Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Well, now you got us to deal with,” I spat, feeling no fucking sympathy for the spineless cunt. Holding the handle tightly, I raised it, about to strike when Gomez said, “It was . . . your fault.” He coughed, spraying blood onto his chest. “You and the cowboy gave her away.” He smiled. “If they die . . . it’s on you.”
Before he had even finished the last word, I slammed the knife through his heart and watched as his eyes clouded with death and his head dropped. I wiped his blood off the knife and gave it back to Styx. He looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could, I walked away from the traitor’s body and got on my bike, ready to get the fuck to Laredo and the Diablos.
Because I knew what he said was true.
Them being taken . . . it was all my fucking fault.
*****
Chavez met us inside the compound. Us on one side, twelve Tejanos staring us down on the other. Styx stepped forward with Ky. Chavez did the same. A lean muscled guy, looked to be in his late twenties, with long black hair and light brown eyes, stood beside Chavez.
Styx shook his hand. I’d heard the stories. Our old prez, Styx’s old man, had lost his wife to the Diablos’ old prez—Chavez’s papa. Styx grew up without a mother. Both fathers had died in the war. Ky’s too. Then, when he took the gavel, Chavez refused good old daddy’s name, Sanchez, in favor of his birth mother’s, Chavez. Daddy issues oozed from the fucker’s pores. It was as fucked up as this outlaw world got.
They’d helped us get Phebe back from Meister, as long as a favor was one day returned. This time, it was personal. Chavez pointed at his sergeant-at-arms. The guy’s tatted arms were crossed over his chest.
“AK?” I heard Vike whisper. “Fucker’s good looking, huh?”
I rolled my eyes at the red-headed giant who never could keep his fucking mouth shut. The Diablo SAA turned his eyes to our secretary . . . and the fucker smiled, revealing a silver tongue ring.
“A pussy tickler. Nice,” Vike said in approval. AK must have told him to shut up; silence fell.
“This is Shadow,” Chavez said. Shadow tilted his chin in greeting. “He’ll be taking you in.” Chavez paused. “Some of you. All can’t go.”
“I’m going.” I moved to stand behind Ky.
Shadow looked at me. Styx lifted his hands and signed. Ky translated. “Me and Ky, Hush.” Styx looked behind him. “Tanner. You’ll be needed too.” Tanner’s head whipped up in surprise. The fucker paled. But he nodded. Styx narrowed his eyes. “That good?”
Tanner shifted on the spot. “Yeah.”
“You got the tech knowledge. Might need it.” Finally, Styx looked at AK. “You’re on sniper duty. You’re coming, but you are hanging back.” He met the eyes of the rest of the brothers. “Y’all will watch the road for us getting back. Fucking ammo, knives, everything you got.”
“You got us too,” Chavez said. Styx assessed the Diablo prez with narrowed eyes. He ran his hand down his stubbled face. Chavez’s gaze slid to Tanner and Tank, his lip curling in disgust. He addressed Styx again. “The minute Quintana and Garcia joined forces with the Klan, they were fucking off our radar. And when they supported them in taking our turf over here in Texas, we were done. You need us to support, you got it. It’s selfish. Not a favor to you fuckers.”
“Fair enough,” Ky agreed. “We can work with that.” He looked at Shadow. “You’re the ex-cartel member that can get us in?”
“Know that place like the back of my hand. Got four years working there. I’ll get you in and out.”
“You wanna get somewhere unseen, he’s your man,” said Chavez.
“When do we leave?” I asked.
Shadow looked at an invisible watch on his naked wrist. “I’d say pretty fucking quick. Tomorrow’s off-loading day. Cargo goes to auction. Busy. Men are occupied. It’s our best chance, or we’ll have to wait another week.”
Cargo. Bitches. As long as one of them wasn’t Sia, I didn’t give a shit.
“I’ve been schooled on the ones we’re getting out. I got an idea where they’ll be.” Shadow smiled. “It’ll be a fucking breeze.” He raised one eyebrow. “But there’ll be killing, right?”
“Right,” Ky confirmed, voice thick with rage.
Shadow smiled again. “Exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Chapter Eleven
Sia
I heard the gunshot at the same time Cowboy did. Hush was still on the bed, his eyes beginning to roll. “Cowboy!” I called, heart slamming in my chest, as I glanced out of the window Cowboy stood at. I saw lights in the distance . . . and my barn was lit up.
A pained noise came from the direction of the bed. Hush’s body started jerking. “The seizure,” I said breathlessly. I moved to roll Hush onto his side like I had seen Cowboy do before. Cowboy ran to my dresser and picked up his gun.