Page 30

S weat is starting to drip into my eyes, so I finally give in to the urge to swipe my forearm across my brow. I’m sure my cheeks are speckled with blood, but I’ve got my trusty nose plugs in which is a blessing for all of us.

“R-Remington, please…” Colt begs.

His right hand is fingerless, his left eye is swollen shut, one knee cap is busted out, and his thigh is once again bleeding because I re-stabbed it, but hey… He’s still got his tongue.

Surveying my guys spread out around the room, I realize this particular project is giving me no satisfaction whatsoever. Sure, seeing him in pain does make my pulse quicken a little, but not as much as I had anticipated.

“This is so… anticlimactic .”

“That’s becoming a theme, doll,” Ace murmurs, cautiously watching me.

“We could force him to his feet and make him try to run on that fucked up leg so it’s more of a challenge?” Saint suggests.

Trip rolls his eyes. “Or she could just kill him already and we can be done with this whole fucking thing.”

“Rem,” Grant murmurs. “What do you need?”

Staring down at Colt’s tear stained, blotchy face, I’m not even sure what to say. This was supposed to give me the closure I needed, but instead, it just feels like playing with a broken toy—no fun at all. Maybe Trip’s right. Why am I dragging this out and delaying the start of our forever?

Part of me knew that the end wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as I wanted it to be. As much as the Avenging Angel will always exist inside me, I’m no longer that broken girl anymore. I’m slowly becoming whole, and the part of me that derived pleasure from the pain of those who’ve wronged others has gotten…particular. More discerning. It’s like an epiphany strikes at this moment—the metaphorical light bulb shining brightly above my head—and suddenly I know what I have to do.

“I suppose it’s time for the final act of this shit show.”

“Which is?” Ace asks, straightening from where he’s leaning back against the bar.

Pulling out my phone, my fingers fly over the buttons before hitting submit. When I look up, every set of eyes in the room is locked onto me.

“You see, I knew my time as the Avenging Angel would have to come to an end one day. I just wasn’t really sure how or when.”

It’s so quiet, I finally understand the sentiment behind you can hear a pin drop .

“What does that mean, baby girl?” Trip asks, stepping closer.

“I found one way to ensure my past is truly in my past.”

“Spell it out for us, angel.” Saint runs a hand down his beard.

“Ten years ago, Rock gifted me money when I left the club. I swore I’d never touch a cent, but then I got to thinking, and… I don’t know. I feel like he’d support me on this because it means I’m finally taking the last step to move on from the nightmare of it all.”

I hold up my phone, and Grant walks closer to read it.

“Holy shit, Rem.” His eyes fly up to meet mine. “How the hell did you do that?”

“I may have asked for a little assistance from Jay. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Running his fingers along the side of my face, he leans in and drops a sweet kiss on my lips, careful to avoid the splatter of blood on my cheek.

“Someone wanna fill us in?” Saint mutters.

Grant pulls back, running a hand over his head. “She transferred every last penny of that money into an account that’s in Colt’s name.”

Silence.

“Explain,” Rogue murmurs, studying me intently.

“Part of the Avenging Angel’s M.O. is taking her fee from her victims’ accounts. On the list of transgressions she leaves behind, she includes her fee and a stamp with Paid in bright red ink.”

The guys all look at Grant like they’re still not comprehending. I want to roll my eyes, but I take pity on them.

“By moving the money into Colt’s account and copying all of my files onto his servers—also with some help from Jay—it will appear that Colt was the Avenging Angel. With his ties to the FBI, he’d have access to the files and the means to go after the ones that got away so to speak.”

“Holy shit.” Ace is still staring at me while he processes exactly what I’m saying.

Saint smirks. “You are stunningly fucking brilliant, angel.”

“But that means…” Rogue’s arms drop to his sides as the final realization hits.

“That from this point on, I will no longer be the Avenging Angel.” Saying that out loud makes my voice catch and my belly flip.

“Baby girl…” Trip doesn’t finish the thought. He just strides forward and pulls me into his arms.

