AJ took a separate flight than his wife and Veronica. It was safer for her that way. Roman and his brothers were meeting them at the hotel.
"Remind me when this is over, to take my wife out on a date", AJ sighed.
"Will do boss", Finn replied.
Luke and Karl were setting the guns on the bed. Tama set up the computer and map. A knock at the door pulled Finn away from the window. He opened it to see Roman.
He let them in. They were dressed in casual clothes.
"So, what's the plan?", AJ asked.
"Bachelor party", Dean shrugged.
"That's it? Just like that?", Karl asked.
"It's a strip club. Where does a man go for his last big bang before being tied down?", Seth said.
"Strip club", Dean replied with a shrug.
"Only three guys?", Luke asked.
"No, we brought more. Relax alright, we know what we are doing.", Roman said.
"Fine, we will be in the building across from it. Anything goes down, hit call and we will be in before you know it", AJ said.
Roman nodded.
"Are we ready?", he asked.
"Born ready", Dean replied.
Veronica had scanned the whole room. She set up the guns AJ gave her. Pushing the knives into her boots.
"Can you sit? You're making me nervous", Casey said.
Veronica shook her head no.
"Sitting still gets you killed", she replied.
"How about we talk?", Casey asked.
"About?", Veronica asked, still pacing.
"Jesus Ronnie, sit your ass down", Casey snapped.
Veronica raised a brow.
"Excuse me? First thing, I don't give a fuck who your husband is, I will stab you for talking to me that way. Second, I didn't want to come here, I told you and your husband that.", she replied.
Casey sighed.
"I'm sorry, its just, this makes me nervous and seeing you pacing makes it worse", Casey said.
"Then you could have said that", Veronica replied.
"I did, twice", Casey chuckled.
"I've never been responsible for another person before. I was taught to think of me and only me. In and out", Veronica said, finally sitting across from Casey.
"What about your sisters?", Casey asked.
"They can take care of themselves.", she shrugged.
"Do you love them?", Casey asked.
"Of course I do, I love my dad too", she replied.
"So then you have felt something", Casey mumbled.
"What?", Ronnie asked.
Casey shook her head.
"So say they didn't get out, what then?", Casey asked.
Veronica met her eyes.
"We go after their killer and deal with them as we see fit. Torture works well. Then we mourn", she replied.
Casey shivered.
"I've seen AJ do that once, torture. All because this man disrespected him. He became a totally different person to me in that moment. Like I didn't know him at all", Casey said.
Veronica nodded.
"Did it make you love him any less?", Ronnie asked.
Casey smiled and shook her head no.
"Surprisingly it didn't.", she said.
"Why?", Veronica asked.
"Because of how deeply I love him. He doesn't kill or torture for the wrong reasons, you know. He also lets me still be me", Casey replied.
"That's what I'm afraid of", Veronica mumbled.
Casey chuckled.
"You? Afraid?", she asked.
"I guess, yeah, that's what I'm feeling", Veronica said, she looked surprised to Casey.
"You aren't use to feeling anything, are you?", Casey asked.
"Makes it easier to kill", Veronica replied.
Veronica stood and paced.
"No more talking", Veronica said, before walking back over to the window.
Casey smiled.
"What about Kenny?", she asked.
Veronica rolled her eyes.
"I said no more talking", she repeated.
"Ronnie, you can go back to not feeling when this is over. Come on, you keeping me busy distracts me from my nerves", Casey said.
Veronica sighed and walked back over.
"He's okay, I guess. Not very dominant in the bedroom, but gets the job done", Veronica shrugged.
Casey laughed.
"Don't ever say that to him or any of his enemies.", Casey said.
"You asked", Veronica replied.
Casey smiled.
"Ever been in love?", she asked.
"No. No point. All men ever see when they look at me or my sisters is my dad. Not in the, I'm scared of him way, but to get closer to him", Veronica said.
"I'm sorry", Casey replied.
Veronica shrugged.
"My two older sisters did get lucky in a way. My sister Melina is married to one of my dad's men, Andrade. They grew up together and Andrade's dad was actually one of my dad's men too before he retired.", Ronnie said.
Casey smiled.
