Page 142 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

“Don’t they? Clearly, the rules haven’t been laid down strong enough, Prez. Your leadership isn’t solid enough, because this sick fuck has been running all over town following the orders of another and breaking all your rules.”

“Who?” he barks in a deadly voice that would make most others cower.

Joker holds his eyes, silently begging his prez to get him out of this.

Joker is fucking delusional. No wonder it was so easy to corrupt him.

“His father,” Stella seethes. The click of the safety cuts through the silence of the room as everyone waits to hear who that might be.

An amused chuckle falls from her lips as she lifts her gun, training it right between his brows.

“But don’t worry, Joker. You’re both going to hell together. He isn’t going to be here to help you this time.”

“I-I never wanted to hurt you,” Joker pleads like a fucking pussy.

“Well that’s a real shame, because you did. And more than that, you hurt people I care about, and that is something I can’t let go of.”

To my surprise, Stella takes a step back from him and both Ram and Cruz breathe a huge sigh of relief.

“You get one chance,” Stella tells him.

“Stella, what the hell are you—”

“One chance to show your entire club what you’re made of,” Stella continues, ignoring Theo’s question.

“Are you going to be a man like you’re trying to prove to your father, or are you just a weak, pathetic—”

He scrambles from the stool he was on, effectively answering Stella’s unasked question.

He makes it all of five steps before the loud crack of her gun rings through the vast room, followed by the recognisable sound of a body hitting the floor with a dull thud.

“Fucking hell,” Ram mutters as blood begins to pool on his floor.

Taking off toward her victim, Stella comes to a stop above him and stares down as he fights to drag in the breaths he needs.

“You lost, Joker. Nice try though. It was fun while it lasted.”

She lifts her gun again, and this time instead of hitting him in the chest, her bullet lands right between his brows.

Holy fuck, my girl is epic.

Lowering her weapon, she looks around the room at the shocked faces of the club members and their ol’ ladies who just watched the show.

“Anyone else want to have a go?” she asks, raising her arms from her sides, offering herself up as an easy target.

Panic floods me that there could be more than one stupid motherfucker in here, and I take a step forward, only to be stopped when Theo’s arm shoots out and hits my stomach.

“She’s got this,” he whispers.

“Good.” She turns to look Ram right in the eyes. He’s a scary motherfucker, and Joker aside, he runs this club like a well-oiled machine. His reputation is everything, and Stella just put a massive fucking dent in it.

Closing the distance between them, Stella makes a show of holstering her gun once more. I, however, keep mine at my side, ready to go. I don’t trust anyone in this building right now.

“Keep your boys in check, Prez. And maybe your girls too, for that matter.” Ram frowns for a beat, but then his lips part as he realises who Stella is talking about. “And don’t forget who really runs this side of the city. Everyone else is… expendable.”

Spinning on her heels, she turns back to the three of us. Her face is blank, but I see her excitement, her sense of accomplishment, her hunger, in her eyes.

I’m sure the only thing on mine right now is shock, and if I were able to look away from her, I might even see a crack on both Theo and Daemon’s usually impenetrable masks.