Page 158 of Hard Rain

Grant spoke quietly with one of the detectives before handing over the prisoner.

Knox drifted toward the kitchen, checking rooms one last time before returning with a slow shake of his head.

“Clear.”

No one celebrated.

No one should have needed a list to find this place.

The last set of cuffs clicked shut.

It was over.

Knox and Grant joined them outside the house.

“Think I’m gonna sleep for a week.” Knox yawned.

Grant snorted. “You’ll make it six hours.”

Knox looked offended. “How would you know?”

Grant smirked and held up both hands.

A snort escaped before he could stop it.

Thank fuck this thing was over.

By sunrise, every warrant tied to Fierce’s list had been served. Victims were recovering in hospitals across three states while detectives, federal agents, and crime scene technicians began the long process of sorting through years of evidence. Oscar Charleston’s empire hadn’t fallen all at once, but someone had kicked the first stone loose.

Axel doubted anyone would ever know how many lives Fierce’s list had saved.

By the time he and Whip finally climbed back into the SUV, they’d been awake for nearly twenty-four hours.

The stop at Molly’s for breakfast was brief.

The waitress eyed the four of them before topping off four mugs with fresh coffee.

“You boys hungry?”

“Starving,” Knox answered.

Axel nodded, nudging Whip over in the booth before sliding close.

“Same.”

By the time Axel finished ordering two of the breakfast specials, the waitress just smiled and shook her head.

Hot coffee and enough food to feed a family did little to cut through nearly twenty-four hours without sleep.

Damn. He wanted to be home in bed. With Whip. He shoved another bite of eggs into his mouth.

Whip shifted until one leg rested against his beneath the table.

Nobody said much as they ate.

There really wasn’t much to say.

Rain still fell as they headed south, the wipers keeping steady time across the windshield.