to do anything to get to her. Fuck, the guy barely let Lilah out of his sight.
“She can’t be given contact with her family. Or anyone, for that matter. And she ain’t leaving this club.” Styx’s hands moved as Ky verbalized his signs. “We took her for leverage.”
“She ain’t fucking leverage—she’s my bitch!”
“Quintana won’t attack this club if he knows she’s here. Right now, she’s fucking leverage.” Styx turned to leave the warehouse, but then signed, “You can stay with her. But try to get her out from under our noses and I’ll slit your throat myself.” He stepped closer to me and raised his hands once more. “Right now I regard you as a brother. You’ve been good for this club. I trust you. But if I find out you’ve joined us just so you can get her out, or if you try to double-cross us in any way, we’ll make you pay. I’ll make you pay.”
“I’m a fucking Hangman,” I snarled. My muscles twitched in anger. “I owe this club. It’s my home. I’m not gonna take Lita and cut and run. I’m not a fucking coward.” Styx studied me, then nodded his head. He and Ky left me alone with Tank.
As soon as the door was shut, I exhaled and felt my head begin to pound. Tank ran his hand across his face. “Jesus Christ, Tann.”
I sagged down to the seat Adelita had been tied to. “No one would allow us be together.” I looked up at my best friend. “You don’t know what that’s like. To find a bitch who you know is yours, but you’ll both be killed if you dare touch her.”
Tank put his hand on my shoulder. “Tann, I ain’t claiming to understand, but . . .”
“But what?”
“All the cartel-Klan-Hangmen shit aside. She was marrying someone else, brother.” Pain shot through my chest like a spear. “You’ve done everything to be in the best position to make it safe for her to be with you. Protected. But what the fuck has she done? She was marrying—”
“There has to be a reason,” I interrupted, praying like fuck I was right. “There has to be a reason she was getting married.” I looked around the barren warehouse, emptied for the war and any captives we might get. My eyes blurred as I remembered her life in the hacienda. “You didn’t see how it was for her. Trapped, no friends. No one to talk to outside the staff and her priest. Well, she had her best friend from California, but she wasn’t a constant. Wasn’t there all the time. Another family friend was killed when I was there one visit. Adelita had to do anything her papa told her. She was like a Mexican Rapunzel or some shit, locked away so she couldn’t be found.” I nodded my head like I was convincing myself to believe she had no other choice but to do as her papa said. “She was forced into it. She had to be.”
Tank held out his hand. “Come on. Styx and Ky will want that Quintana intel before you see her.” I went to argue, but Tank said, “Beauty’s with her. You know she’ll take care of her. Beauty loves you like a brother. She’ll do anything for you. Adelita will be fine for a couple of hours while we get this squared away. Club first. Personal life second. It might be good for Beauty to speak to her before you do. Calm her down first.”
I let Tank pull me to my feet. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to go to her right then and make sure she was safe. But he was right. I had to get everything straight with Styx and Ky. I had to do it so I could keep her close. “Fuck, Tann, you sure know how to attract trouble,” Tank said as we walked out the door.
And it’s just beginning, I wanted to say. Once Quintana finds out it’s the Hangmen, he’s gonna bring darkness to our door. So far it’s been child’s play. The real war hasn’t even started yet.
And it was the truth. Because how the fuck I was getting me, Adelita, and the Hangmen out of this shitshow unscathed, I had no fucking clue.
Chapter Seven
Adelita
I met every one of them in the eye. Even though my hands were shaking at my sides, I would not let them intimidate me. I would stand proud. These men might want me and my father