Page 76 of Running on Empty

“They won’t be happy,” Blue said with a shake of his head. “But money like that? It would help them get the fuck over themselves real fast.”

“But to be on the safe side, we need to find some dumb fuck to blame for the loss of the drug.” Gun turned around and looked out the door, everyone following his gaze.

Blaine was tryingto bargain with Jax, but by the sound of my alpha’s tone, he wasn’t having it. A slow smile spread across my face and then so did all the others.

“I’ll set off the fire alarm,” Ash said. “It’s the fastest way to get everyone out of here.”

“Bag up the cash,” I told the dads. “I’ve got a bargain to make with Blaine.”

I strode back into the room and saw Jax had followed through, stabbing the man in the other shoulder, Blaine’s nice white button up stained red now.

“You did what you said you would,” I told him.

“Right,” Blaine gasped. “So call off your fucking attack dog and let me get out of here.”

“I can.”

Ronan looked at me then, a small frown forming. He was a wolf being denied his prey and he wasn’t happy about it. I just smiled. Blaine watched me closely as did Ronan.

“The MCs want Rush. They’d do a whole lot to get their hands on what’s in that storeroom, be prepared to make an alliance,” I continued.

“So fucking do it!” Blaine spluttered. “I got you in here, got you into the fucking store room.” His eyes narrowed when he saw the dads walk out with several duffle bags full of cash. “You’ve got the money—”

The sharp ring of a fire alarm echoed through the PA system.

“But I don’t want them to have the drugs.” My smile widened and I felt cold, ice cold right now. “I don’t want fucks like you to ever have the chance to do this shit to anyone else, and while I can’t guarantee that outcome, I can make it that much harder. I need the MCs for what we have planned for your dads and your brother.”

That hadn’t been discussed as of yet, but I didn’t allow any indecision show. I leaned over the table, staring into my abuser’s eyes so I could watch his every expression as I delivered my killing blow.

“If I tell them I used Rusty’s thermite grenade to blow that shit up, the MCs are gonna be mad.” I nodded to Jax. “Pull the knives out.”

“But—”

“Do it.”

Jax nodded and did as he was told, jerking each one free and then stepping back.

“You can scuttle on out of here, but…” I pulled out my phone and snapped a pic of the alpha’s face then, my eyes taking in how drawn he looked. “I’m going to make clear that you were the one that torched the drugs rather than hand them over to us and I’ll make sure your family knows about your ‘deal’. So you can run, hide, but the MCs and all of their allies, along with your dads and your brother, will all be looking for you.”

He didn’t want to make this decision. My mouth was full of the sweet and sour taste of being the one holding the whip handle as I watched Blaine grapple with this. He didn’t want to believe what I was saying, some persistent sense of self preservation rejecting my words, even as he knew I was right.

Nowhere would be safe for him. There was no place on earth he could run to that would get him far away from either powerful group. The need to fight, to survive and keep on surviving flare bright for a moment.

Then died.

When he stared at me then, Blaine looked completely hopeless. He had no options, because I took them away. He couldn’t rely on his usual sources of power, because I’d taken them too. Some of it was his fathers’ and his brother’s work, but I claimed that in a way too. Because I’d been the one to force their hand. I knew exactly what he was feeling as he stared into my eyes.

I caught the moment when hope would flare, but it died so quickly and thoroughly it was as if it never existed. His lips moved, as if to plead for mercy, but one look at me confirmed what he already knew.

I would give him none.

So when his hand went to his back to pull out the gun that was shoved down the back of his pants, I didn’t flinch. Every other man in the room jerked out theirs, pointing them at Blaine, making clear to him in a string of terse words that he was not to make any stupid decisions.

And he didn’t.

The gun wasn’t pointed at me, rather being pressed against his own temple, all threats silenced as he removed himself as one.

Something broke then, as I watched him shoot himself, jerking back and flopping against the chair. That cool, cold shell was cracking, but to let what out? Arms went around me, dragging me back and away from the sight, wanting to turn me around to shield me from it, but that’s when I saw the monitors flick on. People ran out of the club in each and every one of them, some rooms already emptied by now, before the view was replaced by this.

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