The strength hiding her fears.
Fresh torture swept through him. He struck out, trying to grab the picture from Shaw.
Blood trickled out of the bullet hole in his leg, burning a path down his thigh.
His chest compressed, and he bellowed through the pain. "She's mine."
Shaw remained in a squat and folded the paper, slipping it into the pocket of his dress shirt. "I have papers saying otherwise."
Josie wasn't here. She was safe. He would never allow Shaw to get his hands on her. If Shaw wanted to kill him, at least he'd know that Josie was off the reservation. Soon Tarkio would realize what had happened to him, and they would protect her.
"Relax." Shaw stood and held his hand out to the side. "You'll bleed out before you get to see the outcome of our little meeting.
For the first time, Paco noticed the other man in the room had come closer.
Shaw took a Polaroid camera from the man, held it up in front of him, and took a picture of Paco. The instant film slowly came out, until Shaw grabbed the undeveloped photo and fanned it in the air.
"Soon enough, Sokanon will be here, and I will have the pleasure of showing you who is the true owner of her." Shaw waited for a reply, and when Paco refused to give him one, he said, "That's right, you call her Josie. Did you even know her name?"
Of course, he knew her God damn name.
The muscles in his body spasmed. Weakened by blood loss wouldn't stop him from killing Shaw.
"So many things you don't know about Josie. But don't worry. I'll show you everything she never gave you when she arrives. It'll be my pleasure to strip her of everything to do with you. Would you like that? Would you like to see her naked body paraded in front of you, knowing there is nothing you can do?"
Josie wouldn't come back to the reservation. He'd told her to stay away. She understood the dangers. There were Tarkio members watching her. Even if she tried to leave the apartment, his MC brothers would stop her.
"I see that you don't believe me. But once she can see the condition you're in, she'll come running right to me." Shaw handed the photo to the other man. "When she gets here, I'll have all the time in the world to show you exactly who she belongs to before I kill you."
He gritted, locking his jaw, refraining from telling the asshole what he could do with his picture. The first chance he got; he'd choke the air from Shaw's body.
Shaw held out his hand again and stepped forward with a knife. Paco kicked out with his good leg and missed sweeping the man's feet out from under him. Baring his teeth, he lunged off the floor, making it to his feet. Propelled forward, he tackled Shaw, taking him to the ground.
The man beside Paco kicked him in the ribs, sending him rolling. Lights flashed in his blurred vision. He held on to Shaw, refusing to let go.
He would take the motherfucker to hell with him. White blinding pain sliced the side of his neck. He roared, grabbing the man's wrist to stop the blade from going deeper, but hands dragged him backward.
Removed from Shaw's body, Paco fought against the hold. Shaw came forward, punching him before holding the knife to his face. In his rage, Paco couldn't feel the slices made on his face by the knife.
Blinded from sweat, blood, and rage, he lost control of his body as the room disappeared from view.
He couldn't see.
He couldn't hear.
He couldn't move.
He was losing.
Chapter 30
Josie
Inside the clubhouse, Josie pressed her back against the wall in the hallway outside the meeting room.
After a sleepless night, she woke to Whip knocking at her door and telling her that Priest wanted to talk with her. She tapped her foot. If he was in a hurry to meet, why force her to stand outside in the hallway for over an hour?
Where was Paco?
Was he inside, too?
She'd studied the motorcycles outside and would swear on her life the fourth bike from the right was his.
She looked out into the main room. There were twenty or so bikers hanging around. No music played, no women hung around, no booze in the hands of the guys. The men ignored her presence and each other.
Unsure if their somber mood meant something was wrong or if it was their normal recovery time after partying through the night, the