Page 62 of Nova

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Nova

Istill have adrenaline coursing through my veins from my face to face with Velasco when I roll my bike up to the clubhouse gate. That guy is a piece of fucking work, and fucking delusional if he sincerely believes my woman will give him the time of day. Inching my bike near the keypad, I begin to punch in the security code, just as Riggs comes busting through the front door in a full-on sprint.

The fuck?

With his phone pressed to his ear, Riggs swings his leg over his ride just as the gate rolls open. It only takes a second for me to pull my bike alongside his, my body becoming rigid as I take in his expression. I don't get the chance to hear his side of the conversation before he's shoving his phone in his pocket. My brother levels me with a rage-filled stare.

"Talk to me, brother."

"Creep has our women at gunpoint," he growls as he starts his engine.

My stomach falls. "Where?" I yell over the sound of both our motors running.

"Sadie's salon," Riggs says, and my gut churns. Promise and Piper. The two of them went with Luna, Tequila, and Sydney for another girl outing today.Fuck.I white knuckle my handlebars.

Riggs takes off, and my back tire flings loose gravel everywhere as I speed off toward the compound exit behind him. As the two of us race down the road, weaving through traffic, my mind has time to play out every unthinkable scenario. "Goddammit!" I roar through clench teeth.

After what feels like an eternity, we start closing in on the location of the salon, and my gut clenches tighter than it already was knowing my family is in danger. Following my brother's lead, I slow down, stopping a few buildings down from our destination. From where we are, I clearly notice the shades in the salon windows closed, keeping what's going on inside from passersby. We cut our engines, and dismount. On instinct, I go to rush past my brother, needing to get to my girls. His hand shoots out, grabbing the back of my cut with a firm tug, jerking me to a dead stop. "What the fuck?" I lash out, my anger getting the better of me.

"Cool your shit, brother," Riggs demands, his voice low with warning. "My woman is in there too, but we need to access the situation—get our bearings before barging in there with our guns blazzin'."

Fucking hell.

Why does he always need to be right?

"You talk to the others?"

"Not enough time for that." Riggs takes in our surroundings. "We may be goin' solo on this one." The streets are bustling with pedestrians. Slowly approaching the building, we stop as we reach the side of the salon. "That was Tequila I was talkin' to when you arrived at the clubhouse. For whatever reason, she stepped out of the salon, leaving the other women to do their thing. The motherfucker just so happened to make his move during this time."

A whistle catches our attention. Looking at the backside of the building, we spot Tequila. Keeping to the narrow space between the salon and the building beside it, Riggs and I make our way toward her. The moment we get to her, and step behind the building, I spot a blue rusted out van parked near the dumpster.

"You reach the others?" Riggs asks Tequila.

"They're on the way. It will take them a bit longer coming from the gun range," she informs him.

"That his?" Riggs motions to the van.

"Has to be." She keeps her voice low.

"When was the last time you had eyes on the women?" I want to know.

"It's been at least ten minutes since he directed Promise to lower the blinds. Up until then, I was able to see what was going on."

"Anyone hurt?" Riggs is quick to question.

"Promise's friend, the one who owns the salon, was bleeding. From where I don't know. I watched Promise struggle with the guy until he got the upper hand, but Piper is okay."

An ear-piercing scream coming from inside has my feet moving. Riggs and Tequila are on my heels as I sprint toward the back door, pulling my weapon from the holster at my side along the way. I don't wait for my brother to give the word to go. I try the handle.

"It's locked," Tequila informs.

"Goddamnit!" I yell, taking a step back, and attempt to kick the door in with my heavy boot.

"It's the only reason I haven't gone in myself," she adds, but at the moment, her words don't deter me from what needs to be done to get inside.

Another scream, followed by a loud crash, causes an animalistic roar to escape me, and my kicks become frantic. From the corner of my eye, I watch Riggs retrieve his gun. Before anyone has a chance to stop me, I take a step back and point my weapon at the deadbolt. I don't give a fuck at this point if gunfire is heard. All I care about is getting to my girls. Tequila and my brother back away from the door. I fire off several shots, leaving splintered holes in the wood surrounding the lock. Then together, using both our strength, Riggs and I kick the door in. Fragments of wood pieces are sent flying as we finally gain entrance.

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