by K E Osborn
Seems he really has grown up.
Suddenly, something slams into the back of my head shoving me forward. I stumble with the hit. It was hard, but not nearly hard enough to do any damage. I turn around raising my gun at a young asshole, who appears younger than Koda and fucking scared out of his brain. He brings his gun up aiming it at me. “I’ll do it. I’ll kill you!”
I let out a small laugh. Stepping forward, my chest pressing against the tip of his gun as it shakes. “Go on then, pull the damn trigger.”
The hesitation in him is clear, the gun shakes even more as I study his features.
No shaved head.
Not a typical candidate of what one of Maxen’s men would look like.
Using my quick reflexes, I reach up grabbing his wrist and knock it away from my chest. I spin my back to him taking his arm with me as I lower his arm to the ground and wrench the gun from his hand. He fights as hard as he can but it’s of no use. I’m three times his size. I grab the gun then turn it back on him, aiming it at his chest. He places his hands in the air, and I swear if I didn’t know better, anyone would think he just pissed himself.
“Who do you work for?”
He glances around aimlessly. “I… I can’t tell you.”
I rush forward, ramming the tip of the gun to his forehead. He shuts his eyes tight while panting for breath. “I won’t ask again.”
“It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“What is?” I furrow my brows.
Then, before I know what is happening, his body starts shuddering, blood spurting all over me. I spot one of his own men shooting him. He falls to the ground at my feet, as the same shooter, reloads and aims directly at me.
Shit!
I turn, bolting, as bullets fly at my feet. Dust flies up all around me as I jump over a table, taking it with me and land with a thud with all the baked goods falling on top of me, covering me in cream, apple, pumpkin, you fucking name it. The bullets from the asshole’s gun slam into the table as I wait for it to stop.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Torque and Sensei rush in from the side—Sensei with his samurai sword and Torque with a machine gun. Smirking, I hear the rat-a-tat of the machine gun and take that as my cue to stand. That’s when I see the asshole’s falling one by one with Torque’s precision aim and Sensei stepping with his sword, slicing those out of Torque’s range. The sword is so sharp, one guy’s arm comes clean off, blood spurting as he stumbles across the yard. Glancing back at Sensei, he’s grinning, while following the man and with one precision swipe, takes off his head. It rolls on the dirt, gathering dust and debris as it goes. Considering this is a Halloween event, you might think this is all for show, and that a rolling head is all part and parcel of today’s entertainment. However, this is all too fucking real.
Grabbing my gun, I make my way back out, our guys have taken out a lot of the intruders, but we still have a way to go. As I turn, I spot a baseball bat swinging through the air, taking out one of the guys. My eyes widen in shock when I spot Prinie taking the swing. Glancing around, I try to find Wraith, but I can’t see him anywhere.
Does he even know she is out here?
Does Zero?
These fucking Walkers—all thinking they need to fight!
First Koda, now Prinie?
She’s pregnant, for God’s sake. She needs to be under a table like the rest of the old ladies.
I rush toward Prinie as she continues to swing, hitting as many of the fuckers as she can. She’s doing a damn fine job, I won’t deny her that, but she needs to stay safe. “Prinie!” I call out.
She turns and raises her brow. “Texas, you got another gun?”
I move in shooting the guy she’s currently beating to death with her baseball bat. “I do, but you need to find shelter. It’s not just you who needs protection right now, Princess!” I point to her swollen stomach.
“If I’m going to have a son, he needs to know what this life is like. He’s coming into this club, Texas. He needs his mama to be strong.”
“He also needs her alive, woman. So, go get yourself under some fucking shelter. Now.”
She moves past me, reaching for the gun on my hip, pulls it up and shoots behind me. I look over my shoulder watching an intruder fall to the ground gargling for air. She shot him right in the throat. I smirk, seems her aim is getting real damn good. I turn to her and repeat, “I mean it, Prinie! Wraith will have a fit if he sees you out here.”
