by Smyth, R. A
“What?...How?...When?” Ty blurts out rapid-firing questions at me as he tries to compute what I just told him. I simply shake my head as I jam my feet into my boots. I’ve no idea, I just know that they do.
Dad said she went there willingly...my guess is she went sneaking around trying to dig up evidence. She’s been awfully quiet the last few days, but I thought she was just nervous. Knowing Kirk was away, we all knew this was our one shot to get into The Citadel and snoop around.
Apparently, she wasn’t nervous at all though. No, the stupid self-sacrificing girl had to come up with her own goddamn plan. I’m going to fucking strangle her for being so bloody defiant.
The bedroom door slams against the wall as I storm out of the room. Preston is right on my heels and Ty isn’t far behind as he quickly grabs clothes off the floor and shoves at a still sleeping Barrett.
Reaching the kitchen, I stalk towards the office where we’ve been keeping our ever-growing weapons collection. The first time I was in this room, back when I came looking for Sophie after they kidnapped her, the room was more of a study. Now, various guns and knives line one of the walls and a map is spread out over the desk from our late-night planning sessions the last few nights, showing Crescentwood and the surrounding mountains.
“How the fuck did this happen?” Preston growls, trying to put the pieces together, much like I am.
I shake my head, not bothering to even look at him as I lift several larger rifles off the wall and set them on top of the map on the desk.
Ty and Barrett enter the room a minute later. I hand my phone over to them so they can see the same photo Preston and I have already seen.
“What the fuck?” Barrett bellows, glancing between all of us with a confused look. Ty, knowing the drill, gets to work, picking out several smaller handguns and various knives.
“The Beasts have Sophie,” he explains for Barrett’s, repeating my words from earlier. They don’t sound any better voiced the second time around.
“Apparently she fucking offered herself up to them,” I snarl. I can barely get the words out through my gritted teeth, I’m so fucking furious with her right now. “I’m guessing she went there by herself to snoop around in her dad’s office and try to get information, save us from going to The Citadel, but she obviously got caught.” Sighing heavily, I tack on, “that was my fucking dad on the phone, kindly informing me.”
When I cast a glance in Preston’s direction, after not getting any sort of response from him, I find all three of them with matching dark looks filled with rage and determination, all of us willing to do whatever the fuck it takes to get our girl back.
“Suit up, we’ve gotta go save our girl,” I bark once I’ve strapped a knife to my thigh and tucked another in my boot. I’ve got a rifle thrown over my back and a handgun tucked down the back of my jeans, hidden under my leather jacket.
I snatch my phone out of Barrett’s grip as I storm past him, back into the kitchen. I’ve one very important phone call to make before we get this shit on the road. There’s no way the four of us can take on whatever Beasts are left behind here, but we have a hidden card up our sleeves that might just even the playing field.
________
It’s another thirty fucking minutes before we’re pulling the car over on the side of the road, a half-mile from the mansion. The four of us silently get out and make our way through the forest towards the house.
Once I’d updated Oliver on the situation, he told me he had an idea, but wouldn’t elaborate any further. Deciding to let him do whatever he needs to do, the four of us came up with our own plan, which I go over now as we traipse through the undergrowth and approach the wall surrounding Kirk’s mansion.
It doesn't take long before we’re over the wall and making our way through the manicured gardens towards the house. The place is quiet, but cars and bikes are parked all over the place letting me know Kirk is armed and ready for our arrival.
The question that keeps bouncing around in my head though, is how is he even here right now? He’s supposed to be out of town. And based on the number of vehicles, this is definitely way more than a skeleton crew. It looks like every member of The Feral Beasts is here right now.
Did Oliver lie to us? No, there’s no way he’d do that. But if he didn’t, that means Kirk lied to him, meaning Kirk knows Oliver’s been colluding with us. Fuck, Oliver could be in deep shit if he goes in there. There’s no time to warn him, though. He’s probably already inside.
