Page 48 of Stand: Part One

“Kayla is alive!”

Five long hard seconds followed as I waited for my reveal to sink in.

“Ceasefire!” Matt finally called out.

When silence befell, Matt raised his gun and slowly stood from behind the bar.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

I followed suit, raising my gun and standing off at an angle. “Kayla’s alive, Matt. And I can help you find her.”

He glared at me. “Bullshit. How the fuck could you possibly know that?”

“She was seen at a pawn shop in Arizona. Not too long ago. I saw the security tape myself.”

“Prove it!” he snarled.

“Check your fucking phone!”

Matt kept his aim as he pulled out his phone, tapping through the screen. I watched his brow rise, and his eyes lit up the second he hit play.

“Drop the vendetta, Matt, and we can go get her back. Together,” I offered, hoping it would be enough to finally end this shit. But I knew damn well it wouldn’t be.

When he finally raised his head, his eyes were crazed.

“Your lying bitch of a wife said she was dead!” he roared, making me squeeze my gun a little tighter.

“She was mistaken, asshole!”

He shook his head, turning his eyes back to his phone. “No! She knew. She knew, and she fucking lied!”

“Do you want my fucking help or not?” I shouted back. “You’re running low on resources, Matt. I can give you what you need to find her.”

He scoffed, his lips turning into a sneer. “I don’t need your goddamn help. I’ll find her on my own!”

I glared back, his final warning. “Not if I find her first.”

His brow rose, fury washing over his face. “Now you wanna go after what’s mine?” he snarled. “Then I’ll add yours to my list. Lying whores don’t deserve to breathe!”

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

I didn’t even reply. I just pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight through his stomach. He could spend the rest of those precious minutes he had left of his miserable life bleeding out in fucking agony. You didn’t threaten what was mine and expect to live afterward.

Matt fell against the back of the bar while all hell broke loose. Scott suddenly burst through the door of the club with another six of our men piling in beside him, guns blazing in all directions.

I crouched back down to check on Daniel, who was barely conscious, while Scott handled the remaining gunmen. The gunfire didn’t last more than a few seconds.

“Medic!” I called as soon as it was clear.

“He was never going to go for that,” Daniel groaned, his eyelids dropping as I lifted him to stand.

“No shit. Stalling is an art form. You’ll master it one day.”

Two soldiers then rushed over and took Daniel from me, hurrying him out of the club with me close on their heels.

“I have no idea what the fucking drama is right now, but I want it the fuck out of my club!” Luis called after me as I followed my men out.

I tried not to roll my eyes. “I’ll pay for the damages.”