Page 38 of Knox (The Devil’s Luck MC #6)

KNOX

I hated— hated —watching Caroline act like nothing had changed. She chatted with Bates like we hadn’t met, and they were just daddy-daughter murderers. I knew it was an act, and she would never do this unless absolutely necessary, but part of me was still thrown off by it.

Caroline was my girl, not Walter Bates’s. And if he tried to hurt what was mine—well, I would forget Jackson’s dibs on Bates’s life.

It was difficult to just lie low behind some boxes on the mezzanine, watching them chat, watching Mason and Brody play dead. They looked too dead and it sent ugly chills up my spine. I had already lost too many brothers. My overimaginative mind didn’t need more tragic scenarios to conjure up.

Luckily, I was looking forward to violence. Caroline was going to lock Bates up inside the office with Jackson. Abel would dive through the shattered window and start a riot with the Wolverines. Mason and Brody would jump back to life. Jameson and Grant would rain bullets from above.

Me? I was supposed to be a sniper, too.

But would I follow that plan when Caroline was in the line of fire?

Probably fucking not.

Then Bates said some pretty famous last words. “As long as Black Jack’s corpse is cooling somewhere, nothing’s stopping me from peeling that barmaid out of her maternity jeans and fucking the attitude out of her.”

My jaw dropped to the floor.

Jameson wheezed. “Holy fucking shit. He’s dead .”

Everything after that happened really fucking fast.

Caroline shoved him into the office and barred the door with a knife to the doorknob. Jackson revealed himself and gave a badass one-liner. Abel, who hadn’t really been tied up, parkoured out of the shattered window like his ass was on fire.

And then the wild bastard fired a shot into the air and howled, “Surprise, motherfuckers! We do not die easy!”

The final battle between Devil’s Luck and the Wolverines exploded into chaos.

There were nine Wolverines, including Bates. With Jackson preoccupied, it was eight against six.

“Easy peasy,” I growled. “Let’s go, boys.”

Jameson and Grant burst into action. We ran to the rail, already shooting. Mason and Brody hauled themselves up. Abel leapt on the nearest Wolverine like a maniac.

They were caught off guard, shouting in surprise like chickens with their heads cut off, scrambling to reconcile the fact that Brody and Mason had come back to life.

But it didn’t take them long to start firing and punching back. Bullets were flying everywhere. Few, unfortunately, hit targets.

I ran out of bullets first. I chucked the gun somewhere and flew down the mezzanine stairs.

I lurched into the fray, tackling the Wolverine who was aiming for Mason, throwing us both to the floor.

I ignored the pain of falling on concrete, hitting the guy’s arm, and shooting off a shot that hit one of the giant overhead lights.

Sparks came raining down. I heard Caroline yell.

I forgot my fight. I jerked up, scanning the chaos, but just as I caught sight of her being chased by a member of her former club, I got elbowed in the jaw.

My whole brain jarred, and I saw stars. The Wolverine laughed like a bridge troll as he hauled me to my feet by my neck. Hell, he was huge, roided out like a pro wrestler. He unsheathed a wicked-looking knife from his belt.

Hell no. I wasn’t getting stabbed today.

I kicked the knife out of his meaty hand—and then kneed him in the groin. Even with his shriveled little steroid balls, the effect was immediate. He grunted and doubled over, releasing me. I snatched up the knife off the floor and stabbed him right between the ribs.

One down, at most seven to go.

Without waiting to see him fall, I bolted after Caroline.

Didn’t get very fucking far.

“Knox!”

I whirled at Grant’s cry for help. He was nearby, fighting a Wolverine. They were both beat to shit, but they kept punching, guns gone. I ran to his rescue, swiping up a fallen gun. I aimed, but when I pulled the trigger, it was out.

“Fuck,” I hissed, tossing it.

The Wolverine punched Grant square in the jaw. That was the final blow.

Grant went down like a tree.

“Fuck!” I roared.

I snatched a knife from a dead man’s hip. Grant’s Wolverine spun on me. He was an ugly son of a bitch with yellowed, smoke-stained teeth and a battered face from road rash and Grant’s successful punches. He dipped his shoulders forward to charge at me like a bull.

I charged straight at him, too.

He got his arms around my torso, all too excited to belly-to-belly suplex me, but I was holding something pointy. All he fucking got was a knife to the gut and a headbutt to the nose.

He released me and stumbled back, staring in shock at the blossoming wound.

I panted, bracing my hands on my knees. “If I had a nickel for every person I put a knife through, I would have three nickels.”

The Wolverine braced his hand over the hilt and made to wrench it out.

