Tirone (The Night Skulls MC #2)(72)

“What?”

I stared at his face with wide eyes, but all I could see was the blood in my mom’s skull. “That’s why she died. I shot them. I shot some of the men with the gun they put in my hand. I didn’t listen, and she died. I shouldn’t have pulled the trigger. I should have known they were too many and much faster. But I thought they’d have shot me instead. It didn’t happen. They shot her to stop me from shooting at the rest of them. I didn’t know. They should have shot me. They should have killed me, not her. I killed my mom. I killed my own mother.”

He shook me. “No, Jo! It’s not your fault. You were trying to save her. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

“No, no. I should have waited. If I hadn’t pulled that trigger, she’d have lived.”

“Listen to me, baby. They were sent to kill both of you. Both of you would have been dead that night, if it hadn’t been for what you did. What you did saved you, and it could have saved her, too.”

“But it didn’t. They should have shot me first. I should have waited.”

“Waited for what?”

I stared at him from a few moments, gaining back clarity. The pill must have been working because I was in our room now, and the memories were only in my head.

“Waited for what, baby?” he repeated.

Michele. He came to save us. I should have waited for him to arrive. If I hadn’t shot the men, she’d have been alive, and he could have saved us both. But it was only me.

I wished he’d never come. I wished they’d killed me, too.

“I should have died that night with her.”

“Don’t say this shit. Do you think she’d have wanted you to die? Her death wasn’t for nothing, Jo. You’re alive, and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m not worth saving, Laius.” That was something even I knew. That was why I never defended myself when someone I loved was involved. Let them hurt me. Let them kill me. I didn’t care as long as I was the one getting hurt. As long they remained safe.

Tirone thought I never defended myself against him, never used my gun with him when I should have because I loved to be punished. That wasn’t true. I never brought myself to do it because I cared about him. Because I was scared he’d end up like Mom. Because I loved him right from the very beginning. And no matter what happened, how far I distanced myself or how hard he hurt me, I didn’t seem to be able to ever stop loving him.

“Look, Jo, it ain’t gonna be easy, not with Bandidos refusing to help. They think they can take the mafia on their own, and they welcome the war, waiting for the mob to finish the Night Skulls first before they take over and keep the South under their turf. It’s horseshit, and they’ll pay for it later.

“But for now, I have two options. Either I rally the rest of the MCs and all our chapters and go to war to kill both the Lanzas and the Larvins, but for that to happen, I need to find a replacement, another mob to replace the Lanzas for the business in Europe. The cartel doesn’t like to change business partners, and it turned out Enzio Lanza has more ties to them than I thought. They’d favor him, too. The problem is, I don’t have a replacement yet or enough time to find it.”

“What’s the second option?”

He took a deep breath. He seemed to be struggling with whatever he was about to say. “I make a deal with the Lanzas.”

“What deal?”

“They’ll give me the Larvins.”

“In exchange for what?”

“What they’re getting in bed with them for.” His face darkened. “The South.”

“What? No. You can’t do that. You can’t side with the Lanzas. You can’t give up your MC, your business, your brothers, not for me. You can’t betray your people, Laius.”

“You’re my wife, Jo. You are my people.”

“Laius…” I cried. “If you’re ready to give up everything for me, then why do we not just leave? We can go anywhere and start over, away from all this. You leave the MC to someone you trust. The mob won’t have any leverage on the Skulls anymore, and you won’t have to let down your brothers or betray the MC.”

“The Larvins have to die, Jo. For you, and for Madeline. I won’t make you live on the run. It’s my job to protect you. I don’t deserve you if I make you live in fear even for another day.”

Tears blurred my eyes as I touched his face. “It’s I who don’t deserve you, Laius. I’m so sorry, but I can’t let you do this for me.”

“It’s not your decision.”

“Yes, it is. You have a third option, and that’s what you’re going choose.”

“What third option?”

What Michelle feared Laius would have done, except my husband showed me a kind of loyalty I’d never seen before. “You have to save the MC and kick the Lanzas out of Texas.” That was what mattered. That was worth saving. “You have to give me to the Larvins yourself, Laius.”





CHAPTER 40


Furore



I bolted to my feet. “How could you even ask me something like that? There is no way in hell I’m doing such a thing.”

She left her seat. “Then I’ll do it myself.”