Perfect Ruin (Unyielding #2)(102)

“You could’ve done better, Kai. I expected something a little more creative from you. Taking my wife and telling me to meet you here or you will kill her?” He laughed. “What…. Did you think I’d show up alone? That I’d let you live once you hand over my wife? What do you want? Money? Drugs? Power?”

I decided to play it off like I knew what he was talking about as it gave me an advantage. “Ah, the beautiful Catalina. A little young for you, isn’t she?”

That pissed him off as the fingers on his right hand twitched at his side. “You think you come into my country, into my house, kill twenty of my men and leave with my wife?” His house? Killed his men? Ernie and Tristan had eyes on him. They weren’t going in.

He laughed and the shrill sound echoed off the cold, sterile walls of the yard. “You dare to threaten me? My wife? You must not like your family very much.”

I chuckled. “I killed my own mother. And as you know my father is already dead.”

He took a step closer and so did the *s with the assault rifles pointed at me. “And what about the girl… what’s her name? London. And your sister. Both would be nice additions to my bed.”

I glared, the twitch in my jaw and tension in my body sparking. I didn’t even want her name to pass his disgusting lips.

There was a slight movement above me to the left on the wall surrounding the yard. I didn’t look, to avoid drawing attention, but they were getting into position, Tristan and Ernie. I had no idea what happened to Vic and Tyler.

A man like Moreno didn’t let something go down like this and let anyone live, and he sure as hell wouldn’t give me money, power or drugs in exchange for the return of his wife. But what I couldn’t figure out was why he thought I had his wife. But I had an idea who did.

“My wife, Kai.”

I needed a few more minutes for Vic and Tyler, but I didn’t know if either was still alive. “I very much doubt your wife wants to go back to you.”

He smiled and it was a tight, cruel smile. “Grab one of the kids,” Moreno ordered to the man on his right.

Fuck. Within seconds, this was going to turn real ugly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the pit or rather at the edge of the pit and it wasn’t in the one Deck was in. Trick? But how the hell would the kid get to the top of the pit without a ladder?

Then I saw the rifle.

What the f*ck? I kept my expression steady, but as the familiar eyes appeared over the edge, I suddenly knew what the f*ck was going on.

Connor.

Jesus. He was here. In one of the pits. Waiting.

Catalina. He was the one who had Moreno’s wife. He was the one who killed twenty of Moreno’s men then came here and waited for Moreno to show up. What he probably hadn’t expected was to see us.

Our eyes met for a split second. His were bloodshot, but the wild look had steadied.

I gave the signal knowing Deck, Ernie, Tristan, Vic and Tyler, if he was alive, could hear me in the headset. “It’s time.”

Then shit got real as I dove for Moreno, relying on Deck and the others to take out his men before I was hit. I felt the spray of dirt on my pants legs from the impact of bullets hitting the ground beside me.

It was chaos as Deck and Connor both shot up from the pits, and Ernie and Tristan came in from above.

Moreno made a dive for the door to where the kids were. I got to him first and slammed into him. We both hit the ground hard.

I grabbed him by the shirt, yanked him up, and spun him around before plowing my fist into his jaw. Then again. And again. Blood splattered my face and into my eyes, but it didn’t matter because all I saw was red.

Moreno’s fist crashed into my cheek and my head flung back. I reached for my knife in my boot. As my hand curled around the hilt, there was a stabbing pain in my side. I knew it was a knife wound, but nothing would deter me from ending this man’s life.

I yanked my knife free and had it to his throat before he took his next breath.

He stilled.

I was on top of him, something sticking in my side and the warmth of my blood soaking into my shirt. “Been wanting to do this a long time.”

He smirked. “You’re no better than me, Kai.”

It was my turn to smirk. “Actually, I am better. Because I’m the one with the knife to your throat. And I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you.”

His smile dropped and his eyes widened. “I’ll give you whatever you—”

I didn’t care to hear what he’d trade for his life because nothing would stop me from killing him. But it wasn’t the knife at his throat that killed him. It was the other one I’d grabbed in the dirt from where I’d tossed it earlier when I ‘surrendered.’

I lifted my body inches off him before stabbing the knife up between his ribs.

He grunted with surprise, face twisted with agony. My hand still on the hilt. I jerked up further. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth and a screeching sound escaped his throat.

I climbed off him, but straddled his body while I peered down at him.

His hands went to the knife still lodged in his chest as if to pull it out. Then he went limp and his arms fell to his sides, eyes staring and blank.

“You guys done yet?” It was Tyler over the headset. “The body is starting to stink up the place.”

Vic huffed then said, “Dragged his ass into a classroom.”