And there would have been nothing I could have done to stop them.
But the Black Angels were gone, Edge was dead, and my ties to that house were completely severed. All because someone decided to grab a gun and solve a few problems. Ones that lined up with mine and therefore might end up good for me.
Sometimes blessings came in the strangest fucking packages.
I ROLLED into The Jury Room parking lot in way less time than I should have, having driven well over the speed limit to try to catch up with Deacon and whoever he’d taken with him on his mission. No cars were parked in the lot, though. The motel sat empty as well. That was fine—no way would everyone just up and disappear. They’d end up here eventually tonight, and I’d be ready. So I parked my bike, took a spot near the door, and I waited.
Not long, though.
Deacon’s truck rolled into the lot, the shadows of the people inside too dark for me to distinguish. That was fine too. I didn’t mind laying a smackdown in front of witnesses.
The sniper stepped out along with a man I didn’t recognize but who had to be a Kennard, then Finn and Jinx came out of the back. Jinx looked wrecked—wobbly and almost half asleep or something. Finn picked her up to carry her, and my mind went red with rage. As if that girl hadn’t been through enough, now she had to deal with…whatever had happened? No fucking way.
Finn was the first one to open his mouth. “You got something to say?”
Plenty, but I was starting with the conversation I wanted to have. “You shouldn’t have gone in there hot.”
Deacon took a spot beside Finn, backing up the Kennard. “There was no other way.”
I pushed off the wall and moved into the sniper’s face, staring him down. “I’ve been working them for two years, been selling my soul to the devil for weeks now to figure out how to get them the fuck away from your little pissant town, and you go in guns blazing to take out the prez and his VP? For what?”
“For what?” Finn’s obvious rage took me by surprise. He set Jinx on her feet, pulling her behind his body as the other man—definitely a Kennard—slipped into place behind her. Creating a wall of man against anything coming toward her. “They had Jinx, and we weren’t leaving her there to be tortured.”
That made no sense, though. Cartel had accepted the killings as payment. No Black Angel would have touched her after that. “They didn’t have orders to bring in Jinx. I would have let you know.”
“They didn’t bring her in,” Finn said, still obviously pissed as hell. “She went there to make a deal with them.”
“She went there.” Voluntarily. The fuck? The girl had always been a handful, but my god, that was the most ridiculous idea ever. I couldn’t hold my tongue. “You stupid or something, girl?”
“Fuck you,” Jinx said, though her voice didn’t have the strength it should have. “I thought I could get them to leave.”
This girl. “Yeah, well, you might have just set off a club war. What were you thinking?”
“It was my fault,” Finn said, ever the white knight. “She went there to protect the town because we had a misunderstanding.”
“That’s quite the misunderstanding. You know they’d likely kill you, right, Luckless?”
“Stop calling her that.” Finn flexed, his entire upper body leaning just a little bit closer. Enough for me to notice and understand the movement. That was a threat if I’d ever seen one.
I was impressed. “You grow a backbone or something, kid?”
The other Kennard—another version of Finn now that I got a good look at him, which meant he must have been the twin brother—huffed. “He always had one. He just never had a reason to use it. He does now.”
So the Kennards and their team had basically taken care of the Black Angels, had secured Jinx, and were totally backing each other up. I liked them more and more. They were making my job easier.
“Okay then,” I said, just before refocusing my attention on Jinx. “You look like shit, though.”
Little Luckless never had been one to let me get away with talking shit. “Is that what you used to say to my mom when she’d come home high? Because I have to tell you, I’ve got more of a temper than she did.”
Damn. I really did need to clean up her misunderstanding about me and her mom, as well as let her know the fate of the men responsible for her death. This wasn’t the time, though. Not with mixed company. “You don’t know anything about your mom and me.”
“I know enough.” Jinx disappeared behind Finn, letting out a small moan. “I don’t feel so good.”
“We’re done here,” Finn said, his expression set and unchangeable. His mind obviously made up. “She’s had enough. You want to fight about this, fight with me.”
“And me,” the brother said. Elijah, if I remembered right. Lawyer in Denver. Finn’s twin. What he was doing in Justice, I had no idea, but he must have been needed to show up.
Two against one, both fighting on behalf of the same woman. Good goddamn.
“You Kennards are all pussy-whipped.” I sighed and scratched at my head, trying to loosen up my tired brain so I could think my next steps through. Trying to give them what little information they needed without supplying them with anything that could come back to bite them in the end. And if they thought I was still on the club’s side in all this? So be it. “Fine. I’m sorry I didn’t think about Jinx’s safety before I blew up. I’ll deal with the fucking upheaval of two dead Black Angels.”
“You think the other guys will leave town?” Deacon asked, his eyes locked on mine. His understanding much deeper than the rest of the guys around us.
I could have told him they already were. Could have given him the full story
“I’ll definitely plant the seed that they should. Maybe sow a little discord with their current partners. Make them think the Soul Suckers could have had a hand in this.” Which I’d already done, along with removing every trace of Jinx from that site. But she still wasn’t safe, because if Finn broke…if the brother couldn’t keep his mouth shut, she’d be in danger again. Which I couldn’t let happen. I caught Finn’s eye, keeping my voice level as I asked, “You strong enough to keep your mouth shut about what happened tonight? Confident Deacon, Jinx, and Elijah will be as well? Forever?”
