Page 43 of Midnight Salvation

Every step down that stone staircase allowed my fury to build. I didn’t say a word as I threw my leg over my Harley and slammed my helmet on. The guys fell into formation behind me, eating up the miles as I guided the way to where Karl had the suspect either dead or injured, pending execution by me.

Images of Lucrezia lying dead tormented me and made my guts clench. Every instinct in me wanted to blow Dad’s brains out earlier. The only thing holding me together right now was the sound of her voice earlier reassuring me that she was alive.

I didn’t even take time to leave my helmet with my bike, hauling it off as I stormed across the carpark. Karl was inside, his head snapping up when I walked in.

“Is he dead?” I demanded.

“No, we aimed for the legs and brought him down with a taser.”

I stared at him but couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

“Doc gave her a sedative and she’s sleeping,” he replied to my unasked question.

I nodded once, trying to steady the fury pounding through my veins. Xavier and Jordan arrived in behind me. Without waiting for anyone, I pushed through the doorway and into the main part of the building. This place had a built-in signal jammer in it. Even if Dad wanted, he wouldn’t be able to track me or his men here.

The guy had his knees blown out and was sitting strapped into a chair. My fist collided with his face before I stopped walking. I grabbed his T-shirt and dragged him into standing even as he yelped in pain.

“Who the fuck do you work for?” I almost spat out.

He laughed, his teeth covered in blood. “You don’t scare me.”

I threw him still attached to the chair onto the ground and kicked him several times before I bent down beside him. “Let me assure you that you should be scared. They wanted a reaction from me, so I will happily kill every single one of them brutally and carve my name on their soul because they dared even turn their eyes in her direction.”

His own eyes widened as he finally realised the predicament he was in. “I’m protected,” he said.

“By whom?” I demanded. “No offence, but I don’t see anyone here to save you.”

He studied me. “You’re Ash.”

“And?”

“Dad said you wouldn’t kill your own blood.”

I wanted to groan. How many half siblings did I have out there? Dad seemed to be starting his own little army with all the children he’d sired with the unfortunate women he’d encountered over the years. “I’m going to let you into a little secret. I dislike our father with every beat of my heart. He overstepped a boundary when he went after the one woman I give a damn about. Tell Phil I said hello when you join him.”

“No! Wait! Phone Dad…” His eyes pleaded with me.

I searched inside me for that brotherly instinct and found none. This man was a stranger who’d tried to kill my wife.

“Phone,” I snapped.

Relief flared in his eyes. “Right pocket.”

Xavier and Jordan stood watching me from the doorway. I turned around. “Knife.”

Without missing a beat, Jordan pulled a flick knife from his pocket and tossed it to me. I cut through the restraints on his arms. They hadn’t bothered with his legs since there was no way he was walking on legs damaged to that extent.

“Phone him on a video call,” I demanded, retrieving a pistol from the counter and aiming it at my brother who didn’t even have a name. I held my hand out for the phone, turning it around so that the camera was pointed at him.

“Scott?” Dad answered on the other end. “Is it done? Is that bitch dead?”

“No.” Scott shook his head fervently. “Dad…”

Scott’s eyes widened as he stared up at the phone and me holding it. Dad didn’t need to know it was me holding the gun. I pulled the hammer back and didn’t remove my gaze from Scott’s. The sound of the shot reverberated around the room even as Scott fell back onto the floor with a gaping wound between his eyes.

Dad screamed his name, cursing whoever it was that had pulled that trigger. I disconnected the call and handed the phone to Jordan.

“Did you know him?” Xavier asked.

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