Page 75 of Nova

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Nova

Reloading my gun, I hang another target, then press the button, watching the paper flutter as the track pulls it to the far end of the shooting range. Everything is finally getting back to normal. I had my hearing on the charges I was facing a few days ago. Luckily, I didn't have to do any jail time. The judge reduced my charges, leaving me to pay a heavy fine, which I paid in full before I left the courthouse the same day.

Even though the dust has settled, and the threat of the Punisher's wayward brother is no longer an issue, I still feel a sense of unease. A looming feeling that won't go away. Which is why I'm here, at the range, instead of the bar tending to my usual duties. I know Promise needs to get back to life, and her law practice, but the need to make sure her and Piper stay safe is still strong. So, for several days now, I've stayed close enough to put my mind at ease but far enough to give her space to work.

Sliding my ear covers on, I widen my stance and aim at my target. Before I can pull the trigger, Kiwi's raised voices shouting my name alerts me to something being wrong. The headphone is ripped from my head, and I toss them to the counter in front of me. I take in his expression and my gut wrenches.

"Promise is gone," he tells me.

"What the fuck do you mean gone?"

"Let's talk while you follow me to the security room." Kiwi turns on his heel, and I follow. "London burst through the store doors seconds ago. Said she found the trunk of Promise's car open, her keys laying on the ground, and Promise nowhere to be found." The door to the security room flies open, bouncing off the wall behind it with a loud thud. Tapping feverishly, Kiwi pulls up the feed from outside Promise's building across the street. As he rewinds the history of the footage, my breath catches in my throat.

"Shit." Kiwi's eyes dart to mine, before looking back at the computer screen. We watch the twelve seconds of footage. A giant of a man, wearing a black suit comes up behind my unsuspecting woman. I hone in on what he's holding in his hand but can't quite make it out. That is until he points it at her, and I watch her body convulse before her knees buckle, and she falls to the pavement. The man scoops her in his arms, just as a black sedan rolls into view. I instantly recognize the man the moment his face comes into focus. He's one of Velasco's men. His goon loads her in the backseat, then disappears into the car himself before the vehicle takes off. Everything happens in less than a minute.

My phone is at my ear, calling my brother as I rush toward the front of the store.

"How's it goin'?" Riggs' voice sounds chipper.

My voice cracks. "Promise was taken." Stalking into another room, I punch in a code unlocking a gun safe. Reaching inside, I grab a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun, then load my pockets with shells.

There's a commotion in the background as my brother barks out orders. "Who?"

"Velasco."

"Fuckin' hell." He knows what this means. We are about to go up against a notorious drug kingpin. I also know my club will go to war against anyone. "Kiwi, still with you?"

"At my side," I tell him as Kiwi loads himself with a few extra clips.

"Location?" Riggs asks, and I briefly take my phone from my ear, texting him the details, then press it to my ear again.

"Just sent his address."

"The rest of us will meet you there." He disconnects the call, and I shove my phone in my pocket. "Fuck!" I put my fist through the wall. He took her right out from under my goddamn nose.

For the past two years, Velasco has been one of the leading criminals bringing drugs, and death to our city, Louisiana and the surrounding states. Velasco is not your run of the mill street dealer and has not been much of a problem locally. Up until his recent run-in with the law. Up until now, his bullshit has never been enough to start a war. Today I plan to end it before it begins. "Shit. Where the hell is London?" I remember the moment we hit the front of the store.

"I told her to take her ass to the clubhouse. The girls will let her in."

"Good thinkin'." We bust out the double doors, stepping out into the muggy air, the skies ominous with dark storm clouds.Cain. I hear Promise's voice in my head as I strap the shotgun to the side of my bike. "I'm comin' for you, babe," I say out loud as if she were here as I fire up the engine.

Dread pools in my gut with thoughts of something awful happening to her and the baby. I take off down the road, with Kiwi riding at my side. As we maneuver our bikes through the city streets, I can't help but feel like I've let my woman down. I was supposed to protect her, and that doesn't sit well with me. I should have killed the motherfucker weeks ago. Nerves eat at my insides, knowing two lives are at stake.

Doing my best, I shake those thoughts from my head. Right now, getting to her in time is all that matters to me. Even if that means giving my life to save hers and my unborn child.

Before long, the building Velasco resides in comes into view. So do my other club members who merge with us as we cruise down the road, with Riggs leading the way. Our approach becomes muffled by the sound of thunder overhead, just before heavy sheets of rain begin to fall. Throwing his hand in the air, we roll to a dead stop, keeping out of sight on the side of a vacant warehouse. Riggs signals, warning us of the men posted at each side of the building's front entrance.

We kill our engines, and I reach down, unstrapping my shotgun. Rain-soaked, we seek refuge within the abandoned building. As Riggs goes over how we will execute our following actions, I zone out. My imagination starts fucking with my head. Visions of what my woman could be going through and what we might walk in on consume my every thought. Fear of the unknown takes up all my headspace.

"Cain." My brother's voice cracks the surface, and I look at him.

"Focus." He eyes me for a second until he is confident that I'm paying attention. "Good. Now, listen. We're going in completely blind. So, we have no idea the odds that may be stacked against us. Wick, Fender, take out the two fuckers keeping watch, then I want you both covering all outside exits." Wick and Fender nod, then take off. Riggs finds Everest and Kiwi to his left. "Once Nova and I gain entrance, I want the two of you to start searching the first floor. Take out anyone associated with Velasco."

Kiwi and Everest nod.

My brother averts his attention to me, grasping my shoulder with a firm grip. "She's your woman. You take the lead this time. We've got your back."

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