Page 52 of Tempest

I nodded, knowing what was coming. As I followed him inside, I couldn’t shake the image of Sam’s blood-soaked body. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. The cartel had just started a war they weren’t prepared to finish.

I stomped into the clubhouse, my fists so tight my knuckles turned white. The rage inside me was a living thing, clawing to get out. I needed to hit something, to break something, to make someone pay.

I followed Savior to his office and took a seat. He glared at me over the top of the desk.

“This is a clusterfuck of epic proportions. You should have told us when Kasen was taken. We would have at least known something might be coming. Thanks to your negligence, we were blindsided, and now we’ve lost two brothers. Hell, Sam may very well die. Are you going to be the one to tell Amity you’re responsible for taking her father away?”

I swallowed hard. “Look, I know I fucked up. I can’t change the decisions I made, or how things played out. Want me to step down as Sergeant-at-Arms? Because I will.”

Savior sighed. “No. Tank personally picked you for that position, and I’m letting it stand. But there will be repercussions. I’m docking your pay fifteen percent for the next six months, and you’re footing the bill for any funerals.”

“Thanks, Pres.” I rubbed at my chest, trying to get rid of the ache settling in from the lives we’d lost today.

“Now, go figure out how to get us the hell out of his mess. For one, we need to know how they knew to come here. I doubt you left a calling card.”

“I’m on it.” I stood and left his office, heading for the main room. I spotted Prophet nursing a beer at the bar.

“Prophet! Wire! Church. Now.”

Both nodded, Prophet’s face grim as he fell in step beside me. We strode into the small, windowless room.

“We need intel,” I growled, slamming my palms on the table. “Where are they holed up? Who’s calling the shots? And how the fuck did they know to come here?”

Prophet’s eyes narrowed, his mind already working. “I’ve got a contact in the sheriff’s office. Might be able to tell me if they’ve noticed anything on their end.”

“Do it,” I snapped, then forced myself to take a breath. “Sorry, man. It’s just --”

“I know,” Prophet cut me off, his voice low and steady. “We’re all feeling it, Tempest. But we need clear heads if we’re gonna hit back effectively.”

I nodded, grateful for his level-headedness. It was why we worked so well together -- my fire and his ice.

“I’m still doing all I can, but I think the cartel has their own hacker. Maybe several considering how well they’re trying to cover shit up and hide like a bunch of damn rats,” Wire said.

“All right, what else?” I asked, my mind racing. “We need to know their supply routes, their safe houses. Every Goddamn thing about these pricks. They set that up too neatly for this to be their first time in this area.”

Prophet pulled out his phone, fingers flying over the screen. “I’ll reach out to some friends. I don’t agree with their life choices, but if anyone is hiding out in those areas, they’ll know about it.”

“Good thinking,” I said, feeling a spark of hope amidst the anger. “I’ll get Bull and Rocky to map out the ambush site, see if we can figure out how they knew we’d be there.”

We locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between us. This wasn’t just about revenge -- it was about protecting our family, our way of life.

“We’re gonna make them regret ever setting foot in our territory,” I growled.

Prophet’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Amen to that, brother. Let’s go hunting.”

“I’ll call in help from Surge and Wizard. Maybe they’ll see something I’m missing. I’ve been staring at this shit for some long my eyes are crossing,” Wire said. “But we’ll figure it out.”

* * *

Kasen

I watched Tempest from across the clubhouse, my heart aching. His eyes blazing with that fiery intensity that both thrilled and terrified me. He was in full Sergeant-at-Arms mode, barking orders and radiating danger.

God, I wanted to go to him. To wrap my arms around his taut frame and tell him it would be okay. But I couldn’t. That wouldn’t be helpful to him right now.

I bit my lip, fighting the urge to fidget. Tempest’s gaze swept the room, and for a split second, our eyes met. My breath caught.

“You okay, sweetie?” A gentle voice broke my trance.

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