Chapter 30
THIRTY
DECLAN
“Get ready.” Owen’s voice sounds seamlessly through the small piece of tech inserted in my ear as the bike beneath me roars its might. I’ve pushed it to its limits today, more than I pushed my old one on the day of the fire. Visions of Sofee's cold, lifeless body have ensured I keep the throttle pushed to its max.
Though it was Li and Rome who followed after me to raid Matteo’s place, all of my brothers surround me now. Each of us rides as if the devil is chasing us as we finally approach the old, rundown alligator farm in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere.
As the rundown buildings come into view, I feel the urge to stab myself in the thigh again. If not for the fact that I should have seen this coming. Matteo, better known as Miles, was right under our noses this entire time, and not a single one of us saw him coming. We were so busy being on high alert for anybody new in Sofee’s life that we never thought to check into the people who were already well-established in her life before the fire. An oversight that may very well spell death for the woman I have an unhealthy obsession with. And now, I must prepare myself for the worst.
Even if she survives this, she’s still likely to never speak to me again. I’ve done nothing but lie and manipulate her for the past five months. I’ve always known she has trust issues. So now, after all this, all of us will be lucky if she ever thinks to speak with us again.
“Shooters on the roof; I count three,” Ace says, just before the faint sound of a rifle being fired rings out. The dirt next to my tire explodes, with the projectile lodging itself into the earth and sending rocks into the air, peppering the side of my bike.
“Break off,” Owen commands. “You get shot, you take as many of those fuckers down with you as you can.”
The roar of seven different motorcycles becomes almost deafening as a flurry of activity erupts. Bright lights are turned on, illuminating this dilapidated farm and transforming it into a goddamn football stadium. Bikes rev as all of us disperse and ride off in different directions.
Coop and Ace veer right, Cooper's bright red bike acting as a beacon for stray bullets as they tear over the road before landing in the grass. They take off toward a cluster of buildings that appear to be used for storage. I watch for a moment as they both reach into their jackets, producing their own firearms before they start shooting.
Tanner and Hayden drive up to one of the abandoned buildings and jump off their bikes. Grabbing their weapons, they continue on foot, taking out as many guards as possible in their quest for vengeance. Owen catches up to them, staying on his bike and mowing down foot soldiers as if it's his job.
I push the throttle to the max as I search for any indication as to which of these decrepit buildings could be hiding Matteo and Sofee. Hearing another distinct engine roaring behind me, I glance back to see Liam pushing his purple Harley to its breaking point as a dirty black Audi and dark SUV trails closely behind. I can’t see past the dark windshields, but I know it's Romeo and Dom in the driver’s seats.
“There,” Liam’s voice is unmistakable in my ear. I glance over and see him pointing toward a particularly rundown building, the only one with bright lights on inside.
I scan the area, examining the building with the fewest guards surrounding it. Fear creeps down my spine as I survey the seemingly quiet place. Gunfire persists behind me amidst the engine's roar, yet I am drawn to the silence.
Speeding over the unkempt grass, I head straight for the building where I hope to find Sofee. It has definitely seen better days, with the rusty, decrepit tin roof and rotting wood siding as clear indicators.
“Rome, help the others. This Pelosi is all mine,” I growl quietly as I slow to a stop close to the building. I don’t bother looking behind me to see if Romeo is listening to me as I cut the engine. But just as I’m about to dismount my bike and hoof it toward the shed, the rumble of a separate bike crawling to a stop next to me has me pausing.
“Can’t let you take all the credit for saving the day,” Liam says as he slings his leg over the side of his bike. Though it may be dark in this part of the farm, I can still see his dark eyes glimmering with something akin to warmth.
The gunfire in the distance never lulls as we approach the building with light steps. Vigilant in our search for any pitfalls or traps, an eerie silence descends upon us, heightening my nerves and confirming that I'm in the right place. My breath escapes me in heavy pulls as adrenaline surges through my system, causing my fingers to tingle as I reach for my Glock. Just as my fingers brush the handle, movement from the side of the building catches my eye, signaling an imminent ambush.
“Shit,” Liam snarls just before hellfire rains down on us. Shots echo around us, and we both scramble for cover at the side of the building as multiple guards seemingly materialize out of thin air. I have no hope of counting all of them as bullets start flying and we’re forced to take refuge.
