“Do you believe in him?” Dad asked.
“Yes,” I said, without a single doubt.
“Then, I do too.”
Kent pushed his way through the crowd, and pointed his finger at the Outlaws and then at me and Dad. “If it wasn’t for all of you, this wouldn’t be happening.”
“It’s not the time to be pointing fingers,” I seethed.
“Why not? Our Main Street is about to be obliterated. I might lose my store that I have put my life into. I think now is as good a time as any.”
A ball of anger twisted in my stomach, and I stepped toward Kent. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Put your faith in the wrong people and you’ll get burned,” he said, and I laughed at his poor choice of words.
“At least he’s over there. I don’t see you volunteering to go dismantle a damn bomb. He’s putting his life on the line to save you and everybody else here. He didn’t even think twice about it. Because it’s what he does. He protects people. He protects this town and everyone in it. So, if you ask me, my faith sure as hell is with the right people.” My body shook with anger as the last words came out, and then applause erupted around me.
Kent looked as stunned as I felt, as I scanned the crowd who were clearly siding with me. Despite how Kent felt about the Outlaws being the reason the bomb was planted, the crowd was able to see past that, to see that one of them was risking his life to save them.
“Seems like your side is pretty damn lonely,” Dad said to Kent, coming up on my side and placing his arm around my shoulder. He wasn’t happy to find out about Beast and me, but he was my dad, and he would always be there for me no matter what decisions I made.
With one last angry glance, Kent turned on his foot and stormed off.
Kade’s girlfriend, Sienna, came up to me with a wicked smile on her face. “You’re going to fit in here just fine,” she said, and Aubree nodded her agreement.
I heard a collective gasp from the crowd, and I spun around to see Beast jogging down the street. I pulled free of Dad’s arm, and ran under the tape before anybody could stop me. I didn’t stop running until I was in Beast’s arms.
I launched myself into his arms and the terrified, frantic beat of my heart finally slowed. “It’s done,” he said against my ear, but his tone was thick with tension.
I took his face in my hands, scanning every inch to make sure he was okay. When I was certain that not a single hair was touched on his body, I gave up a thumbs up over my shoulder, and the crowd erupted into cheers of joy. “Are you okay?”
He pulled out of my hold, and the sudden joy I felt at seeing him was overshadowed by a gut sinking feeling.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“He could have killed you.” His fists clenched and unclenched, and I ran my hands over them, forcing him to link us together.
“But he didn’t. Because of you. You saved my mom and me. You’re my hero.”
His face tightened and his jaw ticked. “Don’t call me that.”
“You can disagree with me, that’s fine. It’s your right, but you can’t tell me what to think.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
“That’s a load of shit and we both know it,” I said with a laugh before crashing my lips to his. I was done talking. I needed to taste him, to feel as close to him as I possibly could. To savor the fact that he was very much alive.
He pulled back, resting his forehead on mine. “If the whole town didn’t know about us before, they sure as hell do now.”
“Good,” I said, and pulled him back to me.
A throat cleared behind us, and Beast slowly pulled away, looking over to all his brothers. “So um…this happened,” he said, scratching at the back of his head.
“So we see,” Cash said with a smirk. “It’s your business, not ours.”
“Hudson, you find anything?” Beast asked, nodding to a guy holding a laptop.
“Checked all the security footage in the general area, and I only spotted Matias that one time.”
I glanced toward Beast, waiting for an explanation.
“Hudson is kind of computer genius. I had him check all the security cameras in the area to make sure Matias didn’t plant any more bombs.”
I can’t believe I didn’t think about that. I was too concerned about Beast to even think clearly about anything else. Thank God he kept his head, and thank God Hudson knew how to access all the cameras. We would have had to go to each store and ask for them to hand over the tapes. What he did was illegal, but hell I was perfectly okay with it.
“What are you thinking?” Cash asked Beast.
“Now,” he said, and all his brothers nodded.
What the hell was he talking about? Now what?
“I have to go,” he said to me, but I grabbed him by his leather vest, and wouldn’t let him walk away.
“Where are you going?”
“I have something I have to take care of.”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
“Can you stop being so cryptic and tell me what the hell you’re going to do?”
“I can’t.”
“I don’t accept that.”
A collective oh went around us from his brothers, and they all stepped back with their hands up, as if they weren’t coming anywhere near this conversation.
“Sorry to hear that, but I’m leaving.”
He went to walk away again, and I walked in front of him, slamming my hands into his massive chest. He didn’t budge, so I shoved again. Still, he didn’t move. “No. You can’t just walk away from me. You could have died. We both could have died, and all I want is for us to go home and celebrate the fact that we’re both here. I want you to hold me, and kiss my forehead, while Beauty runs around us in circles.”
“We’ll celebrate later.” He cupped my cheek, and I hated how good it felt because right now I wanted to be mad at him. I wanted to hate him for being okay with walking away from me. For not wanting to leave with me now. “I promise.” He kissed my lips and then left me alone, leaving me to wonder what was so damn important that he had to leave right that second without me.