Ducking down behind a perfectly trimmed hedge beside the stone path that leads round the side of the house, the four of us take a moment to prepare for what’s to come. As soon as we step out from our temporary cover, we won’t stop until we have Sophie back and every member of The Feral Beasts is dead, including Kirk and my father.
Either that, or all of us are dead. Regardless of the outcome, we’re going in there to fight for our woman and to take out as many of those bastards as we can.
“Keep in touch through the earpieces,” I state, the four of us sharing a silent nod before breaking off—Preston and Barrett heading out of sight round the far side of the house, while Ty and I move towards Kirk’s study. From what little we could see of the photo, that’s our best guess as to where he’s keeping Sophie.
Preston and Barrett are nearly at the far end of the house, and Ty and I have just moved out from our hiding spot, when an almighty BOOM vibrates through the air, the ground beneath my feet shaking as Ty and I dive for the wall of the house, crouching down as the vibrations shake through my body, rattling my very bones.
What the fuck is happening right now?
Looking past Ty, I see Preston and Barrett ducking down low to the ground, looking around them, as bewildered as we are.
“Was that an explosion?” Ty asks, voicing my thoughts out loud.
Jesus, I think so.
The vibrations in the ground eventually settle and the landscape around us returns to its original serenity, except for the faint particles of dust that have risen in the air, blown away from whatever part of the property just exploded.
I seriously fucking hope that was Oliver blowing shit up.
“Come on,” I urge when it becomes clear no Beasts are going to come running out of the house. We need to make full use of the distraction and get to Sophie.
Out of the periphery of my eye, I see Preston and Barrett are back on their feet and heading towards where the explosion came from. Their job is to find Oliver and kill or distract as many Beasts as possible, while we focus on getting Sophie out of there.
Initially, I was unsure how useful they would be in this fight. Yeah, they have money and they’ve bought us everything we’ve needed to give us the advantage in this war, but I doubted their ability to get their hands dirty. Thankfully for us, they’ve proven me wrong. Hell, they’ve even managed to impress me.
I don’t know if it’s their feelings for Sophie that has overshadowed any desire to color within a normal person’s moral lines, or if whatever shit they faced in their childhoods has instilled an ability for them to see morality in shades of gray, much like Ty and I. Whatever the reason, it’s enabled them to do what’s been necessary to help all of us get out of this alive.
So, as they run out of sight around the side of the mansion, I trust that they will follow through on their part of the plan so Ty and I can focus on Kirk and my dad.
Heading in the opposite direction to the explosion, Ty and I make our way towards the front of the house. Instead of sneaking into the house like they expect us to do, we stride right up the front steps and through the front motherfucking door.
Walking into the foyer is totally anti-climactic. No one is even here. I’m guessing everyone has been pulled to check out the explosion, and whoever is left probably didn’t expect us to come strolling through the front door.
Not waiting around to get caught, we quickly creep across the foyer, keeping our eyes peeled for any of Kirk’s men. Slipping into the hallway down to the off
ice, we keep our guns raised, but no one is around.
We slink down the hallway, stopping outside the door to Kirk’s study. Listening at the door, I shake my head when I don’t hear anything.
Stepping back, the two of us stand with our guns pointed at the door, ready to face whatever we find on the other side.
With a sharp nod, letting me know he’s ready, I lift my leg, kicking out at the door with such force that it flies open. I barely register the loud bang as the door rebounds off the wall. The scene in front of me has my blood boiling. I feel like I’m about to explode from the fury as my hand clenches around the grip of my gun.
Kirk fucking Jones is standing opposite us with his arm clamped tightly around Sophie’s chest, pinning her against him so we can’t get a clear shot at him. She’s clearly been through the wars. Her lip is split and there’s a gash on her cheek where some fucker has obviously hit her. As she shifts awkwardly in Kirk’s grip, trying to keep her weight off one leg, I trace my eyes down her body, noticing the deep wound in her thigh, blood trickling freely down her leg.
