“Get to your f**king feet,” Tiny said.
No one spoke up, and Nash realized he’d f**ked up big time. When he didn’t stand up, Tiny grabbed a chunk of his hair and brought him to his feet.
Ever since he’d joined The Skulls, Nash never thought he’d be the one facing this punishment. He’d prided himself on being an integral part of the group. In the last few months he’d f**ked up big. Staring in Tiny’s eyes, Nash knew he didn’t have a choice. Raising his fists, Nash got ready to defend himself.
This was the price of bringing drugs into the group. He was the only one stupid enough to think he could get away with it. Tiny’s wrath also had to do with him putting Eva in trouble. Their leader wouldn’t claim Eva as his old lady, but everyone knew the truth. Anyone who laid a finger on the woman would end up dead after being tortured first.
Fuck, he’d almost killed her.
Nash blocked the first punch with ease. The next hit came at his ribs then to his stomach. Trying to get a hit of his own in was difficult. Tiny was in the peak of health and the strongest of them all.
Three strikes landed to his face knocking him back. Pain exploded behind his eyes. Tiny wasn’t in the mood for playing. This attack was cold, harsh, and if Nash wasn’t careful he wouldn’t last the next ten minutes. With each hit the leader of The Skulls was getting angrier. The hits were getting harder, and Nash spit blood out onto the tarmac.
“Your father would be f**king ashamed of you,” Tiny said. “He was my right hand man. He left you to me, and I helped raise you with Patricia, Eva, and f**king Mikey. You had everything you could want, and you turned into a f**king druggie.” Tiny slammed his foot into Nash’s stomach.
Going down to the floor, Nash went to his knees coughing and spitting more blood out of his mouth. The pain was intense, and he couldn’t hold on any longer. Tiny was on the warpath, and nothing was going to stop it.
You f**ked up, Edward.
This had nothing to do with The Skulls. The club was what made him strong. What he’d done today was f**k up in ways he never thought he could.
Accepting the beating, Nash wished for death, finally letting go.
****
“You’ve got to stop him, Lash,” Sandy said. “He’s bleeding, and if he takes more blows it will kill him.”
“Are you sure?” Lash asked, wincing as another kick landed on his brother. He wanted to stop Tiny, but Nash needed this. The last few months had been a disaster when it came to his brother. There was nothing else Lash could do.
“Even The Skulls are vulnerable to internal bleeding and death.” Sandy looked ill as she turned her back to what was happening.
“Lash,” Angel said, grabbing his hand. “Stop him.”
Hardy stepped forward. “The beating the boy is getting is what he deserves, but Tiny is acting like this because of Eva. He has a right, but it’ll kill him if he kills Nash.”
Biting his lip, Lash couldn’t handle his brother being hit. Charging past the rest of the Skulls, Lash grabbed Tiny off his brother.
“Let him go, Tiny. You’ve done enough.” Lash faced his leader and one of his closest friends prepared to do whatever it took to save his brother.
“He almost killed Eva.” Tiny spat on Nash. “Your woman is pregnant, and he brought drugs into my compound. He’s f**king finished.”
“I can get him clean. This is not like Nash at all.”
“Of course it is. He’s the weakest one here. The f**ker needs a wakeup call, and The Skulls are not for the weak.”
Running a hand down his face, Lash looked at his brother. If Tiny kicked him out of the club, Nash would be as good as dead. All the shit his brother had caused would come crashing down on him. You were either a brother, or you were kicked to the curb.
There was only one way to keep him in the club.
“I’ll take his beating for him. I’ll vouch for him.” Lash faced Tiny prepared to do everything that would guarantee his brother’s safety. If he was going to get his ass kicked, then Nash was getting the detox, but Lash would be the one to handle it.
The brothers looked at him.
“Why’s he getting the beating?” Killer asked.
“Lash is vouching to keep his brother in, which means the punishment needs to be paid. He needs to take the beating on Nash’s behalf to keep him inside,” Murphy said.
“No, he’s done nothing wrong,” Angel said.
Lash glanced toward his woman, seeing the tears in her eyes. Murphy held her back with Sandy trying to talk to her. “He’s my brother, and I’m not leaving him alone in the dark. It’ll kill him.”
“You’re prepared to take the beating for him?”
“Yes,” Lash said, tightening his hands into fists.
You owe me f**king big time, brother.
“Lash, no,” Angel said. Her voice rose up to meet him. Looking at Tiny, he saw the resolve. This beating needed to come into order. There had been too much shit going down in the last year for anything to slide.
Raising his hand in the air, he asked for two minutes without actually speaking.
Tiny nodded, turning away.
Walking back to where his woman was being held by Murphy, he cupped her face, glaring at the other man to let her go.
“You can’t do this, Lash. You do this, and he could kill you. I can’t raise this baby alone.”
“Can you get my brother into my car?” he asked, turning to Hardy. The other biker agreed and left.
“This is not right,” Angel said. Tears were streaming down her face.
“It’s right for this club—”
“Your stupid club shouldn’t get to decide this.”
Lash did the only thing he could to silence her. He slammed his lips down on hers. When she went lax in his arms, he pulled away.
“If Nash had raised that gun and aimed it at you, even accidentally like he did, I’d kill him. I wouldn’t let him get away with hurting my woman. He’s my brother, and I’d give him a beating of a lifetime.” He looked over his shoulder to see Tiny waiting. “Eva belongs to Tiny. We all know it, and if anything happened to her, Nash wouldn’t forgive himself. I’m doing this, and then I’m going to handle my brother.” Caressing her cheek, he forced her to look at him. “But I’m going to need you to be strong for the both of us.”
She sobbed, pressing her face against his chest. “I can do that.”
“Good. Get her out of here, Murphy. She’s not going to like this.”