Page 42

Round One - Fight

M eredith

Grizz didn’t have a right to look that good.

His jeans hugged the curves of his thighs as he stretched out on the bed, his legs crossed at the ankles.

His t-shirt stretched tight against his biceps as he propped his head in his hand.

Grizz was already hot, but then he reached over to tickle Pumpkin’s belly where she lay next to him.

My pulse skyrocketed, and if I hadn’t been packing, I’d lure him to my love den—the ensuite.

Grizz had waited until we were alone to ask why I had agreed so easily.

I could have lied, told him I was deferring to his judgement as my Old Man.

I should have, just to see his reaction, but it wouldn’t have lasted long.

He wouldn’t have bought the excuse, and the truth had been a lot simpler.

Grizz had always put my safety first, and this time hadn’t been any different.

The women were heading out to one of the club’s safe houses, but no one knew what condition it was actually in.

There hadn’t been enough time to send a prospect or two to check, so we were all assuming the worst. I had told Grace we should pack cleaning supplies and have a stress party. She hadn’t found me funny.

“Take enough for a few days,” Grizz said, watching me.

“We’re only going for the night.” It was a lie. No one knew how long this was going to take, but I’d said it so often this week, Grace had believed me. This was all going to be one big “speed bump”.

“I’d rather you have too much than not enough.” He tickled Pumpkin’s tummy again, and her little legs kicked up.

I said nothing as I turned back towards the closet to grab a few more things.

“Things have been busy, but once this all calms down, we should go for a ‘moon.”

“A vacation?” I asked, folding my leggings in half and rolling the legs up to make them smaller in my suitcase.

“A ‘moon. You know? Honeymoon. Baby moon.” He laughed, rolling until he lay flat on the bed. His shirt rode up, and his toes swayed back and forth.

There was a heavy knock on the door, and Grizz called to whomever it was.

“They’re here.” Cyph looked like he’d been detoxing from the energy drinks. His hair stood up in every direction, like he’d been pulling at it. His eyes were red-rimmed.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Grizz sat up suddenly, jarring Pumpkin. I went to the other side and picked her up, placing her against my shoulder.

“There are four blacked-out SUVs running up and down our street. Two in each direction. They must be hitting the highway, getting off at the next exit, and coming back because they take ten minutes round trip. You were closer, but I texted Sabre to come here.”

“How many trips have they made?” Grizz asked. We both remembered what Wreck had said the night the cartel had shot up my aunt’s house. Shoot on six.

“Two. The prospect clocked them right away and called me.” Cyph’s eyes bugged out.

“They’re here?” Sabre appeared in the doorway, Grace behind him with JR.

“They’ve got four more passes before they shoot. We need to get everyone moving now,” Grizz answered, sitting on the edge of the bed and lacing up his boots.

“There’s no time for the women to leave.

We’ll head into the vault and lock it behind us.

It’s on Cyph’s network, and we had the enforcers put supplies in it.

Water, flashlights, anything we thought we needed.

We’ll be fine.” Grace stepped up, touching Sabre’s arm.

“All of you need to end this.” He kissed her quickly, his hand on her stomach.

“I’m holding you to the ‘moon, and I want a bike,” I told Grizz before kissing him and following Grace out the door.

We were on the main floor when Sabre’s whistle rang out from the balcony.

“The cartel is here, and we’re going to defend our home.

Our family.” His head turned in our direction for a split second before addressing the other women on the main floor.

“Ladies, there’s no time for you to leave.

You’re heading to the vault with Grace and Meredith. ”

***

Grizz

“Alright, there’s a vest for everyone, so grab one from my office and an earpiece. If you need a better gun or ammo, check the kitchen behind the pantry. I had How and Zook raid the armory. Let’s send them back to the hell they came from,” Sabre said. “This ends tonight.”

We had everyone outfitted and in position by the time Cyph called out the fourth pass. “Vault’s locked,” he added, and I took a deep breath. My girls were safe.

Sabre and I had split up, each taking two quadrants off the grid. I was in the front, lying flat on my stomach behind the porch support post. Just as promised, the four black SUVS with tinted windows crossed in front of our gates.

“They’re so slow. We could pop their tires,” How came through the earpiece.

“Yeah, but we’ll have to collapse the front to deal with sixteen soldiers,” Op said.

“They probably thought we would come running to the front, because there are two more SUVs. They took the service road towards the highway until it ended, and now they’re off-roading along the trees,” Cyph came in from central command. He’d outfitted his room for this.

“I can’t see over the trees from the roof,” How responded, “but I can nail at least one at the gate. Dead’s with me.”

“I’m clocking the two along the trees. They’re not going fast, and it makes me wonder if they’re in communication with the other four,” Zook chimed in. There were two deer stands out in the trees, and Zook was sitting in one of them. Op in the other.

