Page 36 of Victorious: Part 3

“Hey, steady. Your adrenaline’s wearing off. This looks bad. We need to get you checked out,” Trax states, his brotherly instincts kicking in.

Shaking my head, I fight for breath. “I didn’t even feel it.”

Trax snorts out a laugh. “Because you’re too busy playing super hero. C’mon, let’s get you to the hospital. I think you’ve clipped your lung. And if you die on my watch, Foxywillkill me,” Trax says, but there’s pride in his voice, not criticism.

He helps me up into the van, and even though I hate to admit it, I think my crazy brother is right. I need to go to the hospital, but not before this is finished. “Pyro… light it up,” I manage to say through panting breaths.

He grins, hits a switch, and the warehouse behind us erupts in flames as Pyro’s charges detonate in sequence. The explosion lights up the night sky, sending a pillar of fire and smoke toward the stars.

I watch from the back of Surge’s truck as Chicago’s Industrial District burns.

Days of planning, millions of dollars in drugs and weapons, a crucial link in Javier’s supply chain—all up in smoke.

Fighting for breath, I key into my radio, my voice weaker than I’d like. “Package… delivered.”

“Copy that, C1,” the female voice responds. “Status report?”

Trax takes the comms from me as the vans begin to drive away from the scene. “Multiple wounded, but all Chicago brothers are breathing. Civilian casualties are minimal. Target destroyed.”

“Roger. Great work. Get home and bandaged up. Over and out.”

And as we speed away from the burning warehouse toward the hospital, I close my eyes while Trax grips my arm.

My job is done.

Now it’s time for me to rest.

And maybe I need to seriously think about hanging up my boots.

Chapter Eight

SIX

Houston – 2:00 a.m. CDT

This entire thing feels daunting.

And it’s not like Houston Defiance hasn’t had its fair share of daunting.

We’ve dealt with barons, baronesses, fucking trafficking rings who surgically alter women’s faces to be high-end escorts. And let’s not forget the stalker who tried to poison me because I turned down their advances, because I am fucking happily married to my wife.

But this feels different.

I think because it’s not just Houston carrying the load.

This is all of Defiance taking the hit this time.

And we’re moving as one.

A united front to take down an organization that has secretly been infiltrating all of our cities. And no one tries to get the better of Defiance and gets away with it.

Zero has been helping me plan in the background, knowing he couldn’t be a part of this fight because of his hands, he needed to put his energy into this, the only way he can. And with the years of presidential knowledge in that brain of his, there’s no way I was going to be stubborn and not ask for any advice I can.

I’ve been wearing his president patch for a while now, but I’m man enough to know when I need the best man for the job in a situation like this, and Zero has far more experience in the field than I have. So, in the short time we’ve had to put this plan into action, as brothers, both in blood and as bikers, we came up with the actions we need to pull this fucker off.

Driving away from the club and leaving Zero behind while therest of us head off to carry out Operation Darkfire gnawed at something in the pit of my stomach. But I can’t think about that. Not for even a second while I’m in this fight. I have to focus, not only for my brothers, but so I can get back home to my Old Lady and to my crazy, chaotic kids.

Becausethatis what this fight is about.