Page 33 of Duchess (Royal Harlots MC: National New York Chapter #1)

Duchess

T he building looked so far away but I could see something dangling from the ledge. When I received the text message, I didn’t know how to react at first.

Was it a trap?

Was he playing a game?

Should I just ignore it?

The call came in soon after and that’s when Emir Killic’s voice resounded in my head. “Since you like to play games, here’s one for you. If you don’t come and play with me, you’ll find your boyfriend splattered along Venice Beach.”

The phone fell silent, and I knew instantly that there was no way out of this one. Emir Killic was a cold-blooded killer. He’d used Caleb to lure me in, and in doing so he created his own demise because I wasn’t going to be deterred so easily.

No .

I was going to break every bone in his fucking body for this.

"How the fuck are we gonna get up there?" Obsidian whispered.

"By shooting at anybody who gets in our way." Paramore responded just like I knew she would.

Roulette came up beside us. "Wolf is on his way. We just need to keep them occupied until he arrives."

I registered what she was saying, but in the back of my mind, I knew I'd kill anything that got in my way. "Shoot to kill," I whispered.

"And leave Emir Killic for me."

Roulette grabbed my arm. "Are you sure you want to do this? That man up there, the one you've had a sudden change of heart for, wanted you dead at one point."

"Listen, love is a shitty ass feeling. But Caleb protected me from this monster until now. Even though I stole from him, I destroyed his shipments, and we killed several of his own, or don't you remember? If this is the only way I've got to pay him back, I’ll do it. I owe him that much."

“So you love him?” Roulette questioned.

“If you want to call our love/hate relationship, love. Then, yes, I love the asshole.”

Both Roulette and Obsidian looked at one another, but even if they didn't understand, I wasn't looking for their permission. I was asking for their loyalty.

"Watch your backs," I called out. "Shoot anyone who shoots at you and make that bullet count."

Paramore signaled for half the girls to follow her to the back of the building, the other half, including Roulette and Obsidian, followed me towards the side. It was easy to find an entrance since the building was under construction, but it was also just as easy to get hurt while going in blind.

"Watch your steps," I whispered as we propped open a side window and I slid in first. My boot slipped on a metal object, and I froze as the noise ricocheted throughout the empty lot.

"Fuck," I cursed as Roulette slid in beside me. "I can't see shit."

"Well, that was a way of announcing our arrival."

I shot her a sharp look that told her, don’t test me right now, and raised my weapon, sweeping it ahead and clearing the room.

Without a word, the girls fell into step behind me.

Roulette covered my six, her breath steady and close.

Obsidian took the left flank, eyes sharp.

Demise and Stiletto brought up the rear, all remaining in the shadows.

We moved in silently through the wide hallway, our boots crunching over broken plaster and loose grit. The air was filled with concrete dust, half-slung tarps lay over equipment, scattered bags of cement, and a thick film of white, coated everything in sight.

I motioned with a tilt of my chin toward the metal door at the far end, where the stairwell exit illuminated the hallway, and just as we neared the door, a single gunshot split the silence.

Every instinct locked into place.

Showtime.

"Move, ladies, move!" I yelled as we all gathered in the stairwell. The shots rang from the back, which meant Paramore was doing her own damage.

I looked at Obsidian. "Stay down here with Stiletto and Rainbow. Make sure to keep alert, don't allow anyone up this stairwell who isn't a Harlot or a Hellbound Lover. Roulette, Demise, you're with me."

We ran up the stairs two at a time, gaining as much time as we could.

Our priority was Caleb and getting him off that damn ledge. I'd deal with Emir when it came to it.

Suddenly, a heavy-set man appeared at the top of the steps, and without thinking, I lunged at him, hugging the stairwell and lifting my body, I sent a full force kick to his face. The man stumbled back as I ran past him, shooting off a bullet to his head.

“Damn,” Roulette whispered behind me.

“Who told him to go around scaring women?”

She stepped over the dead body and continued to follow me up the stairs. We ran up the remaining flights, slamming the door shut behind us when we got to the roof. All seemed clear until a bullet whizzed past my head and hit Roulette, sending her flying back.

"Rhea!" I screamed, rushing to her aid. I lifted her and dragged her back to the wall of the side of the entrance. She'd be safe there. I crouched down before her.

"Bitch, what the fuck!" I grabbed at her jacket, afraid I'd lose my friend.

"Bullet caught my shoulder, but I'll be alright." Bullets flew past my head, and I fired back blindly.

She grabbed my arm. "Go. Save that asshole, but I swear to God, Duchess, he better be worth it because if he's not, I’ll put a fucking bullet in your goddamn shoulder."

"He is. I swear he is."

I placed my hand over hers and gave her a look that showed how much she meant to me.

She frowned angrily. "Don't fucking look at me like that. It's not my turn to die yet."

She turned and fired, and it was my cue to run. I jumped over one of the AC units and over the ventilation units that were being installed. The metal boxes served as shields against the bullets that seemed to be aimed only at me.

As I rounded the corner of one unit, I saw it. A tiny glint came from the rooftop beside us. "Son of a bitch," I raised my gun and took a deep breath. I let it go slowly just as I saw the shadow move, and I pulled the trigger twice. The shadow slumped to the ground, and I was in the clear.

