Chapter 48
Falcon
After a twenty-minute ride, we turned down a side road that had homes far from the street and spaced apart. Following it until we found the long driveway to Romano’s mansion, Pitty and I turned off the road and killed the engines, pushing the bikes into the woods. There was a clearing we could tuck the truck into a little further up, so he and I climbed in the back, and I motioned for Eagle to go. Once we saw the clearing, he turned off the driveway and pulled the cage as far out of view as possible. The house was set far back, and the driveway wasn’t visible from the street, so it was unlikely anyone would see it.
Eagle pulled a bag out and we each grabbed one of the pistols. Eagle tossed an AR over his shoulder as we each pulled one out of the bag. I shot off a text to Hawk as a heads up and another to Keys to be sure there was no security system active once we got to the house.
“Goddamn, look at all those clips,” Pitty said with his extreme Southern twang.
Eagle popped one into his gun then shoved a few more in his pockets. “Gotta be prepared.”
I got my pistol ready and grabbed a few extra clips but made sure my favorite knife was tucked into the sheath on my belt. “Everyone remember the plan?”
Rooster and Pitty nodded. Eagle put the bag away and walked toward me. “We’re good, brother. Let’s get this shit over with.”
The tree cover kept the sunlight off of us as we hiked toward our target. The woods met the back of the house, too, so we could get pretty close before the man posted out there would notice anything. Before we got too close, Pitty and Eagle broke off, one to the left and one to the right. They’d make their way around to the front, but there was a clearing between the entrance and the tree line, and it was midday, so they’d have to be more cautious.
Eagle would scope it out, then message Pitty to cause a momentary distraction—just enough of a sound that we would hear it—and Eagle could take down the two guards at the front. He was one of our best shots and could easily take out two men from a good distance.
Rooster and I walked until the huge, white house came into view. It was what they called modern architecture with sleek lines and lots of windows. We had just found some thick trees to hide behind when my phone vibrated and I pulled it out. Keys said security was down. I messaged the others to let them know we were ready to move. I got eyes on one guy dressed in a suit with an AK-47 on the back patio but didn’t see anyone else. There were supposed to be at least four guys, so some must be inside.
My phone vibrated again. Eagle only had eyes on one as well, and Pitty replied to see if he should wait to initiate the plan. Rooster looked in my direction. I had to make a decision–wait until we had eyes on the other two or move in and adjust as we went. Did they have fewer guys than usual? Were they inside? Could there be more than expected?
There were four of us. Glancing back at the house, I didn’t see any movement on the inside. I shot off a text to the group: let’s move in.
A loud whistle sounded from the direction Pitty had gone off in. I crept up toward the house and waved for Rooster to follow then readied my gun from behind another tree. It was as close as I could get to make the shot and still have some cover. The guard on the back walked to the edge of the patio and dropped one hand to his pocket while he looked around, bewildered.
I got a shot off, nailing him just over his eye, and he crumpled to the ground. We hustled to the back of the house, and I dragged him toward the house, so his body wasn’t in plain sight. Rooster grabbed the AK-47 and slid across the back of the house until he got to the French doors and stopped. He looked over for my signal as I got closer. No major commotion had broken out, but I didn’t know if Pitty and Eagle had made it inside yet. Rooster had an automatic rifle, so I waved for him to move in, and he followed me inside.
Just as we walked into the kitchen, a tall asshole holding a sandwich in one hand and an AR in the other yelled, “Fuck! Breach!” as he fired shots toward us.
Rooster lifted his AK-47 as he jumped behind an island, and I ducked down by the edge of the counter where we just entered. Chunks of granite flew in all directions and more shots rang out on the other side of the house.
When the gunfire stopped, I poked my head around and saw the sandwich laying a few feet from the gun and a puddle of blood creeping into view. I walked over and grabbed the rifle and put a bullet into his head with my pistol, just in case. We didn’t need anyone getting a second wind and sneaking up behind us.
I walked out from the kitchen and Rooster crept around looking for anyone else. Eagle gave his signature whistle, so I knew they were around the corner. I moved that way, making sure to try the doors I passed in the pristine house. It was full of white and beige walls and decor, like the front of one of those home magazines.
A staircase came into view near the front door that hugged the wall and turned ninety degrees at the corner of the room as it went up. Eagle was by the door with his pistol trained at the top of the stairs and Pitty was checking the adjacent room. There was a body on the stairs and another in the foyer. Both were dressed in suits and their slicked back hair had so much gel that not a strand was out of place, even though blood was splattered all over the walls and floor beneath them.
Without lowering his gun, Eagle said, “I think there’s at least one more up there with him, I saw some movement when this fucker came down the stairs.”
Pitty said, “I’ll go with you.”
“Watch my back.” I took off up the previously white staircase, stepping over the body. I was only yards away from Romano. Now I just had to figure out what room he was hiding in. I wasn’t sure if this guy was dumb enough to call the cops, so I couldn’t hesitate.
