Page 47 of Smoke the Enemy

Lee grits his teeth. “All the secrecy is getting to her. She thinks I’m cheating on her.”

Steffan looks at his friend in the rearview mirror, his lips setting in a line. “If you’re going to give her the tie, then you can tell her about us.”

Lee goes quiet, and suddenly the car feels too full. I glance from him to Steffan and back again. “So, are you not giving her your tie now?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Can we not talk about our feelings in a little friendship circle right now? Let’s plan how we’re gutting this Van Doren fuck and then how we’re going to prepare to tell our fathers about the Angel Maker at Fallen. I’m getting twitchy the longer this takes.”

“Guess Bailee isn’t blowing you right then,” I snark and he flips me off. I shrug. “I’m just saying a good release does wonders for your anxiety.”

“Fuck off, Sor.” Lee closes his eyes and I look to Steffan, who just shakes his head at me.

My brother won’t say it out loud, even though he knows I’m right. Instead, he acts like the big brother of all of us and remains diplomatic. Fuck them both. I enjoy not having the stress they do. I get to sit the rest of the car ride and imagine all the delicious things I’ll do to Taylor once we get back and this mess is behind us.

We’re all quiet on our way to where Alex has been keeping Bryce after he managed to grab him from the football house. The road eventually curves off from the main drag, and we’re soon on a dirt path. Out of habit I remove my knife from my pocket and start flicking it open and shut. It’s too secluded back here. It makes me weary just thinking about Alex spending all his spare time so far away from campus. A few minutes later a stone building comes into view. Just like the Fallen compound, everything seems dark and shut down.

“What the hell?” Steffan mutters and glances at me.

No, no freaking way. This can’t be happening again. Steffan breaks and looks back at Lee. “Stay with the car. If we’re not back in twenty minutes, call for reinforcements.”

Lee nods while I hop out of the car to join my brother. I approach the front door first and knock on it. No one answers. Not a thing stirs in the house.

“I don’t like this,” I whisper, my gaze clashing with Steffan’s identical one.

He reaches for the doorknob and twists. The door creaks open. Dishes and glass are scattered over the floor. Furniture is upturned and ripped in places. There was obviously a struggle, but the bodies I was expecting aren’t here. This home doesn’t carry the scent of death like the Fallen MC compound had upon entering.

“Basement,” Steffan mouths silently and I follow him. We make our way down two sets of stairs before reaching another door. Blood is streaked across the door and wall. Someone was bleeding and must have escaped.

I rush into the room, Steffan on my heels. The chair in the middle of the floor is overturned, but a body is heaped on the floor. Steffan turns the person over, and I look into Alex’s eyes. He glances between us, his mouth working to spit out the gag. Steffan rips it out for him and I slide behind him and slice my knife through the binds on his hands.

“What the hell happened?” I grit out the words, my tone harsh and deadly.

“He had backup. Guys with masks came into my house, took him and tied me up,” Alex growls his response, his fingers dabbing at the blood by his eye. His whole cheekbone is black and blue.

“Did you get anything from him before they took him?” Steffan asks.

Alex shakes his head. “We kept him in solitude until you could be here. No food, water, only silence.”

“So now Van Doren has what, hired guns at his beck and call?” Steffan stands, his eyes flicking around the room. Alex stands as well, rubbing his wrists together.

“We’re pretty far off the main road from town,” I point out, “How did they find you?”

Alex turns his black stare on me. “They either followed us, or if they’re higher up, it’s possible they had tracking devices on him.”

“Higher up? Well, it’s not Illicit. They were okay with us killing him.” I glance at the other two and notice neither seem to be in a discussion mood. Neither am I, really.

“Let’s get going.” Steffan lifts his chin to me, and once again, I’m thankful for the twin radar we have. Taylor is waiting for us, and since we aren’t bleeding out Van Doren, I just want to be home.

“Will you report in?” Alex turns to my brother, leveling him with a cryptic stare.

“Fuck no,” Steffan grunts. “He was in your care when this happened. You can let The Illicit know you were the one who fucked up.”

Steffan charges past me and I follow. Well shit, I’ve never seen him so worked up. We get back to the car and Lee looks relieved when we both slide in.

“What happened?” he asks.

“Dupree got bested by some thugs Van Doren hired. He got away again,” I explain, my hands playing with my knife again.Lee raises his brow.

“Is he working alone now?”

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