Page 57 of Burning Bridges

“Don’t piss us off then.” I smile back toward him. I might have lost any hope of my Acevedo family still being alive today, but I think I have just found my place in the Rivera family.

Chapter 31

LEO

PiperandIarriveat the location where Ben, Jett's new apprentice, told us the drugs were being produced. It's a rundown factory on the outskirts of the desert, and as we park a safe distance away, I can see through the night-vision goggles Jett gave me that the place is fortified, with security cameras and sensor lights. I’m not worried because I already know Jett will work his magic disconnecting them as soon as he arrives, but for now, we need to keep our distance because we can't afford to take any chances while they're in operation.

It has been twenty-four hours since Piper came up with the plan to blow up Kylo’s factory, and we have spent most of it researching everything we could about the place. In an ideal situation we would take a lot longer to plan an operation like this, but we don’t have time. After what happened yesterday, we know Kylo is after us all, and we can’t afford to wait for him to make the next move; we need to disarm him now.

Ben was more helpful than I expected, but since Jett has taken him under his wing and given him a decent job on his security team, he was happy to share any details he could remember. The kid sees and takes in a hell of a lot more than most. He reminds me of what I was like at his age, and I’m glad we made the decision to help him. He’s going to be an asset to our team. Jett has also sent one of his security guards to watch over his sister’s place tonight just to be sure she's safe.

I turn to Piper, her face lit by the dim glow of the streetlight not far from our car. "Are you ready for this?" I ask her, wishing she had stayed at home where she was safe. But if there is one thing I know about my girl, it's that she doesn’t shy away from danger—she faces it head-on, and this fight is just as personal for her as it is for me and my brothers.

She gives me a determined nod, her assessing gaze fixed on the factory in the distance. "I'm ready. Let's do this."

Piper tucks her pistol into the back of her jeans, and my eyes trail over her curves. She looks like a goddess in black skinny jeans and a leather jacket, her hair pulled back into her signature high ponytail, but there is no time to be distracted by her beauty. I need to focus.

She sees me watching her and takes my hand, and I turn to her. "Please be safe in there," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. I don’t want her to know how nervous it really makes me to have her here. I want her to know I trust her, and I know she needs revenge on this asshole just as much as I do. But I also need to know she's safe.

"Right back at you," she replies, her smile barely masking the fear in her eyes.

Jett and Brandon pull up beside us, followed by the Stones in their own vehicle. As we all hop out, I can feel the weight of the mission bearing down on me. There are a lot of people following along with Piper’s plan tonight, and I need it to run smoothly.

“Everyone know what their role is?” I ask, making sure we’re all on the same page.

“We’ve got this, Leo,” Kobe tells me with a cocky smile.

I motion to my brothers to go around back and check it out. We've been told that two security guards patrol the yard at all times, and Jett and Kobe will go in first and take care of them so the rest of us can follow behind safely.

They disappear into the darkness. The Stones take position at the front of the building, keeping watch for the rest of us, guns drawn, ready to shoot. I can always count on the Stones for security, even if Axel was annoyed I let Piper come along tonight. He’s just as protective of her as I am. Everyone has their part to play. I can only hope our plan is thorough enough when it’s the Kings we're up against.

We wait for the go-ahead from Jett, and when he returns with a thumbs-up, I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "We need to move quickly," I tell Piper, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nods and follows me through the hole the boys have made in the fence. We need to check it out and make sure this is the right place and Ben wasn't fucking us around. As much as he was helpful, he hasn’t yet proven himself as someone we can trust. As we approach the building, my heart is pounding in my chest. I boost her up so she can peek into the windows.

"What do you see?" I ask her. Normally the adrenaline of a job like this gives me a thrill, but having her here with me has me on edge. I can’t have anything happen to her, not now that we are finally together.

"It looks like a science lab," she says, her voice hushed. "And boxes, lots of boxes. They must be preparing for a huge shipment, just like Ben said."

I feel a sense of satisfaction wash over me. We've caught them in the act. This couldn’t be any more perfect. They are about to lose more than some drugs. They will be dead men walking when they can’t deliver the shipment tomorrow. The kid didn't bullshit. He told Jett they were shipping out a huge order tomorrow, and by the looks of it, it's all ready to go. She jumps back down into my arms, and I help her to standing. I give Brandon the nod, and he makes his way over to us with the explosives.

Brandon appears next to us, his eyes glistening with mischief. "You ready to blow this joint?" he asks, holding up the explosives. Man, I have missed having this fucker around.

Piper nods, and the three of us make fast work placing the explosives just like we discussed. Then we retreat through the fence, back to where our cars are parked, Axel and Hendrix following us until we can all get a safe distance away. I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. This is it.

Jett counts us down with his fingers, his face set in grim determination. And then, with a flick of his wrist, the charges explode.

The factory erupts in a fiery blaze, sending a wave of heat our way.

“Get out of here,” I tell them all. And just as quickly as the building went up, we all fly into cars and take off, fleeing the scene. I’ll meet up with Kobe and Jett back at home.

Piper jumps back in with me, and as we speed away behind them, I can hear the wail of sirens in the distance. I knew it wouldn’t take the cops long to show. They may have turned a blind eye to a lot of what is going on, but something like this, they will want to make a show that they are doing their jobs. And I know for a fact the new detective will be all over this.

The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins as we speed down the empty streets. Piper is gripping my hand tightly, her knuckles white. I can feel her fear and excitement, and I smile over to her.

"We did it," I say, feeling proud of what we've accomplished. "We just took down a major drug operation and the assholes who were trying to destroy us."

Piper nods, but she still looks worried. "What if they come after us?" she asks. "You know he’s going to try; he will know it was us."

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