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Just as his men rush out the entrance, gunfire breaks out. I remain rooted in a standoff with the remaining Satan's Hounds, keeping my gun aimed at my uncle throughout the ongoing gun battle outside the bar.
There's a moment of dead silence after the gunfire ceases before Jake, Logan, and Gabriel appear. "I hope you don't mind us evening out the playing field." Jake moves forward, flanking my side while Logan and Gabriel keep our backs covered.
My uncle's face contorts with anger. He pours another shot. "I see you received my message. I got to give the old man credit. He put up a good fight. I must admit I've enjoyed this little cat-and-mouse game." He downs the liquor. "But I'm bored." Hellhound snaps his fingers, and one of the remaining five men strolls into the restroom, returning with Ember and Bellamy, their hands bound in front of them.
"Blake!" Bellamy cries, and the fear I see in her eyes is gut-wrenching. My uncle reaches out, snagging Ember by the arm, and pulls her onto his lap. She fights against his hold, but another Satan's Hounds member takes his aim from me and points it at Ember, making her comply. My eyes connect with hers. "She's a sweet piece of ass." I feel my uncle eyeing me as he touches Ember, but my focus is on my woman and the single tear rolling down her cheek. It's taking all my self-control to keep from pulling the trigger, but I won't chance it with Ember in the way.
"Get your filthy fucking hands off my woman," I growl, my jaw clenched with hostility.
"Or what?" Hellhound retorts. "You'll kill me?" He chuckles. "I'm holding all the cards here." He tosses Ember to the side. My uncle takes a swig straight from the whiskey bottle, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "My game, my rules."
One of my uncle's men, standing off to my left, makes a sudden move. "Take another step, and I'll kill you, motherfucker," Logan warns the biker, but the dumb fuck must have the attention span of a flea. I watch him take another step while reaching beneath his cut. That's when I hear Logan fire his weapon, sending the piece of shit flying backward, crashing into a nearby table and chairs.
The room becomes a conduit for electricity as yet another Hound takes his last breaths, but before anyone else can make another move, a distant rumble slices through the silence in the room. From the corner of my eye, I see Jake smirk. "That would be the rest of my men." My uncle's nostrils flare, and he cranes his neck. Jake continues, "You made a grave mistake bringing your club into Kings territory. You may have got the drop on us tonight, but we are prepared for war. You won't be going home tonight. Not unless it's in a body bag." Jake's words drip with venom.
My uncle stands, sending the chair he sat in flying backward, then reaches out, jerking Ember in front of him, using her as a human shield. Bellamy tries pulling free of her captor, but he tightens his hold on my sister.
My uncle releases a manic laugh. "I'm not goin' down just yet, motherfuckers."
I feel like someone has a stranglehold around my neck, and I'm choking on my breath. My eyes dart between Ember and Bellamy, trying to work out how to get them out of this alive.
Simultaneously, the sound of a rifle penetrates the air, and the son of a bitch holding Bellamy slumps to the floor.
"Bellamy, run!" Ember screams, and my sister dashes back toward the door leading to the kitchen. Another of my uncle's men reacts, charging after her, and Jake shoots the cocksucker in the head.
There are two Satan's Hounds men left, standing between us and their President. I still have my gun aimed at my uncle, whose face is twisted and red with anger. "Either I'm walkin' out of here alive, or she's dead," he spews.
Going into this battle, I never questioned what I would do to keep my family safe. I quickly toss my gun to the floor and show my hands. "I'll take her place." I offer my life for Ember's, and tears stream down her face.
My uncle stares at me, shaking his head. "You value this whore's life more than yours, which means I can walk out of here through the front door." While he's talking, I feel someone slip a hand beneath my cut, placing what feels like a blade between my back and the waistband of my jeans. "So why the fuck would I trade that for a worthless piece of shit like you?"
"Because you'd be trading her life for the man who killed your brother," I confess and watch his face contort with rage. "My woman walks, and I leave with you."
My uncle contemplates my offer. "You leave here with me, and your men stand down. If you agree to that, then I'll hand over the bitch."
I look at Jake. He nods, though his eyes convey the unspoken. Faced with the same scenario, he would do the same—all my brothers would. I look back at my uncle. "Done."
I approach my uncle with raised hands and close the distance while Ember stares at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Blake," she whispers. Thinking I will never hear my name pass her lips again feels like a bullet to the chest. Once I'm in arm's reach, my uncle shoves Ember forward and takes hold of me instead.
Ember looks back at me.
"It's okay," I tell her, keeping my emotions subdued and tone even. "Go."
She stares at me a minute longer, then moves across the room. Logan, Jake, and Gabriel keep their guns aimed at the Satan's Hounds, ensuring Ember safely exits the bar.
My uncle fists my cut, spins us, and pins my back against the wall. Over his shoulder, I take in my brothers keeping watch. There's a good chance I will die tonight, but I'll leave this life knowing what family means and what love feels like. "Want to know a little secret?" My uncle shoves me and keeps his voice to a harsh whisper while holding his gun under my chin. "I knew you killed my brother. The bitch you valiantly saved that night saw you do it." His eyes darken. "Too bad she had to die too." He brings his face inches from mine, baring his teeth. I slowly reach behind my back, wrap my hand around the knife's handle, and slip it down to my side as he continues, "I've been lookin' for you, Blake. For a long time. I had other plans once I learned of your whereabouts. I was going to destroy everyone and everything around you, making you suffer like we did all those years ago. Your sister's mother should have never run her mouth about you. She almost fucked up my entire plan."
"Looks like she succeeded. Your men are dead while my club and those I care for are still breathin'. You have nothing." I grip the blade's handle tighter.
My uncle smirks. "I have you. You're mine. In the end, I always get what I want. I win."
A couple of seconds tick by before I make my move. If I die, I'll go out fighting. My brothers notice what I'm attempting. They shoot the remaining Satan's Hounds simultaneously as I thrust the knife into Hellhound's side, stabbing him twice in rapid succession. With my other hand, I grab his gun, place my finger between his and the trigger and look him in the eyes. "You lose, motherfucker." I plunge the blade into the side of his neck and rip it out. His hands fly to his neck, desperate to control the blood pouring from his body. Within a second, he's on the floor in a pool of blood, gasping his last breaths.
I retrieve my gun off the floor, and before passing my brothers, I look at them. "I know I fucked a few things up tonight, but thanks for havin' my back."
Jake grips my shoulders. "We're family." He jerks his chin. "Take them home."
I walk out the front door into the parking lot, where Austin, Reid, Grey, Sam, and Quinn are waiting, and on the ground lie the other dead Satan's Hounds. "Blake." Ember rushes at me. She grabs my face, kissing me, and I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her tight. I notice my sister stepping out of the van. She makes a beeline across the parking lot and joins the huddle, crying and sniffling.