Thinking quickly and acting as the unified force we’ve been trained to be, I grab both flash grenades from my holster and pull the pins. Keeping them tight in my grip, I nod at Liam before ducking low. I crouch and roll to the side of the building until I reach the edge, hearing our assailants descending on us. Liam goes high and fires a few shots in the dark to distract our enemies before I toss the grenades.
Seconds pass after they bounce in the grass at the guard’s feet, and their ARs stop firing as they notice my gift. Cursing ensues right before Li and I shield our eyes, and the grenades explode in a giant flash of light. Then we move.
Our targets are rendered temporarily blind as I reach into my boot and pull out my throwing knives. Without pausing to steady my aim, I hurl one of the long knives with all my strength while Li begins firing at their bodies. My knife hits its target in one of the guard's chests, causing him to stagger back before collapsing to the ground. I continue to throw the knives, hitting targets even as they begin to return fire.
Gripping my pistol, I shoot while approaching what looks like the only door to the enclosure, taking down as many guards as I can. I’ve lost track of how many there are, but by the looks of it, we might emerge victorious.
The sweat along my brow threatens to blind me as it drips into my eyes. I step up to the door before glancing back. Liam drops his gun as the bullets run out, and hand-to-hand combat ensues with the only remaining guard. I release the clip on my Glock and quickly replace it with a fresh one before aiming it towards Liam’s adversary.
I watch them spar for a moment, almost impressed by the guard’s well-honed skills as he lashes out at Liam. He’s good, I’ll give him that, but he still has to die. I pull my pistol up, take aim at the lone man, and lock him in my sights.
“Don’t,” Liam growls with a menacing smile that tells me he’s eager to get his hands dirty. “I got this one. Go save my sister,” he yells right before lunging at his attacker. Both men tumble to the ground, and fists fly. I tear my gaze away from them and face the door again.
Letting my rage consume me completely, I step back and pull my booted foot up. With one powerful kick, I ram it into the door and watch it splinter open on contact. Quickly, I get my feet under me and rush past the doorway straight into hell.
“Declan,” Sofee’s soft voice sounds directly in front of me, and my heart stops in my chest.
She‘s alive but definitely not safe as she’s held tightly in the clutches of a fucking lunatic. Her arms are clearly tied behind her back, too tightly, I would venture to guess. Her once-white tank top is no longer crisp and clean, now covered in a layer of blood and grime that will never wash out. A thin trail of blood is visible from here, starting at the hollow of her throat and disappearing between her breasts. Her hair is tangled, wet, and filthy as if she’s been rolling around in the swamp.
Searching for the source of her wet hair, I spot the leaky pipe hanging above the table they stand in front of. Ripping my gaze away, my eyes land on her tear-streaked face before falling to the curved blade cutting into her delicate throat. Suddenly, Matteo’s face morphs into my father's, as visions from the past resurface, making the scene before me feel like a terrifying déjà vu. Only this time, it will not be the blood of an innocent that spills onto the ground below.
“You made it,” the infamous Matteo croons from his cowering spot behind my girl, using her as a human shield I would never dare fire at. He’s not much taller than Sofee, so my chances of shooting him in the head are slim to none.
“I was just telling the beautiful Sofee why I chose to wait so long before I made my move,” he says with a dimpled grin as he tightens the knife against her throat. The whimper rising in her throat is silenced by the blade. My blood boils in my veins as I frantically search for a way to free her from his clutches. “You wanna hear the rest of the story?”
I say nothing, letting every detail of this place soak into my senses as I search for a way out. A loud hissing noise sounds from the hole in the floor next to me. I don’t need to take my eyes off Matteo to realize he isn’t the only blood thirsty predator in this building. The smell of death and swamp sludge takes any questions about what this place is right out of my mouth.
He bares his teeth at me before his hand roams up Sofee’s body to her hair. As he digs his fingers in and yanks her head back, red fills my vision until I’m shaking with restraint.
“I wanted to inflict as much pain on Liam and the rest of you as you did on me the moment you put Antonio behind those fucking bars,” he seethes before releasing his hold on Sofee’s hair just the slightest. “I wanted to mess with her before I had a chance to get my hands on her. Really draw out her anguish.”
“Last I heard, Antonio wasn’t welcome at the Pelosi household after he got Demetry killed. Heard you put him in the ICU and then walked away,” I growl. “Why all of a sudden do you care about what happened to that little shit-streak?”
