Page 57 of Always Mine

They held their guns tight, and Anthony saw their trigger fingers going.“Shoot, Dad,” he said.

Lash had already started to shoot and he took out both guys, shooting at their legs.

They stood up from their covered position, and Anthony felt like a spare fucking part.On the other side, he watched as Hardy and several of the guys stood.

His father had only hit the legs on both guys, so they were still alive.Moving in closer, Anthony didn’t wait as he picked up one of the guns and then moved to the other guard, picking up another gun.He looked toward Luke, and after a slight hesitation, he held it out for him to take.

Luke took it, and then Lash moved in closer.

“You want to tell me if your leader is here?”Lash asked.

“Fuck you.”

“Wrong answer.”Lash shot the first guard in the head.He moved toward the second man.“Now, do you want to die as quickly as he did, or would you like your death to be slow?”

“He’s gone.He’s gone.He’s gone.He came and ...he took the money, and he told us to hold the girls until the security came.”

“Security?”Lash asked.

“They’re the guys that come and take the girls from them,” Luke said.“All the club did was hold them until they were ready to take them.Then, when it’s time for auction, they’re moved to where they need to be.”

“Your dad is going to kill you,” he said.

Lash killed him with a single shot to the head.

“What if he had more—”

“He didn’t,” Lash said.“Once I made the first shot, more would have come out of the woodwork.Trust me.You guys are like vultures.”

“Thanks,” Luke said.

“Hey,” Lash said.“You don’t get a right to be offended.You swore loyalty to my son, and in doing so, that means you swore loyalty to me, and in doing that, you are now starting out as a Skull.You got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Luke said.

Anthony glanced at Luke and he saw the smile.It wasn’t a horrible smile, but it looked like he was relieved.

“Right, let’s get these girls and get out,” Lash said.

With that, they made their way into the house, taking their time.There were no lights on, and it was dark.Anthony held his gun tight to his body and looked around, waiting.There was no sound, but the stench inside the house was terrible.The house was decaying.Wallpaper fell from the walls, and black mold covered the walls.There were damp patches everywhere and missing floorboards.He was pretty sure he saw rat droppings as well.

And then he heard the sniffles, the silence, and the movement, the slight shuffling.They rounded the corner and locked behind cages had to be close to thirty girls, no women.They all looked too young.The smell was disgusting, and Anthony had a strong constitution.

“Holy shit,” Luke said.

Anthony glanced toward him.

“I knew, I mean, I knew what they were capable of, but I hadn’t seen ...I mean, this is...”He didn’t finish.

“Real,” Anthony said.

Luke nodded.“Yeah, this is fucking real.”

Lash was already calling it in to the Billionaires.Once he ended the call, he approached the cages.

“Right, I am going to open this cage and you are all free.This is not a joke.There are people on their way, and they want to get you home.They want to take care of you.They do not want to hurt you.”

None of the girls talked.

---