Page 1 of Wicked Vengeance

Chapter 1

Royal

“We’ll use the woods for cover until we get closer.”

Ronan’s voice filters loud and clear through the earpiece as we file out of the SUV. The house we’re checking out sits deep in the forest along Grimm River, about twenty minutes outside of town.

An overgrown, narrow driveway is the only access point we can find, so we approached from the other side of the river. We parked the truck in the woods nearby to hide the vehicle and make the rest of this journey on foot.

As we cross the shallow river bed and draw closer, more anxiety swirls in my gut. In mere minutes, we could find Em– or, as I now know, her real name– Emera. This is a big moment. We could be bringing her home to reunite with her mother. I know better than to get my hopes up. Ronan is right– this feels too easy. King has more than likely laid a trap for us. We would be fools to think he would slip up. Still, hope mingles with my anxious nerves.

Icy water seeps into my boots, soaking the bottom of my pants. Goosebumps prickle on my skin like a wave washing over my entire body. A shiver crawls up my spine, and I keep my eyes peeled for anything amiss.

“Breathe, Royal,” Alek says, walking beside me.

"Breathe? I can't. Not until I see for myself that Em is safe and back in Raena's arms where she belongs. I'll breathe when King is feeding the worms.”

“I know. Let's find out what we can while we're here. Then we can figure out our next move,” he says, clasping my shoulder in reassurance.

The trek across the river is short, and the six of us emerge into the thick coverage of trees that line the rocky bank. Our boots crunch along the damp forest floor as we move in formation to the edge of the treeline like we’ve been working together forever, not having just met this morning. The Huntsmen know what they are doing, that much is clear. We slow to a stop when the white house comes into view.

“I see two guards patrolling the perimeter,” Dax whispers quietly.

Scanning the property, I spot two Kingsmen walking in opposite directions around the edge of the house. We watch as they meet at the front porch and exchange a few words. One of them disappears inside the house, and the other turns to scan the area one more time before following him.

“That’s our opening,” Ronan says. “Dax, you’re up. Stay out of sight.”

Dax gives us a wicked smile, moving faster than you would think a man of his stature would be capable of, darting across the open space before flattening his body along the side of the house. He skirts around the back, disappearing out of sight.

“What’s he doing?” I ask, mostly to myself, but Ronan answers regardless.

“What he does best.”

My asshole climbs its way to my throat as the minutes pass, waiting for him to reappear. My anxiety reaches new heights when three gunshots ring out in quick succession, echoing through the woods and scattering the birds from the trees.

“Move. Now!” Ronan barks before we take off towards the house in a desperate sprint.

I have no idea what we’re about to encounter, but the anticipation builds in my gut, and adrenaline pumps through my veins like liquid energy.

My back hits the side of the house with a soft thud. Maddox and Alek trail right behind me while Ronan and Jasper lead the way.

Ronan stops just before reaching the back corner of the house. “We’ll take the back door. You three take the front entrance and make sure no one escapes. This isn’t a scouting mission anymore. This is search and rescue. We have a possible man down, and we still don’t know if Em is here. Subdue and restrain if possible. If not, take them out.”

I nod in silent agreement before he turns around and disappears around the corner with Jasper on his heels. Alek and Maddox give me a reassuring nod as we raise our guns and slip around the front.

The porch is small, with the steeply pitched roof extended about six feet over the white, painted deck. Alek passes Maddox on the porch steps, kicking in the door with his massive boot. The wood frame splinters, sending the door crashing into the interior wall.

The sight that greets us as we push inside the threshold nearly buckles my knees. My lungs seize in my chest as I take in the scene before me.

What the fuck happened?

The entryway leads into an open living room to the right, with the kitchen to the left. On the hardwood floor, one of the Kingsmen is sprawled out, his throat slashed in one clean cut. Blood pools beneath him, spreading out and slipping under the backside of the couch that sits beside him. I recognize him as Carter, one of King’s upper-level men.

We step over the nearly decapitated man, our weapons ready, as we spread out to search the rest of the space for any sign of Dax, Em, and the other Kingsman.

We find Dax first, his back against the kitchen cabinets, clutching his bloody shoulder. We move across the space towards him, clearing it as we go.

We find the missing Kingsman lying in a pool of blood at the threshold of the hallway, a perfectly centered hole in his forehead. Moving closer, I recognize this one as well. Sheldon was another upper-level in King's organization. Reaching down, I pick up his discarded weapon, slipping it inside my waistband as Ronan and Jasper appear from the back hallway.

---