I bite back my smirk as his eyes widen before he snarls at me. “It’s the principle. Nobody gets to fuck with my brother besides me,” he hisses, tightening his grip on his hostage. “ Papà will be in the ground soon,” he says quietly, a distant gleam in his eyes. “We’ll be the only two men left to protect the family.”
His words sound distant to my ears as I watch her tears flow down her cheeks in rapid drips. The beast writhes under my skin with the craving to feel this cocksucker's blood dripping from my fingers for making her look like this, but I must wait for my opportunity. Her gaze locks onto mine before flinging to the side, trying to silently draw my attention elsewhere.
“And when I saw you run into that burning house to save her, well, lets just say you presented me with the perfect opportunity.” He grins at me while placing his cheek against hers. My blood pressure rises as I realize what he’s saying. He was there on the day of the fire; he never left, watching it all from the sidelines like a deranged homicidal maniac, getting off on the pain and anguish.
“It was quite dramatic,” he laughs. “The way you trashed your own bike just to get to her that much faster. And watching you barrel into that raging inferno,” he says, glancing at Sofee now. “I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried, baby girl.” He presses his cheek against hers and she visibly recoils, causing me to vibrate with my rage.
“After that, I knew how you really felt about her. And I knew the only person who could fuck her up more than me, was you. After all, you’re still just a scared little boy, too jaded by your past to ever truly be the man she thinks you are.” His voice drops as he bites the words like an accusation. He smiles at me, revealing his straight, white teeth. “Watching daddy dearest slit your lover's throat while your only brother holds you back,” he recounts that dark day in my past before placing his blood-caked fingers on his lips and kissing them. “Chefs kiss,” he says.
Sofee doesn’t react as my truth is completely revealed, surprising me entirely. My stomach drops to my ass as I watch her carefully, trying to figure out what she’s trying to tell me without words. And then I finally see what she’s pointing to with her eyes. The blood-soaked butcher knife on the table right behind them. I glance back at her, hoping she hears my silent question as to how that’s going to be helpful.
“We all know that traumatized little boys from our world aren't suitable companions for good little girls like this,” he coos before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. She winces, but not from the kiss, but from pain. Despite a sharp knife pressed against her throat, I realize it's not the blade causing her distress. Then, I notice her right shoulder moving more than it should for someone with hands bound behind their back.
I nearly smile at my brave, smart girl. She’s been working on freeing herself from her restraints and saving herself this whole time. She just needs me to distract her attacker a little longer.
“Do you mind getting to the point of all this so I can leave this place?” I ask, faking a nonchalance I don’t feel. “It smells like shit in here,” I snarl.
Matteo tilts his head back and barks a quick laugh, his dark eyes sparkling with sinister delight. “See, he’s too broken to care for you the way you need. I knew he was bound to mess with your head way more than I ever could,” he whispers in her ear, filling her head with blatant lies about my feelings for her. Her nostrils flare as she squeezes her eyes closed, taking on the persona of a heartbroken woman when in reality she’s using her actions to hide the fact that she’s almost out of his rope. Even from here, I can see how much freedom her arm has.
His malevolent eyes lock onto mine once more, accompanied by a wicked sneer. “I wanted you to fuck her up, break her heart, and stomp it into the ground. And then I wanted Liam and the rest of The Insidious to witness as I slit both of your throats,” he grinds out, his face flushing with rage as his gaze shifts to something behind me.
I don’t bother to look back as heavy boots thud against the dirty wooden floor behind me. The hissing from the dark pit intensifies as another player enters the old alligator shelter. I keep my sights locked on Sofee until finally, I see the moment she nods quickly, silently urging me to make my move as Liam finally steps up next to me.
“Seeing as you didn’t learn from your dumbass brother, I’ll reiterate it for you,” Liam growls as he raises his gun toward his sister's captor. Matteo’s eyes flash and flare as Liam’s voice drops, and I ready myself to attack. “Nobody fucks with The Insidious and lives to talk about it.”
Liam’s words barely pass his lips before we’re all moving. Sofee squeezes her eyes closed just as I point my pistol up at the rusty, old, leaky pipe and fire a round into it. Her scream of agony as she rips her hands out of the rope overshadows the loud shot right before my bullet finds its mark and the pipe explodes.
