Page 77 of Deadly Little Hearts

“I’m outta here,” I say and head straight for Bear.He doesn’t move.

“What?You going to see your little girlfriend who killed your parents?You’d rather her over me?”Bear snorts.“Such a sad wittle puppy.”

I jab my shoulder into his, and before I take my next step, his arm whips out, gripping me around the throat, cutting off my air.He pushes me backward until my back hits the wall.Pain shoots through my spine, but I keep a neutral expression.

“You’ve made Daddy very sad.Choosing her over me,” he says, and white-hot rage pulses through me.I’m so done.

I push into his grip, wriggling to try to free myself, cutting off even more of my own air supply in the process.

Bear punches me in the eye, and my head snaps sideways.I can’t breathe.I manage to use the last piece of energy I have left to push my fingers into Bear’s wound.His grip loosens, and I take that moment to pull free, dodging his arm aiming for me, and I run.I run without looking back.

My breath wheezes through my throat as I rush through the door.

“This isn’t the end.I’ll come find you!”Bear yells, his voice following me outside.

Kai and Zion are nowhere to be seen, so I bolt, placing one foot in front of the other until I’m well over the tracks, and I come to a stop in front of our neighborhood gates.The sun’s setting and it’ll be dark soon.

I brace my hands on my knees, catching my breath.My lungs burn hot, and not enough oxygen is getting through me.One of my eyes is swollen shut.The gate opens, and I look up.Amirah’s pink Bentley stops in front of me and the passenger door opens.

“What the fuck happened to you?”she asks from the driver’s seat, eyeing me up and down.

“Long story.Where are they?”

“Get in,” Amirah snaps, and I jump in.Before I even shut my door, she shoots off.

“Dominic has Freya, the guys are there, and shit’s fucked up,” Amirah explains.

Fuck.We can’t get to them quick enough.I didn’t go through all this shit to lose them.

Amirah pulls up out the front of Freya’s old house and gets out.

“Go back home, Amirah.I’ve got it from here.The first lady of The Brotherhood can’t be out on the streets unprotected.Shit’s about to explode, and you can’t be in the middle of it.”

Amirah shakes her head.“No.”

I round the car, then push her back into the front seat.“Go the fuck home.Now!”I growl, and she huffs but doesn’t fight me.I never get angry at her or raise my voice, but we can’t have her out here.I have no idea what I’m about to walk into and can’t look after her too.

She drives off, and I roll my shoulders back.Cars arrive.Our men storm out, covering the streets.

It’s time to find my woman and my brothers.

Chapter 40

Hazen

Myfistsmashesintothe traitor’s nose.A loud crack pierces through the room, and it’s like a lullaby to my ears.Fuck these assholes.I need to get to my father and finish this; he’s gone too far this time.An uncontrollable fire flares to life inside me, the flames burning through my heart until I feel nothing for him or anyone who gets in my way.

After taking over The Brotherhood, I wanted to change things, to gain control of Daringhood again and make things peaceful.Look at how well that’s turned out, all because my father doesn’t want to let go of the power.He wants to hold on to what our ancestors created for us.If he just allowed us to lead, then none of this would have happened.We wouldn’t be fighting so hard with the Hood.Our brothers wouldn’t be forced to pick sides between us and Dominic.Lucas wouldn’t be held hostage.Freya wouldn’t have been taken.Everything is at the hands of the person I call my father, but he’s as good as dead to me now.

All my life, I wanted him to respect me.I sought his approval and did everything I could to make him proud.Pathetic, when I think about it, but I didn’t know any better.Now I realize how much heartache he’s caused for me, for us, and I’m done being his son.

One soldier drops to the ground.Blood pours from his unrecognizable face, and I should feel bad.I don’t.He deserves it for choosing Dominic over us.We are the leaders now, and if you aren’t with us, then you’re nothing but gum to my boot.

The man lies on the ground, unconscious.One down.I look around the room.Gage has killed one guy, leaving two more.He’s fighting against one, and the other is closing in on Freya.Oh, hell no.

I stalk toward them.The soldier goes to punch her in the jaw, but before I can get there, she ducks and kicks her leg out, bringing him to the ground.Warmth fills my body for a split second.I storm up to her and claim her lips in a red-hot kiss.I want to fuck her right here on his desk, but with so much chaos going on around us, it’ll have to wait.

Freya is pulled away from me.The soldier has his hand wrapped around her hair.Freya screams, and I see red.I wrap my hand around his throat, hard.He releases her hair, his eyes widening.When he tries to speak, I squeeze harder until his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.He takes his final breath before I release him, and his lifeless body falls to my feet.

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