“Yeah. I am.” Finn sounded sure as could be, which was good enough for me.
“Good. Then I’ll deal with the fallout. You take care of Jinx.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said, though she certainly didn’t speak with the same conviction as her man.
“Anything you need us to do?” Deacon asked.
“Yeah. Quit murdering people.”
“We make no promises.” Elijah smirked my way, looking far cockier than his brother.
I had to make sure who he was. “You the twin?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a defense attorney in Denver, right?”
Elijah shrugged. “Among other things.”
I nodded, liking him already. “A lawyer breaking laws. Guess I’ve seen everything now.”
“Lawyers break laws all the time—we’re just experienced enough to know how not to get caught. And if that fails, we know how to work the legal system to minimize the trouble.”
“You’d better. Because murder isn’t going to get you a mere seven years like your brother got for selling drugs.”
“No, it won’t,” Elijah said, suddenly looking more like Alder than I’d ever seen another Kennard. This wasn’t a man to fuck with…ever. “I’m solid, though.”
Solid. Strong. Ready to fight. Of that, I had no doubt. “Good. I need to get back to camp and deal with your mess. Keep out of trouble, would you?” I headed for my bike, calculating the time needed to drive to Rock Falls and check in on the fire. Once done, I could make my way to Sterling. Maybe deal with Cartel and finish this. Maybe be able to be back in Justice before breakfast. Maybe have time to stop at Katie’s and pick up some donuts for Beckett since he liked them so much. Yeah. That
sounded like a pipe dream, but it was a goal. I still had shit to do before I could reach it, favors to call in, which reminded me of the little black book in my pocket. “Oh, and Finn?”
“Yeah?”
“Does our deal still stand?”
He froze for a second as if he didn’t remember our conversation. Our agreement for info on Coyote in exchange for a favor. But realization soon shone on his face, and he nodded once. “Definitely.”
Good. I’d go above and beyond, though. I’d get him more than info. I’d bring the mark right to him. “Expect a text from me.”
I rode out and turned toward town, needing a fix of a drive-by before I headed back to Rock Falls. Just a quick pass to make sure Mercy and Beckett were okay. Not that I’d actually stop, but even seeing a light on in their windows would give me the strength to get through another night without sleep. Would give me the energy to tie up these loose ends and get ready to come home.
Sadly, I never made it to Main Street. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it at first, having not turned on the Bluetooth in my helmet so the phone could read them to me. But the buzzing didn’t end. Once, twice, five more times before I stopped and pulled over. Text messages lined my home screen, all from Deacon.
RED ALERT
* * *
Zane says Mercy and Beckett are in trouble.
* * *
He followed them into the mountains.
* * *
There’s a Black Angel holding them hostage.
* * *
Get your ass here.
The last text contained a map pin. One that looked awfully familiar.
“Fuck, Mercy. Why’d you have to go to the glassblower’s place tonight?” I tucked my phone away, my heart ready to beat out of my chest. Mercy and Beckett. No. No fucking way. I wasn’t losing them both when I’d only just found them. I wasn’t letting anything happen to my family.
I roared up the mountain, not giving a single fuck for speed limits or rules of safe driving. All I could think about, all I could focus on, was how scared Mercy had to be. How worried not just for herself but for her son. And how much of an asshole I was for leaving them alone for even a minute. I’d known Zane couldn’t keep them as safe as I could have. I should have listened to my gut. Should have hidden them away somewhere or something. Should have—
What I should have done was be honest with her and tell her the danger this entire town represented. I had failed her, but that wouldn’t happen again.
Just as I’d expected, about a mile before the glassblower’s house, I spotted a little convoy of Justice friends. Elijah, Deacon, and Zane all stood together, looking grim as fuck.
“Anything new?” I asked the second I turned off my bike.
“Nothing yet,” Deacon said. “We were waiting for you to go in.”
“Got a plan yet?”
Deacon looked to Zane, who shook his head. “Not yet.”
I walked up, smacking fists with Deacon and grabbing Elijah’s hand when he offered it. “Didn’t you two already kill a couple of people today?”
Zane raised an eyebrow as he grasped my hand for a shake. “Anyone I need to know about?”
Deacon shook his head, obviously fighting hard to keep a straight face. “Nope.”
And that was the extent of law enforcement involvement in our day.
The four of us took off through the woods, heading up the mountain a ways to the far side of Sam’s property. The night was dark as hell, but there was enough moonlight to make good headway through the pines. Still, it took longer than I would have liked. And once we could see the house, we had to stop because someone seemed to be patrolling the property.
Someone I recognized.
“Motherfucking Tiny,” I said, my whisper growly and rough. “That’s the enforcer of the Vegas Black Angels crew.”
“He took the woman and kid into the house,” Zane said, sounding much calmer than I felt. “That was when I realized something was wrong. She was clinging to that little boy.”