“Ah!” I warned. “Take that out, you’ll bleed out, idiot! You don’t have to die today. Just your boss.”

Common sense? Dude clearly never heard of it. He pulled out the knife and ran at me with a roar.

“Knox! Catch!”

I saw the gun spinning through the air from Abel’s hands. I caught it, aimed, and shot true.

The Wolverine jerked and immediately dropped to his knees. The bullet had embedded in his shoulder. He tried to get up as I approached, but I shoved him onto his back. I propped a boot on his chest to pin him there. He barely struggled, clutching his arm and stomach.

My voice was deadly low when I leaned in to growl, “Which one of you fuckers shot Gabriel?”

“Dunno,” the idiot groaned. “Heel, probably.”

I snorted. “Which one is Heel?”

“Brown hair. Brown eyes. Tats. Gotta gut. Fuck .”

“What, never been gutted or shot before?” I taunted, taking my boot off him.

“Just like I’ll do to your mother?—”

I slammed my boot into his face, knocking him out.

Bloodlust curdled my stomach. Oh, I remembered now.

“ Your fuckbuddy Knox is gonna join his brother over there. That was my bullet, by the way .”

Heel was the one who just ran after Caroline.

It was revenge time.

I pocketed the gun Abel tossed me and grabbed one just in time before a Wolverine snatched it up. I ducked out of reach and shot him in the neck, painting the wall beside him crimson. It faded away like background noise.

I was totally unaware of my surroundings now. I could have been wading through a sea of blood for all I knew. The only thing that mattered was killing Heel.

The metal stairs banged and shook as I took them two at a time to hit the top floor?—

Heel had a gun to Caroline’s neck.

She looked terrified.

I had never seen her look that scared before.

It made me want to pick Heel apart body part by body part.

“There he is,” Heel crooned, grinning crookedly. “Royal Flush here for revenge. Nah, nah, put the gun down before I?—”

“If you’re going to kill someone, kill them —don’t stand there talking about it.”

Bang!

Caroline’s scream was cut short.

Heel’s dead body went limp, then tipped backward over the rail and fell ten feet down. The sound of impact was not pleasant, but still satisfying.

I rushed over to yank Caroline to my chest, holding her like I wanted to absorb her, and leaned over to see Heel. Just in case, I put two bullets in his chest.

My chest heaved for breath as emotion swelled strong enough to choke me. “That’s for Gabriel.”

Caroline pulled away and grabbed my shirt collar, tugging me down to kiss me, sloppy and desperate. It shock-started me to my senses.

“Care,” I breathed, finding myself eye to eye with her. “Tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m not hurt, but I’m not okay either,” she snapped. She was wired with adrenaline, but otherwise well. “When this is over, I’m booking a spa session.”

I grinned. “Bet I’m coming, baby girl.”

She slapped me across the face. “Stop flirting. Go kill my dad.”

“Yes, ma’am. Stay here.”

“I’m coming.”

“Shit, woman, you’re a living, breathing contradiction! Fuck it, let’s go.”

Caroline followed me into the continuing fray. And it had only gotten worse.

More Wolverines had shown up—seven more.

Fuck.

“Shoot, you dummy!” Caroline snapped.

“Let me aim first!”

I fired every damn bullet in the gun—only ten, which didn’t sound like much—but it brought three fuckers down for the count. Caroline, my badass bitch, took down two of her own members.

They caught on to our location quick, though.

“Duck!” I ordered, grabbing her arm and yanking her down behind a box that was shredded through in seconds. Bullets missed both Caroline and me by a hair. Splinters scratched my cheek. “How many bastards did you father recruit?!”

“Too many,” she growled. “They tipped the field back in their favor. Drop!”

More bullets peppered our cover. We went flat on our stomachs.

I pocketed the empty gun. The mag was empty but I could still use it as a club. “What do you want to do?”

“Help Jackson.”

“Seriously?”

Caroline gave me a flat look, then shoved her gun in her waistband. Why was that so sexy?

“Gotcha,” I said, knowing I couldn’t talk her out of it. “I’ll be your shield, woman.”

“Whatever. Just get me back to the office. And don’t fucking die on me.”

I inhaled deeply, gathering my remaining courage, and on the exhale, lurched up. The gunfire had stopped—toward us, at least. On the floor, it was a battlefield.

And the Devils were losing.

But that meant Bates wasn’t dead.

Why the fuck wasn’t he dead yet?

“Jackson,” I hissed, grabbing Caroline’s hand and pulling her into the fight. “Where the hell are you?”

It wasn’t long before we got sidetracked. I saw Mason get targeted again. But it wasn’t me to rush to his rescue.

It was Caroline.

