Page 74 of Raze

“Peyton, is Griller with you?” She sounds scared.

“Yeah, he’s with me, why?” I laugh back nervously.

“You have to warn him. Trinity got annoyed at the fundraiser, I laughed at her over the whole kissing booth thing and she told Saul about what happened between us the other week.”

“Oh.” I look at Griller who has no idea what she just said because unlike him I did not put my call on speaker.

“He’s furious, he got on his bike and he’s on his way. I’m following him in the car but he’s skipping red lights and riding real reckless.”

“Okay, I’ll handle it, just drive safe.” I hang up the phone and turn toward a confused-looking Griller.

“There's been a development,” I explain, figuring that I’m the one who’s gonna have to defuse this situation when Saul gets here.

“What kinda development?” His expression changes to concern.

“Trinity told Saul that you and Alicia slept together and now he’s on his way back. Alicia told me to warn you that he’s really mad.” I grit my teeth and consider taking a shot of that whiskey for myself.

“I’m not scared of Saul, I ain’t scared of anyone. If by some miracle Alicia decides I’m enough for her, he’s gonna have to get used to it.”

“She sounded worried on the phone.” I smile at him trying to give him some hope.

He stands up from his bar stool when we hear the roar of bikes come from outside, it sounds like Saul has brought more brothers with him and I really hope this hasn’t ruined the fundraiser. Trinity has a lot to answer for, and I might have to teach her another hard lesson.

“Stand clear of the door, this is likely to get messy. In fact, you should probably head home.” Griller cricks his neck and rolls his shoulders like he’s getting geared up for a fight, but when the door kicks open neither of us are prepared for what we see.

“Kane,” I say my brother’s name as he storms toward me, followed by three other men in Reapers’ cuts.

“You're comin’ with me.” He heads straight for me and Griller immediately stands between us.

“She ain’t goin’ nowhere,” he tells him, and when I hear a gun go off I scream.

“Griller.” I know he’s been hit by the way his body jerks but I don’t know where.

“What the fuck?” Saul rushes through the door with his gun raised and puts a bullet into the back of one of the Reapers' heads and I scream even louder when shots start to go off in all different directions.

“Get behind the bar.” Griller is still on his feet and uses his body to shield me as he steps me back toward it. I keep my head low and my hands covering my ears as I do as he says, all while trying to locate my brother and see if he’s been hit too.

“Kane!” I scream his name over the sound of gunshots, as the tears that stream down my face blur my eyes and make it hard to see anything. I quickly wipe them away when I get behind the bar and when I poke my head back around it to try and locate my brother I see Alicia step through the door and yell for her to get out.

“Oh no, ya don’t.” Ruckus drags her back while Vike races inside with his gun drawn adding to the war of bullets.

“Keep ya head back!” Griller screams at me, and when I see Kane standing up and looking unharmed I call out for him to leave.

“You don’t belong here, Peyton, I’m takin’ you home,” he yells back, not seeming at all scared by all the chaos that's happening around him.

Griller charges at him and when Kane lifts his gun and pops a shot right into his chest it stops him and makes him stumble.

“Griller!” I scream, racing from behind the bar and going to him. I don’t care about the danger anymore. This is all my fault and I need to help him.

I look at the space around me as I scurry across the floor. Two of the Reapers look as if they're dead. Ruckus is fighting with another one over by the pool table and when Kane redirects his weapon toward Vike, Saul quickly shoves his friend out the way and takes the bullet in his shoulder.

“Vike, what’s happening, is Peyton in there?” Alicia calls from outside.

“You stay the fuck out,” he calls back, checking out Saul’s injury, while I lift Griller’s head on to my lap. Kane goes to take another shot toward Vike and Saul, and I guess he’s all out of bullets when he tosses the weapon away and searches around for an alternative.

“What are you doing Peyton? You're not one of these people. I can’t let you stay here.”

I look across to Ruckus who’s just snapped the neck of the guy he was fighting. He dusts off his hands as he steps up behind my brother.

---