Page 68 of Tango

“Rosa was moved upstairs.” I shouted at him, and Elio bolted out of the room. Vinni and Niccola plucked men off as fast as they could aim their weapons.

Suddenly, the tall windows that lined three sides of the room burst inward all at once as Blackstone and Dark Water crashed through them. I lost sight of Chili.

Trigger and Brick went after Roman and his wife, while Rail pulled two huge handguns out from somewhere and started shooting. His joint hung from his lips as he hooted with a big-ass grin. “You need to go!” Bang! Bang! Two of Castillo’s men flopped to the floor. “Yeah, son, you gotta go!” He whirled around as though high off the kills. His laughter rang out. “Yup, you’re in my book, too!” Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fuck! He looked like he lived for this shit.

I snapped off a shot and took out the despicable guy who worked for Castillo. I couldn’t lie; it felt good ridding him from this life.

I ducked and moved for new cover, and when I popped up, I saw Trigger and Grim back-to- back as they fired. Not once did they miss, but for every two they took down, another two entered the room. Eagle Eye and Dusk had stayed outside to take care of the perimeter. We only needed to take out targets who were inside the mansion, but they’d come well supported, and well-armed.

“You want to tell me who the hell this Eric guy really is?” I heard Grim shout to Trigger over his shoulder.

“I could, but where’d the fun be in that?” Trigger tossed his empty gun and pulled his knife. “I’m out. Time to slaughter.” He lunged at a guy and stabbed him in the stomach then kneed him in the jaw, and as he slumped, he slashed his knife into the side of one of the two who had Keith trapped between them. Keith grinned his thanks as he grabbed his gun off the floor and shot the other one.

I ran toward John as he struggled with a huge guy on top of him, and as soon as I got a bead on the guy’s face, I popped two in his head. I grabbed John’s arm and pulled him to his feet then helped him to a nearby wall to catch his breath.

I whirled around and saw Ty in a fist fight with a man twice his size. Trigger got there first and stabbed him in the back, but the man was a beast, and he whirled on Trigger, only to get popped twice in the back by Rail.

Ty’s back was turned as Filippo aimed a gun at him. I steadied my hand and drilled a bullet into Filippo’s ear. Ty spun as Filippo fell, and he gave me a tight nod then moved on to drive a fist into another guy’s stomach. He grabbed a weapon and shot another man as he went for the door.

“Ahh!” I heard from behind me and spun as one of Castillo’s guards held a lamp over his head about ready to smash it down on me. Before I could line up a shot, Grim tackled him to the ground and snapped his neck like a twig then shot another guard without so much as a glance at me. I took cover behind a toppled table and took in my surroundings.

Piece by piece, Castillo’s empire was being brought down. I watched the fight with interest as I noted the different fighting styles. We’d been trained to fight quick and clean. A shot to the brain or heart. If need be, we’d use our knives to end a life the best way we could. Devil’s Reach liked it up close and personal, their kills more violent and bloody. I cringed when Trigger and Brick came at one guy and sliced his neck open on both sides, and blood spewed. Rail had given up on his guns, and his knife flashed as he threw it expertly at a guard who tried to run. He pulled it from his back then wiped it on his pantleg. He’d lost his suit jacket somewhere, and his white shirt was stained red.

Grim liked to use his hands. He snapped necks in practiced moves and chopped with his hands at the throat or nose to bring his opponent down. As I watched, I swore he looked over at me and smirked as he popped the guy’s shoulder out of joint then yanked the man’s arm around his neck like a scarf.

Clearly, these guys liked to inflect pain.

I popped a bullet into the man who ran toward me, and he took two more from Cole before he crumpled to the ground.

Then, as fast as it began, everything went still. The sound of heavy breathing filled the air as we all slowly stood.

Mills checked in. “Clear for the moment.”

“Roger that,” Quinn said after him. “Clear for the moment.”

I tuned in to a strange sound. Keith dragged someone along the floor until he reached the center of the room. Then he pulled him to his knees. An eye for an eye, I thought when I saw who it was.

“Did you kill my wife?” Keith stood above him, his arms heavy at his sides, his hands in fists. The rest of us watched justice about to be served. Truth be told, all of us would have loved a piece of this guy, but this was Keith’s moment.

“Sí.” Alejandro smirked up at him. Blood ran from his swollen mouth. “I followed them.” He cast his gaze at me and switched to English. “That traitor.” He spat on the ground. I flexed my fingers on my weapon. “You were different with that chica, Eric. I watched you. You loved her.” I huffed. Little did he know just how important she really was to me. She was Keith’s wife, therefore she was family. “Business comes first. You always said that. But you were fucking things up with Castillo all because of a woman,” he hissed. “So, I shot her in the stomach so you could watch the life drain from her body.” His face was ugly with hate.

Whack!

Keith drilled him in the jaw and sent him flying backward toward Mark. Mark pulled him to his knees again as Keith moved forward. Alejandro groaned but managed to raise his head and look up at him.

“Get it done, Keith,” Cole ordered. “We need to move.”

Trigger stepped up behind Alejandro and grabbed his crotch to suggest the device he’d given Keith. Keith squinted at the big biker then shook his head and pulled out his gun. He aimed it slowly and deliberately at the center of Alejandro’s stomach.

“Sorry I can’t stay to watch.”

Bang!

Alejandro slumped back on the floor and held his hands to his midsection while his own blood flowed from his body. His breaths came in gasps as Keith turned to walk away. The guys followed. I waited for Grim to be out of earshot then bent down so he could see me.

“Ale,” his painfilled eyes looked up at me, “I didn’t love Lexi the way you think. She was my sister-in-law.” His eyes widened as I grinned at him. Fuck, it felt good to say that out loud. “I hope the rats get to you before your soul leaves your body.”

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