They made several turns, moving farther and farther away from the dirtbags back at the warehouse who wouldn’t have the chance to intervene.
Anxiety buzzed in Kane’s body, and his knee bounced a million miles a minute as he waited for the right opportunity. Trying to calculate his every move before he took action.
They turned onto a side road that was less traveled, winding around so they could take a loop to get them onto the freeway that would lead back to LA.
A stop sign was up ahead, and Kelp started to slow.
This was it.
His chance.
Kane flew forward, lurching between the two front seats and yanking up the emergency brake.
In the exact same moment, he lifted his gun with his other hand, put it against Kelp’s temple, and pulled the trigger.
Blood splattered against the driver’s side window as the truck careened back and forth before it came skidding to a stop.
Kelp slumped over.
Kane knew he had only one second to move before Tyke would process what was happening.
That Kane was staging a full-scale mutiny.
He swung his arm around to point his gun at Tyke, but Tyke was already reacting. Both hands flew out to grip onto Kane’s wrist to deflect the shot.
“You fuckin’ disloyal bastard,” Tyke hissed through gritted teeth. His entire face flamed red as he struggled against Kane. “I knew it. Knew your whole fucking crew was gonna flip.”
“You think I’m going to stand aside and watch this sick shit?” Kane growled, a surge of strength taking him over when he thought about the girls in the back.
Kane managed to rip free of Tyke’s hold, and he angled to the left, trying to get in a position where he could get a clean shot.
Tyke twisted around and leaned back in his seat, and he kicked out with his foot. His heavy boot struck Kane’s wrist.
Kane couldn’t keep hold of his gun, and it toppled to the floorboard. Kane ducked down to grab it.
Without warning, a crack hit him in the back of the head.
Darkness threatened, the pain that splintered so close to knocking him out. But he fought it. He knew he couldn’t give. He had to do this.
He finally got the gun then launched himself into the front seat, hitting Tyke hard, trying to pin him down.
Tyke fought back, locking one arm around Kane’s neck and driving his fist into Kane’s ribs with the other.
It knocked the air out of him, and he choked for air, trying to get a breath as he continued to fight the motherfucker who was trying to get hold of his gun.
Both of Tyke’s hands were wrapped tight around Kane’s wrist.
Only Kane was higher than him, and Kane managed to pin him sideways to the seat with the gun locked between them.
Kane gritted his teeth, fighting with everything he had. For those girls. For his mother. As retribution for every sin he’d ever committed.
A gunshot went off, and Tyke cried a pathetic sound before he slumped back as blood started to gush from his side.
Kane gasped for oxygen, through the relief as he reached out and yanked at the door handle. It opened, and he scrambled out over the top of Tyke’s body.
He hit the pavement running for the back of the truck.
Darkness rained from the sky, no stars visible against the glow of city lights that blotted them out. The only thing he had was the hazy fog of a streetlamp to light his way.