CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
– KENZ –
Falcon and I walk into church where my cousin and his brothers are standing with Thorsten, Livi, and a handful of Wisely Dicey brothers. The discussion sounds heated and the looks all around are serious enough to know shit hit the fan.
I’m about to ask when Livi growls, “Impossible. If it’s not any law enforcement division, then it’s a new player in town. They must know the cartel took a hit and are putting an end to their business. It opens the field to put down their own roots.”
Thorsten glances at Falcon and comes to a stop in front of us. “Archer just got word about a 911 call. One of the cartel’s underground brothels has been hit. All the women were outside huddled together, three of Amadeo’s guys who were running it are dead. No one knows what or who hit the brothel. The women aren’t talking either.”
“Now what?” I ask. “Do we need to find out who is targeting Amadeo first?”
Archer appears next to Thorsten. “We’re leaving. There’s no way we can find out who is behind the brothel clean up. The way it looked? I’m doubting Amadeo knows yet. We need to hit the road now before he does find out and goes into hiding. He thinks he has the advantage of knowing this is a setup. We’re going in expecting a trap, there’s a fucking difference.”
“I’m going too,” Livi states.
“No fucking way,” Thorsten snarls.
Livi gives her old man a hard shove against his shoulder. “I’m a former special agent, highly trained for these situations. Hell, better trained than any of you fuckers.”
“Except for me and my brothers,” Archer mutters underneath his breath, earning himself a glare from my best friend, and cousin.
“You’re pregnant. It’s not just you you’re putting at risk, it’s our unborn child as well.” He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “I can’t fucking think if you’re there.”
Livi releases a deep sigh. “I’ll be in the bulletproof SUV with Kenz. We don’t need to get out ’cause we just need Amadeo to show up, right? A visual of her is all we need to make it believable.”
Thorsten grits his teeth and you can tell the man is losing this battle. “Jocko will be behind the wheel, Kenz in the passenger seat, and you in the back. Under no circumstances will you fucking leave the SUV, understood?”
Archer claps his hands. “Then it’s settled. Let’s move, people. Come on, we’re wasting precious time here.”
There are three SUVs outside, one is empty while the other two are filled with Broken Deeds members.
Archer gives Falcon a chin lift and turns to me. “I want you in the first vehicle. Bee is in the second one along with Wyatt and Austin. She put a tracker on the vehicle. Still, we’ll make sure it won’t leave our sight. Like Thorsten told Livi, do not under any circumstances leave that fucking SUV. There’s a lot of shit going on and we need to make sure everyone stays safe.”
“I won’t do any rogue shit as long as my old man stays safe,” I tell him because I’m not going to sit on my ass when my old man is in trouble, injured, or what-fucking-ever.
We don’t have a grip on the future so I can’t simply make a promise I won’t be able to keep.
My cousin releases a deep sigh and shakes his head. “Fierce old ladies and family members are a fucking pain in the ass to deal with.”
I shrug and turn to Falcon. His eyes are piercing when he reaches out and grabs my nape to pull me closer. His mouth brushes against mine and I close my eyes to sink against him, taking in his scent, his strength, his warmth.
He pulls back way too soon and places his lips right next to my ear when the distorted word comes out on a hot breath, “Safe.”
Kissing his cheek, I tell him, “Yes, you need to stay safe and come back to me still breathing and in one piece, so I don’t have to kick your damn ass.”
He shakes his head, letting me know that’s not what he meant. I smirk and the corner of his lips twitch, letting me know he understood I teased him on purpose.
“I love the words you give me, knowing how rare they are,” I whisper. “Even if you don’t have to because there are more ways than one to communicate. Besides, people always say talking is overrated. That is definitely the truth because I like it more when you’re using your mouth between my legs.”
His eyes are flaming and I quickly step away to open the passenger side of the SUV. “Remember, stay safe and I will too.”
I get a tight nod and hop into the passenger seat while Falcon heads for his bike. Jocko gets behind the wheel while I keep my eye on my old man. His worn biker boots, dark blue jeans, and a crispy fresh black T-shirt underneath his leather cut. He’s a delicious treat for my libido.
Where others might notice the scars and tattoos on his face first, I don’t even notice them; all I see is the strong man and the honest and open character underneath. I’ve always said I didn’t want a relationship, but if I would have known a man like Falcon existed? I would have saved myself for him the way I was his first.
“Done drooling over your man? If so, I can tie your wrists to keep up the appearance.” Jocko is holding a piece of rope in his hands when I turn to face him.
“I can drool and stare all I want because he’s my fucking man, asshole. Besides, who knows what we’re about to face, nothing in life is sure but my love, loyalty, desire, and fascination for that man is as solid as the planet we walk on. It’ll live on when both of us expel our last breath.” Holding out my wrist, I add on a snap, “Tie me up and drive. I have important shit to do after we’ve handled this.”
Jocko chuckles and mutters, “Fucking my brother into oblivion to celebrate life, gotcha.”
“Those were some fancy words,” Livi states from the back. “I’ll be writing them down and using them for vows or when I have to give a speech at your wedding.”
I try to flip her off, but my wrists are tied to the car roof handle.
“I’m not sure if this passes safety measures when driving,” I grumble.
“Don’t diss my driving,” Jocko says as he pulls out of the parking lot and follows Thorsten and Falcon who are on their bikes, taking lead.
The ride is silent and the two SUVs behind us slowly fall back after we’ve been driving for a little over half an hour. It’s dark outside and the headlights of bikes on the road behind us are in the distance.
Jocko throws a quick glance my way. “They will still be there, just out of sight. The deal was five men and you. Archer and one of your twin brothers are the first to arrive at the scene. Falcon and Thorsten next, then us. Not only do we have backup with the brothers of Wisely Dicey, we also have your cousin’s MC all spread out. Archer needed to warn your brothers not to make any of their MC brothers come and stand in the crossfire. We got this, Kenz.”
“Famous last words,” I mutter under my breath and throw a glance at the back seat.
Livi slowly sinks down to keep out of sight as Jocko slowly comes to a stop in front of a building.
“We’re here,” the man behind the wheel states the obvious.
It’s darker than a black hole out there and I can barely see the guys getting off their bikes and entering the building.
“Do you see anything?” I ask Jocko.
Jocko touches the side of his ear and murmurs, “Do we have a visual?” He waits a breath or two and says, “Copy that.” He keeps staring out the front window. “Bee says they don’t have any visual yet or Amadeo. There is a vehicle approaching, and she’s picked something up with infrared or something, but it could be nothing.”
“What the fuck does that mean, could be nothing,” I grumble and squint at the darkness, willing my eyes to magically see what the hell is going on out there.
Jocko is about to say something when the door opens and a dark figure grabs Livi by her throat and has a gun with a silencer aimed at my head from the back seat. “Don’t move, please, or I’ll blow the lady’s brains out.”
Jocko’s hand moves but so does the intruder’s. I can’t see what the fuck is happening, only the result when Jocko instantly slumps in his seat.
“I said fucking please, why the hell doesn’t anybody ever listen? Even when I’m being fucking polite,” the intruder grumbles.
This really turned to shit at rapid speed, that’s for fucking sure. And why the hell is the intruder who is holding me at gunpoint, dressed like a ninja, a fucking woman?