Page 156 of Hurt

Willow pressed their bloody lips together and kissed him messily.

Roland’s world righted, and he covered Willow with his bulk, holding onto her like a life raft in the tumultuous ocean. She was here. She was with him.

Jackson and his saber had managed to clear out the bulk of the fighting. Seeing Grant and Jackson fighting side by side had rejuvenated the Weavers' side. They found an inner fight and pushed back against the Vega Cabal, sending them scattering back. Thick booms of battering rams slamming into locked doors filled the air as the Weavers and Mesas began clearing out rats' nests of Vega Cabal.

“I’m sorry, but is that a motherfucking mace she’s holding?” Jamie’s voice crackled in his ear.

“It’s a flail,” Jackson corrected as he jogged up to the group.

Roland ignored them as he looked up to see Grant approaching. His eyes were on the building ahead of them, staring up at an empty balcony.

“Are you okay?” he asked the group.

His hair was a mess, and it stuck up in tufts. Gelled with the blood of his victims. It offset the angry look in his eyes. Roland wasn’t sure which was sharper—his blade or the look in his eyes.

Jackson looked as fresh as he had before the fighting. If anything, there was a hint of color on his face. His eyes dropped to the thin woman holding a flail.

“Where did you get that?”

“Courtesy of the Vega Cabals’ personal collection,” Willow said with a shrug.

Jackson nodded in approval. “Gerard Vega is dead. Has been dead for months.”

“Asher is dead, too,” Willow chirped, swinging the medieval weapon around.

The mercenary nodded. “The Vega Cabal are leaderless and running. We’re picking them off, but…”

“None of them leave alive,” Grant said coldly.

Roland stared at his brother. That was not the Weaver way.

“Brother—”

“Kill them all,” Grant repeated. “I’m going after Ezra.”

Roland released his hold on Willow. “I’m coming.”

“No.” Grant finally looked away from the balcony and back at his brother. “You’re injured. Willow, we have medics stationed just outside the gates. You both need to be seen.”

“I’m not leaving without my brother.”

Grant twirled the blade in his hand. “I will bring Kurt back. See to your injuries.”

“I told you I’m not leaving.”

“And I’m not accustomed to repeating myself,” Grant snapped, eyes flashing with rage that made Willow take a step back.

“You will only get in my way.”

28

AND YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, MY EMPIRE OF DIRT

Like a giant game of whack-a-mole, Jamie thought as he scanned the ground for movement. The rubber lens of the sight was sweating against his eye, but he didn’t dare move. The Vega Cabal were popping out of their hidey holes quickly, and he often only had seconds to identify the threat, line up a shot, and pull the trigger.

The thick smoke made visibility difficult. There was no wind on this desert night, and the thick stuff hung in the air and brought memories of the massacre at the Weaver Estate. Just thinking about the burned faces of his fellow Weavers made his finger twitch on the trigger.

Grant’s orders were to kill them all, and Jamie was only too happy to oblige.