Suddenly, I am grabbed from behind and dragged away from Prinie. She pulls her gun up aiming as I try to fight the two assholes holding me, but she can’t take the shot. Her eyes blink a few times as I mouth ‘run’ to her, but my breath catches as she turns, slamming straight into the chest of Damir with Anna by his side.
That’s why the intruders’ appearances don’t make any sense. Because they’re not with Maxen. They are the fucking Triglav Clan.
They’re here for Wraith and Prinie!
“Prinie!” I call out as Damir grabs a tight hold.
She tries to fight him, bringing her gun up, but he easily takes it from her, handing it to Anna. I glance around, trying to find Wraith, to find anyone, but they’re all too fucking occupied trying to control the other Triglavs. We are overrun right now.
I fight against the two fuckers holding me. Fight like fucking hell, but no matter what I do, I can’t get free. All I can do is be held and watch.
It’s like watching it play out in slow motion.
Prinie fights hard to get away with everything she has.
My chest pants so fucking hard I can barely breathe. “Wraith!” I scream out hoping he will hear me through the chaos, but there’s no way.
Damir has Prinie held to him tightly with the smuggest of looks on his face. One arm around her neck so she can’t move as Anna hands him a blade.
“Oh, fuck!” I groan out. “Wraith! Fuck! Anybody!” I yell, but no one is listening. Prinie’s eyes meet mine, sadness washing over them. Her bottom lip trembles as she tries one last-ditch effort to get free and away from Damir. She struggles in his grip, trying hard to punch and kick him wherever she can.
But it’s of no use.
The grip he has on her is too good.
He brings up the blade.
My heart stops as he slams it into the side of her stomach.
She lets out a scream so loud I hear it from over here.
A part of me dies as I slump against my captors. “Oh my God, Prinie!”
I glance over, Wraith is in my sights, his eyes wide as saucers as he finally realizes what’s going on. The problem is he’s caught between Prinie and about ten Triglavs. He pulls out his fists, not hesitating in taking each one out with brute force while attempting to get to his Old Lady and unborn son.
“This is where the good part starts,” one of the Triglav who’s holding me states.
I tense. “What the fuck does that mean?”
As Prinie falls to the ground, blood pooling from her side, Damir glances up at Wraith with the evilest glint in his eyes. Prinie is panting for breath as Damir bends down wrapping his fingers around Prinie’s throat.
With everything I have, I fight, pulling and yanking. Trying everything as Prinie wrestles, struggling, kicking and above all, fighting for air.
A circle of Triglavs move around Damir, fighting off any incoming attacks as our brothers begin to realize what’s happening. Men come at them from all angles as I finally break free, punching one guy so hard the crack from his nose is audible. The asshole falls to the ground, blood pissing out everywhere. With one hand now free, I pull out my gun, shooting the other and take off toward Prinie.
Neon is the first one there. and I’m not far behind. We both shoot, taking out the defense around Damir, leaving Damir and Anna exposed.
Prinie lays motionless on the ground, bleeding out. I have no clue if she’s even still alive or not, but either way, vengeance will be fucking bloody!
Neon runs up first, but as he does, Anna calls
out to him, distracting his concentration.
Just for a moment, but it’s enough for Damir to raise his gun.
My heart stops.
Damir pulls the trigger, aiming directly at Neon’s chest.
I skid to a halt.
There is nothing I can do.
After being shot once before, I have no idea if Neon can survive another gunshot.
But suddenly, Anna leaps in front of Neon, the bullet slamming into her chest as she lands on Neon, and they fall to the ground.
The same time Wraith, Zero, and I rush up, cornering Damir.
Zero drops on his knees at Prinie’s side while Wraith’s eyes fall on her, then back up to Damir. A haze fogs over his eyes, I see it, the second that addiction kicks in for him, and the need to kill takes over.
I stand back as Damir raises his hands with a smirk. “You know what, brother? This was all worth it.”
Wraith’s nostrils flair with every harsh breath he takes as he stalks toward his prey.
