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Fuck.
“You really thought I didn't protect myself better than this?” Vincent's voice comes over a speaker system, taunting us. “I could play with you all day if I wanted.”
“Cut the fucking theatrics,” Shadow yells. “This isn’t going to go well for you. How about you give us the hostages, and we won't throw you over the side of the fucking building.”
“How about no. I don’t negotiate with monkeys trapped in a cage.”
“Nitro,” says Outlaw, still standing on the stairs. “The door up here doesn’t look anywhere near as sturdy as the one downstairs. Think you can crack it open?”
Nitro grins, never passing an opportunity to blow shit up. He bounds up the stairs two at a time. “Easy.” He analyzes the door, choosing specific points to stick explosive putty. “Get behind something.” That’s all the warning we get before he pulls out his phone and starts tapping. A series of small explosions make quick work of the door, rattling the whole room.
“Move!” snaps Shadow.
Outlaw’s closest to the top, but I'm already running, with Thunder and Harper right behind. Havoc and Nitro bring up the rear. We pop out into a short hall that opens into Mesner’s living space further down. Two bullets slam into the wall a few feet from where we’re standing, burying themselves in fancy wood wall paneling. Harper shrieks and jumps back, but no one gets hurt.
“Meeeeeeesner,” I yell. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
“Don’t come any closer. I've got my barrel trained on Eileen right now.”
“Mom,” Harper whispers in horror.
At least she’s still alive. Hopefully that goes for Carnell as well. “If you hurt any of them, it'll be the last thing you'll ever fucking do.” That’s a partial lie. No matter what happens, I'm gonna murder that bastard today, unless someone beats me to it.
“What’s out there?” Outlaw asks Harper. “Any cover?”
She frowns, thinking hard. “Um, there’s a seating area right past where the wall ends. I don’t remember the furniture exactly, but there’s at least a big couch and some chairs.”
“If you fucking get yourself shot again,” growls Shadow, “I'm gonna fucking kill you myself.”
Outlaw's grin is dark and humorless. “I'll hold you to that.” Then he launches himself, diving low into the room with a speed I couldn't match if I tried. I break shit, I don't dodge it.
More gunshots go off, splintering the hardwood floor. We all hold our breath for a second.
“Two guards. Mesner in back. He's got Eileen, and it looks like Carnell's tied up,” Outlaw yells.
“Why are you even here?” snaps Mesner. “Why are you risking yourselves? You already sent your fucking message. You want me to stop supplying to your territory? Done. None of this even involves you or your club.”
Thunder and I look at each other and nod. “That’s not enough anymore. It’s personal now.”
Mesner snarls. “Is it the girl? Fine! Take her. The only reason I bothered with her was to torment Nate. When the DNA test showed that Eileen's brat wasn't mine, it didn't take much to figure out he’d been fucking my woman. Had him roughed up a little too, for a sample just to be sure.”
Shadow whispers to Nitro, and gets handed something. I can't see what it is, but when Shadow walks past me, closer to the doorway, he says quietly, “Keep him talking. On three, we roll out there and find cover. Surround the fucker. Only one chance, though.”
“So why bother with the wedding and all that shit? Would’ve been a lot simpler to just kill her and send her head to Carnell with a copy of the DNA test, wouldn’t it?”
“But where’s the fun in that? There would be a lot more public sympathy if my newly found beloved daughter was tragically murdered on her honeymoon. Don’t you think?” Harper gasps and presses herself into me. “I wasn’t even going to bother with Eileen, but what can I say? It’s always good to have a backup plan.”
Shadow takes whatever Nitro gave him and throws it hard. It bounces off the far wall and then deeper into the room. “One, two…”
“What if he shoots my mother?” She looks up at me with huge eyes that break my fucking heart. Tears staining her cheeks.
“He’ll do that anyway if we don't get shit moving.” I reluctantly release Harper. “Shh. We're gonna save them, okay? You just hang back and stay safe.”
Her nod is jerky, and her expression terrified, but we gotta do something. Here's hoping it works out.
“Three!” Shadow yells.
We all dash into the room, throwing ourselves in different directions for cover. They can’t shoot us all at once. Dark smoke billows from where the grenade landed. Havoc runs for a sniper position at the far side. Shadow goes right, Nitro goes left, Outlaw leaps over the couch to hide in a doorway to another room.