“That’s what I’m thinking. They’re going too slow, and I feel like if we blow them, they’ll just signal,” Op confirmed.

“They’re also making the laps shorter. Lap five was only five minutes, not ten.” Cyph followed this up with clicks on a keyboard.

“Shoot on six,” Wreck reminded us.

“If we had known they were going to do this fucking shit, I could have brought club cars for a demolition derby. Much easier than popping tires.” Only Grease would think like that in a situation like this.

“What if we trade off?” I had an idea, but I didn’t know if it was even workable. “Those on the right-hand side of quadrant one can grab our bikes. There’s a path through the trees, and we’ll be quicker once the shots ring out.”

“Fuck, that could work.” Sabre and I used to walk our bikes through the trees if we wanted to sneak out. He had to have been remembering old times.

“If we hit the SUVs in the front, the left side of quadrant three can run from the trees through the guard shack to the outside. We won’t have to open the gates,” Cyph added.

“Quadrants two and four, stay in place, in case they attack from either side,” Sabre ordered.

“On my count.” Cyph clicked a couple of computer keys. “Quadrant three, take off running…now.”

I waited until it was my turn, sliding my keys out of my pocket. My bike was almost as precious to me as my family, and I didn’t leave my keys out where just anyone could go for a joy ride.

“I didn’t know you could run that fast, Count. I thought the spikes would hold you back.” We were in the middle of a war, and Cyph was teasing Count. Typical.

“Fuck off. I can run fast enough to put my boot up your fucking ass.” Count wasn’t even breathing hard. Fuck. I might have to step up my game.

“Popping the lock on the guard shack, and I already told A, so he doesn’t shit his fucking pants.” Cyph waited a beat. “Alright, they’re in. The outside door to the shack is unlocked. Quadrant one, get ready to move.”

I raised to a crouch position, waiting.

“Go.”

I took off, not even looking to see who was following me.

Down the steps, I headed straight for my bike, threw my leg over, and walked it backwards.

The first shot rang out behind me. “They’re fucking shooting at us?

On our fucking property?” I kept my rage under control. I’d get my chance to rip them apart.

“They nailed my bike, the motherfuckers.”

“Better than them nailing your ass.”

I didn’t pay attention to the brothers behind me as I rode my bike around the side of the clubhouse, heading for the trees.

It was like old times as I hit the trail, moving left and right naturally, like I’d done it a million times.

Shots rang out, but I only paid attention to the road in front of me.

“Blow up the cars. Grizz is halfway through the trees,” Cyph gave the update.

“Hit,” I heard Op say.

“Hit. Oh fuck, it flipped. Taking another tire,” Zook said.

“Hit.” I was pretty sure that was Dead.

“Fuck, I missed,” How said in frustration. “Hit, and no one better say anything, fuckers.”

I hit the dirt on the other side of the trees, and sure enough, one of the SUVs had overturned. The driver’s door to the second one was opening, and I quickly stopped to dismount. “Split up,” I yelled, heading toward the upright SUV.

Driving my fist through the soldier’s face wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. I followed the uppercut with a hit to the stomach before swiping his feet out from underneath him. His back hit the ground, but as he looked up at me, he laughed. He wasn’t trying to defend himself.

“Puta,” he said, spitting a glob of blood onto the ground next to him.

“Get up,” I said, shifting into a fighting stance. I didn’t want to turn my back on him, but I needed to know if anyone was going to come up from behind.

“Cyph, are they fighting back?” I asked. Something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what we were missing.

“Not really. Your guy is just laying there. Count’s dude is letting him wail, and the rest are about the same.”

The man on the ground laughed, and it clicked. These weren’t regular soldiers. “Who paid you?” I kicked his side, convincing him to talk.

“Puta.”

“Yeah, I’m a whore. Who the fuck hired you?” I drove the toe of my boot harder into his side until he flipped over. Coughing again, he spat another blood bubble.

“Cyph, scan the area for more cars, more everything. This is a setup.” I shoved the barrel of my gun into the back of the man’s head. “A cartel soldier wouldn’t go down without a fight, and you’re just lying there like a bitch. What are you getting out of this?” I clicked the safety off my gun.

“Money. My family will live like kings.”

“So, they paid you to do this?” I’d heard him, but that wasn’t any information to go on, and I hoped he would volunteer something—anything.

“Live like a king.” He lifted his upper body, pushing the barrel of my gun tighter against the back of his head. Smiling, he whistled. “Boom.”

“The SUV just blew up,” Count screamed.

“Move,” I yelled. “The SUVs are going to blow.” I was running towards my bike when my feet left the ground, flinging me through the air. Is this what it felt like when Meredith jumped from the car? I landed on my stomach. Tell her I love her, and I never meant for it to end this way.

My eyes closed, and all I saw was black.