Cottonmouth: Soldiers Of Hades MC, #1
Cottonmouth: Chapter 3

Finally, the last light went out and Tory got out of the truck. Wolf jumped down and she closed the door quietly. They walked silently in the shadows to the front door. The doors opened quietly and both of them slipped in with no trouble.

The room looked huge with tables and chairs all over the place. It was dark and Tory waited for her eyes to adjust before she moved away from the door.

She got almost all the way across the floor when someone sitting there snapped on a light. The light was nothing more than a small lamp and it barely lit any more than the table the man was sitting at.

Wolf disappeared from her side and went into the shadows of the main room while she slowly turned to observe who was sitting at the table.

A man with greying red hair and a full longish beard. He might have been older but he was still powerfully built. His dark t shirt stretched tight across his chest and shoulders and he still wore his cut.

She couldn’t read what his patch said but he had the look of authority in his gaze.

He glared at her and his lips sneered his displeasure at her trespass. But he motioned her over to where he was sitting.

Tory paused on the other side of the table and waited. She stood there proud and unwilling to bend.

The old man continued to glare at her. “What the fuck do you want here?”

“One of your men took something that didn’t belong to him and I want it back,” she told him simply.

He seemed to study her then his piercing gaze started at her head and went all the way down to her feet. Finally, he looked back at her face. “You the shooter from earlier?”

She nodded.

“Why? Why did you do it?”

“Because I saw the three men on the roof and you didn’t.” Shrugging she added, “I wanted to even the odds.”

“Again, I ask you why? Did you know who we were? Or why we were there?” he growled.

Tory shrugged. “All I could see was shadows moving. I had no idea who you were or why you were there.” She hesitated briefly then added, “I believe in giving everyone a fair chance. The cartel is notorious for cheating. I suppose I just didn’t want them to win this round.” Staring at him for a minute she asked, “Why were you there?”

“Club business lady and none of yours.” He growled.

Tory nodded, she really didn’t care anyway. “So give me my pack and I’ll walk out the door. You got nothing else I want here.”

She didn’t hear or feel the man come up behind her until he wrapped his arm around her throat. Then she felt the edge of steel against her skin. “But maybe you got something we want.”

She felt his hot breath on her skin at the base of her neck. She stared at the older man sitting at the table. Keeping eye contact with him, Tory knew something he didn’t. “Release me,” she demanded.

Python’s eyes picked up her fingers moving slightly. He frowned at the movement and wondered what it meant. Then he caught sight of Cobra joining them.

Cotton stood behind her holding the knife to her throat.

Python sat back in his chair and widened his legs relaxing. He motioned for her to sit down. “We won’t hurt you but we do need to talk.”

“Talk about what?” She glared at him.

Python reached inside his cut and brought out two items, tossing them on the table. The metallic ring of the items hitting the table echoed in the silence.

Even in the dim light, she seemed to know what they were. She closed her eyes and groaned. “Go to hell, old man.”

Cotton tightened his hold on her throat as Cobra moved closer. “I think he said we need to talk.” Cotton urged her to the table.

She struggled and all of a sudden a little with Cotton.

Then all of the sudden, Python sat up straight in his chair with a look of shock on his face.

The woman stopped struggling and stood still. Her eyes glittered her rage as she stared at Python.

He went to reach for something under the table and he heard the low growl. He froze. Turning his head slowly, he stared at her.

“Release me, old man,” she warned softly.

“Pop?” Cotton called out in a low voice. He looked over at his dad and frowned at the beads of sweat on Python’s forehead.

Cobra was standing next to him and saw the same thing. He moved to take another step toward his dad, when the woman called out, “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”

Cobra turned to glare at her and was surprised at the look of calm on her face. “Why the fuck not?”

“Don’t argue with her boys.” Python growled, as he didn’t dare move. “Release her,” he ordered gruffly.

Surprised by this move, Cotton loosened his grip on her throat immediately but he didn’t step back.

