Mine to protect.
Soul flinches beside me, so I know he saw it too, even if he’s smart enough not to say shit.
“One minute,” Havoc announces.
I pass Ghost the phone and pull out my gun. While I assumed being this close would set me on edge, Dimitri just gave me my reason to stay calm. To stay focused in a way I’ve only been once before—on that empty road in Maryland, the day before I put a bullet between the eyes of the man who killed my dad.
Closing my eyes, I listen to the hum of the road. The tires rumble against the pavement. The van licks up the miles like I do on my bike when I’m driving that stretch between the city and the clubhouse.
I set my mind on that length of concrete in the empty desert at night. Moon in the sky and sagebrush in the air.Vegas heat seeping through like hell knows this city is built on sin.
We’ll all burn here.
The van rolls to a stop, but I keep my mind on that road as I open my eyes and say a final prayer. I’m not religious, but for the two of them, I’ll try anything.
“No lights outside, but someone’s definitely in there.” Havoc assesses the scene.
I look through the front windshield to see what he’s talking about. The house is dark except for a light coming through the blinds in one of the rooms. If they’re here, they’re cocky enough to think we’ll never find them because they don’t have so much as a lookout.
Ghost pops the back door of the van open, and we climb out one by one.
“Legacy and Ghost, you’re with me. We’re going through the front.” I tip my chin to the right. “Havoc and Soul go around the back. Everyone else needs to split up. I want every inch of the perimeter covered.”
The rest of our crew is pulling to a stop behind us. All vehicles have their lights off, so they don’t see or hear us coming.
One by one, the vans empty, and everyone grabs their guns.
“You sure you don’t want me knocking on the front door first?” Havoc asks.
Usually he would, given it’s his job to protect the club during operations like this.
But when I shake my head, he doesn’t argue as I make my way past him. He doesn’t try to protect me for thesake of the title on my patch. My brothers know there’s no one stepping into that house before me if Tempe and Austin might be inside it.
Legacy and Ghost follow me to the front with a solid show of force. My men are quiet as we slowly circle.
Given how dark it is, there’s a good chance Tempe and Austin aren’t here, but I can’t let myself think about that. Doubt does nothing but get people hurt in these kinds of situations.
We quietly make our way to the front door, and I stand on one side, with Legacy on the other. There’s movement in the house, but without a clear view, I can’t tell how many people are inside.
Legacy pulls out a flash grenade and holds it ready.
The second I nod, Ghost kicks the door in, and Legacy tosses it.
A blinding flash of light accompanies the loud bang from inside the house, followed by a chorus of men shouting. We flood from both sides before they have a chance to figure out what’s going on.
For Tempe.
For Austin.
Bullets rain in the name of my family, and I feel it in my bones that they’re here.
I’m coming.
37
Tempe
I pull myself tostanding, still feeling a little woozy as I find my balance.