Page 40

TICK TOCK

T he call came through, and Natalia's frantic voice hit me like a bullet to the chest.

"Gabe...is he with you?"

"No, baby. I thought it was your turn to pick him up?"

"He's gone, Jose. My baby's gone."

Natalia’s voice cracked, and the sound of it nearly drove me to my knees. Every instinct in my body lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree. I was halfway through a rundown with Riddick in Lafayette, going over some shipment bullshit when my phone buzzed with her name.

I didn’t ask her anymore questions. She wouldn't have been able to answer me anyway. Instead, I reassured her and didn’t hesitate to take off. I just stood up, knocking over my chair and yelling back at Riddick as I left.

"Riddick! I gotta go!"

He blinked at me like I’d just gone off the rails. "What the fuck?"

But I was already out the door, grabbing my cut and jumping onto my bike. The world became a blur as I was flying down the highway, tires screaming against asphalt.

Then came the ping. A text from Natalia's phone. And an address.

I sent Hoax the address and called him immediately. "I need you to work your magic and tell me where this place is." I barked.

Hoax took a minute before coming back on the line. My brother knew not to ask questions just act when I asked him for something. He'd ask his questions after. "Cypress Hollow? Mile marker forty-two? Fuck, man, that’s deep bayou.”

“Can you tell who owns the property?”

There was a long pause and then I heard him exhale. “It’s Brewer. It’s Scorpion property.”

My hand tightened on the handles, and I sped the bike up. “I’m going to kill him.”

“You’ve got to tell me what’s going on, Man?"

"Natalia sent the address. Gabe’s missing."

Silence followed. Then, Hoax’s response matched my own. "Fuck."

"Knowing her, she's gone to get him her damn self. Because she can't be fucking patient..."

Hoax interrupted me. "Alright, hold on. Let me pull something up... Wait, she’s moving."

"What? You can see her?"

"Her phone’s still active. I never pulled the tracker."

I was halfway to cussing him out but stopped short. "We’ll discuss that later. For now? You’re a goddamn genius."

Hoax's tone shifted. "Meet me there. I’m bringing backup."

"Bring fire," I snarled, revving the engine. "These fuckers aren’t surviving the night."

* * *

Mile marker forty-two was barely visible, choked by vines and decay. Knuckles and Colt were waiting, tension crackling off them like a live wire. Hoax pulled up shortly after, phone in hand, eyes locked on the screen.

"They’re close. Eight hundred yards east in some rundown processing plant," Hoax confirmed, his voice tight with urgency.

We stood at the edge of the dirt lot, the thrum of engines gone silent behind us, the night thick with heat and tension. Colt adjusted his rifle strap while Knuckles scouted ahead with sharp, precise motions.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers twitching against the trigger. "We breach from the back," I said. "Flank the southeast corridor, force their eyes to split. Colt, you take the high ground. Knuckles, you get the left side entrance. I'm going through the fucking front."

Hoax looked up from his device, alarm written all over his face. "Tick Tock, wait. We need to move as a unit. Don’t go rogue."

But then I heard it. Natalia’s scream. And my fucking soul caught fire. It shredded every ounce of discipline I had left. I looked at Knuckles for a brief second.

One word was all he got out. "Fuck."

Suddenly, Gabe’s cries followed, small, broken, and filled with terror, and the world narrowed to a blood-red tunnel. I was gone before they could stop me.

"Shit! Tick Tock!" Knuckles hissed in my comms, but I was already sprinting toward hell, guns drawn, fury wrapped around me like armor.

This wasn’t going to be a rescue, it was going to be a fucking reckoning.

Natalia’s screams carried through the humid air like a fucking dagger to the heart.

"Mom! MOM!" Gabe's broken voice, clear as day, made me stumble as I ran forward, my lungs burning.

Everything in me snapped. Even with Knuckles screaming through the comms to wait for the plan, that I was going ot get myself killed, but I was already moving.

I kicked the door in, and stormed through the building. Men yelled as they pulled out their weapons. I noticed the scorpion on their leather cuts, and I could feel my blood grow cold. Thinking and hesitating got you killed. I shot first, never stopping to ask names.

Gunfire split the air above my head, bullets echoing through the hall as I kicked in the next door. My boots thundered over cracked tile, gun raised, fury pumping with every step. I had one goal. Find Natalia.

In my mind, I was back on the field. Whatever instinct that ran through my blood, poured out my fingertips as I fired my weapon. Throat shot. Headshot. Another asshole lunged at me., spine cracked under my boot as I drove him down into the ground. They came at me in waves, guns firing, but they barely missed me. I was grazed by one along my cheek which made me angry. I fired three shots and the asshole went down. They all weren’t fast enough. I fired without hesitation, reloading as I moved, each shot finding flesh and dealing death.

Through the comm, Knuckles’ voice crackled, urgent and steady.

"Ten upstairs. I count fifteen on my side. Colt?"

"Six on the east wing, one armed to the teeth. I’m moving."

"Fuck," Knuckles growled, "Tick Tock’s gone Boom."

I moved with agility even though I was blinded by gunpowder. These motherfuckers didn’t stand a chance. Blood slicked the walls as I carved through them, reaching the heart of the building where my true nightmare waited.

