by K E Osborn
A slam to my back has me gasping for air. The gun falls from my grasp, my body colliding with an oil barrel. I try to take in a deep breath, but I can’t catch it from the heavy punch to the ribs. My eyes shift, taking in the biggest asshole I’ve ever laid my eyes on in my life.
The Slav grins, then pulls out his gun aiming it right at my chest. “Bye, little pig.”
I tense.
Right at that precise second, a huge roar of gunfire blasts from the front of the compound.
We both turn as the frontline of mercenaries is being mowed down, their bodies disintegrating with the fast rate of bullets plowing into their bodies. Blood and sinew fly across the yard like some sort of scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie.
I have no clue who’s on the other side, but they’re coming in hot and from every possible angle.
I stand taller, taking the moment while the Slav is distracted and reach out, yanking his gun from him. He jerks in surprise as I spin it, shooting him three times. He stumbles backward, falling over another dead body while I finally take in a deep breath.
I need to get to Jovie.
Rushing through the fray, I notice the men coming to our aid are wearing cuts.
Not just any cuts.
Defiance cuts.
Everything is moving too fast for me to see who they are, but I’m sure after this, we will be thanking them. Our brother chapters have come in, we’re evenly matched now, and with the men our club has already taken out, I’d say we’re actually taking the lead.
Zero finds his inner strength dropping the Baron to the ground. Wraith and Damir are in a one-on-one fistfight that Wraith is not winning.
I have to get to Jovie.
I take off as one of her brothers steps in front of me. He appears to be the older one. She told me his name was Lennox. I grit my teeth while the older burned man drags Jovie off toward a van. I shake my head. “Lennox, right?”
“You think you know us from what Jovie’s told you. Well, I will tell you now, Kevlar, you don’t know shit. Just let her go. She belongs with us.”
“I’m not letting you take her.”
Lennox cracks his neck to the side. “Then you’re gonna have to go through me to get to her.”
Rolling my shoulders. “Fine by me.”
Immediately, I bring my leg up, kicking him in his thigh. His leg gives way making him drop to his knees, and my fist connects with his jaw on the way through. His body flies back, letting out a heavy groan.
He wants to see how protective of Jovie I can be, then I’m coming out fucking swinging.
Panting for breath, I shake out my hand, then move to walk past him to get my girl when out of the corner of my eye, something shiny grabs my attention.
Lennox pulls out his gun aiming it directly at me. I slide out of the way to dodge him, the same time the gun goes off. My body spins to the side with the force of the hit clinging to my bicep, the burn igniting through me so fucking intense, I fall to one knee. Blood oozes through my fingers as I let out a groan, trying to calm my breath. “Motherfucker.”
The sudden pressing of a dull object on my back has me on high alert. “I told you, you’d have to come through me,” Lennox repeats, pressing the hot tip of his gun between my shoulder blades.
“And unfortunately, brother, you have to come through me,” another voice grunts behind Lennox.
Then the loud blast of a single gunshot detonates. Lennox falls beside me on the ground, dead. I turn dramatically to see River, Jovie’s other Slaver brother, staring at me unphased. Shock runs through me as River places out his hand to help me up.
I furrow my brows at him, but he huffs. “C’mon, we gotta help Jovie.”
I jerk my head back in shock, but I honestly don’t have time to waste right now. “I don’t trust you just so we’re clear,” I tell him, placing my hand in his.
He hoists me up. “Understandable. But we need to get to Jovie now before our father takes her.”
Confusion rattles through me, but I don’t have time to fuck around or question this bastard’s motives. “Fine, let’s go,” I tell him, even if I have suspicions this could definitely be a trap.
With my arm burning like crazy and blood dripping down my bicep, I take off with River.
Defiance brothers from multiple chapters fight alongside each other taking out Slavers, Slavs, and mercenaries while River and I run out the front of the clubhouse, where Jovie is fighting with the burned man while he tries to force her into the back of a pickup. She kicks and claws at him as we approach. There’s my strong woman. Never one to give up.
