Page 64 of Savage King

Odin’s gaze flicked to Skathi who was standing still, stoic, tense. He knew she was probably scared, her heart racing, but he also knew she could handle the pressure. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a gun in her face.

Just hold on, baby.

Tosser growled. “And Bonnie got hers, too. She was easy, though. Let her ride my cock a few times and I told her about how she could make bank selling the girls from the bordello. She was mad about the idea of betraying Odin…until he chose this bitch over her. Then, she couldn’t slip into Madrigal’s pocket fast enough.”

The door to the middle office opened and the man of the hour strode out. Dressed in a baby blue bespoke suit, Alfanzo Madrigal was a Napoleon in silk and Italian leather. Skathi towered over him, even.

Smirking, Alfanzo eyed Odin. “Looks like we got you dead to rights, gringo. When we discovered the bitch we snatched wasn’t your woman, we were a little…miffed. We wanted something of yours to make you come to us, which you did. And you brought your real putana with you.” He switched his smirking expression to Skathi who remained blank faced no emotion in her expression or eyes.

She was trained for this. And she was magnificent.

“Jose!” Alfanzo called, stepping aside to allow his second to come out of the office, dragging a bloody, limping Tessa behind her.

Skathi’s face turned pale, her mouth twitching with the desire to cry out for her friend. But she remained silent. Still. Like a hunter waiting for the prey to move closer to the trap.

His Jaeger…she knew what she was doing. She’d told Fang to hang back and listen for a single gunshot. A signal to come in behind the them, from the far wall at the end of the office block.

Suddenly, Odin’s apprehension drained away. It would work out. It had to.

“This one took a bullet to the knee. She kicked Jose in the balls and got some brass for her efforts. I don’t want to shoot any more women, gringo. Just hand over the deed to the gun range, ten million large. You do that, we all walk out of here safe.” His gaze drifted to Tessa who was panting, sweat drenching her clothes, her face a tapestry of agony. Blood loss made her skin whiter than a sheet.

She wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Well, we’ll all walk out of here except this on, who will need to be carried.” He shrugged. “Or, I can take care of her for you. Consider it a favor for future endeavors together.”

Holy shit, the man was fucking nuts!

In the shadows behind Jose, a figure moved. Slowly prowling closer, his gun raised. He just needed a clean shot.

Skathi pinned her gaze to Tessa who was looking right back. Skathi flicked her fingers outward from her thigh, her other hand still latched to her gun yet unable to use it. Not with her and her friend in the line of fire.

Tessa saw the movement and blinked both eyes once. An acknowledgement.

Tessa groaned loud, falling into Jose’s side as though her legs gave out. It happened so fast, Odin didn’t have time to follow everything that happened.

Tessa landed a blow to Jose’s dick and the man doubled over, dropping the hand around Tessa’s arm to cup his wounded junk. Fang appeared then, planting a bullet in Trucker’s forehead. Skathi raised her AR, took a single shot, and Alfanzo’s head disappeared in a cloud of bloody mist and skull fragments. Jose’s head flew back, a bullet in his forehead courtesy of Trouble.

In less than ten seconds, it was all over.

“Tessa!” Skathi cried, rushing to her friend. “Call 9-1-1!”

On the floor, Tessa peered up at Skathi, her lips chapped, her body shuddering. She was going into shock.

“Good idea, signaling for a dirty play. Got him good, didn’t I?”

Skathi smiled a watery smile, tears pouring down her face. “You did so well.”

Fang dropped to the floor beside Tessa, his hand immediately going to the wound in Tessa’s leg. Where her knee should have been was a hunk of mangled flesh and bone.

“Fuck! What did they do?” he raged.

“Bullet to the kneecap. That wasn’t enough though,” she sobbed. “The kicked it a few times for good measure. Chances are, I’ll never take up ballroom dancing.” She forced a piteous laugh.

Trouble approached Odin, his favorite Tavor assault rifle over his back, his face just as pale as Tessa’s.

“It’s not good, brother. Seven girls. Bad shape. They’re going to need a hospital, food, water, and a shitload of counseling.”

“Bonnie?”

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