Page 27 of Hendrix

I closed my eyes, trying to tamp down my need to punch something.

We weren’t choirboys by any stretch of the imagination, but women and civilians were off-limits. We fought the enemy and even each other sometimes—as proven by Iceman and Fletcher the night before—but anybody weaker than us was left alone. It was a bylaw I laid out for every man when they joined. I made it clear that we weren’t a biker club that was going to throw our weight around or try to intimidate our neighbors into doing what we wanted. We were to be respectful and, in turn, be respected.

My men could be assholes in a lot of ways, but I’d instilled a sense of honor in my club and made it an organization the men could be proud to be part of, so I had no doubt they were as disgusted with this intel as I was.

Cash hadn’t told me in so many words, but I could read between the lines and suspected things had gotten violent for Anna. I also knew it would have been the first and last time because there was one thing I was certain about.

My woman wouldn’t tolerate a man who physically or emotionally abused her.

Hell, she wouldn’t even tolerate my backward-and-forward bullshit, so if Antoni Lis thought she’d stay after he put his hands on her, he didn’t know her as well as I did.

The asshole was living on borrowed time because I’d make sure that whatever he did to Anna would come back on him tenfold before I sliced his piece of shit throat.

He’d forced my hand, and now all bets were off.

I wanted my woman back.

“You okay, Prez,” Blade rasped from beside me.

I opened my eyes, and my head swiveled to face him. “I will be.”

“We’re gonna take him out,” my VP assured me.

Nodding, I murmured, “Yeah, Veep. I know.”

Blade’s mouth curved.

“Breaker’s on his way here. As soon as Cash calls with the rest of the intel, we’ll roll out and fuel up the jet. Ice is flying the bird, so he’s in with Breaker. Who else is feelin’ stabby?”

Every hand shot up.

I cast an eye over the group.

In normal circumstances, I’d take Pyro. He was our explosives expert, but Breaker’s presence meant I already had one. Pyro was good at his job, but he wasn’t exactly subtle. I needed shadows, men who could stand in a room full of people but not be seen.

Trick was my vehicle and ops genius. His aim was perfect, he was brave, and he thought on his feet. The only problem was we’d be working in teams, and I needed men who took charge.

Blade was out. He needed to stay here in case anything happened to me. We’d decided from day one to never go on jobs together, so there was always somebody in authority at HQ.

My stare landed on Gambit. He was an ex-British Special Forces, namely the SAS, or Special Air Service, a renowned unit within the British Army. The SAS was highly regarded all around the world for its expertise in counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and reconnaissance.

Gambit could turn invisible when needed, so he was up.

Another name sprung into my head, but it wasn’t an officer. I needed a calm, quiet brother who could kill without hesitation. We had to get in and out in a limited time frame.

“Gambit and Picasso,” I said matter-of-factly. “This job’s gonna be sensitive. I trust every one of you with my life, but let’s face it, you’re gung-ho motherfuckers, which isn’t a problem usually, but I need understated for this job. Gambit’s a shadow, and Cass is a Ninja. I appreciate your enthusiasm, boys, but this job needs quiet efficiency, not bombs and shoot-em-ups.”

“Why aren’t we goin’ in hot?” Diablo inquired

I motioned to Colt to go ahead and answer.

“These men have ties to the Pruszków Mafia,” he explained. “We’re not leaving anybody alive, and if they get so much as a whiff of us being involved, it’ll start a war. We’re gonna set it up so a local gang gets blamed for the hits. The Feds have sanctioned the mission but if the club gets caught, like always, they’ll deny any government involvement.”

“Are you goin’?” Dad asked.

“Shep and I will be the investigating agents,” Colt confirmed. “We’ll be first on the scene. All bein’ well, we’ll be done and dusted within twenty-four hours.”

“Why’s Breaker going in?” Pyro demanded. “Don’t need anyone doing my job for me. I don’t get enough action as it is.”

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