It’s just like him to know exactly what I need. The emotions roaring through me are fucking potent as hell. The Avenging Angel has been a part of my identity for so long, I’m not sure who I am without her, but I have no doubt that the men surrounding me will help me figure it out.

“T-they’ll never b-believe it,” Colt rasps, reminding me that there is, in fact, still a half-dead man beaten all to hell in the center of the room with us.

“But they will. That paper Jay gave Rogue with the emails back and forth between someone inside the Reapers? It will look as though you and Storm were working together. Like your agenda was two-fold—revenge for the injustices of your past, but also against my father and the club. After all, they were who you blamed for your shitty life. And those dead agents you were so worried about before? They were ambushed when they came here to capture you.”

“So, what are you going to do with him?” Grant asks, motioning toward Colt.

My eyes dart to each of my men, praying they understand what I’m asking of them without starting a whole new argument that I one hundred percent will win…again

Trip tilts my chin back, staring down at me with a level of understanding that I quite honestly didn’t expect. “This is what you meant? You want us to go?”

I nod, afraid that if I try to say the words and they aren’t as steady as I’d hoped, they’ll rescind their agreement. He glances at the other guys, wordlessly communicating, while I wait for the final verdict.

When he looks at me, I feel my blood pressure rise.

“Okay.”

I blink. “Okay?”

“Yes. Okay, wife.” Ace grips the side of my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “But what I said still stands. Not one single hair out of place. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Of course, they don’t know what I’m planning to do, and for good reason. They’d never let me go through with it. In fact, after this, they may never let me leave their sight again. Still…

Worth it!

They each give me a quick kiss before heading for the door. As Saint passes Colt, he gives him a fierce kidney punch for the road. “You’re fucking lucky I didn’t cut out your tongue like I wanted to.” Then he spits on my brother's prone form as he doubles over in pain.

Grant’s the last one to go, indecision in his eyes.

“Grant, I’ll be fine. Look at him.”

“I don’t need to look at him. I’m looking at you . What aren’t you saying?”

I plead with my demons to calm the fuck down or he won’t leave, and I really need him gone. I need them all safe. Just in case…

But the anticipation of what’s about to happen is coming to a head, so I just need to hold on a few more moments. Then that elusive future I’d never dreamt would be my reality will be waiting for me on the other side.

“Go. Once he’s gone, our forever begins.”

Pulling me into his chest with one hand, the other running along my jaw, he glares down at me with his brow furrowed and jaw muscles bulging.

“Don’t make me regret this, Remington.” His kiss is rough, bordering on a hint of pain, as he tugs my bottom lip through his teeth. “I fucking love you.”

“I love you too.”

With one last swift kiss, he stalks off toward the door. When it closes behind him, I take a deep breath in and exhale.

You can do this, Remington. Take a deep breath in and exhale. That’s it. No one can hurt you anymore.

That statement has never felt more true until this moment.

Ragged laughter hits my ears. I force myself to look at the man I hate almost as much as the men who stole my soul. Colt spits blood onto the cold cement floor as his eyes meet mine.

“You really think you just walk out of here, free and clear? What? You gonna just sit around and arrange playdates for that bastard you’re carrying? Become a part of the PTO and join a book club?” He laughs again, but it’s cut off by a ragged cough. “You’ll never be fucking normal , Remington. You were raised by a psychopath and became a psychopath. There’s no going back from that.”

The small seed of doubt sparks to life in my head, but my demons beat that shit back. They’re my fiercest supporters and my harshest critics. If they think I can do this, I trust them.

“But who said I planned on going back?”

He blinks, not expecting that answer. “But you said you’re giving up the Avenging Angel…”

“And I am.” I step forward, leaning down into my brother’s face. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t kill a motherfucker if the urge arises, now does it? Kind of like it is, right…about…now.”

He meets my stare head on. “So, this is it then?”

Pulling the device out of my pocket, I dangle it in front of him. “I told you. Mercy doesn’t exist for me. There’s only one way this was ever gonna end. And…if I can take out this godforsaken building right along with you, so be it. One little push of this button, and the countdown to your demise begins.”

I press it, and the digital display reading ten minutes quickly begins to tick back by the second.

