Page 21 of Bloody Jack's Treat
"On me," I commanded, and they fell in behind as I moved toward the gunfire coming from the south entrance.
We made it twenty yards before the radio crackled again.This time, it was Bug's panicked voice.
"Prez!Compound's under attack!Multiple hostiles, heavily armed!"
My blood chilled, the hair on the back of my neck standing.Honey.
"Repeat!"I snapped the command, pressing the radio to my ear as bullets pinged off the container above me.
"It’s a coordinated strike," Bug confirmed."They hit us here as a diversion.Main force is at the compound.They breached the east fence.Got at least three brothers down."
For a split second, the world narrowed to a pinpoint.My ears roared and for the first time in my life I was scared out of my fucking mind.My woman was under fire while I was stuck at these fucking docks.
"Ghost!"I bellowed.He appeared at the end of the row of containers, rifle in hand."Compound's hit.Take command here.Get those weapons out any way you can."
Understanding flashed across his face."Go.We've got this."
I turned to the prospects."Stay on Ghost.Protect that shipment with everything short of your life.You got me?"I didn’t wait for them to answer.
I moved fast, using the containers for cover.One of the prospects I’d left with Ghost was still covering my ass, laying down cover fire so I could move faster.I’d have to remember to praise the kid next time we had church.My muscles burned with exertion, but adrenaline pushed me forward.A Copperhead popped up from behind a barrel just in front of me.I didn't bother with the gun.My knife was in my hand and then buried in his throat as he could raise his weapon.Hot blood splashed across my knuckles as I yanked the blade free.
The bikes were where we'd left them, hidden behind the maintenance shed.I swung my leg over mine, the engine roaring to life with a twist of the throttle.
I tore out of the dock area.The wind whipped at my face, but I barely felt it.My mind centered squarely on Honey.The image of her face rose unbidden in my mind.Her amber eyes and soft smile haunted me and somehow worked their way under my skin.Now those same eyes might be wide with terror, that smile replaced by fear.The thought made my hands tighten on the handlebars until my knuckles went white.
"Hold on, darlin'," I muttered into the wind."I'm coming."
I pushed the bike faster, the engine screaming beneath me as we raced through the pre dawn streets.Behind me, the docks erupted in another explosion, orange flames billowing into the sky.It wouldn’t be long before fire and EMS got there along with the police.But I didn't look back.My brothers could handle themselves.Right now, all that mattered was getting to the compound.
Getting to Honey.
I smelled the smoke before I saw the compound.Thick black plumes rose above the treeline, marking my home like a funeral pyre.The roar of my bike's engine couldn't drown out the staccato pop of gunfire as I leaned into the final turn.Then I saw the main gate hanging off its hinges, the perimeter fence torn open like a gutted animal.Three vehicles burned in the yard, their flames casting dancing shadows across the bodies scattered on the ground.My brothers.Copperheads.Blood and brass mingling in the dirt.
Unadulterated rage made me give a battle roar as I gunned the throttle, blasting through the ruined gate.Chaos reigned.The main building's windows were shattered, bullet holes peppering the brick facade.Two of our guys crouched behind an overturned truck, exchanging fire with unseen enemies.Another lay motionless nearby, his cut soaked dark with blood.
Then I saw her.Honey stood with Wren near the workshop entrance, shotgun in her hands, her blonde hair wild around her face.Even from this distance, I could see the dark spatters across her property vest, blood that might or might not be hers.My heart seized in my chest.She didn’t look hurt, but there was no way to tell until I got to her.
I skidded the bike to a halt, leaping off before it fully stopped and letting her drop where she fell."Cover me," I barked at the men next to me.I wasn’t even sure who was there, only that they were Bound in Blood.I didn’t wait for them to move, I charged in her direction like a raging bull.Gunfire exploded behind me as my men put down cover fire while I ran as hard as I could in Honey’s direction.
"Jack!"Honey's voice cut through the din of battle as she spotted me.She started to move toward me, but Wren grabbed her arm, keeping her in the relative safety of the doorway.Smart girl.I also owed her one.And Ghost for teaching his ward how to survive and keep others around her safe.
I crossed the distance at a dead run, ducking as a burst of gunfire kicked up dirt near my feet.When I reached them, I pulled Honey against me, one arm wrapped around her while my other hand still gripped my pistol, gaze never stopping their scan of the battlefield.
"Are you hurt?"I demanded, running my hand over her, checking for wounds.The blood on her vest was still wet in places."This yours?"
She shook her head, her body trembling against mine."No.I don't think so.There was an explosion and then..."Her voice cracked."Jack, they just came out of nowhere."
I cupped her face with my free hand, forcing her to focus on me."You're okay.I'm here now."My voice was gentle but my eyes were already moving again, counting enemies, assessing damage, plotting counterattacks."Wren?"
"I'm good," she answered, her face streaked with soot but her eyes clear."That blood's not Honey's.She clocked a Copperhead with a wrench when he tried to grab her."Pride flashed through me, hot and unexpected.My woman had fought back.“Where’s Ghost?”Wren was steady, but I heard the waver in her voice.Since Wren got here, Ghost had treated Wren like his daughter.It was clear they’d formed a bond and I was glad of it.
"He's securing the shipment.He knows there’s a problem so he won’t be long.None of them will."I turned to Honey."Stay with Wren.Don't move unless she tells you to.Understand?"
Honey nodded, tightening her grip on the shotgun."I understand.We got this."
I pressed a hard kiss to her mouth, then moved toward the main building, signaling the prospects to follow.Three more of my brothers emerged from behind the smoking shell of a van, relief evident on their faces when they spotted me.
"Give it to me."I braced myself.
