Page 39 of Ruthless Redemption

“You want back up?” came the response on the radio.

Rock shook his head. “No. We can’t risk this is some kind of diversion. You make sure that asshole doesn’t get on the plane.”

“Sure thing, boss. We’re moving in. Standby for a report.”

His brother threw his walkie down on the seat between them. “I swear to God if this operation goes sideways I am going to have Mazzeo’s head on a platter.”

He was only half listening to Rock rail about his operation as the car veered toward the left on the single road that led in that direction. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end and something niggling at the back of his mind had him on high alert as he continued to search their surroundings for any sign.

His gut was telling him something was already going wrong, but thus far there was no evidence of what. He should have pressed JD for more details before the club all but disappeared.

As the SUV cleared the ridge, a small row of hangers ringed this section of land that fed directly to the main runway about two hundred feet to their right. Rock had been right. Although why he had none of his team scoping out this area in advance made no sense.

“Hey, boss.” came the same voice across the walkie talkie. “We’ve secured the plane, but no one besides the pilot is here.”

“Fuck!” Rock grabbed the device and depressed the talk button. “Keep half the team on site and then send the rest to our location. You’ve got the coordinates.”

“Affirmative. We’re headed your way now.”

“I swear to God, Houston. If you’re holding back on me about the club, I am going to kill you myself. Screw whatever they might do to you.”

He turned and narrowed his eyes to his brother. “You overestimate my loyalty to anyone other than Izzy. I may have come to an understanding with JD, but that doesn’t mean they come before her. No one does that. Not even you, brother.”

Rock neither flinched nor hesitated and for that Houston respected him. He wished to God himself that he felt more towards his brother than he did, but their past had fucked that up. Although maybe, when this was all over, he could learn to be a real brother. It had been a long damned time.

“You really love her? A mobster’s daughter?”

He shook his head all while the hairs on the back of his neck were practically vibrating in warning. “Not every child of a criminal deserves to be held accountable for their actions. Some are simply innocent bystanders.”

Rock smirked. “Are you talking about her or yourself?”

“No, you idiot. I’m talking about you. You got out and did something good with your life. I’m proud of that.” The words were a little bitter crossing his tongue, but they also felt good because they were true. That it had taken him a decade to say them filled him with shame. “Now it’s Izzy’s turn. She deserves her shot at freedom. Even if she had to earn it in the worst way imaginable.”

His brother stared at him, not responding at first. The silence thickened the space between them despite the sounds of the SUV speeding towards the hanger.

“You’re going to let her go? Keep her out of the club? There’s no freedom for her there.”

He wasn’t sure if he agreed or disagreed with Rock about the club personally, but for Izzy he was right. They might have what was right on their side, but in the eyes of the law they would always be criminals and thus live their lives under a microscope.

Something snapped inside him as the vehicle came to a screeching halt. He didn’t wait for Rock’s instructions. He was done taking orders. He popped the door open and took off for the hanger at a dead run.

A glint of light from the corner of the building snagged his vision and what he believed became confirmed when he caught sight of a familiar rear view mirror. The bikes were here, which meant so was the club.

Rock sped past him and Houston cursed his stupid knee. If those fuckers who worked for his brother hadn’t disabled him he could have made it to the building ahead of Rock. As it was, he had to settle for coming in second just behind him.

They both came to a halt and Rock used hand signals to let him know that they were going in silent with him in the lead. Since Rock had failed to give him a gun, he decided to play along. For now.

He honestly didn’t need a weapon to kill Marco. He had his hands and enough pent up rage roiling in his veins to fuel an all out war.

They entered the building and immediately heard the shouts from across the cavernous space. Together they worked their way across the hanger taking refuge behind different storage containers and a couple of planes that had seen much better days.

“That’s far enough.” Both he and Rock froze at the deceptively calm sound of T-Bone’s voice, one of the newer club guys who wasn’t exactly jumping up and down over Houston’s arrival.

He turned and faced his club brother who stood with a Glock nine pointed at Rock’s chest. “What do we have here? I thought you were with us?” His hand twitched on the trigger and Houston’s blood chilled.

“Easy, T-Bone. I am with the club.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing with a fed?”

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