Page 5 of Enforce This

“His fucking cook went wrong, and he blew up the house, don’t make him sound like a junkie, Eric. Jesus! I’m through with this conversation.” He grunted, grabbing a girl as she walked by.

She swerved, eager to detour with him, but when she giggled too playfully, he shoved her aside and pulled a piece of club tail off a prospect and hauled her into the office with him instead. He didn’t bother closing the blinds or kissing her, he just bent her over our meeting table and started railing her.

I couldn’t help but laugh. He was so fucking predictable. Sasha whizzed past, her eyes were a little red and she sniffled.

“Mommy, I want to watch cartoons. I’m bored. Mommy, why can’t I stay in the bedroom with Daddy?” Sasha and Mak’s daughter, Marchella, carried on as her mother paraded her through the crowd.

Fuck. That must mean Mak is still in beast mode.

I slammed another shot and returned my weight to the barstool, Sasha’s name on the tip of my tongue. But before I could utter a word, the entire front of the building shattered. It had been three years since I was dishonorably discharged, but there was no mistaking the familiar, rapid-fire sound of multiple automatic weapons disrupting the morning.

I was looking at her. Her name was in my throat. And just that fast a bullet zipped through her forehead.

I didn’t even blink. Something inside me flipped when Sasha awkwardly jerked and twisted with the impact of her wound. My body moved on instinct and military training alone. I ripped Marchella from her hand before the child probably had time to register that it had gone limp and darted around the maze of people.

Chapter Three

Eric

Everyone was screaming and ducking. I saw two brothers lying on the floor, and a few guests were wounded and squirming. There was blood everywhere. I held Marchella in my arms and ducked behind the bar. She was hysterical, her porcelain features were reddened, and she was screaming incoherently.

I tried to shush her as I slid my pistol from its holster and returned a few blind rounds over the counter. The door to the office jerked open and my brother ran out, laying rounds as he moved. I grabbed Marchella and flung her into the office with the woman my brother had left behind.

“Watch her!” I barked, as Makaveli scrambled down the hall with his gun already drawn. The three of us moved toward the door, lighting up the side of a black luxury sedan as it tore down the block.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

“Fuck!” I roared, looking back through the open storefront toward Sasha’s body.

My brother didn’t hold any such reservations. He jumped on his bike, pistol still drawn, and gave chase.

“Anthony!” I yelled, but he was already gone.

I turned and breathlessly stared at Makaveli. He was either really living up to that psychopath reputation of his, or he was oblivious to the fact that his children no longer had a mother. Either way, he didn’t outwardly acknowledge his loss, he just reached into his pocket and frantically dialed on his phone.

“Call Big Vick!” someone cried from inside.

“Someone, call Mark!” another panic-stricken voice suggested.

“Oh, God. Someone, call an ambulance…!” a woman wailed.

One thing was for sure, no one offered to call the law… But we all knew from the sound of those sirens, that they’d be here any minute. Makaveli cursed and stomped, dialing, and redialing without success.

“Mak–” I hoarsely attempted. “Mak, that fucking car was headed north, man.”

My mind was in marine mode. I knew exactly where that car was heading. It was where I would go.

“Did you hear me? They’re headed to the cemetery, Mak.”

He stared wild-eyed toward the highway, his world no doubt closing in on him. It had only been Mark and Mak for so long since his mom left. Before he could respond, tires squealed, and a vehicle braked hard in front of us. The damn thing didn’t even stop before the driver threw the door open and jumped out.

I raised my gun, fully prepared to hug the trigger again. I almost did, until I saw the long, unruly salt-and-pepper-colored curls that shrouded the woman.

“Aunt Daisy,” I breathed, before my senses caught up to me. “Aunt Daisy, you can’t be here…”

I momentarily froze while two sides of my life collided at the worst possible time. Daisy had taken me in when my parents died. She tried to take Ant in, too, but he was older and ran back to Mark and the Steel Disciples every chance he could.

All she ever wanted was for me to make a life for myself.

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