Page 84 of Empire of Carnage
The bullet cut the air behind me, nearly hitting me from behind. I checked my six and ran for it, stepping over the dead bodies to get to the neon EXIT sign. Footsteps charged towards me, but I couldn’t bother to turn around to see who was coming, my eyes watered heavily from the smoke, I wouldn’t see them until it was too late.
It wasn’t easy for a man my size to be tackled to the ground. So when it happened, it took me a few moments to register what was happening. Those were all the seconds he needed to throw his fist into my face not once, but three times.
I pressed the barrel of my glock into his gut and pulled the trigger repeatedly, plugging six shots straight into his stomach. Blood pooled out of his mouth, and I rolled him off of me to let him die in peace. I sprinted to the exit, pushing the door open, hurting but relieved to have gotten out in one piece.
The fresh air invaded my lungs with no warning, a sharp gasp filled my chest as I took a moment to get my bearings back before looking around. Emergency vehicles surrounded the building, cop cars, and flashing lights of every sort gathered outside. Celia sat on the edge of an ambulance with a blanket wrapped around her while a paramedic looked her over, Mateo and Santos on each of her sides.
Her eyes lit up when she saw me but the scowls on my brothers’ faces told me we had much bigger problems. I scanned around, seeing a few other women being looked over by other EMTs and some giving statements to federal agents.
Then I saw Ethan, walking towards me while wearing a vest that read FBI on it.
I saw red.
“You fucking rat,” I charged towards him, fist high in the air but my brothers got to me first, holding me back from dishing out what he deserved.
“In our fucking house!?” Santos yelled from behind me, his fury just as strong.
He raised his hands up defensively, looking back and waving off the concerned agents who were watching. I fought against Mateo and Santos’ hold on me, knowing damn well they were keeping me from a prison sentence by containing my rage.
“Ronan stop,” Celia yelled, jumping off the ambulance and standing between both of us with her hands on each of our chests.
“Looks like I losttwobrothers in there.” I gritted out, nostrils flaring widely.
“Zerkos you’re still my brother. Fletcher was still my brother,” he said angrily like he had any right.
“You don’t get to say his fucking name.” Mateo added.
I pointed at the building like he would magically appear in its stead. “Fletcher would have ripped you apart if he knew you were a fucking pig.”
“The whole time?” Mateo asked innocently.
Ethan didn’t answer, he just gave him a look like he’d regret hearing the words themselves.
“We’d been trying to nail down Sokolov for five years before the word spread about the Black Crow Brotherhood. It was a long game to play undercover but I knew you could get me him. I would have preferred alive, but I’m not angry about one less asshole in the world,” he said like we’d done him a favor.
He was all business now, showing his true fucking colors. Reminding me why the only good cop was a dead one.
“You fucking—” I lifted my fist up again but Santos held me back, Celia still keeping herself between us.
“You came to México,” she said, a frown in her expression that told me she didn’t trust him just the same as me.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before we ended up in Sokolov’s steps, thanks for not making me wait too long.” He smirked. He fucking had the nerve to smirk.
“And now?” she asked him.
“Now I think it’s time you find your way back down to the other side of the border, MissGomez.” He emphasized her old alias before looking back at the rest of us. “All of you. My boss isn’t looking to arrest any Crows for this, but if the investigation gets messy, he won’t be there to back you up. Which means I won’t be able to either, brothers,” he said like it upset him.
He’d completely crushed my reality in a matter of seconds.
“You’re not my fucking brother.” I shoved past him, crossing my fingers no other boy in blue would be harassing me while I tried to make my way to the car.
“I know right now you don’t want to hear this,” Mateo said behind me just as I reached to open the back door, knowing damn well I was too angry to get behind the wheel right now. “But if he hadn’t… betrayed us,” he considered his words carefully, “we would probably be looking at federal prison right now.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to hear this,” I confirmed, scowling at the site of the white parrot in my seat.
“Cocksucker!” he chirped, tugging at the final fiber of my patience as I shut myself into the car like an angry child.
I was always the person being lied to.