21
Beast
Now that I knew Ryan was safe, as well as the rest of Black Hills, the anger surged through my veins, boiling my blood and making the adrenaline pump. That fucking bastard could have killed her. Could have taken her life and right in front of me. Someone like that didn’t deserve to breathe air. His reign was coming to an end, and it was coming to an end now.
That son of a bitch liked to set bombs? Then, it was only fitting to take him out with one. If the explosion didn’t kill him, then at least I knew he’d be locked up for life once the FBI received the footage of him setting the bomb in Ryan’s car, and the evidence that showed that he made a purchase of the materials right before the last bomb went off.
Gordita’s fucking Army had been a thorn in my goddamned side for long enough, and I wasn’t going to stop until they crumbled. Until every single one of those fucks were dead or behind bars. And if Montamos thought they could come back and be our allies after the Army fell, they had another thing coming because they were fucking next.
Ever since Nick’s murder, I had been begging for revenge, but Cash kept voting against it. Not tonight. Tonight, he knew what needed to be done, and would let it happen as he stood by my side.
We hopped into the van, and took off toward the docks. It was no secret to us that Matias set up his lair in an abandoned warehouse just along the water’s edge. Probably so he could oversee the shipments of illegals he was bringing into the country.
Hudson worked feverishly in the back, using his genius to build the explosive that would take Matias down. To show him that, in this world, he would never be on top. He should have stopped when his mother’s throat was slit. Now, he was going to know what came of those who kept fucking with the Righteous Outlaws.
Phil turned onto the road that would bring us to the docks and
I closed my eyes, clearing my head of anything that could potentially fuck this up. There was no room for fuck ups. If we were going to win, we needed to be precise, and we needed to make sure every detail was meticulously planned and carried out to the tee. One fuck up and the whole damn thing could fall the fuck apart. That wasn’t an option. We needed to make damn sure that this was done right the first time. There were no second chances, and I really wanted to go home to Ryan when this was all over with.
I hated seeing the disappointment in her eyes when I walked away from her, but I couldn’t rest easy until this was taken care of. And, if I told her what we were planning to do, she would have tried to talk me out of it. She would have insisted we let the law take care of it, but I had run out of patience, and needed this done and over with. Besides, I would rather have her worry about me for a little while, than have to make myself crazy knowing she would be in constant danger. Matias was not one to give up, and his pursuit of the Outlaws and their families would have been stepped up tenfold. If we sat back waiting for the FBI to take care of this, the results would be disastrous. Matias would go after Ryan again, or Aubree or Sienna.
Ryan, the stubborn ass that she could be, would try to get involved in the FBI’s handling of the case, and there was no way in fucking hell I was going to allow that to happen. I was taking no chances this time. Ryan and I were going to have a life together when this was all over. I would not lose her like I lost Annie.
No. It was better to be vague. To keep all the details to myself. I would tell her later as we celebrated more than just dismantling one bomb. We would celebrate the end of Gordita’s Army, and the continued safety of Black Hills.
“Everyone knows what they have to do, right?” I asked, looking from one brother to the next. They all gave a collective nod. Cash pulled his gun from beneath his cut, and loaded it, before sliding it back beneath the leather.
Phil brought the van to a stop, and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be right here. Do what you have to do, and get back here as fast as you can. In and out. No room for mistakes.”
Phil had been driving the getaway vehicle for years. He was an old pro at making a fast and quick exit, and I had total faith that he would bring us all safely home as long as we did our part to get back.
“Go,” he said, and we jumped out of the van, guns ready, hurrying to take our positions.
I got to my spot and looked up at the sky. It had taken us long enough, but we would do right by Nick, and make sure the Army could never reform again.
Hudson came with me, holding the bomb close and making sure not to drop it. We didn’t need a timer. The only thing we needed was the remote control that went with it. One push of the button and kaboom! Everything Matias worked for would be fucking gone, and I was going to be sitting in the wings watching it go up in flames.
My mind shifted to soldier mode, as Hudson and I made our way through the thick seagrass and toward the backside of the warehouse. The rest of the guys were hiding around the perimeter, ready to take out whoever got in our way. I trusted my life in all of their hands, even Byrd, who were as eager to watch the end of these assholes as I was.
The visions that had snuck back into my life not so long ago were finally dormant in the back of my mind where they belonged. I only hoped that when everything was said and done, they would stay there and let me move on with my life already. Because I was ready. I never thought I deserved it, but fuck that shit. I’d been through hell and high water, and you better bet your ass that I deserved a fucking break. I deserved to hold Ryan in my arms, and love the shit out of her, because that’s what I planned on doing as soon as we were done here.
I cleared my head of Ryan’s face, those beautiful brown eyes, her sexy heart shaped ass, and focused on the mission in front of me.
Hudson and I waded through the shallow water sitting just on the outside of the warehouse. I came to a stop, and scanned our surroundings, to make sure there wasn’t anybody lurking in the shadows ready to take us out. When I was confident we were clear, I gave him the signal and we took off.