My feet don’t fail me, taking off at full speed, not waiting for River. I aim the gun straight at his head, the same time River grabs Jovie, pulling her to him protectively.
“River?” the burned man yells. “What the hell are you doing, son?”
It hits me like a ton of bricks. The burned man… that asshole is Jovie’s father!
I stand shocked, trying to take all this information in.
Jovie’s father put my kids in the freezer?
It wasn’t the Baron coming after them. It was her father trying to get to her through me.
The gunfire slowly dies down, making the mayhem of the deafening chaos dull around the compound.
“The Slavers are corrupt, Father. My whole life has been about manipulation, trying to gain position in the system, trying to be the biggest man in the room. There’s a reason we’re called the Slavers, Dad, because we’re slaves to the system we’ve created for ourselves. All you want is power, money, and the greed and corruption that comes along with it. You thought you were teaching Lennox and me to be like you, but you’re manipulative and fucking evil. Lennox might have been the same as you, but I don’t want to be anything like you. You wonder why everyone else is always a step ahead of the Slavers? That’s because of me, Dad, I’m the inside guy. I’m the guy who fucked you over this time and every other time before this. And, I’m the guy putting an end to it all.”
“River? What the fuck are you talking about? You’re third in charge? You are supposed to be running things with Lennox when I hand over the reins.”
“I don’t want the reins. I never did. Why do you think Jovie was always just out of reach, Dad?” River frowns. “When we found her at The Lone Wolf, and I shot at her when she was running away… why do you think the bullets missed when I’m usually such a good aim?” He waves his hands around. “When we tracked her car to New Orleans via traffic cameras, and I was in the car with two other men, I let them get out to chase after Jovie. I knew Kevlar would kill them and do my job for me. But I would have stepped in if things got out of hand or if it looked as if they were getting the upper hand. Once I knew they were taken out, I scurried away while Kevlar was dealing with Jovie’s dislocated shoulder.” He smiles. “I’ve been there, Father, every step of the way, foiling every single one of your plans.”
“But you’ve been here for every discussion. When the Baron was introduced to me. When he was trying to find shit on Defiance. The Baron asked all the syndicates about anything they had on Defiance to help bring them down.”
“And you were so caught up in forging alliances with the wrong people that you couldn’t see dissension in your own ranks.”
“Where the fuck is Lennox? I’ll get him to deal with a fucking traitor like you.”
River laughs. “Lennox is dead. And now, so are you.”
“What?”
“No,” I call out.
River brings up his gun, aiming it directly at his father, and he doesn’t hesitate pulling the trigger.
Jovie screams as her father’s head explodes beside her. I run to her side, grabbing her in my arms before she collapses. Amazingly, she’s standing on her own two feet, staring wide-eyed at River. She’s trembling, but she’s keeping her strength.
Adrenaline rushes through my body, my pulse elevates as my throat goes dry from my rushed breathing. I didn’t get to carry out my own fucking revenge on that sonofab
itch, and that fact infuriates me.
“I’m so confused, River,” Jovie mumbles.
I hold her tight as River weakly smiles. “I’m sorry, Jovie… for everything our father has put you through.”
She sniffles, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “I… I don’t understand. Why? Why did you turn on him?”
River takes a step closer, and I pull Jovie to me to keep her safe from her Slaver brother.
“Because of Mom. Jovie, she wasn’t sick from a virus…” He sighs. “Dad poisoned her… slowly, so it couldn’t be traced. That bastard thought if she were gone, it would make you join the Slavers faster, but it only pushed you further away.”
Jovie breaks free from my grip, stepping right into River’s space. “Dad killed Mom?”
“Yeah… I only found out a year ago. That’s when I started turning against the Slavers, working against them.”
Jovie sniffles, then leans in to hug her brother. I’m still tense and unsure around him, but I guess she knows him better than I do.
“We should go check on everyone else,” I suggest.
