Page 75 of Huge Dynamite
“You didn’t stop anything. We’re negotiating with a new company,” Bullet explains calmly. “I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise to you, but the Dogs aren’t liked. People are happy to jump ship.”
Luther narrows his eyes. “You want the girl, you stop the build.”
Nodding, Nick sighs. “There’s a problem with that, Luther. If we stop, that will mean you win. And there has never been a time when a Knight has lost to a Dog.”
Luther holds his hands out to his sides. “There’s a first time for everything, right?”
“Not this, Luther.”
Nick is doing what he has to do, but I am painfully aware that with every passing moment, Holly is being kept against her will. Sweat builds on my lower back and my heart is racing. I need this to move forward—we need to get Holly. Standing as still as I can, I take a mental count. There are fourteen Dogs staring at me and probably another half dozen keeping Holly and standing watch. Counting our men outside, we max at fourteen—and that’s only if any of the new prospects got the call and are waiting outside. Otherwise, we’re not even a dozen with Colt. Plus, we have our hand pieces, but they have shotguns and probably an automatic weapon or two.
Shit.
Shifting my weight from foot to foot, I’m getting downright antsy.
“Well.” Nick cracks his knuckles and then swings his arms at his sides. “Seems we’re at a standoff. Since we’re on your turf, I mean no disrespect, but I want the girl.”
“But we can’t give her to you.” Luther is still calm. “She’s been claimed by the Dogs.”
Fuck. Glaring at Luther, my stomach tightens into knots. “The girl, Luther,” I snap.
“Let us know she’s okay. Let us see her.” Nick is emphatic.
As the seconds pass, my heart rate is pounding in my ears and sweat is dripping down my cheeks. My skin is so damned hot I swear it’s starting to crackle. Looking at Luther, I wonder if he knows there’s a type of dynamite that can spontaneously erupt—and if he wants to learn.
“You’ll have to settle for hearing from her.” Luther turns toward the back room. “Clyde!”
At the mention of Clyde’s name, I catch Bullseye tense.
“They want to hear from the girl,” Luther hollers.
The unmistakable sound of duct tape being ripped from a mouth is followed by a gasp. It’s her.
“Nick wants to know you’re okay.”
“Nick?” Her voice is high. “Nick! I’m here. In a closet in the—”
Slap!
A Dog just slapped her.
Hell. No.
“Fuck you!” I scream as I grab my piece from the back of my jeans. Pointing it at the ceiling, I shoot.
Dogs and Knights duck as pieces of brown, water-stained plaster and ceiling tiles rain down on us, but it doesn’t stop me. My adrenaline is so pumped and my heart rate is so fast, I think that not even a freaking bullet could bring me down now. Pushing my way through the mass of bodies throwing punches, I walk up to the first Dog I see, and in a surprise move, clock him on the side of the head with the butt of my gun. He doubles over and falls, and I step over him.
Everything goes quiet as I charge forward. Around me, the men scuffle, but I see only dead ahead—straight into that back room where they’re holding Holly. Another Dog blocks my way, so I grab him by the lapel of his ugly jacket and toss him against a wall. He lands with a thud, and his head bounces off the wall.
“Holly?” I yell, walking back. “Holl—”
The end of a shotgun is wedged into my back. Fuck.
“Forget it, Dynamite.” It’s Luther. “You should have killed me when you had the chance. So now, I’m going to kill you. Arms up and keep the gun where I can see it.”
“Fine.” As I raise my arms, I force my teeth to unclench. “You want to kill me, then do it. But let her go free. She’s never done anything except try to help people.”
Luther wedges the gun deeper into my back. “Oh, I plan to kill you. But I’m not letting her go. We can use her around here. We’ve been short a doctor and with her, we have the added enjoyment of pleasuring ourselves with her whenever we—”
