Page 24 of Promise of Hellfire

The older man sighed at me. “I know. It’s up to you three and your girl to take care of him. Not just for vengeance, but also to ensure this shit doesn’t happen again. I need y’all to live up to your nickname.”

The Three Kings. Before Rayne showed up, I’d assumed those days were over. I pulled the gun from the pocket of my jacket. “Don’t worry, I think we’ve got that handled. We’ve just got to make it through today.”

I glanced around me, making sure that everyone was here and we were all ready. Paul, Aldo, Rory, Ignacio, and the four of us. Eight against who knows how many people are inside. “When is Oliver pulling up?” I asked no one in particular.

Aldo shifted beside me. “In about ten minutes. It should be enough time to clear the first floor of the building. Marie’s driving and the last thing he needs right now is someone shooting at him or her.”

I couldn’t disagree with that sentiment. “Let’s do this then,” I told him as I started walking through the shadows of the parking lot towards the building. As we approached the back entrance, I gave Ethan a look and motioned toward the lock. Rayne stayed silent, watching as he pulled a small case out of his pocket and made quick work of the tumblers.

When he pulled open the door, the heavy sound of bass from the speakers inside filled the air, and I hoped it would help cover any noise we made. I peeked my head inside, glancing around the space and ensuring that no one was in the back hallway. “Split up,” I mumbled. “Rayne, you and Ethan head downstairs and start unlocking the cages. Try to keep everyone calm until I come and get you. Rory and Ignacio, clear the rooms at the end of the hall. We’ll clear the rest and meet up before we head to the front.”

“Remember, we need to do this as fast as possible,” Aldo reminded everyone.

I watched as Rayne and Ethan slipped inside the door leading to the basement and reminded myself to breathe. If anyone could take care of themselves in a high-stress situation, it would be her. Ethan was just icing on the cake. There was no way he would allow anything to happen to her.

Hunter and I stalked down the hallway, Paul and Aldo behind us, trying the doors on each side. Each time, we would open the door and peer inside, ensuring that the room was empty. When we reached the last door on the left, a single voice came from inside. I cracked it open, trying to see how many people occupied the space.

From my vantage point, a woman stood beside the desk, her body wracked with silent sobs. She was obviously one of the club’s dancers, still dressed in nothing but a tiny, sheer dress that covered very little. “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t bring in enough money this week, Hope,” a deep voice rumbled.

I couldn’t quite see the man from my vantage point, but his hand darted out, knocking the woman to the side. A whimper left her mouth and before she could respond, Hunter slammed open the door, gun leveled on the man sitting behind the desk. “Who the fuck are all of you? How’d you get in here?” he asked.

Before Hunter could speak, a shot rang through the air, and his body slumped in the chair. A perfect shot between the eyes. Blood trickled down his face, and I glimpsed over my shoulder to see Aldo lowering his gun. He shrugged at me. “Decided we should skip the predictable villain monologue. I’ve heard enough in my day.” I didn’t necessarily disagree with his logic, but made a quick note to myself not to piss him off in the future.

Tucking the gun in his waistband, Hunter carefully walked toward the woman who sat shocked on the carpet near the man’s body. He offered her his hand, helping her up from the floor. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice soothing like he was speaking to a wounded animal. “Are the other dancers gone?” Her eyes were wide, and she turned pale, staring at the dead body. He gently shook her shoulder. “Listen to me. I can get you out of here, but I need to know that everyone else went home.”

She turned her face to him and blinked several times. “I was the last one still here,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I’m going to put you in the room next door so you aren’t in here with him anymore. I want you to stay there quietly until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand?” He was patient but firm with the young woman and she nodded in response to his questions.

After the woman was tucked away safely and all the rooms in the hallway were cleared, it was time for part two of our plan. The front entry area where the bar and stage were located would be trickier to maneuver and the likelihood that someone might be injured increased. That was the second reason Nia was waiting at the safe house. Not only would many of the women need medical attention, but there was a possibility that we would as well. It was nothing we couldn’t handle. Most of us had been shot or stabbed at least a few times.

Rory looked around the corner of the door frame, noting how many people were in the next room. He gave me a cocky smile. “There are only ten of them I can see,” he stated quietly. “I don’t know why you paired Ethan with Rayne. Between the two of us–”

“That’s exactly why Ethan is paired with Rayne. The last time the two of you worked together on a job, we spent months cleaning it up,” Paul mumbled.

I worked to stifle a laugh at the older man. Rory and Ethan together were unstoppable, but last summer, the two had decided to leave a message, forcing us to lie low.

It was actually how Rayne had ended up involved with Ayers. I called in a favor from Oliver to burn down a building that supposedly held servers and the rest was history.

Rory rolled his eyes at his father. “All of them seem preoccupied. They don’t suspect anything.”

I glanced over Rory’s shoulder, taking in the scene before me. Ten men were scattered across the open space. Three sat at the bar nursing drinks, lost in conversation. Two stood in the corner, guns strapped to their hips. The other five played cards at a table in the middle of the room.

Placement and activity didn’t account for how quick of a draw any of them were, but there were six of us and we were prepared. The sooner they were disposed of, the sooner we could get back to Rayne and get the women trapped downstairs out.

“How good of a shot are you, son?” Aldo asked, staring at me.

“Good enough for only ten of them,” I reassured him.

He lifted his eyebrows at me. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

He tilted his chin up, giving us a silent signal, and we collectively paused, preparing ourselves for the next several minutes.

Then havoc ensued.

We turned the corner into the room and the smell of spent gunpowder and sulfur filled the air quickly as shots rang out over the heavy bass of the music playing.

I aimed for the three men at the bar, surprise lining their features as I steadied myself, firing several rounds at the small group. The first fell, his body hitting the floor with a thud while the man sitting beside him clutched his arm, crimson spreading down the sleeve of his shirt.

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