The muzzle flash is blinding in the dark. Ozzie grunts and spins, blood spraying from his shoulder.
Everything explodes from there.
We open fire as both drivers roll for cover behind the truck’s wheels, returning shots. The back door bursts open and two more men jump out, already shooting. Four against five, muzzle flashes lighting up the night like deadly fireflies.
I put two in the chest of the guy who shot Ozzie. He drops, gun skittering across the asphalt. Cash takes out one of the men from the back. Johnny and Eddie tag-team the other two, bullets punching through sheet metal and glass.
The whole firefight lasts maybe thirty seconds. When the smoke clears and the last echo fades, four bodies are sprawled on the tarmac, blood pooling black in the moonlight.
“Everyone good?” I yell, ears still ringing.
“I’m hit,” Ozzie groans, gripping his shoulder. Blood seeps between his fingers. “Just a graze but still hurts like a bitch.”
“Me too,” Eddie says, teeth gritted. The dark stain spreads on his left arm. “Think mine went through.”
My phone starts buzzing. Solana’s name flashes on the screen.
Now? What are the chances?
I decline the call and move to check Eddie’s wound.
“We need to get you both to the ER,” I say, but my phone’s buzzing again. A text comes in this time. I quickly glance at it.
I need your help.
Now please
It’s Kel…
My chest seizes from the onslaught of sudden tension. That piece of shit was due back today. What the fuck did he do now?
I’ve been waiting for him to get back. If not for the club mission tonight, I would’ve already handled him.
“Cash, you’re in charge,” I say, striding toward my bike. “Load the bodies into the truck. Then drop off Eddie and Ozzie at the hospital. Have Johnny dispose of the bodies when you get back.”
“Where are you going?” Cash calls.
“Emergency. Rachel needs help with the kids.”
I’m not usually a liar. Certainly not when it comes to using my ex-wife and kids as an easy way to get out of a situation.
But what other choice do I have?
Solana needs me.
I’m on my bike and gone before anyone can argue, pushing the Super Glide to its limits. The speedometer climbs past ninety, then past a hundred. Wind brushes at my cut, through my hair and against my face, but all I can think about is Solana’s text.
It’s Kel.
If he’s hurt her again, if he’s touched her… I’ll kill him on sight. Forget being strategic and planning things out before I ruin the kid. I’ll put a bullet in his brain and deal with the consequences later.
The bike rumbles beneath me as I lean into a curve, back tire sliding. I correct myself and accelerate harder.
Pulsboro’s lights appear in the distance, serving as a reminder of the choice I’ve made. I’ve left the mission half-finished and rushed off to handle other important business.
If I were thinking straight, I’d realize things are quickly piling up. Even after one quick mission.
Eddie’s bleeding in a stolen cartel truck. Four men are dead on the highway. Tom’s started a war we might not win. But Solana needs me.
