Page 39 of Hendrix

A low growl cut through the air. “There’ll be no divorce.”

There was a brief moment of silence before another voice chimed in, “Then Filip’s right. Ania needs to be eliminated. We can’t trust her.”

“I’ve already made her cow,” the other asshole argued.

“One beating won’t make her submit, Antoni.”

A quiet chuckle ensued, and he replied, “Then I won’t stop at one. I’ll enjoy crushing my Ania’s spirit. It’ll be like breaking in an untrained mare; the reward will be worth the effort.”

Laughter washed through the door.

My jaw clenched hard as granite, and I found myself closing my eyes, trying to tamp down the compulsion to start shooting heads. Blood rushed through my ears, and my heart thumped so hard I could feel the pulsing in my head.

I cracked my neck from side to side, my thoughts going to a beautiful redhead in a bar, smiling at me with her heart shining from her eyes as her soft hand covered mine.

Immediately, my pulse rate slowed, and the thudding of my heart went back to normal.

Soon, I could rid myself of all my pent-up frustration, but until then, I had to do what I’d been doing for the last twenty-four hours and distance myself from my emotions. The moment I allowed my sentiments to take over, I was in danger of losing control, and that wouldn’t help Anna.

I’d achieved my objective; Antoni Lis had admitted his sins and, in doing so, signed his own death warrant. Now, I’d have no guilt in taking the bastard out.

My hand went to the KA-BAR nestled away in its sheath, then my M18, drawing it from the holster fastened across my chest. I raised my hand and counted down using my fingers.

Three. Two. One.

I stepped out from the window into full view of the doors, aimed for my target, and let off one solitary shot from my silenced weapon.

The glass exploded, and bedlam ensued.

We stomped into the kitchen, fanned out, and automatically got into position.

The Lis brothers, who had been seated at one end of a large table with their cousin, dived to the floor, rolling to their knees as they pulled their weapons and began to return fire. Hollers and shouts cut through the air as they yelled instructions to each other in Polish. Theboomsgot louder as my brothers began to overwhelm them with a barrage of gunfire.

We had the upper hand already. Picasso and Gambit were in soldier mode. Dressed in all black, holding their weapons aloft and firing determinedly, they could’ve passed for avenging angels.

I took in the scene, calculating where everybody was and how to get an even bigger tactical advantage.

Filip Lis lay on his back beside the table, his head lolling to one side and his eyes open, fixed and dilated. He was the drug-dealing, kid-murdering bastard I aimed for with my first shot, and I’d gotten him directly between the eyes.

My gut jerked as an explosion cracked through the room. My head whipped around to see one of the windows behind the Lis brothers shatter. Bullets embedded themselves into the walls and ricocheted off metal to the point where I was shocked nobody took a stray shot to the ass.

I aimed and fired, catching Antoni Lis in the shoulder.

He let out a cry, then pointed his gun at me with his good arm. His eyes widened and a look of recognition twisted across his face as he took me in.

I smirked.

He knew why I was there. I’d made it my business to seek him out and introduce myself just before he married Anna. I warned him to treat her right and also warned him I’d come for him if he didn’t. He fucking swore he wasn’t into anything dirty. Promised me he wasn’t part of the family business and he was legit and clean.

He was a goddamned liar.

Something flashed behind his eyes, resignation maybe? His arm flew toward me, and he pointed his gun at my head. I could see his aim was way off, but still, I braced as he squeezed the trigger, except his gun just clicked loudly.

He was out of ammo.

My arms stretched out, and I aimed at his heart, staring down the barrel of my gun. “Put your fucking weapons down, asshole. If I squeeze this trigger I guarantee I won’t miss.”

Antoni Lis raised his weapon in the air, his injured arm hanging down. “Okay, okay. Don’t shoot.” He glanced at his brother and hissed, “Lower your weapon.”

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