I should care that I’m doing this with an audience, but it might do the peanut gallery a favour to see what happens if you cross me.

“Was drunk… she came… on to me.” He repeats his shit story and coughs, a rasping wet sound as blood bubbles on his lips.

Pain slices through my chest.

“I don’t fucking believe you.”

“She left… ‘cause I… I threatened… to tell you.”

His words gore me. Deceitful bastards, the pair of them.

“Had no idea… it was her until after. It was dark, man… couldn’t see.”

I want to believe that. I want to believe it so badly. I don’t want to think my own brother could betray me like this, but I smell the shit coming off his words. Everything he says is a lie and doubts are creeping in over what else the fucker has lied to me about over the years.

“Get him out of my fucking sight,” I growl to no one in particular.

Whizz, our resident doctor, moves towards him, crouching at his side. I shake my head.

“No fucking pain meds, Whizz. I want that fucker to feel every bruise I gave him.” I lean around Daimon as Titch helps Whizz to pull Sin up. “We ain’t done here, little brother. Not even close.”

I storm from the room, passing Fury who is leaning against the wall, watching with a blank look on his face.

As I step into the corridor, I put my fist through the dry wall before I tear into my office like a man possessed. I clear the desk with one sweeping motion of my arm, the papers going flying. It doesn’t make me feel better.

Sinking into my desk chair, I reach for the Scotch I keep in my drawer, ignoring my torn-up knuckles. I don’t bother with a glass, I drink straight from the bottle, relishing the burn as it hits my throat.

My blood is boiling as I think about her with Sin, as I think about him taking something he shouldn’t have touched.

My head feels like it might explode.

She fucked my brother—a brother who has stood at my side as my vice president since she left.

A brother I all but raised and took care of better than myself over the years.

I don’t know who I’m more pissed at—her or him.

My thoughts calm slightly when I think about the little kid in the photograph Sasha showed me. She could be my daughter. She looks like me, but she looks like Sin, too.

If this kid is mine, I’m furious that Sasha hid her from me, that she stopped me from knowing my daughter.

If she’s not mine…

I tear a hand through my hair which has come loose from the tie and slug back another swig of Scotch.

I hear a noise and I don’t need to look up to know who is in my doorway. I should have expected it, because Nox is as predictable as the day is long.

“You level, brother?” he asks.

It’s a redundant question because he can clearly see I’m not even close to level. I’m covered in blood, mostly Sin’s, though some of it is my own. My little brother did land some good punches.

“Shut the fucking door on your way out,” I order, using the bottle to gesture in that direction. I’m not in the mood for a chit-chat right now.

He doesn’t do as I demand, but instead steps further into the room. Bolshy bastard. He’s the only man in this club that would get away with defying a direct order and only because I’ve known Nox most of my life. He knows me better than anyone, even my own brother—especially now.

“Sin’s a dirty bastard.”

I snort as a thousand betrayals stab at my gut. He’s not telling me something I don’t know.

“If you want me to keep wrecking shit, keep talking about that fucker.”

He runs a hand over his jaw, which is covered in a layer of scruff and I can see the cogs in his head working on overdrive. Nox has always been a thinker. I should have made him my VP, not Sin, but I chose loyalty to family over loyalty to a man who actually deserved it.

“Something about this situation stinks, Rav.”

My gaze snaps to his face and I let my disbelief play over my face. “No shit.”

Nox leans against the wall, his head slightly bowed and I can see he’s trying to figure this out in his brain. He’s a problem solver and right now he sees this as a problem, instead of seeing it for what it really is—my little brother’s inability to keep his dick in his jeans.

“Sash… she didn’t seem exactly happy about seeing your brother. There’s no love lost there.”

I grit my teeth and lean back in my seat, my rage flaring again that he’d take her side in this.

“Jesus fucking Christ, are you eating that bitch’s pussy too? Because it sure as fuck sounds like you’re sticking up for a whore here.”

The words are said with anger and designed to wound, designed to get some of my own rage out.

I’m not surprised when he riles at this. “Fuck you, Rav. I would never go there with your woman and you know that.”

He wouldn’t and I should feel bad for suggesting it, but all I feel right now is fury that not even the Scotch is dulling.

“I know Sin’s lying,” I tell him, my voice a little less harsh. “I’m not a fucking idiot.”

His story sounds like something a fucking child would tell and I know my brother. I know all his ticks and tells. He’s lying his arse off. He knew exactly what he was doing and who with. He just didn’t give a fuck.

“Sasha… she didn’t seem right,” Nox presses.

“She fucked him and might have a kid with him. Ain’t nothing right here.”

The words are like ash in my mouth and saying them makes my stomach churn with bile. Rage starts to build again in my gut.

“She seemed… disgusted by him. Does that sound like someone who seduced a man in the dark and took advantage while he was drunk?”

It doesn’t, but I never thought Sash was a devious, deceitful bitch either. Now, I know different.

“I don’t know what the fuck to believe. I don’t even care. They both fucked me over.”

Nox weighs me with his stare.

“I’ve never known Sash to be anything but loyal. This ain’t like her.”

I snort at this suggestion even as doubts assail me. Nox doesn’t have a horse in this race. He has no reason to side with either of them.

I’m still seething, so I can’t stop my angry retort. “She’s no better than a club bunny.”

Nox rolls his eyes at my words. “You know that ain’t true.”

“Do I? My woman left because she was knocked up by my brother. How’s that any different from those bitches wanting to get their claws into any brother with a patch?”

“Sash was one of us once. Try to remember that.” He stares at me a beat, then says, “Just think on it, okay? I’ll have a prospect bring another bottle of Scotch.”

He bangs his fist off the wall lightly and strides from my office, leaving me with my turbulent thoughts.

5

Sasha

Rav and Sin don’t show up the next morning. I didn’t expect they would after I dropped the ticking time bomb that one of them is a father, but I hoped. Foolishly, stupidly, I hoped they would put the past aside and do this to save a little girl’s life.