Page 57 of Kade

“I need to know how much he needs to be tortured.”

“I don’t think you’ll have long.” They all heard the gunfire explode outside. “I’m guessing Cole got the gates opened. Whatever we are going to do, we need to do now.”

The men in the kitchen must have heard it too, because they grew quiet.

“There’s nowhere left to go.”

“I’ll be out on bail by tonight. I want you to find my beauty and my boy and bring them to our safe house in Santa Monica.”

“We’re retreating to the west coast?”

Whoever that was did not sound pleased.

“Not retreating. I just want them taken there and kept until all this blows over. It’s business as usual here.”

Conner growled, and Kade nudged him. It was time. He and his brother charged down the hall, firing as they ran. The six men went down. He’d forgotten how good a shot his brother was. Conner had been a sniper in the military. He was just as good up close as he was far away. Three men waited in the kitchen. Tomás, his second in command, Javier, and a guard.

Kade smiled when Tomás raised his gun. His own bullet found its mark in Tomás’s gun hand while Conner took care of the guard. Javier had thrown his weapon down. Kade stopped Conner from killing him. He had other plans for him.

“Hello, Tomás.”

“Agent Kincaid.” Tomás’s own smile came out. “It is good to see you.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Kade leaned back on his heels while Conner disarmed Javier and kicked Tomás’s gun away from him. “You may not think so once you realize what I have planned for you.”

“And what would that be?” Tomás smirked. “Twenty years in prison? That is nothing. I can run my organization from inside as well as outside.”

“No. You’re going to die today.”

“You’re an agent of the law, Kincaid. You can no more kill me and get away with it than I can you.”

“I’m not an agent anymore.” Kade’s grin widened. “I’m not bound by the rules of law. You took my son and my wife. What do you think I’m going to do?”

“Ah, yes, my beauty.” He cupped his balls. “She was a good ride.”

Kade felt the rage build, but he pushed it down. “I know you touched her, but that’s all you did.”

“Are you sure?” Tomás leered at him. “She and I rode here together. Hours in a car with nothing to do but get acquainted with each other.”

“If that’s true, then what I have planned for you is all the more satisfying. On your feet.”

Tomás’s eyes narrowed. When he didn’t move, Conner gripped him by the scruff of his shirt collar and heaved him up.

Kade grabbed a kitchen dishrag and pulled open the door leading to the basement. The flames had made it all the way up the stairs, and when he opened the door, flames shot out, the oxygen feeding the fire. Dylan had moved before he opened the door, and the door itself shielded Kade from the flames.

“You’re going to burn in hell, motherfucker. For every person you butchered, you are going to feel the flames eat you alive.”

“You can’t…” Tomás shouted even as Conner pushed him toward the door. “You’ll be arrested…”

“Who’s going to tell anyone about this? These are my men, and if Javier wants to live, he’ll keep his mouth shut.” Kade grabbed one arm, Conner gripping the other, and together, they threw Tomás into the fire, his screams echoing up the stairs. They watched as the flames licked up his body, molding to his skin like a passion-starved lover. Once Kade was sure Tomás would burn and not escape, he closed the door.

Javier stared at him, horrified.

“If you want to live and take over the cartel as is your right, you need to understand two things.” Kade got in his face. “One, Tomás got trapped downstairs, and two, my family is off limits. This feud is done. The price will be removed from our heads. If you cross me, we will hunt you down in the middle of the night, skin you alive, and feed you to the dogs. Do you understand?”

The whites of Javier’s eyes ate away the dark irises. “Sí, señor. This is done.”

“Kincaid?”

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