Page 112 of Ruger's Rage
"You fucking bitch," he spits, straining against Maddox's grip. "After everything I did for you?—"
"Shut him up," Ruger orders coldly.
Maddox backhands the hell out of Marco, splitting Marco's lip and leaves him dazed.
"What do we do with him?" Bloodhound asks.
Ruger looks at me, almost like he’s weighing his options. "That's not something we need to deal with tonight. Take him back to the club, deal with him on our terms."
I nod, relief flooding through my chest.
None of this is over yet, but Marco's power is broken.
He's nothing now but a pathetic, angry man at the mercy of people who care about me.
The ride back to the club passes in a blur. Kinsey sits beside me in the truck, cleaned up as best we could with water from the cabin, but still speckled with her father's dried blood.
I hold her hand the entire way, neither of us speaking. What is there to say after everything that's happened tonight?
Ruger drives, checking his rearview mirror regularly to ensure the other vehicles—including Maddox's truck with Marco securely restrained in the back—stay with us.
As we approach the gates, Kinsey finally breaks the silence.
"What happens to me now?" she asks, voice barely audible.
I squeeze her hand. "That's up to you. But you're not alone, okay?"
She nods, but uncertainty lingers in her eyes.
The gates swing open, brothers standing guard with shotguns ready.
As we pull into the yard, I'm surprised to see the entire club gathered, waiting for our return.
We step out into a crowd of brothers, their expressions shifting from tension to relief when they see us relatively unharmed.
Ellie pushes through, pulling me into a fierce hug before doing the same to Kinsey, who stiffens in surprise before awkwardly returning the embrace.
"You're both okay," Ellie says, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank God."
"Striker?" someone asks.
"Dead," Ruger confirms, his voice carrying across the yard. "Kinsey killed him in self-defense when he tried to strangle her."
A murmur runs through the crowd, brothers studying Kinsey with new eyes—some suspicious, others respecting what she did.
Maddox's truck arrives, and the mood shifts as Marco is dragged out, still secured and now gagged as well.
Hatred burns in his eyes as he stares at me, but the fear underneath it makes me smile.
"I need an update on Sarah first," Ruger announces. "Then we handle our guests."
"She's stable," one of the brothers reports. "Porter's still with her. Doctor says she'll pull through."
Relief washes through me. One less death to carry tonight.
"Bloodhound, Ounce—take our guest to the basement," Ruger orders. "Make sure he's secure. Post guards. We’ll deal with him and Bailey tomorrow after everyone's had some rest."
As Marco is dragged away, I feel a weight lifting from my shoulders. Not completely gone—there's still the matter of what happens to him—but lighter than it's been in years.
