Page 122 of All Our Ghosts

My stomach drops as I watch the men in Tac gear parade through the compound. A glimpse of Marlowe lying on the ground with a deputy straddling her from behind, holding her arms behind her back, doesn’t do anything to quell the bile growing in my throat. Falcone is in the same position next to her. “What the hell do we do?”

Dex is as still as stone while his eyes are glued to the CCTV. A dark look passes over his features and his hands clench into fists at his side. “Do as he says.” The words come out rough and strained as his jaw tightens.

“Dex,” I hiss under my breath. “He can’t just walk in–”

The door swings open, and Stokes steps inside with a shit-eating grin on his face. The air in the room goes deathly still aswe all stare at each other. Blake’s hand tightens around mine, and it gives me a miniscule of comfort to know I’m not alone.

“Do as he says,” Dex repeats, this time quiet enough for only us to hear. He pins his shoulders back, lifting his chin as he stares at the man hell bent on ruining their lives. “What do you want, Stokes?”

My eyes land on Watson as he steps through the doorway. A menacing shadow to Stokes’s pudgy face. My heart almost stops as soon as his beady eyes land on mine and a wicked grin spreads across his face.

“Just doing my job as Sheriff,” he says wrapping his fingers around his belt loops. “I’d really like it if you’d make my job easy and get on the floor, hands behind your head.” His eyes travel along the four of us standing there. When none of us move, his eyes narrow briefly. A flicker in the mask he so desperately tries to hide behind. “Now.”

A calloused hand wraps around my arm and instantly I know it’s Dex, without even looking down. We all slowly lower to the ground, following his instructions. Even in doing so, I can feel the anger vibrating off of Wolfe next to me. It’s overwhelming and I know that he’s a ticking time bomb right now. My heart hammers in my chest as I lay against the cold ground. The wood smells of stale beer and cigarette smoke. Something I didn’t notice until now and it only eggs on the nausea building within me.

“You know.” Stokes doesn’t move but his lackeys spread out from his flank, tossing tables over, kicking chairs and smashing glasses behind the bar. “This all could have been avoided if O’Neil would have just stayed on his own course. Followed orders like a good little soldier,” he mocks, pulling out a chair and sliding his slimy body into it as Watson’s eyes stay glued to me. “He’s made things quite difficult for me and I’m starting to feel like I don’t have the support of the Hounds anymore.”

The man has the nerve to tsk in Dex’s direction forcing a low growl out of him. “You never had the support of the Hounds,” Dex says in a dangerous tone that sends chills up my spine.

“Is that so?” Stokes’s brow raises as he glances over between Blake and me. “Well, I might have to start branching out then.” He looks over Blake briefly before his eyes finally land on me. “Maybe different states might offer their…supportfor my cause.”

As if my stomach wasn’t sinking before, I feel it in my toes now. A sickening feeling washes over me as the realization hits.

“Ms. Andrews, right?” Stokes grins. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you in the past few weeks. Watson’s been…obsessed, is one word.” He rubs his hands over his thighs before folding them in his lap. “I wonder what would happen if Miami-Dade County found out their biggest missing person’s case was right here in my own backyard.”

“Youson of a bitch,” Dex curses, moving to get up off of the floor but Watson is quicker. Moving faster than I can register before a large boot lands on the back of Dex’s neck digging him into the dirty floor.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Watson hisses. “You’d just give me one good reason to finally get rid of you, Wolfe.” His head cocks to the side. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just remove my foot and give you a fighting chance.”

“Time and fucking place,” Dex growls again.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I can feel Blake’s hand find mine, entangling our fingers as the entire room is destroyed around us. Glass is shattered everywhere. The pot of still-steaming chili lands on a wall somewhere behind us as the deputies turn into a swarm of tornadoes, wreaking havoc over the clubhouse.

“Now, now, gentlemen,” Stokes says as he stands, kicking over the chair he was just in. “You two will have your chance but for now, I think I’ve made my point.”

“And what’s that?” I snap, surprising myself.

“Oh! She speaks!” Stokes claps his hands together in mock enjoyment. “My point is that O’Neil’s little club wouldn’t be anything without me. This club willdieat my hands if he doesn’t fall back into line.” He kneels down in front of me, pushing the tendrils of hair out of my face with his fingertips until his hand wraps around my jaw tightly. “Because if he doesn’t, I won’t just destroy his clubhouse next time. I will take down everygoddamnmember myself until he is the only one left standing.” Stokes leans his face in closer, heated breath fanning across my face and forcing me to swallow back bile again from the smell of it. “And then I will destroy him.”

There’s a pause, a moment where I forget that I need to breathe before he stands up again. With a snap of his fingers, the deputies file out of the door leaving Watson and himself last. “Tell your fearless leader I want to meet with him.”

Stokes turns to leave but Watson remains still and I can hear the sole of his boot straining against the back of Dex’s neck.

“Jake, quit playing with your food,” Stokes snaps. In an instant his boot is gone and I see Dex take a subtle breath in. “Till next time, Wolfe.”

As soon as the door to the clubhouse slams closed and the four of us are left, Dex is on his feet again. His face red with a look of pure malice I’ve never seen from him before plastered over his features. He reaches down to help me and Blake off of the floor as West stands, surveying the room.

“You okay?” Dex’s voice is low as he stares at me. My hands rest over my lower stomach as worry and fear sets deep into my bones. I know I have to be strong, not only for myself now but for Holden and our baby. With a steeled breath in, I nod.

He finally takes a deep breath and I feel Blake’s arms wrap around me from the side. My eyes meet hers and I can tell she wants to ask me again if I’m fine. Her golden eyes flicker down to my stomach and all I can do to answer her is squeeze her arm in reassurance that we’re fine. Marlowe and a few of the other members file their way in, all of them freezing as soon as the chaos of the room comes into view.

Moments pass where everyone is silent and the only thing that’s clear when my eyes land on Dex’s is that we’re fucked.

HOLDEN

“West, slow down!” I yell into my phone. “What the hell are you talking about?”

We’re pulled over into a clearing on the side of the highway. I can feel Cole’s eyes boring into the back of my head as I try to understand what Wyatt is yelling about. I can make out Stokes’s name and then I hear Wolfe cursing in the background. My heart sinks when Wyatt takes a breath.

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