Climbing Out by Lila Rose Page B

lives over in Delecombe.”
    “Thanks, mate. We’ll figure out the rest.” Talon stood tall and pulled his gun—with a silencer—from his back holster and pointed it at Maxwell's head.
    Max raised his hands and cried, “Wait, wait! Please, please don’t kill me. I told you who it was. I told you!”
    Talon lowered his gun and sighed. “I guess that’s true.” He nodded to himself. In the next second, he fired his gun and hit Max in the left knee. As Maxwell screamed, Talon picked up a cloth from the floor and stuffed it into his mouth. “That’s for lettin' this shit happen in the first place. No one brings crack into my territory. Pass the word on.” He stood tall, turned and walked toward the front door, but I hadn’t moved. “Griz, brother,” Talon called. “Do what you want.” He glanced over his shoulder and walked out of the house with Blue following.
    In his haste to get away, Maxwell fell to the floor shaking and holding his knee, still moaning in pain from the gunshot wound. I raised my foot and planted it in the side of his head. He fell to his side, whimpering like some lost little kid.
    “You really should have never crossed me and my family, even if she was my ex. But what broke the respect I still had for you, was the fact you were stupid enough to do shit around my child. That—I can never forgive.”
    It was my turn to remove my gun, which was also prepared with a silencer on the end, from my side holster. I aimed at Maxwell and fired a round into his other knee, and then another into his left arm. As I watched him roll around in pain, I smiled. At least the fucker, who played with not only the brotherhood, but my family, now knew not to.
    I leaned over and hissed, “Keep the fuck outta trouble, Maxwell, or we will be back, and you know what will happen then. If I see your face again, there'll be a bullet between your eyes.”
    Before parting, I fired another shot into his stomach. Hopefully he'd die before his whores found him.

Deanna
    ––––––––
    A fter being at work for an hour, I was, for once, enjoying the silence. I loved working here. I loved the smell of the books and watching what people chose to read. But on some days, the silence did get to me...only not today.
    In the last twenty-four hours, I'd had my fill of noise, tension and company—well, except maybe Grady and Swan's.
    Oh, well, would you fuckin' look at that? I counted Swan in the mix of things.
    Strange.
    The library doors opened and a regular came in. I was sure she was here every day—at least, every day I worked she was. Someone always accompanied her in, holding her arm and then seating her at a table with some audiobooks to listen to. It had taken me my second day of seeing her a month ago to realise she was blind, and the person who helped her in here had to be her sister. They looked alike in many ways. Both were slim, tall and red-haired, only the blind one's hair was shorter, styled in a pixy cut, where her sister had long hair, which was usually plaited down her back.
    The only thing that annoyed the hell outta me was the way the one who wasn't blind would speak to her sister. It was like she was the dirt under her fingernail she wanted to get rid of. It took all my strength to not say anything.
    What also annoyed me was the fact it was obvious the bitch sister had advised the other on what to wear. Where the bitch looked immaculate—perfect hair, light green eyes, flawless make-up and designer clothes—the blind one always wore tracksuit pants, baggy tees or hooded jumpers. Her hair was always scruffy-looking, like she'd just gotten out of bed.
    The bitch left with a glare, and like every day I saw it, I wanted to go over and find out what in the hell was going on, but I had enough of my own shit to deal with, rather than adding someone else's to the mix.
    One day I would, or I'd never forgive myself.
    It was after lunch, and I was working the floor, replacing the returned books to their