I head back with the shovel and toss it near Aiden’s feet, then retrieve the chainsaw. Aiden shoves his fingers through his hair as he looks between the two before smiling brightly at the shovel.
Yup. I knew it.
I light a cigarette out of habit and suck in the smoke while Aiden starts with Mickey’s head. The crunch of bone beneath the shovel is enough to send a shiver down my spine. Coagulated blood oozes out and plops onto the ground beneath the body.
A part of me wishes Mickey was still alive so he could feel the shovel cutting through the tendons and bones in his neck. It would have been the painful death he deserves. Then again, death by sourdough is a hell of a way to go too.
My phone vibrating in my pocket drags me out of my wandering thoughts. I fish it out and tense at the notification on the screen. Dear old stepdaddy, whose name is on my shit list, sent a text. Nothing good happens when he reaches out to me.
Jerry
Come by the house. We need to talk.
My fingers tighten around my phone. When I was a child, those words evoked way too much anxiety and panic, leaving mewondering what I did wrong this time. As an adult, they don’t do shit. Jerry can no longer break me like he could when I was a kid. Instead of a will to live, I’m filled with anger.
I can only imagine what he needs to talk about. Possibly fishing for information about the secret society we’re a part of. He’ll use any dirt I have on members within the society to his advantage. The possibilities are endless, and there’s no fucking way I’m helping him.
Choosing to ignore him, I slip my phone into my pocket.
“What does he want?” Hawk asks behind me. He hovers inches away, practically breathing down my neck with a somber expression that’s at odds with his usual easygoing nature.
My eyebrows rise. “Reading over my shoulder, hmm?” I shake my head as though I’m disappointed. I don’t give two shits about it, but it’s fun to tease him.
Hawk’s lips curl into a lopsided smile. “Can’t help it.” The amusement disappears as quickly as it came. “What does Jerry want?”
“I don’t know, but it must be important.” Because why else would my stepfather, who hates my guts, text me? It’s certainly not to join him for a cold one and talk about our latest fling—and yes, the motherfucker is cheating on my mother.
Hawk nods, his gaze slipping past me.
“All right, assholes,” Aiden hollers. He tosses the shovel and glares at us. “I need some fucking help. This is taking way too damn long, and I want to go home and visit the family.”
I raise an eyebrow. “By family, do you mean?—”
Aiden shoves a finger in my direction, and scowls. “Don’t even say it.”
“Your sister?” Hawk finishes with a smirk.
“You motherfucker,” Aiden snarls.
“It’s a pass for me. I prefer?—”
“Your sister? I fucking knew it!” Aiden cackles.
“Shut the hell up!” Hawk bellows.
Aiden gives him a smug look. “If I remember correctly, you got pissed when she dated Anthony. You wanted to bash his face in and everything.”
“Because he was a piece of shit, ya dick! I don’t like my sister like that. What’s up with you talking about fucking sisters, anyway? Are you projecting?”
“Not projecting if I’m pointing out the truth.” Aiden looks at me with a gleam in his eye, and I internally sigh as I ready myself for him to pull me into their argument. “C’mon, Ry. Take my side on this.”
I shake my head. “We have a body to get rid of. We don’t have time to argue about fucking our sisters.”
Aiden and Hawk fully turn toward me, their eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. I mutter a curse when I realize what I said.
“Fuckingoursisters, huh?” Hawk smirks and waggles his eyebrows.
I groan and shake my head. “That’s not what I meant.”
