Page 26 of Kings Fear No One
“We’ll send guys for recon?—”
“Now,” I repeat coldly, sparing him no glance. “Tomorrow night or I go at it alone.”
He scrubs at his jaw as if thinking of a new approach. “You just got back from an ordeal that would break most people?—”
“Save the psychobabble shit for somebody else. Either you come with me or you don’t. Makes no difference to me. But they’ve got my wife—and a whole lot of other people captive—and I ain’t moving on ‘til the score’s settled.”
If there’s one thing about the Steel Kings that hasn’t changed since I’ve been gone, it’s that we operate as a pack. If one of us has a battle to fight, the rest of us do too.
The next night as I gear up to return to hell, they’re falling in line for the mission. They’re revving up their engines and riding out alongside me despite the fact that the general consensus is the opposite—they want to wait, but they know there’s no talking me out of it.
I’ve got nothing else to lose. Nothing left to live for. Why not go in guns blazing?
Mace leads the operation. Cash and Silver serve as his right and left hands.
I’m like a ghost as we go in. I’m no longer my father’s heir. I’m not the guy that leads. The future president of the club. That was me once, but not anymore.
The family is in the middle of a dinner when we barge through. We shout at them to put their hands in the air and lay down on the ground. It’ll allow us to sort everybody out between believers and saints. I’ve made it clear to Mace and the others a lot of these people are captives just like me. Kidnapped and brought into this hell hole.
Some of the guards refuse to put down their rifles. Brody fires on us. Ozzie and Silver are ready and put a bullet in him first. The other guards retaliate, and soon the crack of gunfire fills the air.
Believers run, afraid for their lives. Some saints manage to escape, but others aren’t so lucky, knocked down and run through by Cash or Big Eddie.
I move through the scene searching for two things.
Two people.
As we barged into the main house, the Leader fled the room. I’ve run up the stairs after him. I make it onto the second floor landing as he rounds the corner, clutching someone with him.
“Teysha!” I growl, following him into his bedroom.
“Come closer if you want me to slit her throat.”
He’s got Teysha in front of him like a shield. He backs up toward the balcony doors, pressing a steak knife to her throat.
“Real brave using her as a shield, you fucking coward.”
“And you are so brave when you have a cadre of men backing you up, Believer Logan,” he sneers.
“And you think you’re so powerful when you’ve got brainwashed believers following you.”
“That is because I am powerful, Believer Logan. I broke you, did I not?”
“You broke me. I kill you.”
I raise my assault rifle to take aim, lining him up in my scope. A shot that’s beyond risky with Teysha in his arms. One wrong move and she could be hit. One wrong move and he could slit her throat open. She recognizes this, quivering in his hold, her teary eyes pleading silently with me.
My chest pulls tight as my finger hovers over the trigger.
“Make your decision, Believer Logan. Quickly now,” he taunts, grinning broadly. He takes a step back toward the balcony. “What is more important? An innocent life or your ego?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
He laughs. “You continue to prove why you will never prevail. You have no respect for those more powerful than you. Tonight may be a small win in your eyes, but you have no idea the extent of my wrath. You will soon find out!”
Teysha screams as he swipes at her neck with the knife, then quickly shoves her toward me.
For a wild second, panic detonates and I catch her in my arms convinced he’s slit her throat. My gaze falls to the area, heart beating fast, to find no slash mark. No injury or damage at all except to the gold cross around his neck.
