Page 40 of Bruiser's Reckoning

“I don’t want you to either, but I refuse to see anyone else harmed in any way,” she states sternly and presses her forehead against my chest. “It’s the only way, Bruiser.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Savage remarks gruffly. “I’ve mapped out the different ways to get off this property. The potential places the property could be watched from. We got a couple blind spots that even in the dead of night, you can’t see anyone going unless they’re hacked into Cy’s cameras.”

“That ain’t possible for them to do.” Cy grunts. “I change up the coding and security on those cameras daily. Someone would have to be in my room in order to be able to do that. I also checked the wiring last week to make sure I didn’t have any issues.”

“So, what are you thinking?” I demand.

“Gunner and me take to the blind spot. Get off the property before they get here. We get in place and follow,” Savage suggests.

“There’s a chance we could get caught following, but it’s better than sitting here not knowing what’s what or where he’s taking her,” Gunner states, nodding.

“I still don’t like it,” I grumble. “I say we stand our fuckin’ ground. Get my sister and those kids, then kill ‘em all.”

“Think, brother, think about them getting caught in the crossfire,” Malice mutters.

“I know,” I grind out. I can’t do that. None of us can.

“It’ll be okay, Bruiser,” Gwyneth murmurs, tilting her head back in order to meet my gaze. “You do this the way it needs to be done. Then, when you find me again, you’ll make them all pay.”

“Damn right I will,” I snarl, slide my fingers in her hair, grip it tightly, and slam my mouth down on hers.

I kiss her long and deep, not releasing her mouth until the both of us are breathing heavily.

“We’ll be okay,” she utters breathlessly.

“You’re right. We will be, and you better make damn sure you don’t get hurt,” I tell her, kiss her one more time and let her go. I look at my brothers. “We do this, get my sister and the kids safe, then I’m finding the bastard and killing him . . . slowly.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Hammer nods, eyes glimmering with fury. “We kill the bastard and send a message of our own at the same time. No one fucks with our club.”

“Fuck yeah,” Malice states, with a few of my other brothers chiming in with remarks of their own.

The next ten minutes that pass, I spend them holding Gwyneth for as long as I can. Savage and Gunner left out, sticking to the shadows, and reported a few moments ago that they were in place. They also reported they already spotted a couple of Johnathan’s men lying in wait.

Gwyneth’s phone rings, and she lifts it to show me the number. “He’s calling.”

“Answer it. Put it on speaker,” I tell her.

She does as I tell her and answers. “Hello.”

The tremble in her lip and the way her hands start shaking is enough to gut me.

“I shall send the kids in first. Once you’re in my sight, I’ll let the woman go, and as you get in the car, she can run into the building. None of those men are to step foot outside. They do, and they’re dead. Do you understand?” the man’s voice on the other end of the line says nonchalantly. It’s almost as if he has no fear of this club whatsoever.

“I’ll come out alone,” Gwyneth murmurs, and I give her a squeeze.

“Good, and you can tell the behemoth if he dares come for you, I will not hesitate in making him regret it,” Johnathan remarks.

“He won’t come for me.” The way she says it so weakly guts me.

There’s no way in hell I’m not going after her.

“Then time is ticking, come on out.” He hangs up, and Gwyneth drops her head, shoulders shaking ever so slightly.

I take the phone slowly from her hands and tightly pull her in my arms. “I promise you, Princess, I won’t let him have you. We get my sister and those kids free and clear, then we get you. Okay? I swear you won’t be with him for long.”

“I know,” she utters as the door opens.

“Unca Ruiser,” the oldest of the kids screams.

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