Despite how beat-up she looks, there’s defiance in her eyes as she glares at us, rage pulsing in the air around her like it’s a living thing.
Moving my gaze to Kirk, he’s got a wild, frantic look in his eyes that concerns me. I’m betting he thought he had the upper hand here, but with the explosions going off, he likely realizes he’s losing control. That makes him reckless, willing to do anything to ensure his own survival.
“Let her go,” I growl, my voice overflowing with vitriol. The two of us move into the room. Ensuring Ty is blocking the doorway, keeping his gun trained on Kirk as I slowly move further into the room, making sure not to get too close to him.
Kirk laughs coldly, shaking his head at my demand. “Yeah, no. I’m not doing that.”
He moves slightly, slowly inching his way towards Ty, while keeping me in his sights and continuing to use Sophie as a human shield, preventing either of us from getting a clear shot.
The move has both of us solidifying our stance, readying ourselves for whatever he’s got planned. My hand tightens around the gun, my finger resting against the trigger as I wait on tenterhooks to see what he’s going to do.
“You boys have disappointed me,” Kirk spits out. “I raised you,” he snarls, anger coloring his face as he shifts once more.
“You robbed them of their childhood,” Sophie growls, her words only feeding Kirk’s temper as he presses the barrel of the gun more forcefully against her head.
“I was building an empire!” He barks, his voice rising along with his outrage. “I won’t let a bunch of teenagers ruin what I have!”
Before he’s even finished speaking, he’s shoving Sophie towards us, using her as a distraction while he dashes past me towards the exit.
Knowing Ty will move to catch her, I keep my weapon pointed at Kirk, finally getting the opening I need to fire off a round of shots, just as an explosion shakes the foundations of the house, the sound of a blast going off somewhere nearby. Most of my shots go wide, as I struggle to stay on my feet, but I manage to hit Kirk in the leg, sending him stumbling into the bookcase by the door. Whatever way he falls, his head whacks against the edge of the shelf. The crack reverberating loudly around the room as he drops to the floor like a sack of shit, blood spilling from the bullet wound in his thigh and the deep gash to his head.
Seeing that he is at least unconscious, if not dead, I lower my weapon, turning to take in Sophie who is sagging in Ty’s arms, the pair of them in a heap on the floor.
“Are you okay?” I ask, crouching down in front of them, tracing my fingers over the marred skin on her face.
“I’m good,” she responds wearily as Ty tightens his arms around her. “Where are Preston and Barrett?”
“They’re with Oliver, taking care of Kirk’s men.”
Another explosion rattles through the house, this one sounding closer.
“I dunno what’s happening, but we probably need to get the fuck out of here,” Ty says, climbing to his feet, hauling Sophie up with him.
“What the fuck is going on here?” A voice I know all too well booms out behind me.
Spinning round as I raise my gun, I come face to face with my father who is pointing his own weapon at me. There’s not a single flicker of doubt in his eyes as he scowls at us.
“You’re seriously choosing her over your family?” He snarls, his upper lip curling up disgust. “You are no son of mine.”
I bark a humorless laugh, glowering back at him. “You have never been my father. I’ve been nothing more than a soldier to you,” I sneer.
I know I need to get this over with. I should have shot him the second I saw him standing there, but something is holding me back. I’ve never struggled to take a life before, never hesitated or second guessed myself, but that’s exactly what I’m doing right now. Why? He deserves to die at my hands more than anyone else I’ve killed.
His eyes narrow at my words, his hand tightening around the gun as he adjusts his stance, preparing himself for the recoil of the gun. It’s now or never. I need to fucking shoot him. NOW.
The sound of a gun going off rings out and I watch my father’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open in shock before he falls to his knees. Everything happens in slow motion, my brain struggling to process what I’m seeing.
