But then Fancy is rushing away from the building and melting into the trees. I grip my gun. He got away clean. Only three minutes until it goes off.
The wait feels forever. For a moment, I wonder, did it fail?
Then there’s a cracking sound and a plume of smoke, and then the door of the garage blows clean off. The metal cuts through the motorcycles in a fiery flash, and a shower of sideboard falls on top of the heap. The garage tilts and begins to collapse, burying all the bikes in flaming rubble.
More explosions pepper the front of the clubhouse, seeming to come from every direction. The Wild Hair have let loose. I hold my gun steady, waiting to see if anyone will emerge.
A man comes out onto the front porch, but I shoot both of the windows out on either side, and he dives back in.
The aim is to drive them out the back, giving us time to retreat. I hear the crunching footfalls of the Wild Hair breaking through the underbrush to return to their bikes.
Fancy passes us on his way to the truck.
Iron Jack and I remain in the trees on either side of the road, watching for anyone else to come forward. Two more men come out, this time shooting into the forest. They’re half naked and shoeless, and they run their ammo out to no avail.
When they pause to reload, we shoot around their feet to force a retreat. One of them hops, so we may have hit a leg.
They move back into the shadows, but no more gunfire comes from our direction. Our men are gone. The garage is blazing, and it’s not long before the clubhouse itself catches fire.
Iron Jack tilts his head, listening, then motions for me to head out.
I race along the edge of the road, ready to duck into the trees. I’m back at my bike, ready to hop on, when I realize Iron Jack isn’t with me.
Shit. Did he get hit?
I glance back. A shadow moves from the trees toward the clubhouse. It’s him. He’s not going for his bike at all.
I know what he’s doing. He’s going for Anarchy. He’s sure the Kin were involved in killing his parents, particularly after they came after Marietta and me.
I hesitate. Should I go be his backup? That wasn’t in the plan. What would I be getting into?
I think of Marietta back at the club, waiting to hear the news. I can picture her face when she realizes I’m not with the others.
And it hits me.
When the shit hits the fan, I think of her.
I worry about her.
My concern is … forher.
I’m momentarily stunned.
What’s happened here?
But I know.
I’m falling for that wild mouse.
All the more reason to protect her.
The club.
The life we’ve made.
I glance back to where I last saw Iron Jack.
Nobody goes in alone.