His words might as well have been a knife to the heart for all the pain they caused, but that wasn’t all. There was also rage. That man—a fellow Black Angel—had dared to put my girl in danger. Had taken her and her son and likely scared the shit out of them. He knew they were mine—even without meaning to, I’d made that plenty fucking clear yesterday after killing the two Soul Suckers for Cartel. He knew, and he’d pulled this shit? That was a direct attack on me.
I was going to snap Tiny’s thick fucking neck.
“What’s he doing?” Elijah asked as Tiny made another pass from the house to the barn.
I didn’t have a complete answer for him. “Preparing.”
Tiny reappeared, carrying something that looked like a toolbox. Something I couldn’t quite make out. At least not until he walked into the circle of light cast from the porch lamp.
Not a toolbox…a gas can.
My entire world might as well have slid right down the mountain. A gas can meant fire, which meant death. Which meant Mercy and Beckett were suddenly in so much more danger.
“Son of a—”
Deacon grabbed my arm, tugging me back to a crouch. I hadn’t even realized I’d stood up.
“What do you know about him?” Deacon asked, holding me in place and pinning me with a serious look. His sniper expression in place. “What’s his aggressive kink?”
I’d never thought about anything like an aggressive kink, but I still immediately knew what he meant. “He’s not the burning type. He prefers hand-to-hand stuff. Show of strength and all that.”
“Maybe Tiny picked up new skills,” Elijah said, but I shook my head. Fire wasn’t his thing and never had been. Even with the blaze likely burning down in the valley below, it wouldn’t have been his first choice for anything. That gas can didn’t make any sense.
The reason for the tank slammed into me, though, as the rumble of another bike coming up the mountain buzzed in the distance. My blood chilled, and I had to fight the urge to run down that hill. To run for my family.
“He’s not the one setting the fire,” I said. “And he’s not going to be alone for long.”
My first thought was that it could be Coyote coming to help Tiny out. That option would have made sense—the guy liked to play with fire from what I understood, and he was a Soul Sucker. Tiny had shown up at the cabin where Grudge and Bama had been living; he was obviously working with them. He’d known who was local and could be counted on for a little light it and run. But when the biker pulled to a stop and took off his helmet, it wasn’t Coyote. It was a face I recognized, though. One I’d been hunting for years. One that made my blood run cold.
“Who’s that?” Zane asked, peering down at the newcomer.
It took all my energy to choke out his name. “Wolf.”
Chapter Nineteen
PARRIS
MOTHERFUCKING WOLF.
The man who’d killed my sister.
The one I’d been chasing for years.
The one Cartel had kept as a carrot on a stick, leading me through this double-agent life, all the while having to know exactly where he was. If Wolf was working with Tiny and Tiny was working for Cartel, that meant Wolf was working for Cartel as well.
Motherfucker, I’d been double-crossed.
I wanted to kill all of them—Wolf, Tiny, and Cartel—more than I’d ever wanted anything.
Except Mercy and Beckett alive and safe.
A thought that stopped me from racing down the mountain with guns blazing.
“Who’s Wolf?” Elijah asked, having no idea the battle raging inside of me.
I swallowed hard, fighting for every ounce of control I’d ever learned. “The man who killed my sister. I’ve been hunting him for years.”
“Ah, fuck.” Elijah grabbed my shoulder. “Don’t lose it now, man.”
I wouldn’t. Not yet. I needed to get Mercy and Beckett out before I dealt with anything else. No way could I blow this because of that fucker.
<
br /> And man, did I feel like an idiot for not seeing this coming. “I’ve been focusing on Edge and Ravel, but Tiny—he’s the one. He’s the Black Angel running the show with Cartel, and I never noticed it.”
Deacon frowned. “How can you know that?”
“Because Wolf? I’ve been looking for him for years, and Cartel knew it. I let that fucker keep me on a leash because I was promised that guy, but Cartel played me. He’s working with Tiny, who’s working with Wolf. They’re all tied together.”
Zane huffed. “Aren’t you bikers supposed to be all brotherhood above all else?”
Unless the all else suddenly becomes worth more than anything else in your life. “Yeah. We are.”
“And you’re both in the same crew.”
“Mostly. I’m a nomad so have no home club to speak of, but we’re all Black Angels.”
Zane nodded. “And Tiny just betrayed you.”
“Yeah. He did. In a lot of ways.” As had his boss, Cartel. Something else I was going to have to deal with. After I got Mercy and Beckett off this mountain.
“Well, he seems like an asshole. And not at all Tiny.” Zane nodded toward Deacon. “What’s the plan?”
The sniper looked my way. “Want me to get my long-range?”
I had to shake my head. “Not enough time. We’re going to have to take them down up close and personal.”
“How?” Zane asked.
How indeed. The only way I knew to. The only way that would get the job done and keep my family from being burned alive. The only way that would settle the beast within me.
“Like this.” I rose to my feet and started running, gun in hand and prayers in my mind. No way. They were not burning Mercy and Beckett. It wasn’t happening. I’d do anything to save them, including sacrificing myself so the guys behind me could take out the two bastards who deserved to die. Anything for my family. Including death.
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