Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
WILL
“Twin, I love this color on you,” Oscar proclaimed as he pulled the curling wand away from Cara’s hair.
She was last to get her hair done. Oscar convinced her to let him dye her hair.
He went for an auburn red. When Oscar started blow-drying her hair after the wash, I swear she looked like a new person.
That new hair color made her amber eyes pop.
I knew as soon as she got home, Viper would be working on baby number six.
“Thanks, Twin. I’m not gonna lie. You had me kind of worried with that color choice. But clearly you know what you’re doing. My man is going to fold me up like a lawn chair tonight.” Cara looked at herself in the mirror, wagging her tongue.
We all howled with laughter. Well, everyone but the prospects. They rolled their eyes, trying their best to tune us out. Wyatt, Ethan, and Levi had tagged along for the ride.
“Cara, please have mercy. I know we’re not blood related, but you know you’re like my sister.” Wyatt gave her a pleading look, which made Cara roll her eyes.
Those two grew up together. Wyatt was Blade and Torch’s best friend.
He recently got out of jail after serving ten years for manslaughter.
After hearing his story, he should never have faced a day behind bars.
He saved his sister from a group of boys who were raping her.
He beat them, and one slipped into a coma before dying.
It took some time, but eventually Cara pulled some strings and got him out.
I didn’t know exactly what she did, but I remember Viper was pissed with her.
“I’ll give you that, Wyatt, so I’ll spare you the trauma.” She then turned to me. “I had an idea about our Vegas trip.”
“What’s that?” I asked curiously.
“What if we turn the trip from a couple's trip to you and Tech’s bachelor party?” My eyes widened as I got excited at the thought of it. That would definitely be a trip to remember.
The next morning, after he proposed, he couldn’t wait to go to the dining hall and announce our engagement.
No one was shocked, but they were all ecstatic.
According to some of the brothers, they all knew it was only a matter of time.
They said Jacob made himself clear when he came out to them that he wanted to give me the world.
That made me tear up when Capone told me that. Jacob finally being open and honest about our love was all I ever wanted from him. Now he was dead set on giving me whatever my heart desired.
“Cara, I love that idea! I would have to run it by Tech, but I’m pretty sure he would be down too.”
Oscar bounced on his feet, clapping. “Ohhh, bestie, we’re going to tear that strip up. I’m talking edibles, daytime drinking, and so much partying!” he shrieked in excitement.
The girls and I laughed, but we all nodded in agreement. I knew we were all going to let loose. Vegas wouldn’t know what hit it once we got there.
“Vegas sounds like a dream. How long are we going to be gone for?” Ethan questioned while rubbing his hands together. He was Madison’s little brother. He joined the club a little after his eighteenth birthday.
“We?” Sara asked with a giggle.
Wyatt and Ethan looked at her with confused expressions, wiping the grins off their faces.
“Prospects aren’t going to be invited. Somebody has to look after the clubhouse,” Levi informed them. He had been here longer than both of them, so he knew how things worked.
“What?” Ethan frowned at him.
“We don’t get the same privileges as the brothers. It’s the woes of being a prospect.”
“Aw, man,” Ethan groaned. “I was already envisioning thong bikinis and countless women.”
Cara giggled. “Maybe one day, but not this time. Don’t worry. We’ll turn up for you.”
Ethan pursed his lips before burying his face in his phone. Since we were his last clients of the day, we sat around talking and making plans for our trip. An hour coasted by easily.
Sofia rose from the styling chair. “Oscar, where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the hall, last door on the left.”
“Thanks.” When Sofia started walking toward the hall, Wyatt got up as well. She turned around with furrowed brows. “Where are you going?”
“Come on, Sof. Viper said we had to keep an eye on all of you.”
“Wyatt, there is no one here but us, and all the doors are locked. Sit down. I do not need a chaperone to the damn bathroom.” Sofia didn’t wait for his response as she made her way up the hall.
The salon was open when we all got here, but with Oscar having four heads to do, we were here after salon hours. Oscar often closed the shop for the day because he always had a full schedule.
About five minutes later, we were all laughing and joking around until we heard a clicking noise. My head snapped in the direction of the hallway, and my heart dropped.
Sire stood there with two men. One of them had his arm wrapped around Sofia’s neck while he pressed a gun to her head. She struggled against him as tears slid down her cheeks.
Sara and Cara were out of their chairs with the speed of lightning, whipping out their pistols. The prospects did the same.
“Cara—” Sofia choked out before the man tightened his arm around her neck.
“Let her go.” Cara's voice was calm, but I knew better. She was ready to start shooting.
Sire stepped closer until the barrel of her gun was pressed to his chest. “Pull it and she dies.”
Cara gritted her teeth. “What the fuck do you want?”
For a moment, Sire didn’t say a word. He stared Cara in the eyes with a menacing glare. When she didn’t shy away or show fear, his brows bunched in confusion.
“Tick-tock, motherfucker. Talk!” she demanded.
“Cara,” Sara said in a warning tone.
“Do you want to be the reason your sister dies?” Sire asked her.
Cara swallowed, closing her eyes briefly. “No.”
Sire palmed Cara’s cheek, slapping it a few times. “Good. Now I’m going to need all your weapons and phones.” No one moved an inch. “Now!” he barked.
