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“Fuck,” I snarl. Now that they know where I am they are all going to be coming for me. I can’t get to Lake with all of them on my ass.
“Go to her, I’ll lead them away.” I snap my head to the right and stare at Xander. He implores me with his eyes to trust him, years of brotherhood bonding has me wanting to accept his offer but after learning he betrayed me it gives me pause. “Go, Cohen and I will lead them away. Take Taylan and get her out of here.”
“If you fucking?—”
He cuts me off before I can finish threatening him. “I swear, I won’t fail you now, go!” Xander takes off with Cohen on his tail. “This way, Knox!” he calls out, creating a diversion so those pompous cunts think it’s me with him. Taylan and I wait behind a tree until the sound of the guys chasing after them fades, I chance a glance around the tree and when I spot the coast is clear, I nod to him and we take off running, pausing every couple of seconds to take cover behind trees until we deem the coast is clear. We push closer to the edge of the tree line and hunker down behind a large oak tree on the eastern side. I slide down the tree and pop my mag out, two rounds left and I have three more clips strapped to my side. I shoot Tay a look and motion toward his gun, he holds up four fingers and then points then two. He’s got four rounds in the clip and two spare mags.
Resting my head back against the tree, I take a couple deep breaths and block out the sounds of all the shouting, gunfire and cries of pain as I get in the zone. To get to Lakeland we have to cross through an open space of land with no cover, we’ll be sitting ducks until we reach the edge of the bank. Tay shifts and peers around the tree as I scan the area around us, making sure we aren’t about to be ambushed before looking back at him only to find his panic stricken gaze on me. I feel the color drain out of my face as I take a look and crippling fear like I have never felt before in my life threatens to hold me immobile.
“Mom,” I mutter her name as if it’s a prayer and that the sight in front of me is nothing but a bad dream. At least six guys that are heavily armed form a semi-circle around Percy and Gio, while four more stand by my mom who is on her knees with a gun pressed to the back of her head. I feel my heart pumping inside my chest but I’m struggling to pull in any air—I can’t fucking lose her. I won’t lose another person I fucking love. I turn to Taylan ready to tell him to head back to get the others but the words die in my throat at the sight of him standing. He tosses me his gun and the spare mags, I catch them on reflex.
“You fucking get us out of this, you are better than your father ever was. Save Lake and change the fucking game, I won’t let our mom pay the price for our fuck up.” Before I can climb to my feet or utter a fucking word, he darts out of the cover of the tree as I watch. The moment they spot him, all their guns except for the one on my mom turn to him. Taylan holds his head high and raises his hands spinning around in a circle to show them he isn’t armed. My heart aches, this is the worst fucking situation of my life. Taylan and Xander aren’t just friends, they aren’t just some kids I grew up with, they are my fucking brothers and losing one of them would be like losing my sister all over again. “You want to fuck with Knox?” he shouts. “Come get me and make me an example. That woman means nothing to him, he left her unguarded. I’m the better bait.”
“Motherfucker!” I snarl as I try to think of a plan, something that will get them both out of this alive. Goddammit, Lakeland is still in the water and I have no way to get to her either. I’m fucking powerless. I took this family from my father because I never wanted to feel powerless again, yet here I am, with more money than I can spend in three lifetimes, a bunch of loyal men ready to die for me but I still don’t have enough power to save the ones I fucking love. A branch snaps and I draw my gun, aiming it and ready to fire, but hesitate at the sight of Roberto coming toward me with Jordan, Stu, Mika and a few others. He uses hand signals to direct my men to spread out along the tree line before coming to me. I don’t lower my gun.
The fucker doesn’t stop even when the barrel of my Glock is pressed against his chest, his brown eyes boring into mine. The stubborn set of his jaw does nothing to sway me from dropping my gun, I don’t trust this cunt.
“Come on you motherfuckers!” I flinch at the sound of my best friend's voice, followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. I slam my eyes closed, hating that he’s out there getting his ass beat because of me.
“Look at me.” Without consent my eyes snap open and meet my father’s. “You’re a fucking Don, you are the head of this family. You have the power and the control to turn this shit around. Your men that have returned, are laying waste to rest of theirs. Man the fuck up, Son, and do what needs to be done.” I fucking hate that, hearing him call me son has that stupid little boy inside me that longed for their father when he was younger to rise up. “Save your family.” His words fan the flame of determination inside me. I hold his gaze as I think for a second before nodding.
“Hands behind your back, you're going to trade your life for my mom and Taylan’s.” His eyes shine with pride. He nods his head and turns around, placing his hands behind his back. Stu comes forward and offers me a cable tie. I look from it to Roberto’s wrist and ponder it for a second before snatching the fucking thing and placing it around his wrists, but I don’t tighten it. I shove Tay’s gun into my waistband but keep my own in my hand. I grip Roberto’s shirt in my other hand and heave him forward, Stu and Jordan following me out. “Hey!” I yell, drawing all their attention to me. Anger burns inside me at the sight of Taylan on the ground in a ball as five cunts stand over him. My boy lifts his head and the sight of his face bloody and bruised has me gritting my teeth. The fucker smiles but then flinches in pain. Tearing my gaze from him I look back to Percy and Gio, ignoring the cock suckers who turn their guns to me.
“Knox Bronson, come to surrender?” Gio says cockily. I look at my mom who is sobbing and covering her mouth with her hand as she stares at Taylan on the ground before darting her fearful gaze to me. “Ah, the scum brother who has been a thorn in my fucking side for years,” Gio spits out. Roberto remains silent as I continue to force him forward only stopping ten feet away from the cunts. I may have men scattered around in the trees ready to strike at any moment but Gio and Percy know they both hold the power here with a gun trained on my best friend and my mom.
