All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,93
the map.”
Illi shrugs. “Isn’t that the Coyote’s job? Throw it at him and tell the little fuck to earn his spot on the family protection roster. He called last week about some asshole showing up to his bunker and threatening to blow the place up.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Who the hell is trying to kill him? Let me guess, he hacked into some guy's records for extortion purposes and it’s backfired on him? Typical.”
“Doesn’t matter, the asshole is dead now and the Coyote lives to rifle through someone's emails another day.”
“How do you go about assassinating someone? Say I needed a man to be taken out without being linked to me, how would I do that?”
He grumbles under his breath, as he weaves through the traffic as we get closer to the slums of the Bay. “You call me or Lips and you ask one of us to do it for you. Your job is the politics bullshit that we hate and all the other evil genius shit that you do. You don’t need to become a killer just for fucking credibility. Don’t let that piece of shit Crow make you think any differently.”
When we arrive at the clubhouse, Illi parks up but he doesn’t make a move to get out of the car. I wait with him, expecting him to warn me about some new threat or tell me we’re waiting on Aodhan, when he blows out a breath and rubs a hand over his face. “Look. O’Cronin told me about what went down thanks to that fucking cunt D’Ardo. I’ve watched you two together to know he isn’t lying about the how of it but I need you to know that you say the word and he’s dead. Fuck, Queenie, you say the word and they’re all dead. I knew… fuck, I got one look at you coming out of there and I knew something had happened but I thought it was D’Ardo. I wish I could cut his fucking head off all over again.”
It’s very sweet and very Illi of him. “I appreciate that but I’m not traumatized by it. It’s… it was the lesser of all of the evils and I definitely don’t want you to kill Aodhan. He’s been… he’s been perfect. I’d just rather never talk about it again and I definitely cannot let Ash know about it or see those photos. Illi, he’s a lot more like Senior than people think, he’s just— he uses those skills for the people he loves, not against us. If he finds out then he will destroy everything.”
Illi nods and we both watch as Aodhan walks out of the clubhouse and makes a beeline towards the car. “He’s a good man… was a good kid too. Did a fucking good job of growing up right with the shit hand you two were dealt. I’m gonna find the asshole who has the tape. I promise you.”
I nod and then my car door opens, Aodhan helping me out and pulling me into his arms. “I’ll beat the life outta that fuck for trying to lock you down, Queenie. I’ll take him the fuck out.”
Burrowing into him a little, just for a second, I reply, “It’s fine, I proved a point. I doubt his staff will stare at me like I’m a little defenseless girl anymore.”
I pull away from him as he chuckles and Illi stalks past us towards the clubhouse. “I’m assuming if you’re out here then they’re waiting on us, O’Cronin? I have some words for that fuck Crawford.”
We follow him into the building and I thank God that I haven’t been forced into this building before and I pray I never have to set foot into it again because the smell… the smell is fucking foul.
I gag.
Illi chuckles at me. “Yeah. The sweet stench of stale beer, cigars, and pussy. It’s not really your scene, Queenie.”
I choke the words out past the sleeve of my blazer that I press over my nose. “We’re burning this place to the ground the second Lips is home to help out. I won’t be able to sleep tonight knowing it’s sitting here, stinking like this, in the same state as I am.”
Aodhan chuckles at me and tucks me into his side a little more securely as we walk past a large table of bikers, gambling and drinking together like this place isn’t the pits of hell.
“You wouldn’t have survived the Bay. Liam’s place was worse than this. Still is,