A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(109)

Pajn: Shots fired at your uncle’s house.

Pajn: We’re under attack.

Ashton was cursing, but I was on the move. These were synchronized attacks, coordinated to happen at the same time. I grabbed my gun, my coat, and my keys. “I’m on the way.”

“Where are you?”

“Does that really matter?”

“Yes! I know I fucked up with Jess, but I’m still your brother. Where are you? I can’t send guys to protect you if I don’t know where you are.”

I frowned. “You don’t have to know. I’m coming to you. I’ll call when I’m on the way.”

I heard him cursing as I hung up and headed downstairs.

Jess met me at the bottom of the stairs. “What’s going on?”

I forced myself to take a second before I moved in. I touched her shoulders and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Her mother watching us from the couch. Her blanket was half pushed off of her. She was clenching it, pale in the face.

I rested my head against Jess’s, for just one second. I needed this touch. I needed to remember this touch.

“We’re under attack.”

“What?” Jess started to jerk back.

I held her in place, my fingers curling around her shoulder. “Please.”

She let out a swift curse but stayed. Her hand touched my chest. “Trace. Let me help.”

“You can’t. You know you can’t. I have to go and take care of this, but I made a call for Kelly and Justin. I didn’t tell you, figured you could have an evening with your mom, but a 411 representative got back to me. They’ve agreed to hide Kelly and Justin. They’ll be okay.” I angled my head back, taking her in. “The meet is tomorrow. Call Kelly. Tell her to pack one bag, that’s it, and be ready by nine in the morning. When I get more instructions, I’ll let you know, but also know that sometimes the 411 Network will move on their own timeline. Meaning that they might move in and take them before I know, you know, or anyone. That’s the point of hiding them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re already on their way here and will make contact before any of us are notified.”

My phone kept buzzing. I had to go.

“I love you.”

She nodded, blinking back tears, and lifted up on her tiptoes to touch her lips to mine. “I love you too. Be safe.”

I headed out but had to stop one last time. One last look because the truth was that I had no idea what would happen tonight. I just knew it was time for war.

Me: I’m on my way.

Ashton calling.

I picked up, getting into the vehicle. “Wha—”

“Tr—” Bang!

I froze. “Ashton?”

Nothing.

Silence.

. . . Bang, bang!





CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR


JESS


The sound of glass shattering woke me up.

My training took over, and I was on the floor before I could fully comprehend what I was hearing.

More glass shattering.

Jesus Christ. Someone was breaking in.

I was barefoot, but Mom. Where was Mom?

We were both upstairs. Her bedroom was down the hallway.

There was silence, so I didn’t know what that meant, but I grabbed for my phone, dialed 911, and put it in my back pocket. I grabbed for my gun—not my government-issued gun but my own. I had no badge. I had no vest to wear, but this was my house. That was my mom.

I moved across the hallway, and I could hear them in the house now. They were on the first floor. No voices. No talking, but they were moving swiftly.

Professionals, if I had to guess.

I went to my mom’s room, laid a hand over her mouth. When she woke, she gasped, but I held her down. She went still, her eyes bugging out. She grabbed for her blanket.

There was more shuffling.

Goddamn. They were going fast. They were on the stairs.

I laid a finger to my mouth, but she heard them. Her head twitched, and she started to jerk toward the door.

I eased it closed, thanking Trace for putting WD-40 on the hinges. I’d been complaining about everything that squeaked. It swung shut, and it did it quietly. I moved over, turning the lock.

My mom was scrambling off the bed.

I motioned for her to come toward me. Opening the closet door, I pointed for her to go in there. There was a hidden crawl space that ran the length of the house. It bypassed the stairs and connected to my room, going into my closet. If a person knew the house, they’d know that was there. If they didn’t, they’d have no idea.

I was hoping we had guys that didn’t have a clue about the house, but just in case—I eased over to the other side of the room, my gun drawn but pointing downward. I opened the window, then moved back and went into the closet behind where my mom was.

Glancing back, but I couldn’t see anything.

I heard her shuffling, moving something back there.

I was praying she was going for the crawl space.

A second later, as I heard them come up to the second floor, I felt her tapping on my foot, and I moved my foot back, exploring the area. She was in the crawl space. I moved over, feeling down there, finding her, and I pushed her a little back into the space. She went in, and I reached, finding the covering. I moved it in place.

“No,” she whispered when she realized what I was doing.