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Chapter Twenty-One

R age

“You think the Talons are actually stupid enough to hit the shipment?” Dread asked, leaning against the workbench in my garage, beer bottle dangling from his fingers. “Even Spike has to know that would be suicide.”

“Men do stupid shit when their pride’s on the line,” I answered, wiping grease off my hands with an old rag. The detached garage behind our house had become my sanctuary since Sarah had been staying with us.

I loved my woman, but I’d hit my limit of Grey’s Anatomy reruns.

Dread laughed, taking another pull from his beer. “True that. Chief wants every man locked and loaded tomorrow night.”

“As we should be.” I tossed the rag aside and took the cold brew Dread offered. “Can’t take chances, not with?—”

The ringtone I’d set specifically for Mac cut through our conversation. I pulled my phone from my pocket, a small smile already forming.

“Hey ba?—”

“Is this McKenzie’s boyfriend?” A woman’s panicked voice, definitely not Mac’s, came through the speaker.

My body went rigid. “Who is this? Where’s Mac?”

“My name is Megan. I—I work with McKenzie at Cypress Memorial.” Her voice cracked. “There’s been an incident. McKenzie’s been shot.”

My whole world stopped. Everything around me faded to white noise as those three words slammed into my chest like a freight train.

“What the fuck do you mean shot? Where is she?” My voice, strangled and harsh.

The woman, Megan, was crying now. “They’re rushing her into surgery. She—there was so much blood. You need to come quickly.”

The bottle slipped from my fingers, shattering against the concrete floor. I didn’t remember dropping it.

“I’m on my way.” I ended the call, already moving toward my bike.

Dread’s hand grabbed my shoulder. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

“Mac was shot. At the hospital.” The words tasted like acid. “I have to go.”

His face darkened. “Go. I’ll meet you there.”

I took off across the driveway and I jumped on my bike. The tires kicked up gravel as I tore out of the driveway, pushing the bike harder than I ever had.

My mind was a hurricane of rage and terror as I weaved through traffic. Nothing mattered except getting to my woman.

My baby.

Shot.

Bleeding.

I felt a tear trail down my cheek.

Fuck no. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t fucking allow it. She was mine, she promised.

The ride to the hospital was a blur. I didn’t remember parking or running through the emergency entrance.

But suddenly I was just there, in the waiting room, my heart in my gut as I scanned the faces for anyone who could tell me where she was.

“Bryce.”

I turned to see Mac’s mom rising from a chair, her face pale. She crossed the room and, to my surprise, wrapped her arms around me.

“They’ve taken her into surgery,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “She was shot twice. Once in her side, once in her chest.”

My knees almost buckled. “Will she…?” I couldn’t finish the question.

Lillian pulled back, her eyes swimming with tears. “It’s bad. That’s all I know right now. The doctor said the next few hours were be critical.”

I nodded, unable to form words as the reality of what was happening crashed over me.

My beautiful, strong, stubborn woman was fighting for her life on an operating table because some piece of shit put bullets in her.

“Do they know who?”

Lillian shook her head. “No.”

My fists clenched at my sides.

“Hey. She’s strong,” Mac’s mom said, almost as if she could read my thoughts. Her hand clasped mine, squeezing tightly. “Our girl is strong.”

“Strongest woman I’ve ever met.” My voice was barely audible. Another tear slid down my cheek.

I wiped it away. “She has to be okay.”

“She will be,” Lillian nodded, a fierce determination in her eyes that reminded me so much of Mac that it almost undid me completely.

I sank into a chair, my legs no longer able to support my weight. Lillian sat beside me, her hand still holding mine.

I should’ve been here. I should’ve picked her up. I should’ve protected her.

I was thinking of all the ways I’d fucked up when the waiting room doors opened and Chief walked in with half the club right behind him. Their faces were grim as they approached, and I knew Dread had filled them in. Zero had his laptop tucked under his arm. Thank fuck. I needed him looking for whoever hurt my girl.

Killer’s massive hand gripped my shoulder and squeezed. “We got you.”

I nodded as Chief settled into the chair on my other side.

“Any news?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

I shook my head. “Just that she’s in surgery. Someone shot her twice, Prez.” My voice cracked on the last word.

Chief’s face darkened. “We’ll find who did this, brother. You have my word.”

The doors slid open again. This time it was Jack who came bursting through, still in his uniform. His eyes caught mine and his face that was twisted with grief transformed into pure rage.

“You!” He crossed the waiting room. “This is all your fault! I told you—told you both that your world was going to get her hurt and look where we are!”

I stood, some base part of me welcoming the confrontation. Because maybe he was right. Maybe she was fighting for her life because of me.

“Jack, stop it!” Chelsea appeared behind him, grabbing his arm. “This doesn’t help your sister.”