I crept up the stairs and stopped at the last couple with Pitty right behind me. There were so many windows that I watched the wall for a moment for movement. Catching a shadow, I held my rifle around the corner as best I could and fired. I was careful not to move my head and provide them a line of sight to fire at me. Something hit the floor with a loud thud, so I was about to move in when I saw another shadow from the opposite direction. I swung my gun that way and fired until their shots ceased and there was another loud thud.He had more than four with him today.
Going left as Pitty went right, we carefully checked all the doors until there was only one left. I had moved to check the handle when bullets flew through the flimsy wood, so I spun back toward the other room, pressing my back to the wall. We knew we had whoever was in there cornered, we just didn’t know how many guys were hiding in there.
Using the barrel of the gun, I knocked on the door and a few more shots came through. After a few seconds, I knocked once more and they fired again. Following another knock, there was only silence. I pointed to the doorknob and Pitty lifted his rifle. Reaching over, I turned the handle. He used the barrel of his gun to push the door open more and another barrage of bullets sprayed the doorway, shattering the decorative window on the opposite wall above the stairs. When the unmistakable sound of a clip being dropped registered, I ran in and saw only one man–Romano. He was crouched on the other side of a king-sized bed draped in a white comforter that appeared to have been slept in, clips scattered across top. Besides the disheveled bed, the room was just like the rest of the house–minimalist, tidy, and bright.
His eyes went wide as he rushed to reload, but I was on him before he could finish. I grabbed his gun, yanking it from his grasp. He put his hands over his face when he realized I still had my weapon aimed at his head. Pitty walked up and grabbed Romano’s empty piece, then checked the room and opened the door to the bathroom.
I stood, waiting for Romano to move. His shaky hands finally dropped a little and he peeked through like a little boy scared of a monster in his room. Ironically, he was the monster; I was just the one to make him pay for his wrongdoings.
“W-what do you want?” he asked with a shaky breath.
“I want you to get a good look at my face,” I said. I’d thought of this moment for a while now. Seeing the fear in his eyes was just as satisfying as knowing I’d be the last thing he saw before he died.
He moved his hands away and looked up at me. I’d only gotten a quick glance at him the last time we met, but I remembered his face. He wasn’t much older than me, but clean shaven. Petrov was right. He must have been sleeping, because he was wearing silk pajamas. He didn’t appear to be out of shape. He could easily pass for a skeevy salesman at a shitty used car lot.
He gritted his teeth as he looked up at me. He was trying hard to not shake, but his expensive pajamas gave him away.
“Stand up,” I ordered.
He pushed up on the bed slowly and stood. I put my gun on the bed, and he looked down at it as his brows pinched together. He looked back up. “I don’t understand. I thought you came to kill me?”
“I did. But first I need some information.”
His nostrils flared and his breathing became heavy. “Why would I tell you shit if you’re gonna kill me? Just do it then, trash.”
I walked over and threw a hard blow to his jaw. He tried to punch me back, but I grabbed his fist with one hand and his throat with the other. I sent him flying into the wall. Still holding on tight, I slammed his head against it several times as he pulled at my wrist.
“Look for a phone,” I told Pitty as I lifted Romano off the floor by his throat.
He grabbed at my wrists and kicked as I held him in place. A purple vein grew bigger and bigger in his forehead and pinprick bruises appeared below his eyes. I stared into his shit brown eyes as they bulged from his head. Normally, I’d be less connected to the moment. But this was different. This was for Daisy. This garbage hurt her in so many ways, then tried to take her from me. Watching him squirm in my grasp, his gaze going from anger to sheer terror, sent warmth to my chest. My only wish was that I could drag it out for months like he did to her.
“Got a cell but no outbound calls,” Pitty said .
Knowing he was seconds from passing out, I dropped Romano to the floor. “What kind of shit you got here? You didn’t call the cops for a reason.”
He sat up against the wall, wheezing and holding his throat. The vein was still bulging in his forehead, but his face wasn’t as red. “I know you know who I am. So stop with the theatrics and just fucking do it!” Romano tried to yell. His voice was already raspy from the short time I had him by the throat.
I leaned over and tried to grab his shirt to pick him up, but the fabric ripped, and he used that as an opportunity to try to punch me in the nuts. He mostly got my leg but managed to graze them, so I clenched my jaw and nailed him in the temple, then twice more on the jaw.
He fell to the floor as I stood up and adjusted my junk. “Fucking little bitch. What kinda man punches a dude in the dick?”
The sharp pain spread through my groin and into my lower abdomen, so I took a few deep breaths. Once it started to dissipate, I walked back to him and kicked him in the head, enough to ring his bell but not kill him. My boot then connected with his gut twice and he wheezed and coughed as he wrapped his arms around his own waist.
“What were you planning to do with her?” I asked as I watched him writhe on the floor.
He coughed a few more times then answered with a strained voice. “Oh, so you’re the one who’s been fucking her?” I kicked him another couple of times and he laughed maniacally. “I should have known that crew would fuck it up. ”
“Why’d you go after her?”
He pushed himself up, huffing and puffing. He wiped his hand over his face and looked down at the blood on his palm. “I don’t give a fuck about her. I was just doing as I was told.”
“Told? Who told you to find her? She said you’re the one in charge.”