“What? Nothing to say? I’ve won this war, brother. Eye for an eye and all that. You took my family. Now… I’ve taken yours.”
Wraith visibly shakes, but it’s not from fear, it’s all-out rage as he rushes forward and without hesitation, his hands wrap around Damir’s throat. “And I’m going to go after everyone you’ve ever thought of as family or friend. You think you’ve won… your death is only the beginning… brother!”
Damir chuckles as Wraith tightens his grip so much that Damir gurgles and his feet lift off the ground, his face now turning blue. Damir grips at Wraith’s hands, trying to gain some air, but Wraith stares into his brother’s eyes as he watches the life drain from them. Damir’s struggle lessens until he can’t fight back. His focus never wavering as he stares back at Wraith. His fingers clawing at Wraith’s arms until finally, they drop, and the life behind Damir’s eyes dulls out. With a heavy breath, Wraith drops Damir’s body to the ground, landing like a ragdoll. I don’t know if it’s just for good measure or the need to kill is still strong, but Wraith pulls out his gun and unloads four rounds into Damir’s head. Then he turns, looking at Prinie, and lets out a muffled sob, falling to the ground. His hands instantly rush to the blood pooling from the side of her pregnant belly. “Is she breathing?” he frantically asks Zero.
He shakes his head, holding her head in his lap. “I… I don’t know. If she is, it’s fucking shallow.”
Wraith swipes under his nose, smearing blood all over his face as sirens blast from outside the fair ground.
“We need to get her to a hospital.”
Chills rushes over and she’s out of breath. “Ambulance is here. They wouldn’t come in without clearance from the heat, but I told them I’m a doctor and we had a critical patient, so they’re making an exception. They’re on their way in now.”
“They better fucking hurry!” Wraith calls out.
I don’t even know if their hurried effort will be enough…
TEXAS
A gurgling noise sounds to my left as I turn to see Anna, coughing up blood in Neon’s arms. He’s trying to apply pressure to the gunshot wound in her chest. Everyone is focused on Prinie, so no one is paying attention to our brother who’s losing his sister in his arms.
I step over and kneel down as Neon tries to keep Anna calm. “It’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay.”
Shaking my head at his untrue promise, I place my hand on his shoulder giving him the support he needs right now. He doesn’t acknowledge me, just continues to stare at his broken sister.
The one who betrayed us.
The one who betrayed him.
And yet, even now, he’s still trying to fix her mistakes.
“C’mon, Anna. Fight! Dammit!”
Her entire body shakes as she weakly smiles, her bloody hand coming up to caress Neon’s face. “I’m s-so s-sorry.”
“No. Don’t you do that. Don’t you say your goodbyes.”
She sniffles, coughing a little. “You know w-why I stepped in front of the bullet?”
“Because you’re a damn idiot!”
“Because you have everything to l-live for. I knew o-once I told Damir about this annual fundraiser th-that I’d sunk to a new l-low—”
“Anna, you told Damir we’d be here today?”
She nods her head, tears running down her cheeks. “I w-wanted to seek revenge on y-you so bad for institutionalizing m-me… but I know deep d-down, you did it because you l-love me.”
Neon wipes the hair away from her face. “Of course, I love you. Why do you think I’m still trying to save you, Anna? You’re my little sister!”
She shakes her head. “You can’t s-save me this time, Asher. This t-time, I saved y-you.”
Neon lets out a long breath, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “Anna, I…” He watches as her eyes close, and her body goes limp. “Anna? Anna!” He shakes her but her arm flops to the side. Neon cradles her to his chest tighter. “Dammit, Anna!” he mumbles.
I slide in beside him, wrapping my arm around his shoulders, not saying anything, just letting him know I am here as the sirens move closer. I glance up as the ambulance crew come rushing in and over to Prinie. Wraith is hovering like a madman as they check her vitals.
“We have a pulse. We need to stabilize her and get her to the hospital, right now.”
“I’m coming with you!” Wraith calls out.