Hundreds of pounds of pressurized water spray erratically from the pipe, drenching Matteo and Sofee as she moves. She drops her body weight, clearly not caring about the sharp blade coming so close to slicing her throat as she slips from his grasp, and seizes the bloody butcher knife behind them. Less than gracefully, she twists her body and thrusts the blade into the first body part she can find, which happens to be his upper thigh.
Matteo howls as the sharp knife slices through his flesh easily before Sofee falls to the ground, scrambling to get away from the predator like a wounded animal. My blind fury envelops me, calming me in a way I never thought possible as I rush the fucker, trusting Liam to cover his sister.
I toss my gun to the side, preferring to end this lunatic's life with my bare hands. He’s just about to reach for my girl again, a menacing snarl on his lips, as I slam my shoulder into him and we fly back.
The force of my tackle sends us both crashing into the metal table behind him, denting and caving it in under our weight. He lashes out, attempting to slice my face in half with the same blade he used to threaten Sofee's life. I quickly grab his wrist, twisting it with all my strength until I hear the distinct snap of his cartilage popping under my grip.
I bare my teeth as the blade falls to the table below, and he roars beneath me. Before I can see it coming, his elbow flies out, catching me on the side of my head, making me see stars. I stumble back, trying to remain on my feet as I shake off the sudden disorientation as water pours on both of us.
Matteo’s jaw hardens as he grips the knife still protruding from his thigh and yanks it out with a quick jerk. I kick out as he lunges for me with the knife, but I miss as he swiftly avoids the blow and takes another shot. His blade is headed straight for my gut until I move at the last second. I narrowly avoid being gutted before the knife hits resistance against my side.
For a moment, I expect pain to flare, but instead, the metallic whine of metal on metal registers in my ears just before a huge plume of suffocating smoke fills the space between us. My eyes water and my lungs revolt as the smoke forces us apart. His knife protruding from the smoke bomb in my holster.
Flinging my gaze behind me, I spot Liam kneeling on the ground in front of his sister as the building fills with toxic smoke. I quickly rip my vest and holster off my body and toss it into the pit in the middle of the room. The beasts inside go wild as the habitat becomes nothing but a contaminated death trap.
“Get her the fuck out of here!” I shout to my best friend before turning back toward Matteo, trusting Liam will get Sofee to safety while I deal with this psycho. But when I turn to face him again, all I see is thick smoke.
“No, you have to help him,” I barely hear Sofee beg her brother as he rushes her out of the building. He ignores her pleas in an attempt to get her to safety. It takes everything in me to pull all my attention away from her. Now that I know Sofee is safe from this monster, I can focus completely on ending him.
Backing up, I find the only entrance, grab the almost shattered door, and slam it shut, locking the deadbolt to keep others out and my target trapped. I spot the illuminated wall displaying an array of knives and blades to choose from. Quickly, I grab one of the smaller ones and conceal it in my palm before scanning the room.
“ Declan! ” My gut tightens as I hear Sofee scream my name somewhere in the distance. Hopefully, it's far away and she can’t see what I have to become to keep her safe. I want nothing more than to run to her, to see that she's alive and whole. But unlike the last time I ran into a death trap for her, I can’t just follow her pleas to escape my untimely demise. This time, I must stay and save her from the same monster I had no hope of slaying the first time around.
My lungs scream for fresh air, the only thing keeping them from completely filling with smoke is my mask snugly fit to my nose and mouth. My eyes burn as I blink to clear the tears caused by the smoke. It’s so thick, I have no hope of seeing much more than a couple of feet in front of me.
“Is this really how you want to die, little Morelli?” Matteo’s disembodied voice sounds above the low hiss of the hungry beasts at the center of the room. I try to locate the direction of the voice, but it’s useless as it seems to bounce all around me.
“I should be asking you the same question,” I say as I step lightly around the center pit, stalking my prey with the same animal mentality as the predators within. “Why go through all this trouble to play a deep con just to pull this half-assed plan out of nowhere?” I ask, hoping to keep him talking so I can find him in the hellish fog. “You must've known we would find you after you outed yourself back at the hospital.”
His laugh sounds like an ominous warning, drawing my attention in front of me. “I will admit, this was never the plan. I was quite enjoying playing with all of you. I wasn’t ready for the game to end so soon. But, circumstances changed and I had to adapt,” he admits, his voice sounding impossibly close.
My eyes scan the area in front of me as the smoke slowly starts to settle. The bright fluorescent lights casting demonic shadows all around as it starts to clear. Soon, I'll be able to see my enemy and end him permanently.