"And my sister Nikki would sneak out to meet Baron, her now husband. Turns out, he was actually visiting Mexico to meet with my dad about a job. Baron didn't know who she was when he fell in love", Ronnie said.
Casey made a mental note to talk to AJ about Kenny and what he thinks about him with Veronica.
"And what about your mom? You don't talk about her", Casey said.
"I don't know her. Melina is the only mom I know. I just know she was killed, which my dad thinks Ric has something to do with it", Veronica said.
"Is that why your sisters want his head too?", she asked.
"No. He tried to buy me a few years back. Made a comment about me looking exactly like my mother.", Ronnie said.
"Disgusting pervert", Casey mumbled, shaking her head.
Ronnie agreed.
"But that wasn't all. He killed a friend of ours, my sisters are close to his mom. He was like a big brother to me. Always brought me licorice, the red ones", Veronica said.
Casey sat up.
"Rosey Reigns?", she asked.
Veronica met her eyes and nodded.
"How do you know him?", she asked.
"We went to school together. He and my husband worked well together", Casey replied.
Veronica smiled. That was the first real smile Casey saw on Ronnie. Instead of commenting on it, she kept her mouth shut.
"Have you met his brothers yet? Two of them are adopted", Casey said.
Veronica's smile slipped and shook her head no.
"I rather not", she replied.
Casey nodded.
Roman walked into the strip club with Dean, Seth, Jimmy, and Jey. They acted like they were just there to party, taking a table close to the stage. Each in khaki shorts and white or black v-necks. Roman had a funny looking hat that let everyone know he was getting married.
"Bartender, your best drinks", Dean called.
"And are your women any good? These will be the last ones my boy here will get to see naked before being stuck with one woman forever", Seth laughed and slapped Roman's shoulder.
The bartender nodded, switching his toothpick to his other cheek. The men at the table talked amongst themselves, taking glances at Roman and his boys.
"Akam and Rezar", Jimmy mumbled.
"Shit", Roman mumbled.
"I think they are trying to figure out of its Seth", Jey whispered.
Akam and Rezar had been set by Seth to keep an eye on their sister Nia after Ric had her kidnapped. Turned out they were giving information away that got Rosey killed. Before they could go after them, they had disappeared.
Roman pulled his phone out and hit call on AJ's number.
"Bathroom", Roman called.
Seth's back stiffened. That was their safe word.
"Shit", Dean mumbled.
He tossed back the shot, before pulling the handgun from his jacket. Seth did the same, followed by Roman and the twins.
Rezar and Akam had the same idea. They could hear them calling for back up.
"Get to the back where the girls are. Find Trish and get her out of here and back to the hotel. Don't stop for anything", Roman ordered.
His cousins hesitated.
"Go. I will be right behind you", Roman shouted.
The twins nodded and disappeared through the hall. They had been watching the joint after leaving the hotel. When Karl spotted his wife, they went in.
"How did you find us?", Akam shouted.
"Well, its easy to spot two giant idiots", Dean shouted.
Outside, AJ and his men were handling the guys who arrived.
"Ric", AJ said, spotting him leaving out the back.
Karl saw too and ran after the car. Shooting at the back of it. He looked at AJ.
"Did he take her with him?", he asked.
"All I saw was him", AJ replied.
Karl kicked at the dirt.
"Stop. We don't know if he took her, calm down", AJ shouted.
Karl sighed, before running to the front and walking in. One of the men Roman was shooting at was bleeding on the floor. The other was being held down by Dean and Seth. Karl pointed his gun at him.
"No. They belong to my dad.", Roman shouted.
Karl and AJ looked at him.
"They killed my brother, their heads belong to my dad", Roman said.
AJ pushed Karl's hand down and nodded.
"All yours", AJ said.
"My wife?", Karl asked, moving towards Roman.
"I don't know. I sent my cousins after her. They aren't here either, which means, they either have her or…", he stopped.
Karl cursed, grabbing a bottle and throwing it at the wall.
"I told them to find her and take her to the hotel without us. They might be there. Ric wouldn't take them, he knows my dad will burn everything down to find them", Roman said.
AJ set his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"They have her, I believe they have her", AJ whispered.
Karl wiped his cheeks before nodding.