Page 9 of Scorpion (Riders of Retribution #4)

Scorpion

I run to the front of the safe-house, grateful that Dan’s shitty car apparently couldn’t handle the road up here. My gun is heavy in my hand, my finger resting by the trigger. I’m ready to shoot at a moment’s notice.

When Dan’s car comes to a stop, his front door flies open and he throws himself out. His eyes lock on me, and his hand goes to his belt. I know exactly what he’s reaching for, so I pull the trigger of my own weapon, aiming for his leg.

Dan goes down with a scream, and a sick part of me is glad that it hurts like hell. He thrashes around, holding onto the place where the bullet has lodged itself in his thigh. For a moment, I just watch his pathetic ass scream, his face twisted up in agony.

After a few seconds, I rush over to him, kicking him onto his back and reaching down to remove the gun from his belt.

Then, I toss it far away, effectively making this coward a non-threat.

Not that he ever was one to begin with. I doubt the fucker has ever even shot that gun.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he went out and bought it today.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ask, standing over him with my gun pointed right at his head.

I don’t plan on killing him, not really, at least not yet. I want him to suffer, to feel the same fear and pain that he forced on Lilah. I can see a hint of it in his eyes, but it’s not enough. He’s still too comfortable.

I shove my heel against his hand, grinding it down hard and pulling out another scream. Snarling down at him, I lean closer, gun still pointed between his eyes. In a low voice, I say, “You better start talking, you cowardly bastard.”

“Isn’t it fucking obvious?” Dan says, his voice shaking like the pathetic man that he is.

I apply more pressure to the hand covering his wound as I say, “How about we try this again? Why the hell were you tailing us? And why the fuck did you pop out of your fucking car with a gun? You were really going to shoot both of us? There’s something seriously fucking wrong with you.”

“She deserves better than you,” he spits. “Someone with a real job. Someone who doesn’t moonlight committing crime.”

“Last I checked, I’m the only one of us that has a real job,” I say, putting my foot on his chest and pressing down, pulling a wheeze from his lungs.

“Didn’t you quit yours today? And as far as crimes go, I’m not killing people for no reason.

You, however, got out of your car reaching for your gun.

What was your plan there? You were going to kill me and take Lilah for yourself? ”

I give him a second to answer, to confirm if what I’m saying is true. Instead, he glares up at me, his mouth shining with spit, sweat collecting on his face. It’s like he’s trying to kill me with his eyes, but unfortunately for him, looks don’t kill. They only serve to piss me the fuck off.

“You really think she’d go for that?” I continue, knowing the only thing my words do is get under his skin.

I might be enjoying playing with him. Sue me. He made it his mission to make my girl’s life a living hell. I’m just giving him what he deserves.

I watch as Dan’s fingers inch toward the gun. It’s too far away, so far away that his effort is laughable. Then, jutting his chin out like he has the upper hand here, he says, “She already had her chance. She doesn’t want me. Fine. But she had her fucking chance.”

“Exactly, and she said no,” I say, putting more weight on him.

“That’s going to be the last mistake she ever makes,” he says savagely, trying to extract himself from beneath my boot. “Because I’m going to kill you and that fucking bitch.”

Without hesitation, I fire my gun. The bullet lodges itself in Dan’s frontal lobe, and blood starts to trickle out of the hole. He makes several gurgling noises, his body twitching as the life drains from it. I watch, sneering at his corpse, feeling no sympathy for him.

How fucking dare he insult Lilah.

I give his chest one final shove before I re-holster my gun and run back to where Lilah is hiding. I don’t know how much of that she heard, but a gunshot is pretty unmistakable. The poor thing is probably scared out of her mind.

When I round the corner, she raises the pipe I gave her for protection. She’s ripped off her helmet, so I can see those blue eyes and that button nose. Even terrified, she’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen in my life.

As soon as her brain registers that it’s me standing in front of her, she drops her weapon and rushes forward.

Her arms wrap around me, and as I pull her closer to my chest, I notice that she’s shaking.

So, as gently as I can, I rub circles into her back and murmur that everything’s going to be okay.

Eventually, her shaking lessens and she pulls back to look up at me with red rimmed eyes. They’re shining with unshed tears, but she’s holding it together. I bring one of my hands up to her cheek, rubbing my thumb under her eye.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she says. “I was so scared.”

“I’m more worried about you,” I say, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says. “I’m much better now that you’re here.”

“Good,” I reply, hugging her against me again. I take long, deliberate breaths, guiding her closer to relaxation. “Now, let's get you inside.”

“Inside?” she asks, her voice muffled by my chest. “This place isn’t abandoned?”

“No,” I say, realizing that I didn’t really explain anything to her. In my defense, I didn’t have the time. “It’s meant to look like that, though. This is one of the Riders of Retribution’s safe-houses.”

“Oh,” Lilah says, pulling back to look me in the eyes. “I didn’t know the MC had them.”

“It’s not really knowledge that we share with people who aren’t in the club,” I say with a shrug. Then, I mutter, “Anyway, let’s get you inside. There’s a situation out front that I don’t want you to see.”

“I–” she starts, swallowing and looking away from me for a second. “Is– is Dan dead?”

I’m quiet for a beat, trying to figure out the best way to answer that question. She’s already been through so much, and outright telling her that I’ve killed someone doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. So, instead, I say, “That creep isn’t going to be bothering you ever again.”

Lilah nods before turning her gaze back on me. So quietly I almost don’t hear her, she says, “Thank you.”

I kiss her forehead again before shifting my hold on her so I can lead her to the backdoor of the house. With her pressed against my side, I put in the code to the lock and pull the door open. Then, I step inside with her, closing the door behind us.

“There should be some sodas in the fridge,” I say, gesturing to the kitchen we’ve stepped into. “I’m not sure the last time it’s been stocked, though.”

“That’s fine. I don’t really think I want anything,” she says, pressing even harder against my side. God, I hate that I’m going to have to head out of here to take care of the mess out front. “I’m… I’m not really sure how to feel.”

“I don’t think there’s any right way to feel right now,” I tell her. “And I wish I could stay here to help you through it right now, but I need to call the MC. I’ll be back inside before you know it, though.”

“I understand,” she says with a sigh. “Just promise you’ll stay close by and you’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be as fast as I can. All I ask is that you stay away from the front of the house,” I say. Then, when she nods her ascent, I kiss her lips, a soft and chaste thing. “I love you, Lilah. And I’ll always keep you safe. I don’t want you to ever doubt that.”

She looks at me with huge eyes. Her entire expression softens and she says, “I love you too, Scorpion. More than I ever thought possible.”

With our confessions hanging heavy in the air, I can’t stop myself from surging forward and kissing her wildly.

She gives it back as good as she gets, grabbing onto me with a kind of hunger and urgency that makes me feel like the most powerful man in the world.

I long to take this further, to drag her to the bedroom on the other side of the house and take her right there, but there’s too much I have to deal with first.

So, with a growl, I pull away from Lilah’s soft, sweet mouth. She sways forward, chasing the contact. Fuck, I hate that part of protecting her is taking care of the mess in the front yard.

“You stay here,” I instruct her, forcing myself to put distance between the two of us. It damn near physically pains me, but if I don’t, I’ll give into my weakness for her. “I’m going to go take care of everything.”

“Okay,” she murmurs, watching as I head toward the door. “Stay safe.”

“I’ll always come back to you,” I promise, stepping outside and pulling my phone from my pocket. It’s time to get the boys out here.