Page 74 of Scornful

"Big plans for such a pathetic piece of shit," I observe.

"You don't get it." He laughs, a broken sound. "He's got people everywhere. Cops, politicians, businesses. Your little club is nothing compared to what's coming."

"And yet here you are, tied to a chair, missing fingernails." I lean closer. "While I was balls deep in Astrid this morning, making her scream my name."

Something snaps in his eyes. "I'll kill her," he hisses. "I'll fucking gut that bitch and leave her for?—"

I don't let him finish.

The hammer is in my hand before I even realize I've grabbed it, coming down on his skull with a wet crunch.

Once, twice, three times, until his head is caved in, brain matter and blood splattered across the concrete.

I turn to find Fenrir and Emil watching from the stairs, both of them with raised eyebrows.

"Thatis what I'm prepared to do for your daughter," I tell Fenrir, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "I’ll do it again, and again, and again for her. Can you really be bothered that a man like me is the one protectin’ her from harm?"

Fenrir studies Laken’s dead body and then me.

Something passes between us. I wouldn’t say it’s acceptance, but maybe we finally have a sense of understanding.

"I wish you didn’t fuckin’ kill him, but he was pretty fuckin’ useless at this point anyways," Runes grunts. "Go get a damn shower. You've got blood all over you."

I nod, heading for the stairs.

My hands are steady as I climb, though my mind is a mess.

I just killed a man with my bare hands for threatening Astrid, and I'd do it again without hesitating in the slightest bit.

The others follow me up, everyone processing what just happened.

I'm halfway to the bathroom when Gwen bursts through the front door, her face pale.

"Runes!" she calls, phone in hand. "There's been an explosion. They're searching the house now."

"What house?" Runes demands.

She looks at her phone again. "524 Oakwood Drive. Isn't that?—"

"Kraken and Magnolia's place," Runes confirms, his face going grim.

My blood runs cold.

Fenrir voices what we're all thinking. "Anyone seen Kraken or Magnolia today? The kids?"

Everyone’s silent, and the last time I remember seeing them was yesterday.

"Fuck," someone mutters, and we're all moving at once, heading for our bikes.

As I wash Laken's blood from my hands in the sink, I can't help but think this is just the beginning.

The Patriot and his men are escalating, and now he's targeting club families directly.

He can try to hurt us, but I'll kill every last one of them before I let them touch her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Astrid

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