Sinner's Creed (Sinner's Creed #1)(83)
I think of Saylor and what they will do to her if they kill me. Then I think of Shady and how he is now only five minutes out and will likely be able to track them down and get her back, if they even take her. Fuck it.
I put the gun behind my back and open the door, making sure my facial expression tells whoever is on the other side that I’m f*cking pissed. When I see Cyrus standing with his arms clasped in front of his waist, showing me that he isn’t holding a gun, I immediately feel the fear of dying leave me. Then I get pissed that it was ever there in the first place.
There are four men standing around Cyrus, but none of them wear cuts. Even though Cyrus is proudly wearing his. I open the door wide, then walk backward to retrieve the phone from the floor, never taking my eyes off the five men crowding my doorway. I hit redial and put the phone to my ear.
“Two minutes.” He must have taken a shortcut.
“No need,” I respond, watching as the corner of Cyrus’s lip turns up slightly.
“I’ll be two blocks over. I’ll have eyes on you; you’ll have none on me.” I hang up, knowing in two minutes, Shady will be in the shadows if any of these men try anything stupid. The knowledge is reassuring.
“We’ll be in the parking lot across the street when you’re ready.” Cyrus turns to leave and I shut the door, watching his retreating back. I find Saylor still in the bathtub. This time, she is praying. Or asleep. When I say her name, her eyes open and prayer is confirmed.
“I’m going across the street to talk to some people. Shady is close and nothing is gonna happen, but I need you to stay in here until I get back. I’ll only be ten minutes.”
My words do nothing to ease her mind and I know she is fixing to fire off questions at me. I open the door wide and point to the alarm clock on the nightstand that is visible from where she is. “Ten minutes.” I pull on some jeans and a shirt, tucking my gun in the back of my pants, and slip my boots on. I walk outside, lighting a smoke on my way over to where Cyrus and his men are standing. I position myself so that I can see the front of the apartment in case someone has balls big enough to try to go in.
“No one is gonna mess with your girl, Dirk.” I remain silent, knowing that my ten minutes have already dwindled to eight. “I know that wasn’t your call. I know Tick, the SA your man Shady shot, initiated the fight. You say he made it personal. I don’t care. You know as well as any man that wears a patch that right and wrong goes out the window when it comes to your brothers. I didn’t know the club had taken it upon themselves to seek out Saylor.”
The mention of her name from his mouth makes me want to pull my gun out and end this all now. And I don’t try to hide how I feel. He already knows Saylor is my weakness. And I know he is lying. He was fully aware of what they did.
“The twelve men I buried, their blood is on your hands. And their deaths will be avenged.” He pauses, and I see his eyes flick to the pocket of my jeans. “I’m gonna ask you for a cigarette, Dirk. I don’t want the men whose guns are trained on my head to fire when I reach for my own.” He knew Shady was here. It doesn’t make him good, it just makes him experienced. He would be stupid to think I would walk out here all alone.
I hand him a smoke and even light it for him, then offer one to his men, who refuse. I don’t want a gunfight any more than they do. “But avenging my brothers’ death is only worth it if I get something out of it. When Sinner’s Creed offered your life in return for peace, they had one exception. They wanted me to give them six months. I refused, so they sweetened the deal. Not only are they giving me you, they’re giving me five mil on top of it. So, if you think about it, your club is actually paying me to take you out. I never thought Sinner’s Creed was the type to turn on their own. I guess I was wrong. But killing you won’t bring back my brothers. So I have a new demand. Your club has something I want. Something that can make this all go away.”
I watch his eyes as they dance with pure f*cking elation at the question that he thinks is running through my head. What the f*ck could he possibly want? But I already know what they want. If he’s waiting for me to ask, he’ll be waiting all night. Or at least he would any other time. But I don’t have all night. I have four minutes.
“What?” I ask, feigning boredom.
“I want Texas.”
“Why?”
“Why is not important. All that you need to know is Texas belongs to Death Mob. If a Sinner’s patch rolls through, he better have permission from me before he does.”
“You already know that’s not going to happen.”
“I was asked to spare your life for six months. That was two months ago. Now I’m rethinking the negotiation. So it would be in your best interest to make this happen.” Cyrus’s suggestion sounds so simple coming from his mouth. And just like Jimbo predicted, he is going back on his word. But what he doesn’t know is that I have something he wants too.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate,” I say, unable to hold back my smirk as I watch the fear spread across his face.
“What the f*ck does that mean?”
“It means that you made a deal. You gave your word. But, because we’re aware of what a lying piece of shit you are, we collected something of yours.” The monster inside me becomes ecstatic at the thought of his reaction when he finds out what it is I have.