She stepped closer to the table and snatched the rings from the surface of it.

Before she could step away, Cobra grabbed her and twisted her arm behind her back.

She cried out.

Python ordered his son harshly, “Release her now.”

Cobra snapped his head around to glare at his father. “The fuck?”

“Just fuckin’ do it.” His dad growled.

Looking troubled, Cobra released her.

The young woman stepped back while rubbing her wrist where cobra had grabbed her. She turned her head and nodded at Python. “I still need my pack.”

“Call him off.” Python growled. “We still need to talk and I don’t talk while being held hostage.”

Cotton glanced over at Cobra in confusion.

Cobra gave a slight shrug in puzzlement.

Neither man knew what the hell their dad was talking about. Hostage?

The woman stared at him for a moment then said, “I didn’t come here for any other reason than to collect my belongings. I don’t want any trouble. Do you understand that?”

Python glared at her for a moment then nodded. “And you won’t get any trouble if you release me and agree to talk. That’s all we want, I swear. No one here will hurt you.”

The woman studied him for a full, long, tense moment then she snapped her fingers.

The relief on Python’s face was immediate.

Then both Cotton and Cobra’s eyes widened as a huge beast came out from under the table.

“What the fuck is that?” Cobra growled as the beast came to stand beside Tory.

Cotton stared at the dog. He came to as high as the woman’s waist and looked to be a powerful animal, even he could see this. The beast looked part wolf but he had an even more powerful body. He had to weigh two hundred to three hundred pounds.

“This is my dog, Wolf,” she told them softly.

Cobra and Cotton looked over at their dad and found, he wore a look of discomfort on his face.

Cobra turned his head to glare at the woman. “Who the hell are you lady?”

“My name doesn’t matter.” She snarled. “I wouldn’t even be here if you hadn’t stolen my backpack.” She raised her head to glare at the older man. “I want my pack back, then I’m so gone.”

Python reached down to the floor at the side of his chair and plopped something onto the table in front of him. She reached out to grab it but he shook his head. “We need to talk first.”

Wolf growled low and Python turned his head to glare at the dog. “Call that beast off. No one here is going to hurt you.”

“Then don’t threaten me old man,” she retorted. “He’s my protection and he takes that job very seriously as you can no doubt tell.”

Python growled as he gave a nod. “We do need to talk.”

With her gaze locked on Python, she just stood there.

“Who the fuck in this bitch, Pop?” Cobra wanted to know.

The disgruntled young woman twirled around and snarled, “You kiss your mama with that mouth?”

Cobra turned to glare at her some more. “My mama ran off a long time ago lady. But I kiss my woman with it yeah, and she loves it.”

“Control your brothers, old man.” She aimed her scowl at Python.

“These two are my sons young lady,” Python stated. “Boys, behave yourselves.” He stared steadily at her before he snapped and demanded, “Now, sit your pretty little ass down in that chair, so we can parley.” His voice was getting louder and harsher and when he finished, Wolf had inched his way closer. When Python noticed him, the dog was almost glaring at him. Python glanced at her quickly but couldn’t take his eyes off the animal looking at him like he was licking his lips. “What’s he doing?”

“He’s in protection mode old man,” she stated as she pulled out a chair, sat down, and snapped her fingers.

Wolf joined her by sitting next to her chair but sat at attention watching all three men. Then he sat and stared at Python.

Her brows rose, as she never took her eyes from Python either. “He won’t hurt you as long as you don’t make any sudden moves at me.”

“And if I do?” Python wanted to know.

“He’ll rip out your throat without a doubt and faster than you can anticipate.” She reached out and scratched the dog behind the ears for a moment then looked around at the men. “What do we possibly have to talk about?”

“For one thing, why you alerted us to shooters on the roof of the warehouse tonight. Let’s start with that,” Python informed her.

Before she could answer, the main lights flickered on and the room was filled with more men.

The woman froze and watched in silence as the men‒ all of them large and intimidating‒ took their seats all around the room.