The other guy who was with him made his way around the room with a duffel bag, taking the guns from Cara, Sara, and the prospects. Next were our phones. Once he had everything, he stood beside the man holding Sofia, with a slimy grin on his face.
Cara faced Sire like a raging bull. Fire swirled in her eyes. I knew it had to be taking everything in her not to react. Sofia's life depended on her cooperation. I knew she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it, no matter how badly she wanted to show Sire what she was capable of.
Out of nowhere, Sire reached back and backhanded Cara so hard that her head snapped to the side. “Show me some respect. Keep your eyes to the ground.”
Wyatt, Ethan, and Levi looked like they wanted to make a move, but Sara subtly shook her head at them. I knew she was only thinking of Sof. If they didn’t have her, they would have no problem facing off with Sire and his disciples.
We all stared at Cara as she stood frozen. Sire had no clue who he was fucking with. I just prayed she didn’t give Sire the reaction he was looking for.
Slowly, Cara touched her mouth. When she pulled her fingers away, they were covered in blood. Oscar gasped beside me. I turned to him and saw the fear, worry, and anger in his eyes.
Sire smirked down at Cara as she examined the blood, but he quickly dropped it when Cara started laughing like a fuckin’ maniac. Sire took a few steps back, realizing he wasn’t dealing with the average woman.
Cara finally let her gaze fall on Sire as she gave him a beaming bloody smile. “You… hit me,” she said, like she was trying to convince herself that really happened. “You’re going to regret that.”
Sire’s eyes turned thunderous at her threat. He moved quickly, wrapping his hand around her throat, choking her. He lifted her body in the air, but Cara didn’t resist. “I am the son of God. You will respect me and bow at my feet!” he bellowed.
Sire was so busy looking at Cara in her eyes, waiting for her to show some fear, that he didn’t feel when her hand went inside the pocket of his hoodie.
She did it so discreetly I barely noticed it.
I could tell he was getting freaked out the longer he choked her without a reaction, so he dropped her.
Cara coughed a bit but didn’t take her eyes off him. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”
For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. Cara had undoubtedly shaken Sire up. Even his disciples looked unsure.
“You won't get the chance.” Sire backed away from us and made a hasty exit. The man holding Sof pushed her to the ground as he followed Sire and the other man out.
Sara helped Sofia off the ground as Cara glanced around frantically.
“Cara, what the hell was that?” Wyatt asked, approaching her.
She waved her hand as she continued looking around. “Not now, Wyatt.”
After Sara helped Sofia up, she was doing the same. “Something's not right. That was too…”
“Easy,” Cara finished for her. “He comes here, takes our phones and weapons, but doesn’t harm us. This shit isn’t adding up. He’s up to…” Cara’s eyes bulged as she looked out the front window of the shop. “Get down!” she shouted.
We all dropped to the floor right as a Molotov cocktail busted through the glass. The front area of the shop went up in flames, blocking the door. Cara whipped her head in Oscar’s direction.
“Does this place have a back door?” she asked.
Oscar shot to his feet, nodding his head. “Y-yeah. Follow me.” We all got up and followed him to the back of the salon. Oscar was running toward the exit. Right before he touched the metal door, Cara grabbed his arm, stopping him. He turned around in confusion. “What?”
She pointed to the top of the door, and that’s when we saw the smoke entering through the crease of it. They had set the back door on fire as well. “If you touch that door, it will melt the flesh off your hand. Plan B. Where is there a window in this place?”
Oscar led us to the owner, Christina’s, office.
The door was locked, but Wyatt pushed us out of the way and kicked the door in.
The flames from the front of the shop were quickly making their way toward the back.
We hurriedly made our way into the room just to discover they had set that part of the building on fire as well.
We could see one of Sire’s men dousing the flames with something out of a gasoline canister. When he saw us, he winked before walking away.
“I swear to God, I’m going to skin your ass alive!” Cara sneered at him.
That’s when the panic really set in. We were trapped here with no phone. As soon as I thought that, I noticed the phone on Christina’s desk. I snatched it up, but there was no dial tone. I slammed it down in frustration. “He cut the fuckin’ phone lines as well.”
Oscar started pacing. “Oh God. This is not how I envisioned my death. I am too fabulous to go out like this!”
We all looked at him like he had lost his mind. “Who the hell envisions their death?” Ethan asked what I’m pretty sure we were all thinking.
“I’m curious to know, what exactly did you think your death would look like?” Cara tilted her head in amusement.
“In my mind, I was going to be sandwiched between Channing Tatum and Jason Momoa, fucking me into the afterlife. Now these pyromaniacs have ruined it for me!”
“Can we please focus? We’re only trapped inside a burning building,” Levi scolded us.
Cara pulled up the sleeve of her leather jacket, revealing her Apple Watch. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Calm down. We’re going to get out of here.”
Levi looked at Cara in disbelief. “Why didn't you pull that out from the very beginning?”
“Because I was focused on getting out of here first. Duh.” Cara bucked her eyes at him. “Hey, Siri, call 911.”
We all listened as Cara talked to the dispatcher, giving her the address. Luckily, the business owner across the street had already called it in when he saw the flames. The fire department was less than two minutes away.
I knew without a doubt we were going on lockdown after this. Sire came really close to killing us today. But then I remembered Cara slipping something in Sire’s pocket. I was willing to bet it was something to help find him. If that was the case, Sire’s days were numbered.