I made my way to the edge of the building.

Bullets flew at me from straight ahead. I ran as fast as I could, knowing Roulette had my back.

As I approached, gun aimed, the man inside pointed his at me and I fired without thinking.

One bullet shattered the windshield. The next hit his chest while the third caught him right in the jugular.

The man slumped back against the seat, his gun slipping out of his hand and clattering on the ground.

Tugging on his sleeve, I brought him off the ledge and back onto solid ground. Using his dead body as a step stool, I got up on the scaffolding.

"Fuck," I whispered, trying to figure out how to maneuver through the metal bars so I could reach Caleb.

When I finally got to him, I realized they had him on a crane hook, and I had no idea how I was going to get him down from there.

I searched the grounds and suddenly I saw the lever. I tanked it down, and the hook he was on began to move. I steered it left, and slowly it swung Caleb back onto safe ground.

"Okay. Okay," I said, trying to reassure myself that I had this in control.

"Press the green button!"

I screamed as Demise appeared next to me out of nowhere. "What the fuck!"

She gave me a look like, get over it, and reached out and pressed the button. The hook came down, and Caleb fell onto his knees, toppling over.

I ran to him, but just before I could reach him, a silhouette appeared, and raising a gun to the sky, a shot was fired, bringing me to a halt.

I raised my hands as he lowered the gun, aiming it steadily at Caleb's head. Grabbing him by the hair, he yanked him up to his knees.

"You have no way out, Emir. You might as well give it all up. The FBI is on its way!"

He chuckled. "You always wanted what wasn't yours. My money, my power, even my piece of shit grandson.”

“You think of yourself so high and mighty, Emir Killic. But you wouldn't have half the wealth you have today if it wasn't for Caleb.”

“You no nothing of my family!” He screamed, and I flinched as he yanked Caleb's head. “What you don't realize, Duchess, is that It would be so easy to just shoot him and still blame it all on him! He's worthless anyway!"

“You’re ruined, Emir! I made sure of that!”

My eyes met Caleb's, who was slowly starting to come to.

He was still restrained and hanging from that damn hook; he couldn't defend himself, but yet, as the realization of where he had hit him, he looked up at me defiantly.

Almost ready to die. My eyes wavered slightly, unsure of what he was about to do.

"The FBI already has all the information they need on you, Emir. There is no place to hide. Just give yourself up, and we can end it here!" I shifted slightly, and that's when his gun trained on me.

"You're just a whore who manipulated my family and fortune!"

I looked over at Caleb, who now had his eyes trained on that same gun.

Don't do it.

That thought crossed my mind as I pictured him lunging at Emir. I needed to calm the situation down, but how?

"I can give it all back, Emir! All you have to do is let us go, and you can have your fortune!"

"I want your fucking heart on a silver platter!" He screamed with such vile anger that I tried not to show that he had any effect on me.

"Well, here I am, Emir Killic. You've spent all this time looking for me, and I was right under your nose. How does that feel? Being made to look like a fool."

I spotted Demise coming in from his right, and I was trying to distract him enough for her to take him down, but the fucker was smart.

"Call her off, or I'll kill him." He pressed the gun to Caleb's temple, and I pretty much saw red.

I don't recall everything that happened next, but a gun was fired.

Demise went down, and I lifted my gun, aiming it at him.

Before I could take the shot, Caleb made his move.

Swinging his body into the old man, he shoved him so fast and so precisely that Emir Killic didn't have a chance of survival.

I watched in shock as Emir's body was tackled across the rooftop and Caleb flew out onto the ledge, his grandfather falling to his death while he hung in the air.

A few seconds later, there was a scream that echoed from below, and I ran to the ledge. Looking over it, I could see his body splattered on top of an unmarked car. The blood was too much, and I turned away.

Shots kept firing, the sound ricocheting throughout the building, as the Turkish Mafia fired back at the police. The door to the rooftop suddenly flung open, and Diesel, one of the members of the Hellbound Lovers, appeared. He was Roulette's FBI connection.

He looked at me and then up at Caleb. Slowly, he approached the ledge and whistled as he looked down at the body.

"That's a way to go." Looking at me, he tilted his head. "You do that?"

I shook my head, and he narrowed his eyes at me. "So he jumped?"

"No, he…"

" Jumped ." Diesel stated firmly, and I finally understood what he was saying.

I nodded. "He saw the FBI was here, said he couldn't take it anymore, and jumped."

Diesel nodded and looked up at Caleb. "Get him down and go."

"Roulette's hurt and one of my girls," I pointed at Demise, who was lying on the ground.

"I'll take care of them, just go. He can’t be here when they come up."

I turned to leave and then looked back. "Diesel!"

He looked up from his perch on the ledge.

"Thank you," I mouthed.

He nodded at me and then reached for his mic and called it in. "We got a jumper, gentlemen."

He'd saved Caleb from a lifetime in jail, and I'd never forget that.

The Harlots would have the Hellbound Lovers' back for whatever they needed.

For now, I have more pressing matters to handle.

Like, what the fuck were we going to do when the Turkish Mafia found out that Caleb Killic had killed the head of the family?