Page 72 of Mace

Darrin laughed manically. “You think the police will believe you? You’re a bunch of criminal bikers, and I’m the mayor of Sutter Creek. I shoot him, take back that notebook, and I’m still a free man.” He pointed his gun at me. “And I might take you out, too, since you’re proving to be harder to frame than I thought.”

“You’re not leaving here with this notebook,” I called. “The only option you have is getting in your truck and driving away.” I wasn’t going to let that happen, though. Darrin Bing was going down for a lot of shit, and I was going to make sure he paid for it.

“That is my property,” he shouted. “Give it back to me, and I won’t shoot anyone.”

I glanced at Barracuda, and he shook his head.

Barracuda was the closest to Darrin.

Next was me, but I had Imogen behind me. Rebel was still by the grill, while Playboy, Six-Gun, Jet, and Jinx were about ten feet behind us. Monk was guarding the girls and still trying to move them out of danger.

I was trying to figure out a plan when a shot rang out, and Brad collapsed.

There was no time for a plan.

I dropped to the ground with Imogen while Barracuda fired at Darrin, and Playboy tackled him to the ground.

Six-Gun got to Playboy and Darrin first and helped to pin him to the ground.

Imogen’s screams broke my heart. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her over to Monk and the rest of the girls. I pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “Shh, babe. You’re okay,” I promised.

Her body shook, and her eyes darted wildly around. “Brad,” she cried. “He shot Brad.”

Dorothy sobbed and pulled Imogen into her arms.

I nodded to Monk and returned to where Darrin was on the ground. “Don’t kill him,” I called. “We kill him, and then he won’t pay for what he’s done.”

Jet and Jinx were tending to Brad, who was laid out on the ground with a bullet in his chest.

Barracuda stood over Darrin with the notebook in his hand. I moved next to Barracuda and stared at Darrin.

He spat a wad of blood at my feet and glared at me. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

“Get away with what?” I laughed. “I haven’t done jack shit. You’re the one who has been trying to pin shit on people and shooting people. I’m a fucking saint compared to you and your rapist brother.”

“He wasn’t a rapist,” Darrin countered.

I stepped back and held my hands up. “He wasn’t a rapist?” I asked. “You’re telling me that woman back there and the twenty others he raped all just made it up?”

Barracuda held up his finger. “I know what it is.” He crouched down in front of Darrin. “They asked for it, didn’t they? All of those women asked for your brother to beat and rape them, yeah?”

“You mean how Darrin is asking for this?” I growled. I landed a kick square in his stomach, and he groaned in pain. “You asked for that, right?”

Darrin moaned and didn’t say anything.

“We need a fucking ambulance over here,” Jinx called. “He’s losing blood like crazy.”

“I got it,” Monk called. His phone was pressed to his ear, and he rattled off where we were.

“Mitzy,” Six-Gun called.

“Yeah,” she shouted.

“You steady?” he asked.

“Like a fucking rock,” she spat.

“Call the Calaveras sheriff's department. Don’t let them send Amador county.” Darrin grunted. “You don’t like that, do you?” Six-Gun laughed. “You’ve got Amador county in pocket fuckstick, so you can bet your ass they will not be here to help you.”

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