I don’t even know how to break it to Jovie that her father was behind my kids’ incident.
“Definitely. If they need help, we should give it,” River replies.
Widening my eyes, I pull Jovie back to my side as we rush back around into the broken gates of the clubhouse.
Zero’s gun is aimed at the Baron.
Wraith now has a hold firmly on Damir.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
Any leftover mercenaries, clan members, or Slavers are being held hostage by the Defiance brothers. Who, now the dust has settled, I can clearly see are the Chicago and New Orleans chapters. Thank fuck they got here early.
Cherry and Prinie move to their men’s sides like the strong old ladies they are as everyone surrounds the stand-off.
Ethan hesitates near the back—he shouldn’t be here for this.
I’m not sure what him being here is going to rain down on the club, but there’s no way we can let the Baron and Damir get away. Not this time, even if Ethan will stand by his code and bring us all into the station. It’s better than having these two assholes out there ready and willing to take out members of our families.
The atmosphere is tense, the metallic tang of blood lingers in the air, the van still burning from the explosion it blasted through the clubhouse. Tonight will inevitably rock the foundations of Houston Defiance forever.
I have a feeling this is only the beginning.
“Tilman Squires, you call yourself the Baron, but all you’ve succeeded in doing is making Houston barren of life and energy since you took over. Houston needs a facelift. It needs to be free from tyranny and oppression. Honestly, everyone believes you rule this state. Well, I’m here to tell you, there’s a new tycoon in town. And I take zero shit from nobody,” Zero calls out.
Baron lets out a booming laugh. “You think you can run this town, boy? You don’t know shit! You and your pretty little lady have another thing comin’ if you believe you can take my place on the Houston throne.”
“That’s just it, Baron, we don’t need to be sitting on some damn throne because we have a whole fucking kingdom right here. We don’t need to rule. We just need everyone to know you’re not the man in charge anymore. Honestly, I don’t care if I’m the guy at the top, I just want everyone to know I’m the brother who chucked you off your damn high horse.”
Baron smirks. “And you think Lieutenant Rudd over there isn’t gonna call in his cop pals and have y’all arrested once this goes down?”
Ethan steps forward, shrugging his shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m holidaying in Hawaii right now. So… I didn’t see any of this.”
A smirk lights my face.
“Rudd! No, you can’t turn your back on this. There are three clubs here, two aren’t even in their state. Surely, you can have them done for murder, then extradite them back here. Ethan… Ethaaan!”
“I’d say it’s been a great ride with you Baron, but this is one I’m happy to get off,” Zero grunts pressing the gun to the Baron’s temple.
Baron closes his eyes, letting out the smallest of whimpers. “Please, Zero, my kids!”
“Baron, you have so many fucking illegitimate kids it’s not funny.”
“But Finley is here. You can’t shoot me in front of my flesh and blood.”
Finley steps forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “Just because you share your blood with mine does not make you my father. My life would be so much richer watching you die.”
“Just because I never wanted you, Fin, doesn’t mean I don’t… oh, who am I kidding, I never loved you and never will!”
Texas steps in front of Finley, puffing out his chest. “You don’t have the right to talk to her like that. You lost all privilege to even speak to Finley the second you killed her mother for your own personal gain.” Everyone widens their eyes, shocked by Texas’ outburst.
Finley shakes it off, sliding past Texas. “I can speak for my—”
“Stop getting people to fight your battles for you, Finley. It’s why you are, and always will be, scared on the inside,” the Baron grunts.
“I’ll put the damn bullet in you myself, you motherfucking—” Finley yells, storming forward, but Texas grabs her around her waist holding her back, effectively cutting her off.
“Hold her, Texas. She can’t throw away her career for this asshole. This job is on me,” Zero orders.
“Then, what are you waitin’ for? I bet you won’t even have the guts to—”
There is no countdown, just one word, “Zero!”