She bolted through the chaos like nothing could touch her.

I watched as if in slow motion. The bullets and bodies and fists were dragging through the air as slow as molasses, but she was a track star.

She pulled her gun from her waistband, racking the slide like she was born with it in hand, and raised it without a beat of doubt.

The Wolverine had Mason by the collar, fist cocked back, ready to knock the VP—already pummeled beyond deserving—out cold.

His arm only made it halfway there before— Crack— Caroline’s bullet punched clean fucking through it. The Wolverine’s forearm snapped like a branch underfoot.

He screamed and dropped Mason, hunching over the useless arm, swearing up a storm.

Caroline’s stride didn’t falter. She planted herself between Mason and the Wolverine like she was his own damn riot shield. Then pressed the barrel of the gun between the Wolverine’s eyes. The unlucky bastard froze.

I blinked.

That woman.

That woman had the fucking guts to be a Devil any day.

“Back the fuck off him,” Caroline warned. “Or I’ll put a bullet through your fucking brain. If not for him, then for me. Don’t think I forgot about what you did to me last year.”

Sheer rage filled every atom of my body at the hidden weight of those words. But this was her poetic justice moment.

The Wolverine curled his lip, blood pouring from the hole in his forearm.

“Traitor with a pussy. Never thought you’d spread your legs for a Devil with a second-rate cock.

You think you’re one of them now? You’ll always be Bates’s little bitch.

Bates created you. And no matter what cut you ride with now, you’ll die wearing his brand. ”

The only hint of emotion Caroline showed was a clenched jaw, but I could tell she wanted to touch her Wolverine tattoo.

But she was unmoving. “You used to own me. Not anymore.”

Then Caroline pulled the trigger.

Blood sprayed all over her face. She barely fucking blinked. Didn’t even wipe it away. Just turned and offered Mason a hand.

“That proof enough for you, High Roller?” she asked.

Mason was definitely out of his mind with pain, but the look in his eyes was fully present. I held my breath. Was this enough to convince him that Caroline had finally ditched her Wolverine past?

“Yeah,” Mason growled, taking her hand. “I’d say so.”

I realized all the action had stopped. No one was fighting anymore. They were either passed out, dead, or just standing, watching.

I didn’t know why yet. I just bolted over to help Caroline haul Mason to his feet. I patted his good shoulder lightly. “You always this ugly, or is that new?”

Mason snorted, fighting a smirk. “Fuck off, man.”

I almost laughed—then Bates roared in fury.

Caroline took off.

Shit.

I followed her closely behind until she skidded to a stop in front of the office.

Bates and Jackson had gone at it like beasts. They were drenched in blood like they bathed in it, covered in bruises and cuts. Their bodies were this fucking close to giving out. The whole office looked like a slaughterhouse.

We missed why Bates yelled, but I was ready to yell next.

“That whole time,” I roared at my president, “you were boxing him instead of killing him?!”

“Caroline,” Bates rasped, looking away from Jackson to plead with his daughter. “Help me, baby girl. Help your daddy.”

That’s my name for her, you fucking dickbag.

I swear Caroline could have morphed into some vengeance goddess right then and there. But she was so fucking calm about it, walking to the door, wrenching it open with a few kicks to finish off what looked like an earlier attempt to shoulder it open.

“Care, no,” I hissed incredulously. Why the fuck was she ? —

“Of course, Daddy,” she said, sickly sweet.

Walter Bates was clearly delirious because he believed her. He sagged with relief, shoving past Jackson, who let this all happen with hawk-eyed focus.

Bates flung his arms around Caroline, who patted his back, expressionless. Everyone alive and conscious in the warehouse had stopped to stare, fights forgotten.

“My sweet girl,” Bates wheezed, squeezing her tight like it was a long-awaited reunion, “always has my back.”

Whatever Caroline’s plan was, it was dashed to pieces when Bates snatched the gun from her pocket and held it to her head, the begging old man gone in an instant—back into the raging bastard.

I lurched forward. “ No! ”

Bates ignored me, his voice ragged with rage and betrayal. “You fucking whore. You bled for me, killed for me, lied for me—and you threw it all away for Devil cock.”

His spit hit her cheek. She barely flinched.

“You think they’ll ever love you like I did?” he rasped, pressing the barrel harder to her head. “I made you. Trained you. You’re not one of them. You’re mine.”

Bates’s free hand ran down her hip and he whispered in her ear, “Devils’ll fuck you, but I own you. Always. Whether I live or die, you’re mine , baby girl.”

Caroline’s eyes went wide with horror.

Bates’s finger curled around the trigger.

“NO!”

BANG.