He grinned, blood staining his teeth. “To her, I was. But just like you, I answer to someone, too.” He spat some blood onto the floor. “Not that I didn’t plan to use her once more before she was passed off.”
The thought of him touching her before had already sealed his destiny, but him thinking he’d touch her again sent me into a blind rage. He had snapped my control. I threw blow after blow until he fell to the ground. I straddled him, gripping his head and slamming it over and over onto the Persian rug that covered the marble floor. I wanted to kill him, right then and there.
“Falcon, we need him to talk!” Eagle yelled from the doorway.
Still holding his bloody head, I looked down as the fury in my veins sent a tremble to my hands. “Talk you piece of shit! Who told you to get her?”
Romano’s eyes slowly blinked. “Fuck…you.”
A strong backhand connected to his face.
Romano’s eyes rolled back, but he was still breathing. I grabbed my knife and put it to his neck. “Tell me who and I’ll make it quick,” I said through gritted teeth .
He was barely hanging on, but he smacked his lips. “I can’t even tell you who I work for because I don’t really know. But I do know that one of your friends works for them, too. And he wanted her gone.”
My brow furrowed. “What friend?”
“Oh, I know all about you guys. We had video of you tearing up my club. Noticed the Atlanta on your cute little vests, so I asked my connections down there what the fuck was up. I was told really fast to stay away.”
I glanced over at Eagle. His eyes were wide and Rooster tensed up. Looking back down at Romano I asked, “Then why did you take Daisy if they told you to back off?”
He sucked in a ragged breath. “A few weeks back, I got a call. Still stay the fuck away from Atlanta and you people but find her if I could. Not a big job, but a favor to someone. Apparently, one of your pals has a vendetta against you. That’s why I hired some losers. Should have sent my guys.”
“Me?” What the fuck? Someone went after Daisy to hurt me? “How do you know?”
“Because I asked about the other whore, and she wasn’t a priority. Since you seem to have taken a liking to Daisy, I can only guess the issue is with you.” He coughed a few more times. “I get it, though. She has a sweet little pussy.”
I grabbed his head and slammed it down again. “How do you know it was one of us?”
“Because I recognized your vests. When I asked why I couldn’t retrieve my goods, I was reminded there was an alliance and that they would address it and told not to ask again. So, imagine my surprise when I was told to deal with her.”
There it was. We had a traitor. And it was confirmed by the man who hurt my woman. Killing him was going to be even better than I expected. “Who are you working for? Where are they?” I asked as I pressed the blade harder to his throat. I wasn’t thinking straight. Now steering clear of a woman made sense. But it was too late. Trying to get my shit together, I asked, “How do you contact them?”
“I don’t. It’s a shadow organization. They found me. They contact me. I don’t care if you believe me or not, but this house is new. Courtesy of them. I was running my shit just fine on my own, but they wanted to expand. They wanted my shipping connections, I suppose.” He opened his eyes a bit more and turned his head slightly, looking around as much as he could. “It was nice digs while it lasted.” He turned back toward me. “You should know, their resources are limitless. I couldn’t say no. You won’t find them. And even if you do, you won’t beat them. Just a bunch of thugs against a billion-dollar organization.”
I glanced over at Eagle and he gave me a nod. Looking back down, I gripped his face with one hand, still holding the blade to his throat with the other. “You should have just acted like you couldn’t find her. Because now you’re dead. It’s time to meet your destiny.”
Climbing up his chest so I could pin his arms with my knees, I pushed his chin up and slowly slid the blade across his throat. I held him like that as the blood gurgled out from the gash and his body shook as it went into shock.
When the last bit of blood spurted from the wound, I stood and took a deep breath. I should have been relieved and happy; Daisy’s tormentor was dead by my hand. But what he said only left more rage and questions.
Eagle, Rooster, and I shared a look of disgust at what he said. We had our suspicions and now we knew for sure. “I need to clean up before we head out.”
Eagle said, “I’ll text Hawk. We need to get the ladies and get the fuck home.”
Pitty grabbed the clips on the bed and the extra gun. “Y’all got some fucked up shit, man.”
“Seems that way,” I said as I walked toward the bathroom door. Before I could take another step, a shot rang out and I felt a pinch in my shoulder. I pulled the pistol from my waistband but didn’t see anyone. “What the?”
“Falcon, get down!” Eagle shouted and I dropped to the floor.
I heard a few shots and glass shattering before someone rolled me to my back. Pitty rushed past me saying, “What the fuck?”
“Hang in there, brother,” Eagle said as he leaned over me.
I put my hand over my chest and looked down at the blood. At that moment I wasn’t sure how bad it was, but we weren’t near the clubhouse, couldn’t go to a hospital, and even if I could stand up, I wasn’t sure I could ride like this. I didn’t go through all this to let something happen to her. Romano was gone, but whoever the fuck ordered him to take her was there hiding amongst our club members. What if I didn’t get back to keep her safe? “Don’t let anything happen to her.”
Eagle gently smacked my cheek. “I ain’t gonna do shit. She’s your problem. Now just hang on. Keep your eyes open, fucker.”