The crack of the gun blasts through the night air, the Baron’s cowboy hat flies off in the wind, landing on the ground in a pool of blood. His body follows soon after, his crisp tan suit, drowning in crimson—his own and of those who have fallen before him.
A fitting end for the man who has caused so much fucking trouble for us.
For him to lie in a mass grave.
He deserves nothing less.
Cherry rushes to Zero’s side. “I can’t believe it’s over. He’s finally gone.”
“Yeah, but not everyone is,” Prinie blurts out.
“How very astute, looking for a double murder, princess? When we’re only just meeting for the first time, too?” Damir calls out.
Wraith slams the butt of his gun into the back of Damir’s head.
Damir chuckles like it didn’t even hurt, the fucking bastard.
“This war you’ve brought to my family, Damir. All this blood you’ve spilled. You don’t even know the full story,” Prinie snaps.
“What I do know is your precious Wraith killed my brother, my father… my mother!”
“He strangled your mother out of self-defense, asshole. She was a terrible woman. You would know that if you bothered to get to know Wraith.”
Damir scoffs. “And why would I do that?”
“Because I’m your fucking brother. Sava found out before he died, and our father told me before he died, too. I’m your full brother, Damir. You started this war with me all the way back in juvie. Our mother was a whore, wasting away on drugs. And while you had the privileged life with the Triglavs, I was left being raised and abused by a whore. Now you tell me who should feel hard done by? Yet, you’re the one constantly coming at me, trying to kill my family.”
Damir scrunches up his face like he’s confused. “Why? Why would she treat you like that?”
“Because she was angry at me. Because she couldn’t come back to you, Sava, and Vlatko. I was the thorn in her side, her dark little secret. Our father didn’t want you or Sava knowing I even existed. So, she had to keep me away from you. It’s why she couldn’t come to see you as often. It’s why the drugs got worse. I was the accident who made everything so much fucking harder for her. And don’t fucking worry, she let me know it, too.”
“So, you’re saying you could have been one of us?” Damir murmurs, more like he�
��s trying it on for size.
“If things were different, Damir, I would have grown up alongside you and Sava. If our mother didn’t turn to drugs, I would have been a Triglav just like you. Who knows… we might have even liked each other,” Wraith admits.
Damir inhales sharply, then places his hands either side of the gun, bringing it closer to his forehead. “I told them to kill Prinie. I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to take from you because you killed our mother. But now I see I was led astray. I’m sorry… brother.”
Wraith grits his teeth, pressing the gun further into Damir’s forehead. The gun shakes in Wraith’s hand, but then he hangs it to his side. Prinie widens her eyes.
Damir shakes his head. “No, do it!”
Wraith turns to Zero, his expression somber. “He’s my brother… I haven’t even had a chance to get to know him.”
Zero exhales exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s your call, but he’s not roaming free around the clubhouse. No fucking way. He tried to kill me in prison and led an attack on Defiance soil. There’s no freedom for him, Wraith. You’ll have to think of something else.”
“Let me wrap my head around this for a second.”
“Wraith, he tried to kill you and me, and he won’t hesitate to do it again,” Prinie urges.
“I won’t… but I don’t deserve to live, either. I’m sorry, princess, for coming after you the way we did,” Damir laments.
I grip tighter onto Jovie, my eyes shifting to River.
This all sounds a little too familiar.
I’m unsure if I can trust River either.
And I can’t fathom how this is all going to play out.
KEVLAR
“The closet.” Jovie steps forward out of the blue, gaining everyone’s attention.
All eyes shift to her, and I cling to her tighter. Wraith narrows his eyes on her as Cherry smiles wide. “Yes, we can lock Damir in the closet. It has its own bathroom. We can remove anything of value and put in a makeshift cot for him to sleep on until we can figure out what the hell we’re going to do with him,” Cherry replies.
Zero and Wraith look at each other. “Okay. The closet does have a lock on the outside so we can keep him in. In the meantime, though, it means the club girls will be without their dressing room.”