Chapter Sixteen
E asy
My hands tighten on the handlebars as we pull into my driveway.
Something's wrong. I feel it down to my fucking bones before I even cut the engine.
Lexi’s car and Trigg's bike are both here, but the house is way too fucking dark.
Lexi always leaves a light on. She hates when it’s dark.
Knox and Sparrow dismount their bikes behind me, and without looking back, I already know their weapons are drawn as we approach my front door.
Retired or not, a soldier never loses that killer instinct drilled into him by Uncle Sam.
Reaching for the doorknob, I twist. The fucking door's unlocked. My trigger finger twitches.
“Trigg? Lexi?” I call out, pushing the door open with my boot as I flip the light switch on the wall.
Nothing.
“Neighbor’s lights are on, brother,” Sparrow says from behind me.
I lift my gun as the beam from Knox's flashlight cuts through the darkness, landing on a sight that turns my blood to ice. Trigg's sprawled on my living room floor, face-down and motionless.
“Clear the house,” I bark, but Sparrow's already dropping to his knee beside Trigg and checking for a pulse.
When he looks up at me and shakes his head, fear like I’ve never known consumes me.
“Lexi!” I move through the house, checking rooms, my voice growing more desperate with each empty space. “Lexi, baby, answer me!”
“Easy!” Knox's voice carries from the kitchen.
I find him standing near the island, his flashlight focused on the floor. Shards of broken glass glitter in the light, a puddle of liquid spreading across the tile. The sight hits me like a punch to the gut.
“He has her,” I croak, the words like ash in my mouth. “That piece of shit has my woman.” My heart beats like a kick drum in my chest. I was supposed to protect her. I did everything right, and he still got her.
Sparrow walks in, his phone pressed to his ear. “Club's on their way,” he says, his voice tight. “Dex is hacking into every camera in the neighborhood.”
I slam my fist into the wall, leaving a hole in the drywall. The pain barely registers. “He’s a fucking dead man! I swear to God, if he’s touched a hair on her head…”
“We'll find her,” Knox says, his hand landing heavy on my shoulder. “And when we do, that bastard's going to wish he never set foot in Miami.”
The next half hour is torture while we wait to hear from Dex. I pace the kitchen like a caged animal while Sparrow makes arrangements for Trigg’s body. When Viper, Wrath, and Legend walk in, the energy in the room shifts from tense to lethal.
“Jesus Christ,” Viper mutters, taking in the sight of Trigg’s body now covered by the quilt Lexi kept on the back of the couch. His eyes come to mine, and I can tell the loss of the prospect isn’t unfelt. “We'll get her back, brother.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and Dex's name lights up the screen. I answer before the first ring ends. “Talk to me.”
“Got the fucker on camera,” Dex says without preamble. “Black Cadillac heading east. Tracked it to the Budget Inn on Hillshire. Room 142.”
“Send me?—”
“Already sent the coordinates to your phone,” he cuts me off.
Relief floods my system, quickly replaced by cold determination to get my woman back safe and sound. “I owe you.” I end the call, looking at my brothers. “We got a location.”
“What's the play?” Legend asks, already checking his Glock.
“We go in quiet,” Viper says, but his eyes are on me. “This motherfucker has already proved he isn’t afraid to kill. Our only priority at this point is getting Easy’s woman back in one piece.”
I nod, even though every cell in my body is screaming for blood. “Room 142 at the Budget Inn. Dex confirmed they're there.”
“Then what the fuck are we waiting for?” Knox asks, already moving toward the door.
In less than ten minutes, we make it across town and pull into the gas station across from the Budget Inn. My brothers flank me as we survey the scene. “There’s a light on,” I motion to the thin, dingy curtains where we can see a single shadow moving around inside.
Viper squeezes my shoulder. “Remember, Lexi's safety comes first. Nothing else matters.”
I look to my brothers, making sure they understand that is what matters most. They all nod, but I can see the beast in their eyes, thirsting for blood. I get it; Trigg was my friend too, but all that matters now is getting my woman back in one piece.
“Let’s go,” Legend calls over his shoulder, already dodging cars like Frogger as they whiz past.
After making it across the four lanes of traffic, we move silently across the parking lot with our weapons drawn.
The sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears drowns out everything else as we position ourselves outside the door. Knox and Sparrow take flanking positions while Legend covers our six.
I close my eyes for a second.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Then, slowly, I open them, lift my booted foot, and let it connect with the door. The cheap wood splinters around the locks.
The scene that greets me makes me see red. John's bent over the dresser, white powder scattered across its surface, but it's the sight of Lexi's still form on the bed that sends me over the edge.
She's not moving.
Why isn't she moving?
Red fills my vision, and with a roar that barely sounds human, I launch myself at Lexi’s ex.
We hit the ground hard, and I roll us until I’m straddling his chest. I don't hesitate. My fists connect with his face over and over, each blow accompanied by the satisfying crunch of his bones.
“You killed her!” Each word is punctuated by another blow. Blood sprays, coating my knuckles, but I can't stop. This motherfucker took her from me.
“Easy!” Knox's voice seems far away as he tries to pull me off. “Brother, that's enough!”
I struggle against his grip, my chest heaving, my tears mixing with the blood on my face. My eyes go past him, landing on Lexi again, and everything else fades away.
Climbing off John, I shove past Knox and stumble to the bed. My hands are shaking as I gather her onto my lap, burying my face in her hair. “I'm sorry, baby. I'm so fucking sorry. I should have been there. Should have protected you.”
Then, like a miracle from the gods themselves, I feel her arms go around my neck. Before I can stop it, a sob tears from my throat, and there’s no disguising the anguished sound. “Thank fuck. Thank fuck.” I thought I’d lost her.
“Shawn?” Her voice is weak, confused, but it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.
“I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now.” I crush her tighter against my chest, and she lets out a groan. Immediately, I loosen my grip, running my hands over her, checking for injuries.
She takes my face in her hands. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not fucking okay. He took you.” I go to set her aside, ready to beat on this fucker some more when the sound of sirens wailing in the distance grows closer.
“We need to move,” Viper orders. “Now.”
I scoop Lexi into my arms, cradling her head against my chest. “Close your eyes, baby. Don't open them until I say.”
She nods weakly, turning her face into my neck. Only when I'm sure she can't see do I shift her weight to one arm, draw my weapon, and put a bullet between John's eyes.
He deserves so much fucking worse, but there’s no time.
“Let's go,” I growl, moving toward the door.
As we step out into the night, Lexi trembles in my arms. “I've got you, baby,” I whisper against her hair. “I've got you, and I'm never letting go.”