Page 153 of Princes of Carnage

We need to see her.

Now.

It feels like the ride takes fucking forever, despite the fact that we’re all speeding, but finally, we near the isolated area where our clubhouse is situated. We slow down as we approach the turnoff to the clubhouse, and I hear Killian’s voice under his helmet over the roar of the bike.

“Is that smoke?”

My jaw drops when we get close enough to see the clubhouse.

Killian was right. It is smoke, pouring into the night air, thick, black, and billowing.

The entire building is on fire.

48

NICO

Killian, Atlas, and I pull up near the clubhouse in a shower of gravel, and I barely cut the engine before I get off my bike and yank my helmet off, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. Even seeing it more clearly, it’s hard to wrap my head around what I’m looking at. To make myself understand what’s in front of me.

The clubhouse, the home base of my gang, the beating fucking heart of my organization… is burning. It’s on fire, going up in goddamn smoke right in front of my eyes.

The whole thing is engulfed in flames, and I gape at it, frozen in place for a long second, unable to process the blazing heat and light.

Did Silas do this? Was he out burning down our fucking headquarters while we were breaking into his house? Was this the next step in his plan to destabilize us or whatever the fuck he’s been trying to do? My head is spinning, turning thoughts over faster than I can even finish them.

And then a sudden thought hits me hard.

Quinn.

She said she was here. Shit.

I start to move toward the clubhouse automatically, even though it’s engulfed in flames that there’s no way I could get into it even if Quinn was still in there.

“Nico!” Atlas shouts from behind me, but I keep stumbling forward. If she’s in there—if she’s hurt or trapped or—

Before I can even get close though, someone steps out of the shadows near the burning building.

I squint through the flickering light, and relief crashes over me when I catch sight of teal hair.

“Quinn! Thank fu—”

My voice breaks off, shock ricocheting through me as I realize she’s coming toward me with her gun out, leveled right at my head.

For a second, I just stare at her, stunned into silence. But then the pieces start to put themselves together as I take in the look on her face. Hard. Determined. There’s intention in every line of her body, and she doesn’t look scared or hurt.

She didn’t somehow manage to survive the blaze. And it wasn’t Silas who started it. It was her. It’s the only thing that makes sense, even if it doesn’t really.

My jaw clenches hard enough that I can feel my teeth grinding together.

“What. The fuck. Did you do?” I ask, every word scraping past my vocal cords.

Quinn smirks, her gun arm steady. “Oh, you know me, husband. I just had to find a way to keep myself occupied while you three went after Silas. Since you were so adamant that I stay behind.”

The sarcastic tone of her voice grates on my raw nerves, and anger builds in me, climbing high just like the flames in front of us.

“Try again,” I snap. “What the fuck is this?”

The smile drops off her face, leaving behind a cold, angry look of her own.

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