Page 40 of Burn It Down

He just accepted that right off the bat, because he was so immersed in this, something honestly shocking for him with how Asher usually was.

Caleb went on, “I told him to lean on one of you, and that’s when him loving Jonah came up.”

“Fuck, J,” Kill exclaimed. And then he frowned as he took me in. “You don’t seem as shocked as I’d figured you’d be. He’s told you then? Recently?”

“In his way, yeah.”

He smiled widely. “Good. I’m happy for you, brother. I know how much you wanted that.”

“Thanks.”

Before anything more could be said, an erratic beeping sounded from my phone.

I didn’t need to look to see what it was, having set the alert up to sound distinctive.

I spun toward the kitchen door, telling them, “Somebody’s breached the perimeter.”

The two of them snapped into action, Caleb pulling his gun and cocking it, Killian rushing to the windows and scanning outside.

“How long until they reach the house?” Kill asked over his shoulder.

“Figuring they’re coming in hot, we have ten minutes.” I’d planted my detection devices a ways back to give us some warning.

“Then I’m way ahead of the game.”

We all spun at the sound of the additional voice.

Caleb had his gun trained on the unannounced visitor in a blink. I’d had my fingers brushing my blade holstered at the back of my belt, until I’d laid eyes on him.

“Stand down,” I spoke. “This is Scourge,” I told Caleb so he’d lower his gun.

For Scourge’s part, as he stood leaning against the kitchen doorway, one hand slapped casually to the frame, he didn’t look the least bit bothered by any of it.

Well, he was known for having balls of steel.

He was the greatest enforcer who’d ever fucking well lived.

He’d been the cream of the crop, even respected by the Head Infidels themselves.

Him slipping in here completely undetected by the three of us proved he hadn’t lost it.

“How did you trip one of my early-warning devices? As good as you are, Aaron, you couldn’t have covered that distance in seconds.”

He lifted a shoulder. “I set up a trap on your trap to test your responses.” He pushed off the door. “And, I’ve gotta say, it was chaotic and rather delayed too.”

“Yeah, well,” Kill said, walking back over. “We’re not exactly—”

“You’re without your general, I know,” Aaron finished for him. He grinned, letting us know he was with us. “That’s why I’m here, boys.” He eyed Caleb. “Well, you’re not included in the boy aspect, are you? Early thirties?”

“Twenty-four. I just look older. Fucked-up life and all that. Only a handful of months shy of that big quarter-life marker, though.”

“Talk to me about that big marker when you’re coming up to your sixties.”

“Pretty spry for a sixty-year-old,” Kill said with a glint in his eye.

“Age is just a number, right, Scourge?” I commented.

“It’s fifties, fuckers. And yeah, I’m real spry,” he said, smirking.

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