Page 44 of The Devil’s Escape (The Devil’s Soldiers #7)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

HULK

I’m going to have to do a lot of talking to convince her not to take the kids and run after this.

I look at Avery’s pinched expression and pleading eyes. She thinks I don’t believe her, but I do. This woman went toe-to-toe with one of the most dangerous men in the world.

I simply reach out and take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze and pulling her into me. Rose adjusts herself to be on her other side. She glances up at me, eyes flashing with approval before they go back and harden focusing on the Misfits. The same men who look triumphant.

Idiots. Absolutely fucking idiots.

Sniper steps forward, holding out his hand for the bug. Silver hands it over, and Arson gives Bullet a hard glare.

“I fucking told you involving women in club business was going to end up fucking you over. You didn’t listen.

You’re not fit to be a president, Bullet.

You’ve lost your edge and gone soft. You’ve let a traitor through the doors, and you’ve put all of us in danger—your men, my men, and even your woman.

“This bitch isn’t worth anything. If we were in my club, she’d be dead already—her and those fucking brats that are probably in on this too.

“I bet the girl already offers herself up to any fucker she can spread her legs for, just to get the information they need.”

“Shut your fucking mouth,” I snarl, lunging forward, nearly breaking free, if Viper and Bowie didn’t put all their weight into holding me back. There’s a reason they call me Hulk other than my size, and I’m about to make sure these pricks see it.

“The boy is no fucking better, getting chummy with all of you stupid fucks.” Silver sneers. “Asking questions so you don’t suspect him. He’s probably the one that gets back to Vlad while the two whores distract you.”

A red haze fills my vision, and I struggle to get away from Viper and Bowie, who both grunt, trying to hold me back. “Hulk, stop it,” Viper hisses. “We’ll make them pay but you need to calm the fuck down. They’re doing this to get under your skin. Do not give them what they fucking want.”

Suddenly, the room goes silent, and I freeze—finally looking up and realizing Rose is wrapped around Arson’s back, a gun aimed at Silver in one hand and a scalpel pressed to Arson’s throat with the other.

The look on her face drains the anger from me, replacing it with awe.

She’s furious, but her eyes are stone cold.

No one moves—too stunned that she managed to slip past us all.

I glance at Bullet and see his face is hard, lips pulled into a thin, tight line.

Oh, he’s pissed.

Rose might not survive whatever punishment he’s cooking up once he gets his hands on her.

I pull back from Viper and Bowie, inching closer to Bowie’s side.

“I will kill you both before anyone can stop me,” Rose hisses, her tone almost demonic.

“And at this point, I’d be doing the world a favor.

“Utter one more word about those kids or Avery, and I’ll leave you to bleed out on this fucking floor.

Not one person will lift a hand to help you.

You think just because I’m a woman I don’t have ears?

You dare come in here and threaten me? Threaten my man—the President?

The one who invited you here, asked for your help—and you do this?

“You call him soft, when he and the rest of my boys could kill you without a second thought?”

“I’ll kill you,” Arson grits out, fury burning. “Then I’ll burn your body to ash.”

It’s Bullet’s turn to be restrained as he lunges forward, letting out a roar. This is going to shit and fast. Especially as guns are drawn on both sides. Fuck. I shove Avery behind me.

“A brave thing to say when you’re the one that’s about to die,” Rose responds. “Then again, you never were a smart one.” She looks around, gazes hard. “All of you put your fucking guns down.”

“Get her the fuck off our Prez!” someone bellows, furious. I don’t know who it is, but almost all of them say the same thing, but then I see it. Angel, Whip, and Ace are all silent. All three of them glance at each other before they put their guns down.

“Guns down. Now!” Angel yells sharply. No one moves. “That’s a fucking order from your VP,” he snaps.

“Angel, what the fuck, man?” Crook demands, staring at him angrily. “You can’t?—”

“Do not fucking question me. Guns down or I’ll have your fucking patch for not following orders.” There’s a mixture of disbelief and fury, but they comply, even if unwillingly.

“Guns down,” Sniper orders, and while we do, we don’t relax. Avery inches out from behind me but not far.

Bullet shrugs off Sniper and Torque and orders, “Rose, let them go.”

“Can’t do it, Bullet,” Rose answers, not even twitching. “Now is your chance to get answers, so make it quick because I’ve got some itchy fingers. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

Bullet takes her at her word and turns to Sniper. “The bug, is it one of ours?”

The mood shifts instantly. I see Arson and Silver both stiffen, and Arson grunts when Rose digs the scalpel a little deeper—blood welling around the blade.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” she says coolly. “And just so you understand, this scalpel is currently slicing into the skin above your main artery. One wrong move, a little more pressure, and you’ll be choking on your own blood.”

Arson growls but doesn’t move.

“It’s one of ours,” Sniper announces. “We’ll need to ask Cryos which one it is.”

