AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m fucking fantastic. Now hold on tight. Let’s get rolling.” Monroe doesn’t wait for anybody else to respond to my question. He stomps the throttle and peels out, sending dust and dirt spewing from the tires to cloud the air.
I squeal and cling on to the steering wheel, letting him put his hands over mine to control the vehicle. There’s no way I could actually drive this thing. My heart beats quickly and my stomach grazes the steering wheel, the space smaller than I’m used to with my changing body.
Monroe drifts out of the lot of the abandoned building and picks up speed when we hit the main street leading to the Strip.
I can’t believe this is really happening. We are actually doing this.
“The Bella Crew is set.” Sawyer taps his com device, quickly looking over the screen.
“All right. You hear that, Cicero? Get your coven in order. We want to hear them make noise from here.” Knox swats at Cicero in the third row and gets him to focus again.
“It is done. We have two minutes until the first bomb goes off. Then another five before the next one. We are taking out Tru and Golden G.” Cicero taps his finger across his com device. “The leadership will head toward their sanctuary at the old tower. We’ll go there.”
“What about the Aris? I need Alexander to feel what I feel. I need him to know that he’s a dead man walking.” I lick my lips, shifting again on Monroe’s lap, finding it difficult to remain still.
He tightens his hand around my waist, keeping me from moving. “He already knows it, little bird. And we will get him. Promise.”
I don’t get a chance to respond as an explosion rings through the air, and debris and smoke rain across the street. Screams echo and I watch as dozens of people blur around me, vampires taking shelter from the collapsing building.
My heart hangs heavy in my chest. I didn’t want it to come to this. I didn’t want to see La Vega fall. Not like this, at least. It has always been my home. I want it to be my future as well.
But I have learned that things sometimes must be broken to be rebuilt. And I am ready to start over. I’m ready to take what is mine.
“Slow down. It looks like the entire security personnel of every head coven in the area is on the streets. This is fucking war.” Sawyer sits straighter, his head grazing the roof, but he doesn’t complain. Instead, he pulls out a weapon and hands it to me. “No one leaves this car until we see one of our marks. Do you understand?”
“Got it, boss man. Walcott and Tatum are heading in from the east. They have Mesquite and his crew with them.” Govan speaks up from the backseat, shifting Mya to sit between him and Knox. Cooper bounces in the seat beside them, crowded together but not complaining.
“Where are your coven brothers?” Monroe asks, glancing into the rearview mirror to look at Cicero.
“They are passing the Mingo right now. It won’t be long. If you pull over at Ly, we can meet up and caravan toward the tower.” Cicero remains even toned, and I know his responses are natural. He still must obey me, but he is free to speak as long as he is spoken to.
“No. We are heading straight over there. Have them meet us on the far side of the property at the back parking garage. It’s getting close to sunrise, and you know that’s exactly where the leadership will enter.” Sawyer taps his fingers on the dashboard, peering out the windshield. “I have a visual. Narcisa is splitting off from the leadership. She might not end up at the tower.”
“She’s not who I’m worried about the most.” I stretch up, trying to get a view of the Aris. I know it’s nearby. And I hate so much that we aren’t just going there to destroy it. I hate that Cicero didn’t manage to have bombs planted there either. I want that whole hotel down. I don’t ever want to see it again. I need Alexander buried in the rubble.
“We have a visual on Alexander. I think that the leadership only turns to him because they know they are screwed. They know he’s who we want, and I have a feeling that they’re going to try to use that to their advantage.” Monroe turns another corner and stomps the throttle again, sending the car barreling forward.
I squeeze the steering wheel, trying not to screech at the sudden jolt of speed. He navigates effortlessly through the running crowd of vampires, and I try my best to keep my focus. But all I can really manage to do is stare out the window, looking at the flames of the tower we pass and how I know another one will fall at any second.
“All right. Twenty seconds and the next one will fall.” Sawyer holds out his hand to me, waiting for me to loosen my grip on the steering wheel to let Monroe drive easily.
I let him pull me from Monroe’s lap and I snuggle against him, pressing my back hard against his chest so he can keep me safe if anything happens.
Another explosion booms through the air, but I can’t see it from here. It is just off the Strip at the hotel of one of the leaders. Those are the ones we have set to attack. Hit them where it hurts the most. Without their hotels, they have nowhere to hold owners any longer. They will lose their power. It will all come down to who is strong enough to survive this. And I’ve already proved I can survive anything.
“Fuck yeah!” Cooper touches my shoulder, playing with my hair. “That’s going to open up a huge portion of La Vega to Strip dwellers.”
“And the donors?” I can’t help worrying about the possibility of high death tolls.
“There weren’t any there. They had already been moved. You can tell that the leadership was planning for a huge redivision. I think it really benefited us. We’ll be able to use it to our advantage.” Knox holds out his com device, showing me the screen. “See? They’ve been gathered up already. That’s Mesquite. He’s taking control of the buses now.”
Shit. I can’t even imagine what would happen to all these donors if I hadn’t had enough of the renegade’s bullshit. They would’ve already been separated. And then what?
I’m not even going to think about it. I have more important things to concentrate on now.
“Fucking shit. Think she’s been watching us?” Monroe slams the brakes, skidding the vehicle to a stop.
I whip my attention from Knox and peer out the windshield, spotting Narcisa standing in the middle of the street. She’s alone.