“Any last words, brother ?”

“Why waste my last breaths on someone like you?”

My head tilts, and I ask the one question that’s been running through my mind since I discovered the identity of the mastermind behind this hell.

“Just tell me this. Why did you aim your hatred for Rock at me? This could’ve ended a hundred different ways, but you chose this. Why?”

“Because you are everything I ever wanted to be. You had the love of our father. You had the intelligence to exact revenge on those that wronged you, not to mention the notoriety that came with that, even if you couldn’t exactly shout it to the world. And in the end, you got the club that rightfully should’ve been mine. I had to prove to myself that I really was the better Steele.”

“How did that work out for you?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

Before I can register any movement, his head whips forward, hitting me right between the eyes. I stumble back, barely avoiding collapsing to the ground. My vision swims as I curse my fucking arrogance. Ace really is going to kill me now because I’m pretty sure I’ve got a lump the size of Texas on my goddamn forehead.

“You’re fucking pathetic, Remington.” Forcing myself to take deep breaths and exhale to avoid passing out, I manage to open my eyes in time to see Colt dragging himself across the cement to get to me. “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.”

His hand reaches for my ankle, weakly wrapping around it and tugging with the limited strength he’s got left. If I was in full fighting form, it would be a lame attempt, one I could easily shake off. Unfortunately for me, my brain is still spinning. I tumble to the floor, landing hard on my ass.

“Son of a bitch!” I growl.

With surprising force, his grip on my ankle tightens.

“Guess this is the end for both of us, dear sister.”

“Fucking think again, dickwad.” Drawing my free leg back, I kick forward hard .

The satisfying crunch of breaking bones is like music to my ears, and the blood rushing from his nose is just the reminder I need.

The clock is ticking, and I need to get the hell out of here.

“You fucking bitch! ”

Sitting forward, I only see two of him for a brief second before my vision rights itself. I take a random swing using every ounce of strength I can muster. My fist hits his jaw, and he crashes to the concrete, stunned and gasping for air. Taking one second to close my eyes and breathe, I say a prayer that when I open them again, the room has stopped spinning enough that I can get to my feet.

Grant’s voice is suddenly in my head, reminding me that they’re waiting for me. Telling me that they love me. Yelling at me to get the hell up and get the fuck out of here.

On shaky legs, I stand, stepping over to where Colt is laid out on the floor. Pulling out my knife, I look down at the man that shares my blood. In the end, he will be nothing more than the final line of the tattoo that runs down my back.

Watery brown eyes open, staring up at me with the resignation that’s as familiar as the back of my hand. Any other time, I’d rejoice. Another tarnished soul coming to terms with their poor life choices. But this one just leaves me feeling hollow because it cost me so much more than I ever could’ve imagined.

Shaking my head, which only intensifies the burgeoning headache, I prepare to end this thing, once and for all.

“I’m pretty sure even Lucifer is shaking his head in disappointment of your entire pathetic existence. Normally, I’d tell you to say hi for me, but he already knows I’m going to do my damndest to stick around up here for a while longer than I anticipated.” With little fanfare and expert precision, I jab the knife right through my brother’s shriveled heart. Blood spurts from his mouth, the light of life quickly fading from his wide eyes. “So, instead, why don’t you have the fucking day you deserve, Colt.”

I straighten, proud of myself for only wobbling slightly, and glance down at my watch.

“Motherfucker!”

One minute, five seconds, and counting. On unsteady feet, I race toward the door, managing to grip the hidden latch after only two attempts. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the strength to pull it open. Cursing my luck, I know I’m just about out of options and time. Hoping for a Hail Mary , I make a mad dash to the only other exit close by. At this point, it’s my only shot. The french doors that lead to the backyard come into view, but they waver slightly because I’m pretty sure I’m weaving from side to side. The cool metal of the door handle hits my hand, and I whip it open until it crashes along the wall. Racing out into the dark night, the world tilts and my heartbeat is like a bass drum in my skull with each yard that passes below my boots. I pray I can keep it together long enough to get as far away as possible before the entire place goes…

Boom!