Page 109

The door burst open, and I felt myself relax immediately.

Redliners, at least a dozen of them, filed into the warehouse. Some with guns drawn, and some with curled fists and looks of murderous rage on their faces. Livie was among them, quickly rounding the chairs and slicing at the duct tape that held my siblings, until the inexperienced crew hired by The EA started to fire.

I’d never heard the sound of gunshots up this close before, and the emptiness of the warehouse seemed to increase the volume. The sound echoed off the walls and reverberated until my ears rang.

But I felt Ashe fold himself over me, his body jerking every now and again as he fired a shot.

I only got glimpses of the chaos that happened around us. Ashe and I were in the dead centre of the warehouse floor, in the middle of the firing grounds.

Every now and then I’d catch movement in my peripherals, of legs moving past us or of a whole body dropping to the floor.

I alternated between squeezing my eyes shut and forcing them open to see what was happening. I was sick of not knowing what was happening. Sick of sitting at home and wondering. Sick of waiting around for bad news.

But I wasn’t so sure that this was any better.

Especially as I saw Prince tackle Toni to the ground, only just in time for a bullet to whirr past that spot. They shared a quick understanding nod before they were on their feet again, standing side by side as they took shot after shot.

I pressed my eyes shut after that, and wondered if perhaps I did belong at home. Maybe I should’ve been happy, grateful to be the clueless princess. But I opened my eyes again and could see for myself that all of my family was still standing.

I didn’t have to wait for a phone call, didn’t have to count heads as they walked in the door. When the sound of gunfire slowed and then stopped, I let out a tense breath that I had held for so long that my lungs hurt.

As quickly as it began, it was finished.

I let myself look up. All the hired boys were down and out, splayed and bloody across the concrete.

I tried not to stare.

“You four, on your fucking knees,” Prince’s voice boomed. He and Freddie held Willie, Theo, Josh, and Dean at gunpoint until they scrambled up and into a line on the floor. “Hands behind your heads.”

They obeyed immediately. Trembling under the orders and heavy gazes of real outlaws. They never wanted this, I could tell from the looks on their faces. They wanted the power of it, sure, but they never wantedthis.

A few of the other Redliners made the rounds, freeing the rest of the Santino associates from the chairs.

Toni strolled over, crossing his arms as he stood next to Prince, looking down at the four idiots on their knees with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Whaddya reckon, Prince? Should we kill ‘em?” Toni smirked

Prince gave a half-hearted shrug. “I kinda promised Bull he could burn the place to the ground.”

Toni pursed his lips, considering.

“Why not?” he chuckled, slapping Prince on the shoulder.

“Take their phones,” I called out, noticing Willie shifting his hand a little.

By the way he shot daggers at me with his eyes, I assumed that I was correct about what he was trying to do.

Bull barged over, shoving his big hands into their pockets and emptying them. He looked at Willie’s phone, a frown on his face.

“Your phone background is a Playboy cover? How fucking old are you?” Bull cringed outwardly at Willie, who looked a little embarrassed despite quivering with rage. Everyone enjoyed the moment of bonding, passing around William’s phone so each of them could scoff at his direction and poke fun.

Bull eventually came over to show me the screen as well.

“Well, she is gorgeous,” I shrugged.

“Yeah, but it’s still cringe,” Bull frowned, dropping the phone to the concrete floor and stomping it with his boot.

I heard it smash and crunch under his weight, and watched as Will’s face grew redder.