Page 79 of Kilo's Edge

“We’ll find the gun,” Lockout said, before Ruck even had a chance to ask.

“Is Roger okay?” I asked. Everyone looked at me and I gave Ruck an apologetic look for interrupting again. “Ashley hit him pretty hard in the head with his gun.”

“Yeah,” Lock said, answering my question. “Got a nasty bump, but otherwise he’s going to be fine.”

“We’ll see you back there,” Ruck told him and hung up the phone.

“Who the fuck is Ashley?” Overdrive asked the moment the call ended.

“That was the FBI Agent’s name,” I told them.

Silence descended, then they began laughing.

“His name was Ashley?” Kilo asked.

“It was his last name, apparently,” I said with my own laugh.

“Fucking stupid name,” Ruck said with a chuckle. “No wonder he was a little bitch.”

“And you got your ass handed to you by a bitch man named Ashley,” Overdrive taunted Kilo.

“I didn’t get my ass handed to me,” Kilo replied, scowling at his friend. “You’re just pissed that I won this round.”

“Won?” I asked.

“Little game we play sometimes,” Overdrive told me. “And you didn’t win.”

“The fuck I didn’t.”

“Kruzman doesn’t count in your favor. Ruck saved him for you. And a man named Ashley counts for negative one. I win.”

“Bullshit! You don’t get to count someone as a negative. I still won without Kruzman,” Kilo declared, squeezing me close. It was as though he somehow knew I needed comfort at just hearing Kruzman’s name.

I was determined to rid myself of the stain Kruzman had left on my life, but it was going to take some time. When a man hunted you, and tried to kill you multiple times, over four years, he inspired a good amount of fear.

The drive didn’t seem to take nearly as long as it had when Ashley had been taking me out to the desert to my demise. Crazy how fear seemed to slow things down. Kissing Kilo’s lips with a quick peck, I jumped out of the SUV and ran toward the house.

“Mercy! Wait! There could still be a threat!” He cursed and followed after me.

Pausing at the door, I considered my options. If I burst through, the bikers on the other side could kill me. They didn’t know who I was and even though I looked like Mama and Carmen, they may not recognize that fast enough. I looked up as Kilo caught up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Good choice,” he told me. “We’re going to have to have a talk about safety, Woman.” He knocked on the door. “Friendlies incoming!”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Just letting them know it’s us,” Kilo replied with a wink, but he still stepped in front of me as he opened the door.

The fact that this man was shielding me from harm with his body was profoundly humbling. That he and his family had put themselves on the line was mind blowing. It was the ultimate declaration of love. Why else would he do any of this?

“Kilo, doing good?” One of the men inside the house asked.

“All good, Hellfire. Thanks for watching out for them.”

Stepping inside the house, I placed my hand on Kilo’s arm. When he looked down at me, I swallowed back the tears that wanted to burst free. “I love you.”

His lips kicked up at one corner. “Love you, too, Mercy.”

“Whoa, hang on a minute,” a man with a heavy southern drawl said. A grin was spreading over his face.

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