“My sister is fighting for her life because of him!” Jack shouted, shaking off his wife’s hand. “She never would have been in danger if she hadn’t gotten mixed up with?—”

“That’s enough!“ Lillian’s voice cut through Jack’s tirade. She stepped between us. “McKenzie needs us united right now, not tearing each other apart.”

Jack’s jaw clenched, but he took a step back, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

Zero moved closer, opening his laptop. “Rage,” he said quietly as to not draw anymore attention. “I got something.”

Thank fuck.

We moved away from listening ears and he showed me the screen.

“Uhh.” All I saw were lines of what I assumed were computer code scrolling past.

“Hospital security feed,” Zero explained, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “I’m in.”

Jack’s head snapped toward us. “What did you just say?”

Zero ignored him, focusing on his screen. “Got it. Parking garage, level three. The timestamp matches when the call came in.”

“Let me see that,” Jack demanded, moving closer. “How did you access that footage?”

“Back the fuck off, Jack. This doesn’t concern you.”

Chief stepped forward, his eyes flicking back and forth between us. Jack put his hands on his hips, holding Chief’s stare.

I could see it. There was a war waging behind Prez’s eyes. He was most likely thinking about what if it was Foxy in that operating room, fighting for her life. I guess Jack and Chief had that in common. They were both overprotective of their little sisters.

Finally, Chief gave a quick nod.

“Show him,” he said to Zero, then swung his gaze back to Jack. “Don’t make me fucking regret this.”

At Jack’s nod, Zero turned the laptop so we could all see. On the screen was the parking garage. It was grainy but clear enough to see Mac crouched beside her car, working on what looked like a flat tire.

Why didn’t she call me?

My throat constricted as I watched her, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

A figure appeared at the edge of the frame, creeping toward her.

Even in the poor quality footage, I recognized him immediately.

“Chad,” I growled.

“Her friend’s ex?” I heard Killer ask.

“Yeah.” He was a fucking deadman.

We kept watching as Chad moved in from behind. His expression never changed when she spins around. Their body language showed they were arguing.

Chad was growing increasingly more agitated while Mac kept trying to back away.

She lifted her hand, her lips moving.

“She’s trying to defuse the situation.” That was her from her brother.

Then Chad shoved her.

Mac’s body went back and her head connected with the mirror.

“Motherfucker,” I hissed as her fingers went to the blood dripping down her face.

“Jesus Christ,” Jack whispered brokenly.

What happened next tore through me like a blade to the heart.

Eyes void of all emotion, Chad reached into his waistband, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at Mac. Her hands came up in front of her again. I couldn’t hear the words coming out of her mouth, but I could tell by her body language that she was pleading with him not to pull the trigger.

His lips moved in response and the fear on her face was evident. I didn’t know how, but I knew that she knew what was about to happen.

In that moment, as I vowed that no matter what Chad would suffer greatly before he took his last breath, he pulled the trigger.

“NO!” My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest as Mac’s body jerked from the impact of the first bullet.

I watched in agony as her hand went to her side, her life’s blood spilling from her body. Her body fell to the side, but incredibly, she was still conscious, still looking up at Chad.

He fired again.

This time, Mac collapsed completely, a dark pool spreading beneath her as Chad backed away, then turned and ran out of frame.

“No.” My head shook side to side. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. It couldn’t be real.

On shaky legs, I staggered backwards until my back hit the wall. The image of my girl’s prone body seared into my brain as I slide to the floor.

“Find him,” I croaked, everything around me blurring with red rage. “Find him, Zero. Do that for me?”

Zero’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “I’ll find him, brother. Already into his financials, phone, everything. I just need a few more minutes.”

I climbed to my feet and moved toward the exit, that cold calm that always came when it was time to do work, settled around me like an old friend.

I knew exactly what I was going to do when I found Chad. He would bleed for touching a hair on my woman’s head. He would hurt for trying to take what belonged to me.

“Where are you going?”“ Jack’s voice stopped me. I turned to find him right behind me, his face almost unrecognizable from the anger he was feeling.

“To find the man who shot your sister,”“ I replied flatly. “Stay out of my way.”

“And do what?” he shot back.

“Whatever’s necessary.” Unlike him, I wasn’t bound by moving within the lines of the law.

Jack stepped closer. “You think I don’t want to find him? That’s my sister in there.”

“That’s why you need to stay here with your mother and your wife.” My tone left no room for argument. “They need you.”

Jack’s jaw clenched, the internal battle warring inside him written on his face as he glanced back at Lillian and Chelsea. His training as a cop went against every instinct he had as a brother, husband, and son.

Finally, he gave a quick nod. “Find him,”“ he said low. “Make it right.”

I held his stare, making sure I’d heard him right.

Good. We were on the same page and thank fuck for that.

Without another word, I turned on my heel with my brothers falling in step behind me.

Chad thought he could hide after trying to snuff out the light of the one person my black heart beat for, but he was about to learn just how fucking wrong he was.