“Tiny gave the order, no drinks.”
“He’s never given a shit before. Why is he changing his mind?” Nash asked.
The room had gone silent.
Stop this. This is not like you.
No matter how hard he tried, Nash couldn’t stop.
“Stop this, Nash. You’re going to make everything worse.”
Smiling, Nash looked around, settling on Angel. “Why don’t you start worrying about knocking up your slut and leave my drinking to me.”
It was the wrong thing to say, and in the back of his mind, Nash couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
Lash didn’t wait. He hit out, slamming his fist in the side of Nash’s face.
“Who the f**k do you think you’re talking to?” Lash asked. “That’s my woman, Nash. My old lady and you think I’m going to let you disrespect her?”
The other hit made Nash laugh. Getting to his feet he found his gun, and he raised it in the air. Something didn’t feel right about him. “Come on, guys, life is a party. We shouldn’t be wasting it on bitches or whores or old ladies.”
Before he could stop himself, he pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, and what followed was chaos.
Tiny charged out of his office, and Eva was flat on the floor.
“What the f**k is going on here?”
Nash dropped the gun to the floor, and another shot rang out.
“Eva, are you all right?” Lash asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Blaine was getting up from the floor. “I saw where he was pointing. He had a clear headshot of Eva.”
“What?” Tate asked. The whole club was tense.
Nash was watching everything as if he wasn’t part of the show. It was as if he’d escaped his body and was watching from the outside. Lash was stood with Angel, who’d been thrown to the floor by Steven. Eva was pale, and Tate looked ready to murder him.
“Nash had a clear shot of Eva’s head. If I hadn’t done what I did, he was going to kill her,” Blaine said.
“I wasn’t.”
Tiny was in front of him in a blink of an eye. “You stupid little f**king shit.” The lapels of his jacket were tugged, and he was being dragged outside. The sun blinded him for a second, and he was thrown to the ground. Glancing around him, Nash watched as the other Skulls gathered around him. Even Alex Allen was there doing business and he’d witness Nash’s fall. Before all the drugs had taken over, Nash recalled that the other man was trying to move back to Fort Wills.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I was having a little fun,” Nash said, giggling. The laughter was uncontrollable. In the back of his mind he knew he’d f**ked up and should be begging for forgiveness. Instead he found the whole situation funny.
“Fun? Shooting a firearm in my club and you’re calling it f**king fun.” Tiny’s hands tightened into fists by his side. The danger lurked in front of Nash, and he couldn’t give a shit.
“He’s not himself,” Hardy said. Nash was shocked by the other club member sticking up for him, especially after he’d threatened to out him.
“I see the problem with my own Skull, and I’m not going to stand for it.” Tiny stopped everyone from talking. “I gave you a reprieve because of Kate. She wasn’t your old lady but a sweet-butt. She meant nothing, and I still gave you time. I’ve given you too much f**king time, and it stops now.” Tiny stared at him with disgust.
The reality of his situation started to wake Nash up.
“It’s here, Sir.” Turning around, Nash saw one of the prospects holding his bag of white powder. The sight of his habit sent humiliation straight to his core.
“You little shit,” Nash said, walking toward the man. He stopped moving, and Tiny held onto him, stopping him from going anywhere.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Tiny asked.
“He had no f**king right to go through my shit.”
Shut up. You’re in the wrong. Shut up.
Lash walked out of the clubhouse with Angel, Tate, and Murphy in tow.
The disappointment on Lash’s face brought Nash’s whole world crashing down.
“How long have you been protecting him, Lash?” Tiny asked. There was no getting away from what was about to happen. Nash knew the end of his time was coming close.
“He’s my brother.”
Angel was holding Lash’s hand tightly.
I’ve f**ked up.
Nash felt himself wake up completely. Opening his eyes, he remembered what he had done to Sophia a week ago when his brother had been celebrating Angel’s pregnancy. He’d gone back to his drug dealer and gotten more of the stuff that had brought about this.
He’d not seen Sophia in a week. The last time he’d seen her he’d been a total bastard to her.
You don’t deserve her.
Tiny raised his fist, and the first hit connected with his jaw. Nash went down, covering his face. When he opened his eyes he saw most of The Skulls standing with their arms folded. He’d brought this on himself. Butch, Lash, Hardy, Stink, Zero, Killer, Whizz, and Time were all there, including more of the men he’d been working with since he was patched into The Skulls to witness his end.
Druggie.
Addict.
Quitter.
Asshole.
Dangerous.
All the words rang out through his mind taunting him. Getting to his knees he climbed to his feet.
“You think you can be a drug taking ass**le in my club you’ve got another think coming.” Tiny reached out tearing the cut off his back. Nash tried to fight, but it was useless. He was a little boy again only this time the man who had once given him comfort was tearing the comfort away from him by pulling the only thing he’d ever wanted, his leather cut for The Skulls. Tiny had been there for him when his parents were killed.
“Fucking stop it,” Nash said, feeling like a child instead of the twenty-nine year old man he actually was.
“You don’t deserve this cut.” Tiny threw it in the trash, and Nash watched as he lit a match and started to torch his leather jacket.
“Tiny,” Lash said.
He looked over toward his brother seeing the pain in Lash’s eyes. Nash felt like he was breaking apart inside.
“Stay out of this. I have rules. A couple of rules, Lash, and this f**ker has taken the piss out of my rules.” Tiny turned back toward him.
Nash had seen Tony let loose on men who caused his family pain. The club was part of that family, and Nash had made the club a laughing stock. His actions put a dark ring around the club and made them look weak to their enemies. Dropping to his knees, Nash hung his head.