. Dale and Reese pretended to be making out. My sister looked like she wanted to ask but didn't. We were missing Todo, but if he were here, he would be sitting on the couch, smiling like a Cheshire cat. I called my moms and let her know I would be staying at my sister's. She was cool with it and didn't ask questions. Since I turned eighteen, I noticed she has been cutting them apron strings. She only asked if I had eaten, and even though I hadn't I told her I did. I would eat later. We soon gathered in the back and started a Bonfire with the clothes we all wore.

Before we crashed for the night. We met at the pool table to devise the next steps of our plans. Ace would not live past tomorrow. We had a solid plan to take him out. If we got him away from his entourage, we would be golden. Montel would go see big D tomorrow as well and reup. We would have the next shipment ready for the Mexicans by the weekend. It would be business as usual after that. When word got around that we took out Ace and Corey, the street credit would follow. Respect would follow.