Released (Devil's Blaze MC #3)(61)

“You got two choices,” I announce to their backs. “Drop your weapons and put your hands up where I can see them, or take a bullet in the back of your brain.”

“Fuck!” one of them groans, but they don’t make a move to do what I say.

“You’re wasting time and I’ve got an itchy trigger finger,” I warn them.

“Hey man, we don’t want to die. We were paid for this shit,” one of them says, still not putting his gun down. “We just needed money to feed our families.”

I see the other one in my peripheral vision tightening his finger on the trigger. This isn’t going easily, and I knew it wouldn’t.

I just hoped.

I fire a round in the back of one of the motherf*cker’s heads, and he falls dead. The guy beside him jumps when blood splatters from the shot, his friend dropping to the ground. He drops his gun and puts his hands up quickly.

Idiots. They don’t think I see the f*cking jackets they’re wearing? “Check for their families.” Christo! I drop him too, because I know if the motherf*cker gets free, he’s just going to come after me. I can’t take a chance on any of these twisted f*ckers who have aligned with Colin. Their fates were sealed when they joined forces with that motherf*cker.

I can’t risk anything now that I have Gabby and Beth.

My life has never been for the weak, but I’m getting motherf*cking tired of all this shit. It was different when I felt I had my brothers at my back. Now, I have no idea if they’re there to help or there holding a f*cking knife.

I drag the bodies off behind the trees for the crows and vultures. There’s no sense in broadcasting my arrival too soon. I worried enough that they’ve heard the shot. Once I have that taken care of, I approach the building.

I can hear the music blaring immediately. It’s no f*cking wonder they couldn’t hear the shots. Pendejos!

I walk around the club, doing my best to stay close to the sides and ducking away from the windows. I spot a window cracked in a bathroom. Mierda! It’s like they’re making it too easy. Maybe they are.

I thought Torch and the boys would have been here by now. I look in the windows a little more. Besides Viper, I see that f*cker Colin inside. I hate that he’s still breathing air. I have pictured myself squeezing the life out of him, breath by f*cking breath. Now that he’s this close, my fingers are itching to try it.

I wait a few more minutes. When there’s no sign of the cavalry, such as they are, I decide to just charge ahead and let the chips fall where they may. I’ll never get a better chance to take out Colin than I will right now, and I can’t afford to let that fall through my fingers.

I need to do this to avenge Beth. If I die, at least I’ll take Colin with me. With that thought, I hoist my body up and slip through the window.





“I got this. Trust me,” he had said. If we survive this, I may kill him.

Now I know how he felt when he found me at Matthew’s cabin. Right now, I’m dealing with two main fears. The main one being: I’m too late to keep Skull from going into a trap.

The second is: I can’t remember where this damn place is.

My nerves are on a thin string and I feel like I’m going to crack at any minute. It would help if the old country roads here had clear road signs. Half of them are missing, or heck, maybe were never there to begin with. Some have sadly been the target for bullets and the writing can no longer be read. Because I’m not sure of where I’m going, I’m having to drive a lot slower than Skull, too.

I pass the small road before I realize it. Luckily, I see the old barn with a mallard painted on it. I remember that from when Skull and I drove out here. I make a U-turn and find the small road I just passed, and sure enough, there’s a small pale green sign that says “Old Mill Rd.” right there with vines growing on it. I drive even slower on this road, looking along the side of the road for any sign of Skull—or anyone, for that matter, because I’m not sure what to expect.

I see a flash of blue and slam on my breaks. Teena’s old truck. When I get my man back, I’m going to set that bitch on fire just to watch it burn. The only thing that would make it more fun would be having Teena inside of it. I pull Skull’s truck alongside of the bitch’s, then take off on foot, gripping my gun tightly. I keep moving north, just like the road goes, figuring that will take me to the strip joint. After about twenty minutes, I’ve decided that I am way too out of shape for this shit. I’m so focused on looking around me that I almost fall when my feet run into… a body.

I scream before I can stop myself. I clap my free hand over my mouth, especially when I see the second body. I can only assume that this is my man’s handiwork. Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with a nice, boring accountant?

I break through the timber and see the building which has a big sign of a woman with large boobs that are covered up with peaches. Above her in neon colors, it proclaims the place to be: The Juggling Peaches. I shake my head, then wonder why it’s lit-up if the place is out of business. I don’t guess that matters. I wonder why a place with such a great name didn’t have a booming business, sarcastic bitch that I am.

When I make my way carefully to the back of the building, I see an open window and want to cry. Not again! Jesus! I’m not going to fall for that shit a second time. I go on towards the side. There’s a side door where I guess deliveries used to be made. It’s locked, but luckily I know how take care of that. I pull the pins out of my hair and get to work. Thank God I made Katie show me how she managed to pick all of those locks at grandfather’s.