“Load up. We move guerrilla warfare style, tactical and quiet,” I said as I tossed JoJo and Steph each two silencers for their Smith Wesson’s and handed one to Tay before pocketing one of my own fitted for Glocks. Tay and I picked out two more Glocks and tactical knives. Then we all filled several extra clips. On the way out, I noted the expression on Tay’s face, and I didn’t like it.
“Tay, let me talk to you for a minute,” I said, grabbing her hand to prevent her from exiting the armory. I stood momentarily, waiting for her to look into my eyes. After a minute, I gently lifted her chin with my finger.
“How are you feeling about what could happen tonight?”
“Honestly, I don’t know how to feel. I just recently found out that she never wanted me, and on the same day, she tried to kill me. Brice, that woman’s love for me was conditional from birth. She told me that I was supposed to help her keep that man, and when I didn’t, I became an accessory to her lifestyle. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I didn’t have you and JoJo,” she said quietly, dropping her head.
“Sometimes the family we find and create through bonds, connections, and love is better than the ones made by blood. That’s what this is, Baby, and what I have for you is unconditional. You’re my family, my heart, my home, my fucking everything. Now I’m not promising that there won’t be some shit we go through. Hell, we’ve already made it through some shit. But I promise you, I’m still going to be here. As far as what she did to you, another bullet will never touch your body. I’ll lay down whoever tries,” I said. She knew we had rules against women. It was one of the reasons my father had trained them. I lifted her chin again.
“Look at me, whoever, Tay.” She nodded, and I kissed her forehead before kissing her lips.
“Let’s go to work.”
CHAPTER 27
Brice
Rock drove out of HCS’s parking deck heading toward Costa’s estate. While he did, Lioness ensured that the Altima was erased from all the cameras we would pass. According to the intel Rock gathered, it was located on the outskirts of Cypress. As we drove closer, the area became reminiscent of the one Lynx’s mother lived in back in Cali. The long road was primarily wooded and dark, with streetlights spaced every half mile. The darkness would give us the perfect cover.
The ride had been quiet until Rock pulled the car into the woods; even Lioness hadn’t said a word. We were all focused on the mission. We exited the car and stretched. It would be a half-mile trek through the woods to get to the estate.
“Can you hear me?” I asked as I spoke into the communication earpieces.
“Yeah, we’re good,” Rock answered. Lynx and Lioness nodded as well. I pulled my gun from my back and loaded the chamber. As I had told Lynx before we left, it was on sight for whoever.
“Now look, before we run up here, I need you two to get it together. Don’t be all on the comms laughing, giggling, and making jokes. This shit isn't a game,” I said trying to coach them on how we expected tonight to go.
“But it is, though,” Lioness said. I looked at the serious expression on her face and knew she wasn’t joking.
“Rock, get your wife, man.” I was more than likely wasting my damn breath because these two together were just as unpredictable and the situation we were in.
“Lioness,” he turned to her and gave her a stern look. Like every time before, she folded under his command. I didn’t know how in the hell he’d managed to tame the wildest beast in our kingdom. Our father had a damn time trying.
“Tsk,” she audibly let out, rolling her eyes.
“I’m for real don’t y’all be in here fucking around,” I added.
“We family, we ride together, we die together….” I started before Rock cut me off.
“The fuck, nah Bruh we not saying that shit. Die together? No ….Nooooooo,” he said and laughed. I laughed right along with him.
“See! With his no fun having ass. It was a damn joke, because I’m sure as hell not dying with your ass. You might take all the fun out of it. Come on, Lynx,” Lioness said as she dropped her mask and quickly headed deeper into the woods towards the estate.
“Let’s go; their hardheaded asses are probably halfway there just to prove a damn point,” I said, also dropping my mask and following swiftly behind them. Rock and I made double time until we caught up. Just as Rock said, the house sat far from the road, surrounded by a dense forest of trees. The gate had a small booth that held one armed guard. He was preoccupied with his phone when Lynx pulled out her small twenty-two caliber and screwed on one of her silencers and attached a sight.
“You really think you about to hit him with that small ass gun and at this range?” I asked.
“A small caliber bullet can travel up to a mile and a half. From an eyeball calculation, we are about two hundred feet out,” she said as she laid down on the ground and positioned her arms flat in front of her along with the butt of the gun.
“From prone position? With a handgun? I gotta see this shit,” I said. One of two things was about to happen. She would hit her target perfectly, or she was about to reveal our position, but I didn’t care. I would handle business regardless of the outcome.
“The prone position is actually the best position to shoot long distances, even with a handgun. The bullet will travel up, and because the ground I’m lying on is level with the booth, it will be a perfect shot,” she said confidently. She wasn’t comfortable in the position that she was in so she rolled over slightly and cocked her leg up slightly it caused her plump ass to toot into the air and my dick to jump. I stood above her about to lose my shit as my eyes traveled from the gun she pointed, down over the curve of her ass and finally down to her pointed toes.
Fucking sexy ass Lynx. Get it together, Ice!
She took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed out of the chamber, and seconds later, the man in the booth slumped over. It was a perfect headshot.
“Woooo you see that shit?” I whispered loudly as I snatched her from the ground.