“What changed?” I ask, keeping my blade in front of me with a steady hand.
He laughs again, beckoning me to turn around as the sound echoes behind me. “Someone shooting at my target,” he says, causing my breath to catch in my throat. I still myself, listening to his words reverberate around the room, disorienting my senses completely as his revelation sinks into my bones. Matteo wasn’t the shooter?
“It’s my own fault, really. I overlooked other interested parties that could force you to tell her the truth and effectively drive her into the hands of another man.” His voice becomes impossibly loud and echoes from every direction. I tighten my grip around my small knife as dread fills my gut. “I couldn’t have her scampering off to a different city,” his voice is so close, but I still can’t tell what direction to look. My pulse jumps in my throat as a shiver works its way down my spine. Instinct tells me to move, but I’m frozen, rooted in place as his voice finally resonates clearly. “So I decided it was time to make my move.”
His deep voice comes from right behind me before I spin on my heels and try to slash him. He jumps back just in time and deflects my quick move before crashing his body into mine. He captures my wrist and locks it in his grip, stopping me from stabbing him as he presses his weight against me.
He’s a lot stronger than I gave him credit for, as his body weight forces my back to slam into the containment rail keeping the bloodthirsty beasts at bay. The smell of his blood leaking from his knife wound making them feral in their search for a fresh meal.
He pulls back just to slam his hardened fist into my face. My already damaged nose flares with blinding pain that threatens to make me black out as he hits me repeatedly, nearly causing me to lose my grip on my knife.
“Give up, Declan,” he breathes above me before settling his curved blade against my cheek. I can feel my blood dripping from an open gash along the bridge of my nose, my mask not doing much to soak it up before it has a chance to run down the side of my face. He pushes me back until my feet almost come off the floor. My back bows painfully as he dangles me over the pit full of hungry alligators.
“I’ve battled hundreds of men like you,” he spits while pushing his blade into my cheek, slicing open my flesh. I gnash my teeth together and keep my eye contact steady with his. “Weak, pathetic , pussy men who would rather run from a life of responsibility and honor than stand and fight for your territory. Would you like to know how it ended for them?” he taunts. So consumed with his own egotistical will that he doesn’t realize everything he says about me is the furthest thing from the truth.
I may have fled from my old life, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak. It means I was strong enough to recognize that was never the life I wanted. The life I needed . And I discovered honor and responsibility within a family that has consistently supported me. Men like Pelosi will never comprehend what it means to be surrounded by people who will not only bleed for you but who will bleed with you. Stand with you no matter the cost.
“You’re wrong,” I rasp as his knife sinks deeper into my cheek. I clench my jaw to fight off the blinding pain as my grip tightens around my knife. I grit my teeth as I raise my face to his, his blade slicing me deeply. “There are no other men like me,” I growl before using all my strength to ram my knee up into his injured thigh. He bellows in agony above me, losing focus on his mission to slice me open long enough for me to turn my head away and dislodge it from my cheek. Then I turn to face him again just as quickly, lean back, and slam my forehead into his nose.
His blood squirts from his now broken nose, splattering all over my mask before he loses his grip on the knife. I swiftly twist my body with a roar of outrage, slamming him against the railing. His breath escapes him in a rush as his body sags. I pull him up, releasing all my fury as I bear down on him.
With my small blade, I press the pointed tip against his throat and push. His eyes widen as I pierce the bare skin beneath his Adam's apple and slide it in slowly. Our eyes meet, his deep green irises registering pain as his pupils dilate. He struggles beneath me, attempting to push me away in sheer desperation as waves of panic emanate from him.
My nose curls in disgust as I twist my knife and push him back. His hands grasp onto me, wildly looking for purchase as he careens backward toward the pit of nightmares. The hissing and growls intensify as he loses all balance, and I let him go, letting him fall back. The fleshy slap of him landing in the swamp sludge is almost comical until his strangled wails of agony fill the room. His wails are muffled by the knife in his throat before a mighty crush fills my ears.
The sickening sound of bones being crushed overshadows his pleas for mercy as the beasts fight over him. Most of the smoke has cleared now, allowing me to watch with perverted delight as they rip him to shreds. His eyes are wide, filled with terror as he reaches out to me as if I'm his savior before one of the gators opens its jaws wide and crushes his skull under its unyielding teeth. And then, all at once, blissful silence.