“Surrender?” I say menacingly. “Never,” I snarl. Percy’s face contorts in disgust at the sight of me so I decide to taunt the cunt, I just need one of them to snap and break formation so I can strike. “Percy, still a spineless cocksucker I see.” The fucker’s eyes widen in indignation.
“You filthy, fucking gutter rat!” he screams bringing a smile to my face.
“A gutter rat your daughter loves to fuck nightly.” His face turns beat red. I hate using Lake to get at him but I don’t have a choice. I just hope if she can hear me she knows I’m full of shit. “Fuck, even without her memories she still loves my cock inside her.”
“You little bastard!” He tries to come to me but Gio holds him back as Stu and Jordan cock their guns, ready to fire. I shake my head, telling them to stop when the fucker holding the gun to my mom’s head pushes the barrel against it harder. “Get on your knees and surrender or your mother dies.” I keep my face blank not showing these fucks that Percy’s threat has me on edge.
“I don’t kneel,” I say in a cold tone. “You want my surrender? That won’t happen but I will trade you Roberto for Clara and Taylan.” Percy laughs but my focus is on Gio and the way he is eyeing his brother, they may only be half-brothers but you wouldn’t think it with how similar they look. I decide to take a huge fucking risk and use what Roberto told me. “I know this fucker has been causing problems for you, Uncle.” Gio’s mask falters for a second but it’s long enough for me to see the look of bloodlust, he wants Roberto dead more than I do. As long as his older brother lives, his claim to being the head of the family will always be challenged.
“He means nothing to us, we have you by the fucking balls you?—”
Giovani cuts off Percy’s pathetic threat. “You get your mother back but we’re keeping your friend.” My nostrils flare and I grind my teeth.
“No,” I force out. “I told you my terms,” I roar, spying out of the corner of my eye a dozen or so of Gio’s men coming from the woodlands behind them. Fuck! I shift slightly behind Roberto and discreetly drop my hold on him and pull Taylan’s gun from my waistband and place it in his hand. I look between the both of them and know they are never going to give up either of them, I see it in Gio’s eyes.
“You have four seconds before I kill them both,” Gio clips out. I look between Taylan and my mom and panic. Fuck it, I open my mouth to tell them to take me instead but terror renders me speechless as I watch Lakeland leap from the water. The guy holding a gun to my mom’s head turns toward Lake, without hesitating I lift my gun and fire. The men behind them begin running forward as more shots ring out. Gio pulls his gun and aims it at me just as I turn and shoot the cunt who holds a gun on Taylan, while Stu and Jordan fire off rounds.
“Knox, no!” my mother screams. I turn toward her in time to see Lakeland charge her father just as Gio fires his shot at me. I stand here waiting for it all to end. They say you see your life flash before your eyes when you’re about to die but I see nothing except for the heartbroken look in my mother’s eyes and the gut curdling scream that comes from Lake. I hate that I will never get to hold them again, but at least I’ll finally get to see my sister again, I think as I close my eyes and wait.
Lakeland
I feel nothing as I launch out of the water and run at my father, I won’t allow these bottom feeding cockroaches to harm the man I love. I haven’t even gotten a chance to speak to him or hold him since my memories came back and I won't allow these bastards to take that chance from me. Percy spins around and his eyes widen, but he has no time to prepare as I jump at him, the momentum taking us to the ground. I scream as I hit, punch and claw at his face.
“Fuck you!” I scream. When I hear Clara scream, I snap my gaze up, forgetting all about Percy as Knox stands there looking from his mother then to me before closing his eyes, waiting for his end as Gio fires his gun. I scream, wanting to look away but unable to. My stomach drops as I wait to watch another person I love die before my eyes but at the last second Roberto spins around covers Knox with his body, taking the bullet to his back and taking them both to the ground. That’s all I see before my father punches me. I fall to the ground groaning.
I hear shots over the buzzing in my ears and try to shake away the dizziness and push to my feet, but I’m sent sailing backwards when I’m kicked in the side. I cry out only to have the cry silenced when I’m robbed of air by another kick. I lay on my back gasping for breath as I stare up at my father. The cold, callous look in his eyes reminds me of all the years I had forgotten about when he would take his anger out on me, only for River to swoop in and save me, she took the beatings meant for me. Percy kicked her out because she refused to allow him to hurt me. She also wanted to tell me the truth about the accident but the monster we call Dad told her he would kill me if she did. Percy lifts his foot and presses his boot down on my throat, cutting off my airway. I claw at his leg and thrash beneath him trying to get free.
“You ungrateful little cunt. You spread your fucking legs for the wrong member of that fucking family!” My head begins to pound from the lack of oxygen, I feel my arms turning sluggish, the sounds of gunfire are drowned out by the sound of my blood pumping in my ears. In a last ditched effort to save myself, I reach up and grip the inside of his thigh with my fingers and pinch the fuck out of it. It’s a pussy move but I don’t care. The moment he removes his foot and stumbles backward, I suck in lungfuls of air. He roars in anger as he comes at me again but this time he rips my head back by my hair and punches me right in the mouth. The metallic taste of my own blood is the first thing to register before pain explodes in my face when he delivers the second hit.
I fling my arms, trying to shield my face from his punishment. “Why are you doing this?” I scream. The hits stop and I chance a glance through the gaps in my arms to see my father looking down at me with nothing but malice in his eyes. I see the real him, the angry jaded coward of a man I am forced to call my father. He is the only living relative I have left and yet I still know I would be better off without him.
“It was never about you to begin with, then you caught Gio’s eye and I made a deal but that fucking prick Roberto ruined it, or so we thought, until you had no memory of your time with his bastard son.”