Slamming through the last door, I stopped in my tracks. There he was. Croak.

He had Natalia tied to a chair, bloodied. Gabe crying in the corner, wrists bound. He stood between them, a wicked grin splitting his face.

"Well, well," he purred, licking blood off his knife. "Daddy’s home."

"You have a death wish, don't you." I walked into the room, gun aimed at his head.

He snorted. "That’s not how this game goes. See, you took something from me, Tick Tock. And now I take it all back."

“You honestly think I don’t have a bullet ready to put in your head?”

He shook his head, still playing with the blade in his hands. “Probably. But you won’t get a chance to use it until I let you watch her bleed.”

“Gnash,” he growled and before I could move, I felt a gun press to the back of my head. I barely saw the fucker.

"Knees," he grunted.

I dropped. I could hear my brothers over the comms, they were all closing in.

"Hold tight, Tick Tock. We’re coming."

Croak circled Natalia like a vulture. "You’re gonna watch this bitch break. Just like I’ll break your boy next."

He dragged the blade down Natalia’s cheek and I watched as blood smeared the blade. “I told you I’d come back for you.”

He pressed the blade to her throat and her eyes fell on me. “I wonder how sweetly she’d scream if I did this...”

With his other hand, he flashed her the lit cigar. We both watched in horror as he turned and pressed it in the soft flesh right above her heart. She screamed in pain, and I exploded.

Twisting, I slammed my elbow into Gnash’s knee. The gun fired but missed. I knocked him back, grabbed his knife, and slashed his thigh. He went down screaming.

Croak lunged for his gun and I lunged after him.

We grappled. Fists flying, blows to the jaw, the gut, he was fighting to survive while I just needed to find a way to beat him until he couldn't breathe right. The gun skittered across the floor.

Gunfire erupted behind us. My brothers had arrived and with them, chaos ensued.

Croak smashed my head into the floor and I head-butted him back. Blood poured down my face, rage fueling every move. I reached for the gun, my fingers grazing it as Croak fought to drag me back. I punched him hard, landing a blow to his head. He grunted and I went for the gun again. Once again, he clawed at my jeans, dragging me away.

Angrily, I yelled. "Motherfucking, son of a bitch!" I swung my fist and caught his temple. He stumbled off me, disoriented and I reached out, grabbed the gun, rolled, and fired.

The bullet hit him on the side of the head. He jerked, eyes wide, then dropped.

I watched from the corner of my eye as the other fucker who had a gun pressed to my head, lunge at Natalia. At some point she had tipped over the chair. I got up to tackle him but she grabbed a gun from a downed body, and fired.

The Scorpion stumbled, but kept coming.

She shot again and he finally dropped.

I ran to her, hands over her shoulders, chest, my fingertips grazed the wound on her chest and she hissed "You okay? Are you..."

"I’ fine. Go get Gabe," she gasped.

We both turned. Gabe was crying, shaking, but alive. Colt was untying him and he ran to us, throwing his arms around her. "You’re a badass, Mom!"

I gave out a low chuckle, holding back tears as I wrapped them both up in my arms.

Knuckles and Colt flanked us while Hoax crouched over Croak. "Fucker’s alive. Barely."

"No way," I growled, raising my gun.

"Jose," Natalia whispered. "No more blood. Not from you, not in front of Gabe."

I looked into her eyes, then down at my son and I lowered the gun.

"Dump him at a hospital. If he bleeds out, that’s his fate."

Hoax nodded. "You got it."

The job wasn’t done but my family was alive. And for now, that was everything. Because this is what mattered in life, and I'd never let this happen to us again. Not as long as I lived.

I turned to Natalia, cradling her head, squeezing her cheeks lightly "Don't you ever do that again to me."

"I'm sorry...I just. I couldn't just let him take my baby."

Gabe tugged on my jacket. "Mom told that man you were my dad."

I got down on one knee and looked up at Natalia and she nodded at me. I turned back to him. "I suppose she was telling the truth."

"You're really my dad?"

I nodded, lowering my head. "I think you and I have a lot to talk about. A lot has happened in order for you Mom and I to come together again, but I'm here for you and I'm not going anywhere."

"You promise?"

I nodded, my heart swelling up with emotion. "I promise, Son."

He fell into my arms, hugging me tight, and I lifted him up, holding to me. I looked over at Knuckles. "Are we clear?"

"We should get the hell out here before they send more Scorpions, and they find out we had anything to do with this."

I set Gabe down and grabbed both his and Natalia's hands as we walked out. I knew that this had started shit between the two MCs. There was no way Croak would keep his mouth shut, which meant we needed reinforcement.

"Does Jameson know?" I asked quietly.

Knuckles chuckled. "What doesn't he not know. He sent us."

I nodded. "That's good."

"We got you, brother." Knuckles patted my shoulder, and I winced.

"Again?"

"Nah, it's just sore."

"Fuck. I thought I was going to have to put you back together again.

We got back to the bikes, and Gabe went with Knuckles while Natalia got on behind me. Her hands wrapped around my waist and her cheek tucked into my back.

"I love you," she whispered, making my heart sore.

"You have no idea how much I love you back, Kitten."

I felt her kiss my neck and we took off. Finally heading home.