My father face plants the wooden floor, lying motionless as blood seeps out around him. I zone everything else out as I take in his prone form. I’m barely able to comprehend that the man who never saw me as a son, but as a soldier, is finally dead.
Chapter 46
In the aftermath of whatever the fuck just exploded, Preston and I race across the back lawn. The air around us gets thicker with dust as we get closer to the sight of the explosion.
As we dash round the corner towards the pool area, the source of the explosion becomes clear. The entire sun room has disappeared, blown to smithereens in a cloud of smoke. Several dead bodies lay scattered across the ground. What’s more concerning is the ever-growing number of perfectly alive and healthy men quickly gathering to see what happened.
Immediately knowing we’re outnumbered, Preston and I slam to a halt, ducking down behind a low wall. Using it as cover, we run along the back of the house until we’re out of sight.
Peering through the french doors of the kitchen, finding it empty, I grab a nearby flower pot and throw it through the glass door.
The glass shatters instantly, giving us enough space to walk through the frame. With our guns up and ready, every sense is on alert as we wait to see if anyone is coming to check out the noise. When no one comes barreling into the kitchen, we search the room and adjoining pantry to make sure all is clear.
“We need to find out where Oliver is,” Preston whispers, pulling out his phone and firing off a quick text. “He must be the one responsible for that explosion back there.”
We’re only in the kitchen for a few minutes before we hear the noise of footsteps approaching from the hallway. Aiming our guns at the door, we wait silently as whoever is coming our way gets closer. My palms are slick with sweat as I squeeze my hand around the handle of the gun, and, although my aim is steady, I’m nervous as hell. This is so not my jam. I’m a ‘sit by the pool and drink cocktails’ kinda guy. I’m absolutely not a gun-toting, knife wielding ninja.
The door is slowly pushed open as adrenaline courses through me, every muscle taut as I prepare to shoot whatever fucker comes through that door.
The guy steps into the room, turning towards us. “Fuck me, Oliver, we nearly shot you!” Preston growls. My whole body sags in relief, my finger releasing from the trigger before I accidentally shoot him.
Oliver is dressed in all black, with weapons strapped to every possible part of him.
“I take it, that was you?” Preston says, referring to the remains of the sunroom.
“Yeah,” Oliver responds, a proud grin stretching across his face. “I have two more charges set. We need
to draw as many men as we can towards them, then we can take out whoever is left.”
“Yeah, we can do that,” Preston agrees.
“Good. You two try to direct men this direction. Here’s the device to set off the charge,” he says, handing over a small remote. “I’ve already hidden one in the pantry. I’ll lure the rest towards the staff quarters.”
Preston and I both nod our heads, on board with the plan. “Here, take this so we can keep in touch,” Preston says, giving Oliver the last earpiece so we can all hear each other.
“Oliver,” Ty’s voice crackles over the Bluetooth. “I think they know you’re with us.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. They set me up,” Oliver growls, gritting his teeth. “Most of the men don’t seem to know yet, though, so I still have some advantage.”
“Just be safe.”
“You both good with the plan?” Oliver says to us.
“Yup, lure as many as we can this way, then blow them to smithereens,” I say with a dark smirk. I might not be a ninja, but I’m totally down to play dress up and be whatever I need to be to save my girl.
With a final nod, Oliver retreats back out of the kitchen.
“So, got any idea?” I ask, rounding on Preston.
“Maybe,” he says thoughtfully. “How do you feel about being bait?” A sly grin curls at the corner of his mouth as an idea forms.
________
The two of us storm through the house, banging doors and making as much noise as we can, ensuring we don’t stray too far from the kitchen.
We’re making our way down one of the many hallways, Preston whistling like a fucking psychopath, when a guy appears up ahead of us.
“Hey,” he calls out, raising his gun. Instinctively, I duck down as he fires off several shots, lifting my weapon and blindly shooting off a few rounds. Preston shoots beside me, the two of us slowly backing down the hallway.