OWNED & UNTAMED (Back Down Devil MC #11) - London Casey Page 0,40
pulled at me. Next thing I knew he was damn near dragging me to the backyard. I had a hard time keeping up. He then stopped and pointed to his right.
“Who owns that?”
“I do,” I said.
I pointed to the left. “That?”
“Me again.”
Duke pointed straight back. “There?”
I looked at him and I didn’t need to say a thing. Duke realized it.
“Jim’s,” he said. “Fucking shit. Your brother sold a piece of land to a crew that is trying to take us out. The gunshot wound you patched up? Those guys are the cause of that gunshot wound. And your brother…”
“No,” I said. “That can’t be right. No way Jim would do that.”
“Let’s find out.”
Then I was running after Duke again. He busted into the house like he owned it. The thuds of his boots on the floors were like cracks of thunder. He swung around into Jim’s part of the house and I caught up to him with Jim sitting at the kitchen table and Maggie standing at the counter.
For a second I saw them both smiling.
“Maggie, get out,” Duke said.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“Maggie, come here,” I said. “It’s…”
Duke wasn’t waiting.
He went right to Jim and put Jim on the floor. Chair and all. Maggie let out a scream.
“Duke!” I yelled.
He was on one knee and put a hand to Jim’s chest. “What the fuck are you trying to prove? Trying to get back at me?”
“What?” Jim asked. “What is this?”
I grabbed for Duke but there was no pulling him off. He was like a rabid dog. I had seen him like this one time before. When I was seventeen and got mixed up with a college guy. In the backseat of his car things were forcefully moving forward too fast. Duke punched out the window, dragged the guy from the car, and beat him senseless. Then he took me home and waited outside my bedroom until I fell asleep.
This was far different though.
My nails dug into Duke’s leather cut as I tried to pull.
“Tell the truth,” Duke said. “Did you sell any land?”
“Land… my land?”
“Answer the question.”
“It’s my fucking land,” Jim said.
He swung a right hand and punched Duke in the face.
Maggie screamed again.
Duke took the punch and then grabbed Jim with both hands. He lifted Jim up. I kept pulling at Duke’s leather, my feet almost leaving the ground. The man was a tank.
With a growl, Duke tossed Jim back. Jim grabbed for a chair and stumbled and fell. He grabbed for his prosthetic leg and then grabbed for the counter to pull himself back up.
I managed to wrap my hands around Duke’s hand and pulled.
“Please, Duke,” I said. “Please…”
Duke looked back at me. He then twisted his hand and squeezed mine. He nodded.
“I need the truth, Jim,” Duke said.
“My land is my business,” Jim said.
“Please,” I said to Jim now. “You don’t understand what’s happening.” Then it hit me. The one morning I saw Jim messing with folders. The same folders I had organized all our personal stuff in. I purposely gave him all of his stuff, hoping that one day he’d organize it and take control of his life. “You…”
“It’s my land,” he said. “It’s my money. I’ll do what I want. Is that a crime?”
Duke shook his head. “It kind of is, man. You don’t know what you just did. Fuck.”
Duke left the kitchen and left me standing in shock.
I just stared at Jim. “You sold land?”
“So?”
“That was for us. From Mom and Dad.”
“Look, Belle, you think I want to live here for the rest of my life? Attached to this house? Living like this?”
“I think I should go,” Maggie said.
“No,” I said. “Stay, Maggie. Take a good look at him. A good look at my brother.”
“It’s my fucking land,” Jim growled.
“You didn’t even talk to me. You’re so selfish.”
Jim lowered his head and his eyes were like that of a demon.
Duke popped back into the kitchen. “I’ve got to go. Right now.”
I jumped after Duke and grabbed for his arm. “What is it? What’s going to happen?”
I chased Duke to the front door before he finally stopped me. He pulled me to the porch and pinned me against the house.
“I can’t believe this,” he said. “I have to go and try to fix this. I need everything about this deal. Everything. Whether that’s legal or not.”
“I’m… what…”
“Sweetie, you want the truth?” Duke was so abrasive and in my face. “Your brother all but dug his grave with this decision. Got that?”