Page 61 of The Enforcer

The next day, I hit the ground running, joining my brothers searching for Kirk. There aren’t many places in Mellbind where he can be hiding, so we ride into neighboring towns, hoping someone has seen him. None of the people we asked have, and it’s starting to piss me off. There should be no reason that sniveling fucker is able to stay hidden from us.

Though it frustrates me, there’s not much I can do about it. But as soon as he’s found, I’ll work out my frustration on his face. Prez told me I can have my fun then he’ll put him down. Snitching on the club, even if his tips didn’t pan out, earns Kirk an automatic death sentence.

When I’m not looking for Kirk, I’m at Inferno, going over floor plans and set up with contractors, helping with the sign design, connecting with vendors, and working closely with Rooster to see how much we have to spend on the nightclub and how long it’ll take us to turn a profit. Right now, if we do the bare minimum, it’ll take us nine months to a year to recoup what I want to put into Inferno. I want this club to be perfect and we have the money to invest in it. As soon as I have it to my liking, Prez can take over.

Shane and I also work hard to get his furniture and clothes moved in. Like we decided before we left, we get rid of his bedroom and kitchen items, but bring over his couch, recliner, clothes, and the other small items he wants.

Dropping the last box just inside the living room, Shane sinks onto the couch with a sigh. He looks around, then his eyes land on me with a sweet smile. “It’s good to be home.”

I grin, walking over to him, planting a kiss on his forehead then on his lips. “You’ve lived with me for a week. You’ve already been home.”

“Yeah, but I moved my last box today,” he says, inclining his head towards the box he dropped. “Now I’m home.” Shane grabs me by the collar and pulls me down, kissing me hard and long.

“Fuck yeah you are,” I mutter, grabbing his hand and dragging me into the bedroom. “Let’s start my christening the bedroom.” Shane giggles—a sexy fucking unrestrained giggle that makes my dick hard—and splays himself out on the bed for me to take.

Well after I have my way with Shane and we’ve retired to bed, my alarm buzzes on my phone. I jolt awake—cursing because I woke Shane and he’s still trying to catch up on ten years of missed sleep. Snatching my phone off my nightstand, I look down at it, thinking it’s an incoming call, but it’s a notification for the alarm system I set up for Inferno. When I open the app, it shows two entrances are open—the front and back doors.

I think back, trying to figure out if I shut and locked everything when Rooster and I left, and I’m sure we did. I even remember locking the back emergency exit, the one the alarm says is open.

Clenching my jaw, I throw my legs over the side of the bed, putting my head in my hands. I’m fucking exhausted. I’ve been exhausted for the past few weeks, what with the nightclub and Kirk’s bullshit. Even Cuba was essentially a work trip. I thought I would get one night where I could lie with Shane after fucking him hard and putting him to sleep. But that’s not to be.

“What’s up?” Shane asks sleepily.

“Gotta go to the club. Some of the doors are open at Inferno and the alarm got tripped.”

Yawning, I pull on my clothes to head down to the club. I’m surprised when Shane stands, getting dressed as well. “Where are you going?”

He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “You’re not riding on your bike when you’re so tired and you left your car at the clubhouse. I’ll drive. You’re more tired than I am.”

That’s true. My body proves it by cracking a yawn that stretches my mouth to its limits. I shake out my limbs, trying to wake myself up.

Grabbing my hand, Shane leads me out of the house, planting me in the passenger seat. I scowl at him when he reaches across and does up my seatbelt. “I can do it myself,” I grumble, throwing his words back at him, pushing his hand away once I’m buckled in.

“I know you can, baby. I just like touching you,” Shane replies sarcastically, smirking at me. He kisses me quickly and goes around the front of the car. He hops in and drives us to the club, our fingers laced together. I lean my head back against the headrest, closing my eyes as Shane drives. I’m close to dozing off, my heavy lids not liking the fact that I’m not immediately going back to sleep.

Ten minutes later, we pull up to Inferno. The front entrance is wide open. With a snarl, I hop out of the car. Shane is hot on my heels as I walk inside. “I’m going to check to see what the fuck is going on. Can you go to the back door and pull it closed for me? Check to make sure nothing else is going on too. Meet me back here in five minutes, yeah?”

“Okay,” Shane says, jogging off to the back to check the door. I walk in the opposite direction, going upstairs to the office to check the alarm system, being sure there’s nothing amiss. Everything looks fine. Both doors are now closed, so I reset the alarm, waiting for it to beep before I leave.

Stepping out of the office, I head in the direction of the supply rooms, wanting to make sure those are locked before I leave. Before I can check anything out, a high-pitched scream pierces the quiet night.

Shane.

On quick feet, I run down the stairs and explode into the club proper. Before I can get very far, a wall of fire greets me. I stop my headlong sprint, sliding to a stop like a baseball player just before I run through it.

I lift my hand, covering my face against the smoke and the heat of the flames. How the fuck did a fire grow this hot so fast? It’s too smoky for me to sniff the air, but if I had to guess, there was an accelerant used.

“Shane!” I shout, lowering my arm to try to see through the fire. “Shane!”

“Zeke!” he shouts back and starts coughing. The coughing goes on and on. A warbly “Zeke,” crops up then all is silent.

I look around frantically, trying to figure out how I can get to the other side of the club to get to him. It’s like someone set fire directly in the middle of the club from wall to wall and I can’t get around it. I take a few steps towards it, ignoring how the heat of the flames singes against my skin, making it feel tight. I don’t know how wide it is, as I can’t see the far side of the club from where I am, straining my eyes against the smoke. My chest hurts from inhaling the acrid scent, but I can’t leave Shane.

Knowing I can’t get to him through the flames, I take off in the direction of the exit, pushing through so I can run around to the back of the club. Pulling out my phone, I call 911, barking the address into the receiver as soon as someone picks up the phone.

Fumbling with the keys, I shove it into the lock and open the back door. I can feel the heat of the flames like a cannon blast as soon as I open the door. Smoke billows past me, escaping from the confined space to balloon into the open air. Stripping off my jacket, I discard it just inside the door, dropping to my hands and knees so I can crawl to find Shane.

I’m only searching for about thirty seconds before Shane’s shirt sleeve comes into view. I cough, bringing my forearm up to my nose as I reach out for him. With strength I didn’t know I had, I grab Shane’s collar, pulling him towards me by sheer force of will.

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