ROWDY
After inspecting the men on the ground, we left two people in charge of watching them in case anyone was playing possum. The rest of us moved as a group through the busted front gates, where an SUV and truck sat abandoned.
We found several more bodies. Most were dead.
The others soon would be. A cherry red motorcycle had skidded to its side with its tire still spinning.
Farther up in the road, Tricky lay sprawled out on the asphalt.
I knew he was alive even before we approached.
His wide chest heaved with every breath.
Clint ran past me and dropped to a knee next to Tricky. “Where are you hit?”
Brushing aside his strawberry blond hair, he mumbled, “Is Cher okay?”
“She’s fine. We have her in the bunker.”
Nodding, Tricky coughed blood on his thick beard before mumbling, “That’s smart.”
Clint applied pressure to Tricky’s chest wound and spoke calmly despite how much blood our childhood friend was losing.
“I should have listened to you,” Tricky told Clint. “Those guys were no good. My dad said the same thing, but I didn’t listen.”
“It’s going to be fine. They’re dead. We’re going to be okay.”
Motorcycles raced past us, and Rock appeared behind me.
“The Baton Rouge fuckers hit the Tooker sisters on their way here,” Rock explained as I realized Ben and Nine were racing to find their sisters.
“They were driven off Arlington Road and tumbled down a cliff. The sisters are fine, but Goldie’s missing.
We’re putting together a search party to locate her. ”
Without looking away from Tricky, Clint nodded.
The two had been tight growing up, but Tricky always expected to be the next big deal like his dad.
Meanwhile, Clint had his own dreams of running a club.
Those two goals clashed, leaving the friends on icy terms. Now, Clint kept Tricky from getting up to check on people.
“Everyone’s okay,” Clint promised, even as he signaled for Rock and the others to find Goldie.
“I’m going to the bunker,” I told my cousin.
Clint’s blue eyes flashed to me. “Stay with Ivy until I’m done here.”
As the sound of approaching sirens filled the quiet night, I jogged back to the house. Farley stood on the porch with his rifle at the ready.
“Did you hear Goldie’s missing?”
“Yeah. Rock’s leading the search,” I said, walking past him and toward the kitchen. “Tricky looks rough. Took at least two bullets to the chest.”
Farley didn’t reply to my words. Standing next to the kitchen island, we shared a silent conversation about the twins’ possible reaction to tonight’s attack. Farley and I had welcomed normal women into our dangerous lives. Promises were made regarding safety and stability.
Rather than give voice to my fear, I pushed the kitchen island out of the way and spotted the four women sitting on the couch. Cher had been crying. Kat and Maria stared at us with matching wide-eyed expressions. Ivy wore the face of a woman who’d perfected her tough fox mask.
“Is Tricky okay?” Cher asked before I could speak.
Taking her hands, I tugged her to her feet and admitted, “It’s bad. You don’t need to see him like this.”
Cher looked around before focusing on her sister at the top of the stairs. “Tricky might die.”
Stevie nodded. “You should tell him goodbye.”
Cher walked uneasily toward the stairs. Even after the sisters disappeared, I remained nervous about the twins or Ivy leaving the bunker.
“We need to let the cops round up the bodies,” I said and settled on the couch.
Farley frowned. “What about Goldie?”
“The rest of the club is looking for her. We need to make sure these three stay safe.”
Farley and Goldie were Rawlins kids, and I knew he wanted to search for her. Maria could tell the same thing.
“Go look for her,” Maria insisted and took Kat’s hand. “I want to stick close to my sister.”
Farley smiled at how she understood what he needed. He kissed her softly before heading upstairs.
“Should you go?” Kat asked, clearly hoping I’d say no.
“Clint’s stressed about Tricky and Goldie. He needs me to protect Ivy,” I explained and glanced at the Chihuahuas watching me from the corner. “Besides, my sisters expect me to watch out for their dogs. I have responsibilities.”
Kat gave me a tight smile. She so clearly wanted to cry. Even more so, she was dying to check on the boys. I heard her every thought, but she didn’t dare say anything out loud. We were part of the Crimson Guard family, which meant we didn’t tuck tail and run away when our people needed us.
Though Kat would never be a tough fox like my sisters, she was no weakling. She understood the dangers and darkness in my life. As she hugged me, I felt her accepting how the good in my life greatly outweighed the bad.
Katarina Darville might have left me twice before, but she was never walking away again.