Page 96 of These Monstrous Ties

The shot rings in my ears.

But the Unsaints aren’t done.

Mayhem shoots this time, another bullet into the floor, and he lunges for Nicolas. He flips the gun in his hand, drops it, and brings his fist across Nicolas’s face before Nicolas has time to reach for his own gun. Behind us, I hear the guards from outside the door rushing in, shouting at Mayhem to stand down. But I whirl around, spreading my arms wide, shielding Mayhem with my own body.

Brooklin screams, and I draw the knife from my pocket, flicking the clasp on the blade to unleash it.

“If you don’t shut your fucking mouth,” I growl to Brooklin without looking at her, “I will slit your goddamn throat.”

Mercifully, she stops screaming.

The guards have their guns drawn. They’re all dressed in black, with what I know to be bulletproof vests on.

“Drop your weapons,” I command them.

They stare at me, unmoving.

Behind me, Mayhem is snarling at Nicolas.

“You fucking piece of shit,” he hisses, his voice the only one in the foyer. “Youdaretell her that Jeremiah is going through a lot? That piece of scum fucked her over andyou. Did.Nothing.”With each word, I heard his fist slam against Nicolas’s head. Nicolas murmurs something, and I can tell without looking behind me that he’s stunned.

Lucifer hasn’t said a word. But suddenly, the guards tense, and Brooklin whimpers.

I glance over my shoulder.

Lucifer has a knife held against her face. I didn’t even know he had a knife.

I smile at him. He smiles back, but his brilliant blue eyes are cold.

Mayhem glances at his sister held at knifepoint, but says nothing. He knows Lucifer won’t cut her. But no one else does.

I look back at the guards. “Drop your weapons. Leave them here. Go back outside. Or your boss’s girl will get her pretty little face carved up.”

Slowly, they lower their weapons. But they make to stow them back in the holsters.

I shake my head, the knife still in my hand.

“Nu uh,” I command them. “I saidleave them.”

“Mayhem,” Brooklin whimpers.

Mayhem laughs. “Don’t call for me now,” he growls.

“We can’t leave the front doors unprotected,” the shorter guard says to me, ignoring the exchange between another fucked up brother and sister.

I don’t know what Jeremiah had been thinking, leaving her here. Maybe he meant her as a peace offering. Maybe Nicolas and I had both been wrong. Maybe Brooklin actually didn’t mean that much to him.

“Drop them or she dies. That’s the last chance I’m giving you. And her.”

They stare at me a moment longer, hatred burning in their eyes. They don’t want to take orders from Jeremiah’s little sister.

“I’d listen to her if I were you,” Atlas says cheerfully.

They finally do as they’re told, dropping their weapons. And then they back slowly out, never turning their backs on us until they’re out the doors. They resume their posts without glancing back.

I grab their guns and turn, nodding to Lucifer. “Take her with us.”

Mayhem clicks his tongue. “Leave her here,” he says quietly, his eyes on his sister’s. “We’ll stay down here and watch these fuckers.” He jerks his head to the guards at the front door. He’s still standing over a cowering Nicolas.