“No, you’re not!” a booming voice calls out as a swarm of police begin to raid the fairground.
Rushing in from the entry with no way out, we all raise our hands.
Shit! There’s no fucking way out of this.
The event organizers must have called the cops when this all started. The fight went on for too long, and it didn’t give us enough time to get out. Now, we’re here, with a massive body count all around us.
This isn’t going to play out well.
Chief Dalton storms in with his officers in tow, including Ethan, Kevlar’s brother, who looks seriously uncomfortable. But he has a job to do and an image to uphold.
The officers race in carrying their raised weapons high, all running toward us.
One grabs me, yanking me away from Neon and shoving me face-first into the dirt. I grit my teeth as he yanks my hands behind my back placing them in cuffs, then pulls me back to sit on my knees.
Neon resists as they pull Anna from him. He punches the cop, who then aims a gun at him, while another grabs and restrains him too.
The rest of my brothers cooperate, except for Wraith. “That’s the mother of my children! And she’s hurt. I have to go with her!”
“I don’t care if you’re her pimp, you’re staying here,” the cop answers, grabbing at Wraith’s arms trying to restrain him.
“Did you just call my woman a whore?” Wraith breaks free, punching the cop in the face so hard he drops to the ground. Then he moves in over the top of him, punching him again, as another two cops rush in, restrain and pull him off, but he turns around slamming his fist into one of them too.
“We have to get her to the hospital, now!” the EMT says.
“I’m coming!” Wraith replies while still fighting the other cop.
“No, you’re not!” Chief Dalton calls back giving a head bob to the EMTs.
They start to walk off with Prinie on the stretcher while Wraith ramps up his attack. There is nothing we can do but sit back and watch.
“You can’t go without me… Prinie! Prinie, I’m coming. Hold on!” he calls out, slamming his fist into another cop while struggling against another one, then a third comes in shoving a Taser up against his neck, making his entire body tense.
His body falls to the ground, but he doesn’t give up as he tries to crawl along the dirt to get to her, even though they have already taken her out of the fairgrounds and into the waiting ambulance.
“Do something about that, will you?” Dalton calls out, and the cop kicks Wraith in the stomach making him flip on to his back and then slams his fist into Wraith’s fa
ce, knocking him out cold.
My fists clench together, heat swelling all over my body as I spot the cops gathering all the women together in a group, including Fin.
There’s fear in her eyes.
Even she can’t get us out of this one.
“Well, well, well… looks like we’ve finally managed to catch the illusive Houston Defiance in the act, right, boys?” Dalton calls out.
“You didn’t catch nothing!” Zero snarls back.
“Pretty damn sure all these dead bodies count for something, Zero…” Dalton laughs. “And I see we have some interlopers with you. Another club, maybe?”
“They’re none of your concern!”
“They’re in my jurisdiction, Zero. So, they’re very much my fucking concern. Two Defiance clubs for the price of one. I’ve been waiting for this for a long fucking time. I know you and some of the force worked together when Kevlar’s kids were taken, but I never fucking liked the idea. Honestly, I knew this day would come. I knew one day you’d fuck up, and I’d be able to put you all away, right where you bel—”
“Not so fast, Dalton,” a southern sweet twang calls out.
We all turn to see the Baroness marching in, in her usual white business suit, high heels, looking pristine as ever, a bunch of her lackeys following behind her as she strides in like she owns the damn place.
Hell, she probably does.
“Constance… what are you doing here?” Dalton grunts.
She glances around taking in the chaos. “I could say the same thing about you.”
He lets out a booming laugh. “Can’t you see what the hell is going on here?”
“What I see, Dalton, is two clubs defending themselves from the Triglav Clan…” She tilts her head. “An even bigger blight on our society than Defiance could ever be. So, clearly, this is just a job well done. With the Triglav all but wiped out here today, isn’t this a win in your books… Chief?” She smiles like it’s meant to come off as sweet, but we know Connie, there’s malice behind those pearly whites.
