Page 81 of City of Salvation

In for four. Out for four.

“She wasn’t there when we got there,” he responded.

Gunner gripped my face, forcing my attention on him. His green eyes were lit with fire, nostrils flaring as he spoke. “Brother, this isn’t your fault. I know that look, Dex. I pulled you out of a self-dug grave last time you looked like that. You’re no good to her if you fall back there,” he said, refusing to let go until I nodded.

“Where’s Boe?” I bit out, furling and unfurling my hands, Gunner’s grip on my shoulder offering some grounding reassurance as he stood by my side.

“You know why they voted me in as President, Dex? Because my bullshit radar is never wrong. I pride myself on being able to see shit three steps ahead, and when someone is trying to pull some shit on me…I know it.”

“I’m no?—”

He held up a tatted hand, stopping me. “I’m not saying that in reference to you. We voted not to turn your girl over to the Russians. Seems Boe didn’t want to go with that plan. He’s in the shed.”

The words were barely out of his mouth and I was storming off toward my playground, ignoring Gunner’s shouts behind me. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears, the demon locked inside shedding his constraints and coming to the forefront.

My body moved on autopilot.

One second, I was outside, the next, I was looming over where Boe lay on a medical bed, my hand wrapped around his throat. The pounding of his pulse under my palm wasaddictive. Every kick and flail only fanned the flames of my thirst for violence.

“Where the fuck is she?” I asked, my voice nearly robotic. There was not a singe drop of empathy running through my blood at this moment. Boe was about to meet the worst version of the club enforcer.

Nothing came out as he tried to speak. He drew blood in his attempt to peel away my fingers from his throat.

“He’s not going to be able to answer if you crush his windpipe, Dex,” Gunner said from behind me.

I gave one more squeeze before loosening the hold. “Answer. Now.” Boe’s eyes were wild as he searched the room for someone to save him. I leaned closer, spit landing on his face as I growled out, “There are only devils here, Boe. No salvation, only damnation. I’m your executioner, mother fucker.”

“She’s not even an Old Lady. This is fucking ridiculous. We’re going to risk brothers’ lives for some pus—” The sentence was cut off with a scream. Warmth from his blood coated my hand as I dug into his wound, ripping the stitches as I forced my thumb into the bullet hole.

“You don’t even know who she really is,” he panted, dry heaving from the pain.

“She’s mine. That’s who the fuck she is, you piece of shit,” I roared, the statement bouncing off the walls in an echo overshadowing his whimpers. “Youdaredto try and take what is mine, Boe. That comes with consequences. I really thought you were smarter than you look. YouknowI nearly killed a man—in fact, you taunted me over it not all that long ago. I should have held you in that fucking bonfire, watched your flesh peel off your bones as you burned alive.”

Vaguely, I was aware of Gunner wincing at my words. He rarely saw me at this level of bloodthirst.

“Gunner.” Without hesitation, my friend was at the bed holding the screaming man down as I gripped Boe’s dominant hand. The cries for mercy grew louder when I reached down and grabbed the meat cleaver I’d somehow retrieved in my hypnotic state.

“It’ll be hard to touch what’s not yours if you’re missing your hand,” I said, pinning the appendage to the bedside table.

“You’re fucking unhinged. I didn’t even touch her,” he screamed, renewing his efforts to break free, but he was no match for Gunner’s massive frame on a good day. There was no way he’d shake him loose while injured.

“Tell me where she is,” I demanded.

“I don’t know. Told her you told me to follow her home.”

My body stopped cold. Fuck, what if she believed I was in on this? That I’d betrayed her? My heart was threatening to break right through the skin with how hard it was beating. Boe was unaware of my internal turmoil and continued to spill what had gone down.

“She went to some corner store. Then the old bitch shot me instead of minding her own fucking business. I don’t know where your girl went after that. I never fucking touched her,” he spat at me, breath labored. Piss coated the front of his jeans, the scent competing with the copper tang of his blood pouring from the ripped stitches.

The blood-curdling screech that fell from Boe’s mouth. The crunching of his bones had the corner of my lips pulling up into a sneer. “No, but you were going to. If you had, I’d have taken both hands,” I said, tossing the bloodied cleaver aside while Boe turned, the contents of his stomach landing on the floor. He likely hadn’t heard a word, the pain causing him to pass out shortly after.

“Ryan’s tried calling Nikki. She’s not answering,” Gunnersaid, his green eyes tracking my every movement. Before I could reply, my phone began ringing.

The screen displayed an unknown number, so I pocketed the device, but it rang again. And again. On the fifth ring, I answered. “Who the fuck is this, and what do you want?” I barked out.

“I’m guessing you don’t know your girl is on her way to my city,” said a feminine voice.

Traitorous hope that no one had taken Nikki filled my blackened heart, but I kept it in check since I had no clue who was on the other line.

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