Page 25

TWENTY-FIVE

FIRE

I get my hands on Evelin, I’m going to tan her ass bright red, then chain her to my bed until I know for certain she’s not going to go against orders again.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The call came while I was working on one of the blades. I just finished the first coating on the steel blade and was about to put it in the fire. The number was the one to the bar, so I figured my woman was calling me early, ready for me to pick her up. I didn’t think anything of it until Francie gave me the message that Evelin walked to Kinley’s and that she was to call if she hadn’t been back or heard from my woman.

It’s all I could do to keep my shit together. I told Pyro to get to the clubhouse, and have Heat and everyone else around ready to go. Shit was going down. By the time I got back to the clubhouse, parked the ATV, and ran around to the front, everyone was on their bikes, ready to roll out.

“Where to?” Heat shouts over the rumbling of bikes. His expression is tight, and he looks ready to commit murder at any second.

“Kinley’s,” I tell him, swinging a leg over my own bike. “Something’s goin’ down, and I’ve got a feeling it’s got to do with Holstein.”

Heat gives a curt nod and takes off. I’m right behind him.

I don’t give a shit we’re going to roll up to Kinley’s house loud as shit, giving away the fact we’re coming. If Holstein is there and he’s got my woman, I want him to know I’m coming for him . . . coming for my woman.

Rage burns inside me, and I’m ready to tear them all apart.

I don’t miss the flames licking at my fingers sparking. I should give a damn about it, but I don’t. All I care right about now is getting to Evelin and making sure she’s okay.

I never should have let her go to the bar without me. Why the fuck couldn’t she just stick to one simple promise? All she had to do was fuckin’ call me, and I’d have taken her to Kinley my damn self. Instead, she goes without calling ahead, telling her assistant manager to call me thirty minutes afterward.

Swear, she makes it out of this safely, she’s gonna learn the error of not thinking to call me first.

* * *

Pulling up in front of Kinley’s house, I barely get my kickstand down and the bike turned off before I hear Evelin’s screams from inside the house.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Jumping off the back of my bike, I rush past my brothers, them right on my heels, and up the front steps, throwing myself through the door and busting it open.

My eyes immediately find Evelin and see red. The bastard has her shoved against a wall, his head in her neck. She’s squirming and trying to get away from him, but he’s got her locked in.

“Let her go,” I command, moving toward him.

Two other men come out from other rooms, prowling in our direction.

Holstein lifts his head from Evelin’s neck, blood dripping down the side of his lip. “I think I’ll keep her as I intended.”

“You’re a dead man,” Heat snarls, stepping toward me.

Holstein smirks and tugs Evelin tighter to him. Her eyes come to mine, and I see the regret in them. She knows she fucked up by not listening to me.

“I’m more than just a dead man,” Holstein remarks and strokes the side of Evelin’s face. “You see, she’s mine and has been since I first saw her.”

“She’s not yours, motherfucker. Evelin will never be yours ‘cause she’s been mine a whole lot longer than since the first time you saw her. Now, let her go before I kill you.” I was going to kill him anyway, but he could think what he wanted.

“I think I’ll keep her right where I have her, thank you very much. We have a deal to discuss,” Holstein states, shifting his gaze to Heat.

“I’m not doing any deals with you,” Heat informs him with a deadly tone.

“You will once you learn that it’s not just your sister that will be turned, but her sweet friend, Kinley, has already been so. Isn’t that right, Zaff?”

Fucking hell. I didn’t even think to look for Kinley.

“She’s in the middle of transition as we speak.” Zaff chortles.

“Fire,” Evelin whimpers and struggles against Holstein’s hold on her.

I hold her gaze, aware of Holstein watching me, but I communicate to her that everything will be okay for her. My hands burn at my sides. With one touch to just a piece of furniture, I knew the house would be going up in flames. If there’s one thing that vamps are scared of more than sunlight, it is fire.

Stepping forward, I allow the fire coursing through my veins to pour out of my hands while running my fingers along the edge of the chair. Evelin’s eyes sparkle as she glances at where fire leaks from my hands to the chair.

The two men with Holstein jump back while the man himself seems to be thinking and calculating his next move.

“I suggest you let my woman go before I send this whole place up in flames burning you alive, Holstein. You think yourself invincible, but we’ve got you outnumbered,” I tell him, touching another piece of furniture.

“You think a little fire is enough to scare me?” Holstein scoffs. “Fire doesn’t scare me.” His body language says something different.

“Boss, we gotta get out of here,” the one he called Zaff says.

Holstein snarls, curses, and tosses Evelin forward. I jump, catching her as she stumbles.

“This isn’t over with. I will have Evelin and what I want. Until then, I’ll take what I already have for the time being.” Holstein sneers and vanishes before our eyes. All three of them vanish into thin air.

“Fuck, did he just disappear into thin air?” Pyro demands.

“Kinley,” Evelin calls her friend’s name weakly.

“I’ll go get her,” Heat remarks, moving through the quickly burning house.

“Come on, baby, let’s get you out of here and see to that neck.” Scooping Evelin in my arms, I carry her out of the house.

Hotshot stops me on the sidewalk. “Let me take a look.”

Evelin cocks her head slightly, and to both of our surprise, her neck is already healing.

“How’s that possible?” Hotshot asks.

“Don’t know,” I tell him and kiss the top of Evelin’s head. “You feel okay?”

“I’m fine physically,” she remarks, her breathing ragged. “I’m worried about Kinley.”

Moments pass by before Heat and the rest of my brothers come out of the house.

“Where’s Kinley?” Evelin asks, wiggling to get out of my arms.

I set her on her feet but don’t let her go. The whole time I do this, my attention is on Heat. “Prez?”

“She was gone,” he growls, lip curling. “They had to have taken her with them.”

“No,” Evelin whispers, her knees buckling. She would have collapsed if I hadn’t caught her. “This is all my fault. All my fault.”

“They already had her before you got here, baby. This isn’t your fault.”

“It is,” she snaps, shaking her head vigorously. “If I’d just said something sooner. If I hadn’t kept it a secret. If I hadn’t been so damn stubborn?—”

“Eve, stop it,” Heat barks, his tone harsh, but his eyes speak something different. “We’ll find Kinley and get her back.”

Evelin slumps more against me and sobs.

“Let’s get back to the clubhouse, we’ll discuss everything there. We’re too exposed out here.” Heat rakes his hand across his face, and lets out a harsh breath.

With this shit, I can understand his frustration. He’s not been back from the rally more than a day, and he’s got to deal with this. More than that, we’ve all got to deal with the outcome of what’s happening. Holstein said he wasn’t done that he’d have what he wanted. This means he’ll be back, and when he shows his face again, we’ll be ready for him.

No one fucks with the Kings and gets away with it. No one fucks with those associated with our club or those who are family. Kinley was Evelin’s best friend, but she was more than that, she was family. Through Evelin, she was family. Them taking her bought them a war they were not ready for.