Page 13 of Outplayed

Chapter Four

Violet

Fuck Travis and his lips. The feel of them on me was seared into my brain. Why did the dickhead have to kiss me like he was worried about me? Hell, maybe he was, but he had no right to.

I sat at my computer fuming about it and the fact we were running out of leads to find Zara. Rocko, the Venom MC president, gave us addresses and number plates of the guys who were helping Vic, Talon’s dead, betraying brothers. The ones who were delivering Zara to David. The other betraying brother, Pick, had redeemed himself in one way by saving Zara’s brother and his partner from Vic’s gun by getting shot himself. I knew he would pay by my brother’s hands, though, and he’d deserve it.

I hated seeing Talon in pain. It gutted me to see my brother on the verge of losing it. Just from the way he fought to find them showed me the man he’d become—a good man, one who found the perfect woman for him. Anyone could see he loved Zara and the kids with his life. He couldn’t and wouldn’t live without them. I was proud, once again, to call him my brother.

We had to get them all back. For Talon, for the Hawks, and for even me.

I wanted more time with my nephew, Cody, Talon’s son, who I hardly knew. I wanted to see Zara giving Talon a hard time. I just wanted more time with everyone I loved.

“Anything?” Talon asked, desperation in his tone.

“Talon, I’m not that frigging fast, give me a minute,” I answered. “I’ll send Chuck to their houses, but I doubt they’re there. They would have taken them to David straight away so they could be paid,” I explained and then picked up my phone.

I kept Chuck on the line while he drove to the houses. “Nothing, Vi,” he said with a sigh. “They ain’t at either house.”

“Shit,” I whispered.

Talon, with the phone to his ear, called out, “Violet, how we doing?”

“Zip. I’ve got Chuck on the line. There’s no one at their houses. Their cars are in their frigging drives. I’ve got nothing else to go on.” Panic showed in my voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Jesus Christ,” Talon whispered. Torment flashed in and out of his eyes. He said into the phone, “No. Fuck, brother. We have to find them—” I stood as Talon tensed, listening. “Blue?” he snarled. “Brother,” he demanded. His shoulders sagged, his eyes closed, I got close. “Text me the address. I’ll meet you there.” He hung up and told us, “Travis got a location. Let’s go.”

Travis had come through.

That was… nice. But, nope, I wouldn’t think about that.

“Talon, wait,” I called when a thought crossed my mind.

“What, woman? I gotta get my family.”

“You and Griz need my guns. If the bullets are traced, I’m covered for being a PI. You’re not.”

My brother closed his eyes. He knew I was protecting him. He felt it deep, but he had to know when it came to matters of family, I would always have his back. Ignoring Deanna and Griz, I opened my gun safe under my desk, got out three, and walked over to Talon. Handing one to Griz, then to Talon, I slipped the other into the back of my jeans.

Talon caught my gaze. “There could be a lotta people goin’ down today, Vi. You ready for this?”

“Fuck yeah.” I smiled. We’d get Zara and the kids back. Talon would continue living a happy life with a woman he did deserve, and I would gain back my brother and his family.

“Let’s move then.” Talon grinned back at me.

We met the other Hawks members. Once we were out of the car, Blue asked, “What’s the plan?”

Talon sucked in a breath. “We need to be fast, get in and get out. The warehouse is a block away at the end of a dead-end street. Not much goes on in these parts, so there shouldn’t be any witnesses we’d need to buy off.” Talon stopped; fury crossed his features, and I was sure I still knew my brother enough to know he’d be thinking he was wasting his time explaining when all he wanted to do was get in there and out with his family.

Stepping up, I rested my hand on his arm. He glanced down at me. “We go in on foot from here. We don’t want them knowing we’re coming.” I glanced over Blue’s shoulder to see Warden pull in. I smiled. “Good, just in time.” Warden climbed out and went to the back of the car, opening the trunk. I’d asked him to make a stop for me. “Everyone needs to swap out their weapons for one of ours,” I shouted to the brothers.

“Shit, Vi,” Talon groaned, emotions rode his voice. “How the fuck are you going to explain firing off twenty or so guns to the cops?”

I shrugged. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.” He shook his head. I shifted closer. “Do you think Zara would want her man in jail after just saving her?” I asked. She wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t want to actually see my brother in jail after he’d cleaned his life and the lives of his members up. This was different. It was for family, and the only people who would be harmed were ones who shouldn’t exist anyway. “No. Do it for her, Talon.” He eyed me, searching for something. He must have found it because he nodded.

Tears welled, but I blinked them away, and thankfully, Barbie, Zara’s best friend and my arch nemesis, piped up with, “Do I get a fuckin’ gun now?”

“No,” Griz answered with a growl to his tone. “You stick with me, princess.”

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