Page 58 of Líadan's Code

“Idiot,” I grunt, standing guard in the dim light.

As Layla stabs Seán again, she’s sprayed with blood across her face, and he begins to gurgle. At this angle, he’s bright red, though his tight hold on her body is beginning to weaken. His carotid artery is pumping blood out, and he’s a dead man.

As Layla glances at her uncle, Jordan shakes his head. She needs to go, and he can’t follow.

“Go, Lay, and don’t look back,” Jordan roars at her, forcing her to jump up and start running.

Stepping forward, I calmly snap my ex-boss’s neck, to make sure the bastard stays dead.

“It’s time to play, Lía,” I growl, barely sparing her a glance as I begin to hunt. She can take care of herself.

Pulling my gun, I turn around to shoot Tianna, but the crazy bitch who bought Layla has escaped.

Layla is running hard, fighting to get to one of her men. She doesn’t appear in danger yet, so I wade through the crowd to pick off people I know will have an issue with Lía’s new position. Fredrick, Nial, and Wyatt are all heavy supporters that the only good leader is one with a dick.

Dead. I shoot two in the eyes, and then pistol whipped Wyatt because I am out of bullets in that gun.

“So goddamned satisfying,” I purr, watching his face become bloody and unidentifiable.

A scream I’d know anywhere pulls me away as I snap his fucking neck to see Lía launching herself into the air at Bruin.

“Fuck,” I shout as I see he’s aiming his gun at Layla. Lía yanks his arm up as he fires, and I stop breathing as everything feels as if it’s frozen.

In fluid motion, she pulls her garrote from her belt, squeezing her thighs tightly to keep from falling. Bruin tries to throw her off, the idiot tossing his firearm as he reaches over his head to grab her by the throat.

As she evades him, I move through the fighting groups of people to get to her, only to see Jordan beating the shit out of Bruin. He punches him not to hurt him, but distract him, since he can’t feel pain. As I hit anyone near me, I watch the way Bruin doesn’t flinch once as Jordan unleashes hell on him.

Fuck, he’s got a mean right hook though. Damn. It’s not a good time to be rock hard at the moment, but I can’t help it. Jordan Miles is gorgeous when he’s pissed off.

Lía pulls back hard, allowing the cord to shred through the layers of corded muscle. The effort forces a growl from her as she leans back into the motion. Slowly, Bruin drops to his knees, allowing Lía to stand on his legs as she continues to pull. Gurgling greets me as I arrive by their sides, breathing hard.

“Bastard is taking forever to die,” I comment, kissing her temple. “Would you like to borrow a little muscle, or are you good?”

“Muscle would be really helpful, baby,” she growls, making me chuckle as I step behind her to cover her hands to help her pull, severing his trachea completely.

Letting go, she leaves the wire embedded in his skin, shoving him face first into the carpet.

“Did they get out?” Lía asks as I hand her a mask and voice changer. It's showtime. There’s a forgotten mic on a table behind me, and I pick it up, lifting her onto it for height.

“Help me look,” I tell her, beginning my search through the chaos. A head of purple hair and another of blonde disappear out an exit, making me sigh in relief. “They’re out!”

Lía pulls on the devil’s mask and puts on the voice changer before turning on the mic. A scream pierces the air, long and screechy. Fuck, if I didn’t know it was her and I was superstitious, I’d be shitting my pants.

People freeze in their tracks, allowing the rest of Layla’s friends to get away. These assholes were using the distraction as a way to kill their own rivals, opportunistic little twats.

“Did you enjoy yourselves?” Lía asks. “Your king is dead, and you’re scrambling to kill each other. Your need to overindulge is coming to an end. Seán O’Brien allowed you to roam free within reason, until you stepped out of line. At that point, he sent me after you. The Banshee is not just a story he told as a fucked up bedtime story to you all. I was created. Some of you helped, if you remember.”

I watch to see who pales, who runs out of the building, and who drops into their seats on the verge of fainting. Every one of them goes on my purge list. Our organization has a new queen, they need to accept it instead of planning how to assassinate her.

“Tonight, you get to see who is behind the mask. I will not accept insubordination. I will not accept plots to murder me. I cannot be killed,” she growls.

I’ve held her dying body in my arms, I know this beautiful demon to be made of flesh and blood, the difference is that I will not let her fall.

Pulling off the mask and dropping the voice changer as she stands barefoot on the table, she glares out at her audience. “Daddy made sure just enough people have lived to tell you all about the special treatment I gave them,” she growls.

“Deamhan!” Doyle yells, pointing at her. For as many times as they planned and plotted together, Seán never truly explained his vision. Not once. “A demon killed Seán O’Brien! Are we really going to let this stand?”

“Maybe I am a demon,” Lía says with a wicked baring of teeth. The blood is still wet on her hands from killing Bruin, but she doesn’t give a single fuck. “Daddy named me as his heir, which puts me in charge. Anyone who was previously in a leadership position, no longer is. All of his advisors have been stripped of their titles. I will be building myself a group of trusted people, since most of you think I should be dead.”

---