I wasn’t sure if Matias was in the building. It would only be a plus if he was, but either way whether he was here or not, everything he built was about to go up in flames. If he didn’t die, then he would spend a lifetime rotting in jail.
I watched Hudson’s back since his hands were full. My gun was at the ready, and I was all set to shoot if needed. We made it to the wall, and pressed our backs against it, taking a moment to catch our breaths.
He placed the bomb down, and started doing whatever the fuck it was he needed to do to get it set up. I kept my eyes focused on the areas that surrounded us, making sure there was nobody that would blow our cover.
A noise from the roof caught my attention, and I turned my gun and shot, just as a guy was about to aim. I got him right in the chest and he fell back, the gun falling from his hand, and hitting the ground with a thud.
“What happened to being inconspicuous?” Hudson asked, not even bothering to look up from what he was doing.
“I just saved your ass. You’re welcome.”
“It’s your job,” he joked, which made me laugh. He was a sick fuck, and only he could make a joke at a time like this. Then again, as I thought about it, all my brothers thought the same way. Never let the severity of the situation kill your spirit.
“Well, can you do your job and hurry the fuck up before someone notices the guy on the roof is fucking dead?”
“Hang on. I’m almost done.”
Almost done in Hudson’s terms was a good ten minutes. Waiting for him to set the damn thing up made me realize how long that fifteen minutes must have felt like for Ryan. Now, I understood why she had the need to hold on to me and why she was so mad about me leaving her.
“You want this done right?”
“Yeah, but I also want to get home to my girl,” I said, and was shocked to hear the words fall from my mouth so easily. I had it fucking bad, and I didn’t give a damn who knew it.
“Stanson’s daughter.” He shook his head. “Never saw that one coming.”
“Me neither.”
“I’m happy for you, though.”
“Don’t fuck with me.”
“I’m not,” he said, still keeping his eyes on his task, not looking away for even a second. “You deserve it.” He finally looked up from what he was doing. “More than anyone.”
I had never told Hudson about my past, but the way he looked at me now, there was no question that he knew every horrid detail. Everything that happened in my life to make me who I am, and what brought me to Black Hills. I’m sure Hudson had no problem finding out my history. Once he knew what to look for on the internet, and since he was a computer genius that could hack into the most protected systems, I’d bet he knew more about me than I knew about myself. It was almost a relief to know that someone else shared in the knowledge of the burden I carried. That, all this time, when I thought I was alone with those memories, I wasn’t.
Thinking back, I realized that Hudson was always the one who was there for me when I needed someone the most. Probably because he was aware of my secrets, and he could tell when they haunted me. All this time he was looking out for me, and I didn’t even realize it. But that’s what brothers did. They didn’t just protect you; they supported you and gave you strength even when you didn’t know you needed it.
“Thanks,” I said, and the look that passed between us held a decade of gratitude for all the things big and small that had transpired between us.
He looked back to what he was doing then patted his hands on his thighs. “Ready for the end?”
“No, I’m ready for the beginning.” The beginning of a new life, one free of Matias and his fucking pathetic army.
Other gangs and clubs would come and go, but we would always overtake them because nobody messed with our town and us.
Hudson and I went to make our way back to the van when the barrel of a gun pressed into my neck.
2
2
Ryan
I made my way to the station to bring Dad dinner. After what happened at the street fair, Mom insisted on cooking Dad a big dinner. She hugged me repeatedly once she understood the reason I knocked her to the ground. Then, she insisted I bring Beast by for dinner so she could properly thank him with a homemade meal for saving our lives. I thought about Beast in my childhood home. Greeting my mother that he had a good foot and a half on. Him sitting at the dining room table and sharing a meal with my parents, my sister, and Taylor, while their kids ran around with Beauty. It seemed weird to think it, but at the same time it seemed so unbelievably right.
Dad and the rest of the station stood around one of the radios, listening to the dispatcher. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“There was an explosion at a warehouse down by the docks,” Dad explained.
I was about to shrug it off, when I remembered Beast being in a rush to leave. The way he said now to his brothers as if they were ready to follow through with something they’d been planning. And the docks. That’s where Gordita’s Army ran their business. Where I was almost killed until Beast saved me.
The room began to close in on me, and I grabbed a desk to steady myself. Beast was there. There was no doubt in my mind, but was he the one responsible for the explosion, or was he caught in it? My heart slammed against my chest as the room spun around me. I couldn’t catch my breath too scared to even breathe.
“Munchkin, you okay?” Dad asked and I nodded even though I wasn’t okay.
I wasn’t okay at all. I debated going to the docks, but what if I was too late? What if he was there, but he was dead? I couldn’t see him like that. Not after holding Chris in my arms, and watching someone I loved die.
“You sure? You look a little pale.”
“Have you seen Beast?”
“Not since he stopped the bomb.”
I looked Dad in the eyes and, without a word, he knew what I was getting at. “I’m sure he’s okay,” he whispered, so no one could hear us.
Beast (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #4) (The Righteous Outlaws) Page 18