“So you think you’re going to trap her with our bug that you found or stole?” Bullet sneers at Silver. “You think we wouldn’t check? And even if it wasn’t one of ours, why the fuck would you bring one into our clubhouse? An ally club at that?”

A small hint of panic fills Silver’s eyes.

“You’ve been fucking recording us?” Arson demands. “You fucking snake.” There’s another round of furious statements and threats that he quells with a hard look.

“No, actually, we haven’t been,” Bullet answers.

“Our security business burned down, but we keep some supplies here that Cryos works on getting ready, including bugs that clients request. Which means you’ve been rooting around in places you had no business being to find that, including Cryos’s office.

Now, what business would you have to be doing that? ”

Arson’s face tightens, and Silver’s face pales even further.

Arson must realize just how much shit he’s going to be in if this doesn’t get under control, because he visibly swallows and grits out between clenched teeth, “Clearly we have some things to clear up, but this isn’t the place to do it.

Not with women around in club business.” He gives a pointed roll of his eyes toward Rose, but stills at her warning look.

“You were the one to bring them into it,” I snap, fed up with all this back and forth. “You think you’re going to worm your way out of this by pulling that shit?”

Arson’s gaze is full of hatred as he stares at me.

“You’re right. We do have things we need to talk about,” Bullet says suddenly.

He looks at Rose. “Rosie, let them go.”

She doesn’t budge—just keeps her eyes locked on Silver.

Bullet pulls his gun and presses it to the center of Arson’s forehead, while Sniper steps forward and does the same to Silver.

“We’ve got them, woman. Now get your ass down and away from them.”

Rose seems to ponder until her eyes flash, her hand moves as quickly as a snake, and blood blooms down the right side of Arson’s face.

Arson roars in pain, jerking, making Rose fall away and land hard on her ass on the floor, her head hitting the wall.

She lets out a groan, the scalpel clattering to the floor.

Bullet roars, driving Arson back into the wall with a hard push, the gun pressing even tighter to his forehead.

“I’ll kill you for that alone, fucker,” he hisses.

I’m already moving and lifting Rose up and into my arms, turning toward Avery. Avery shoves Bowie out of her way and orders, “Bring her here. Let me have a look at her.”

“I’m fine. The stupid son of a bitch deserved it. Talking about those kids, and you, Avery, like that.” She hisses out a pained sound and glares at Avery when she grips her head and pokes at her. “I thought nurses were supposed to be kind and gentle. I’m seeing why Hulk calls you a devil.”

“I’m a devil because I don’t listen when people complain and act like wimps,” Avery replies mildly. She glances over at me. “I’ve got her. She’ll be fine.”

“Whatever the fuck is going to happen, I want everyone out of my bay,” Medic suddenly barks, irritation clear. “Do you all know how much fucking equipment and money is tied up in here? You start shooting and fighting, and I’ll have to replace it all, and some of that shit is difficult.”

“You heard him,” Sniper agrees. “Brothers, see that the Misfits are taken to their new accommodations.”

Then he pulls his gun from Silver’s forehead and slams his fist into his face.

Silver drops like a stone.

“I’ve got him, Bullet. We need answers, and you’re liable to kill him. Check on your woman—we’ll handle shit until you can get downstairs.”

Bullet looks like he’s seriously contemplating pulling the trigger, but instead, he yanks the gun back and pistol-whips Arson straight across the face. Then he turns back to where Avery is still checking on Rose.

Sniper nods at Arson and Silver. “You up for helping me?”

“I can’t lift Silver, but I can get Arson down there.”

Sniper gives me a hard look of warning before ordering, “He gets there in one piece, Hulk. Avery will kill me if you tear your stitches.”

“I’ll kill him,” Medic growls irritably, following us out. “All that hard work on his back, and he’s about to undo it—if he hasn’t already.”

“I’m far more scared of her than you, brother,” I drawl, stalking over to Arson and hauling him to his feet. I clamp a hand on the back of his neck and shove him forward toward the door, where the rest of my brothers are already pushing the Misfits out and down toward the cells in the basement.

“And she’s far prettier to look at anyway. Just make sure Bullet doesn’t murder Rose—because I think she might’ve pushed him a little too far with that stunt and getting herself hurt.”

We all exchange an amused smirk as we leave the med room—right as Bullet’s voice roars behind us:

“Woman, your ass is going to be so fucking sore when I’m done with you, you’ll be walking funny for a month! Then I’m going to deny you any good dick for a fucking year after that. Have you lost your fucking mind?”

I don’t hear Rose’s answer, but I swear I hear Avery laugh.

Yeah, I’m going to have to do a lot of talking to convince her not to take the kids and run after this.

But we’ll get there.

I glance at Crypt, who’s standing just outside the door. He gives me a sharp nod to let me know he’s got them under his line of sight.

I shift my focus back to the stumbling Arson.

There’s no more hiding what we know.

It’s time to get this shit out on the table—once and for all.