Page 47 of Nikolai

"The ball's in your court." Jake steps forward. "How do you see this playing out?"

My father answers Jake, "Vadim doesn't like to get his hands dirty. My boat is docked near the furthest end of the Marina. His presence not only here but on my property lets me know he wanted me to find him. We should assume he has an army of men protecting him. "

"He's drawing us in?" Jake realizes, and his face darkens. "This fucker has no idea who he is dealin' with."

Damn right he doesn't. I look around the room. Like us, The Kings are no strangers to violence or bloodshed. Every man in here is willing to go to war.

"How's your supply of weapons?" I question Jake.

"Ready for war, brother," he grins.

"Good. I want to send a few men out on the roads." My father looks around the room. "Nikolai, I'd like you to join them. You know better than anyone what Petrov's men look like. Scope out the area between here and the Marina. They could be anywhere." I nod at his order.

Jake chimes in as he attaches a fully loaded clip into his pistol. "Gabriel, ride out with Nikolai, and take Blake with you."

Wasting no time, Gabriel, Blake, and I rush to our bikes to find clues that may lead us in the right direction. Several minutes pass before approaching the bridge where remnants of the crash still litter the sides of the road. Blowing past one police car and a wrecker uprighting the burnt-out car that carried Glory and Sasha, the three of us keep our eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. We cruise to the Marina before doubling back. Almost six miles before closing in on the accident scene from the opposite direction, my headlights reflect off something white near the ditch on the roadside. I slow my speed, causing Gabriel and Blake to do the same.

A few yards away, my headlight shines on what appears to be the body of a man. Putting my bike in neutral, I leave it parked, running on the side of the road. Navigating a fourth of the way down the shallow ditch, I peer down, taking in the shadowed eyes of a dead man.

"Recognize him?" Gabriel hovers behind me, his frame casting a shadow over a portion of the body.

I study him for a second. "Never seen him before. You?" I reply.

"He's not from around here," Blake states.

With the toe of my boot, I nudge his muddied face, pushing it to the side. That's when I notice the black inked tattoo on the side of his neck. "Fuck."

"I take it his ink means somethin'?" Gabriel asks.

"We need to get back to the clubhouse," I say with venom.

Walkinginto the clubhouse a short time later, with Gabriel and Blake right behind me, I approach my father. He studies me as Blake informs everyone, "Found a body on the side of the road about six miles from the accident site." His words catch everyone's attention. "I haven't seen his face around here before. But he has a tattoo on the left side of his neck of a scorpion."

"Petrov," my father states, knowing all his men wear the mark.

"We found nothing else between here and the Marina. I would guess Vadim's army is small, and they've camped out closer to Glory's location," Gabriel informs us.

Ready for war, my father glances at the men in the room—our family. "This shit ends tonight," he declares and walks out of the small metal building. He climbs into a car, and I quickly join him.

A few minutes later, silence engulfs us. The only sound heard is the rushing of blood coursing through my veins as my adrenaline increases with the roar of six Harleys following close behind. On the east side of the lake, we come to a stop, opposite where my father docks his boat. Through my window, I watch as The Kings and the rest of our men pull off the road. I step out of the car and glance at every man's face. They've all been to war more than once. We all ready our weapons, waiting for the final words before the battle.

My father grips a revolver in his hand I haven't seen before. "Kill them all."

As we make our way through the entrance, Jake throws his fist in the air. He signals to us, pointing out three men walking the dock about thirty yards ahead. I watch Logan, Reid, and Quinn raise their rifles and aim. Simultaneously, they pull their triggers, and the three men fall. Surging forward, we stride pass the dead men, blood pooling beneath their bodies as we step over them.

Shots ring out, and bullets whiz by, hitting nearby boats. Taking shelter, we wait until the gunfire ceases. Jake quickly puts a bullet through the chest of one guy before ducking behind another boat. Aiming, my shot finds its mark, and I watch another man fall. I suddenly notice my father's boat drifting away from the pier. My father sees it mere seconds after me and takes off running. Bullets whiz by my head as I take off after him. Not stopping, I leap in the air, landing on the boat, then look back over my shoulder, noticing my father hasn't done the same. "Jump!" I yell, and he propels himself off the dock.

His feet hit the deck, hard, causing his whole body to slam into the lower deck door, landing on his back and his weapon skids across the floor, out of his reach. A single shot rings out. Overhead, a short bald bastard is standing on the flying bridge. From the rear of the boat, I raise my hand and pull the trigger. The man sways on his feet before falling over the side into the water below. My father looks back, locking eyes with me before I'm tackled. The large man wraps his hand around my wrist, trying to disarm me. The son of a bitch is massive. He throws his weight into me again, violently slamming my side against the railing. A struggle ensues as I fight to keep possession of my weapon. The instant the end of my gun presses into his gut, I pull the trigger. The man loses his footing, pulling both him and me over the railing. With one hand gripping the rail, I don't look back as I hear his body splash into the water. I pull myself back onto the boat. Looking down, blood soaks the front of my shirt. My father notices as well, and I tell him, "It's not mine." Realizing my hand is empty, I look around. "I lost my gun." Then I look over the railing, down into the water below.

"Stay close," my father tells me, knowing I am now unarmed. We turn our attention to the cabin, climb the stairs, and peer through the glass, finding no one inside. My father glances over his shoulder, shakes his head, then points to the boat's bow. Quietly, we make our way around the side.

"Show yourself. I know you're here, Volkov." The voice of Vadim stops my father in his tracks, causing me to slam into his back. "I've got a sweet looking redhead standing beside me."

"Fucking touch me again, you prick, and I'll rip your dick off then shove it down your throat." I hear Glory sass.

My father grips the revolver held at his side, and with nothing but my fist as weapons, I have his back as we walk from the shadows.

The moment I see my mother standing next to Vadim, my blood runs cold. "Mom?" I mutter beneath my breath. My eyes dart to Vadim, who has the blade of a knife to Glory's throat with one hand and a gun pressed against her ribcage with the other. "Nice of you to join us," Vadim sneers, his lips upturned in a sinister smile.

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