“You’re a fucking dead man!” I said.
Then he delivered a knee to my sternum, briefly knocking the wind out of me.
“That’s what I—ah! Fuck!”
I looked up to see Tara had clawed at his face. He was clutching it in his hands. I saw my chance.
Ignoring the pain in my sternum, running on nothing but adrenaline, I rose, grabbed him, swept his legs out from under him, and slammed my foot onto his neck. I kept it there.
“Get me a gun, Tara,” I said.
Tara didn’t hesitate. One of the Black Reapers gave her his gun; I took it and pointed it at the Bandit.
“You’re a dead man, but you might as well make yourself useful before you die,” I said. “You can die quickly or slowly depending on how you answer. Why the fuck did you do this? Why the fuck did you come for Tara?”
The man looked up at me and just laughed.
“Last chance, asswipe,” I said. “You never go after women. Not even the sheriff gives you that kind of leash. What fucking changed? Huh?”
The man tried to speak. I let my foot up, but I traded that off with moving the gun closer to his head.
“I see you got some help with your little Black Reapers bullshit,” he said. “Do you think you’re the only one who’s got some help? You think the sheriff is the reason we can run this town?”
He laughed some more. I would have shot him by now if he hadn’t started talking.
“You brought the Black Reapers to town, and someone took notice. Now we’re your worst fucking nightmare. We don’t give a shit about the law because we are above the law.”
The man laughed one more time.
“This war is just about to catch fire,” he said. Then he looked in my eyes with the evilest expression I had ever seen. “Like my dick in Rachel—”
I fired my gun before he could finish.
Blood splattered everywhere. It hit the ground, my boots, the furniture, and Tara’s pants.
But it was done.
Tara was safe.
And I now knew one of the three men that had taken Rachel by force that night was finally fucking gone.Two more to go.
I didn’t know who the other two were. I had a vague idea of their faces. But I didn’t know for sure. Only by eliminating all the Bandits in town would she—and the town of Santa Maria—have peace.
And then, staring at this man’s dead body, considering the other two dead bodies in the hallway, the adrenaline wore off and reality hit me.
I had killed someone for the first time in my life.
I’d thought about it ever since the incident with Rachel happened. I’d begged for a chance to take a Bandit’s life. But never had I brought the death of a man by my own hands until now.
And…
It felt fine.
It wasn’t enjoyable per se. It wasn’t like I relished it and needed more blood.
But I felt comfortable with it. I’d had to do it to protect Tara. I’d have to do it to protect this town and Tara still. I could do this.
I could be a president of a Black Reapers chapter.
