Page 57 of Tempest

Silence.

Then, a flicker of movement caught my eye. A shadow passing across the window.

My hand instinctively reached for the gun under my pillow. “Kasen,” I whispered, gently shaking her. “Wake up, darlin’.”

Her eyes fluttered open, confusion quickly replaced by understanding as she caught my expression. “What is it?” she mouthed.

“Not sure,” I murmured, sliding out of bed. “Stay here.”

Kasen sat up, shaking her head. “Like hell I will.”

I bit back a growl of frustration. This woman would be the death of me. “Fine. But stay behind me.”

She grabbed my shirt off the floor and tugged it on. I pulled on my boxers, and we crept toward the window, the floorboards creaking beneath our feet. I peered out, scanning the darkness.

Nothing.

Then, a flash of metal in the moonlight. A car, idling near the fence line. Maybe I hadn’t heard a crash but a car door? I’d been asleep after all. I may not have heard what I thought I did.

“Shit,” I hissed.

Kasen’s hand found mine, squeezing tight. “Think it’s the cartel?”

I nodded grimly. “Most likely. We need to move. Now.”

As we scrambled to finish dressing, my mind raced. The peace we’d found was shattered, reality crashing back in. How the hell had they gotten so close? It just proved that no matter how tight we thought we had this place locked down, the evil bastards coming for us would always find a way inside.

I shot off a text to Savior, Saint, and Wire, alerting them. Hopefully, Wire would be able to get a better look at the vehicle on one of his cameras. It looked like shit was about to hit the fan.

Chapter Seventeen

Tempest

I pushed open the heavy clubhouse door, a wall of noise hitting me like a physical force. The air crackled with tension and urgency.

Voices shouted over each other, boots stomped across creaking floorboards, and the metallicclangof weapons being checked and loaded punctuated it all. My eyes swept the room, taking in the sea of leather cuts and patches from our allied clubs.

Scratch from Devil’s Boneyard caught my eye, giving a curt nod. Beside him, Jackal and Irish stood alert. Angel and Killer from Twisted Tides huddled in a corner, heads bent in intense discussion. I’d been surprised when they’d shown up on our doorstep early this morning, but they said Tiger wanted retribution for what the cartel had done to their club. It was their way of lending a hand while getting even.

The Hades Abyss crew -- Stone, Poison, and Bones -- were spread out, watchful gazes scanning constantly. I’d been especially glad to see Bones, since I knew he was a doctor. I had a feeling we’d need all the medical help we could get.

And there, by the bar, Scorpion, Colorado, and Silver from Devil’s Fury nursed drinks, coiled tension evident in every line of their bodies. The Savage Raptors had wanted to send men, but Bull had asked them to stay put, since his daughter, Isy, and his son, Foster, both lived there now. It probably gave him peace of mind knowing they’d be safe, and if no one from their club was present, they wouldn’t be on the cartel’s radar.

So many here, ready to spill blood for us. The weight of responsibility pressed down, threatening to crush me.

“Wire set up yet?” I asked of no one in particular, my voice cutting through the din.

A Prospect jerked his thumb toward a side room. “In there, Tempest.”

I stalked over, my body humming with barely contained energy. Wire was hunched over a table, surrounded by a mess of wires, screens, and blinking lights. His fingers flew across keyboards, face bathed in the blue glow of multiple monitors.

“How’s it coming?” I asked, leaning in.

Wire didn’t even look up. “Almost there. Give me five more minutes and we’ll have eyes everywhere within a five-mile radius. All the cameras inside the compound, as well as those monitoring our property line, are already up and running.”

I grunted, impressed despite myself. “Good. We can’t afford any blind spots.”

Should have done this shit a long time ago. Maybe things had been too peaceful. Or we were just getting too old for this shit. Not that it would really matter. Something could still go wrong. Power outage would kill any advantage we had.

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