Part of me recognizes the Wraith I shot isn’t dead. I can still hear his bitching and raspy breaths, but I just don’t care. I want him to suffer, but I also feel too weak to be the one to do anything about it.
I want to cease to exist. No one should ever have to deal with this kind of pain; it’s deep-rooted in every nerve ending in my body and soul. There’s still ricocheting gunshots and yelling coming from inside the house, but I ignore it.
Maybe someone will kill me too.
I glareat Cash as we all wait patiently throughout this neighborhood. I told him I would find the location, but I guess that wasn’t good enough for him. Now that two Wraiths are missing, I’m sure the house is under more security than usual.
“I’m not apologizing for shit. As soon as we get in there, I’m killing every single one of these motherfuckers I come across.”
“You just gave away our advantage.”
“Fuck off, Tate. They took my girl; they knew we were coming for them. You’re the one we should be pissed off at.” He points his finger at me and stands tall. “Maybe if you didn’t keep so many fucking secrets, Lily wouldn’t have been taken. Maybe if we didn’t blindly follow you into that raid, I’d have her in myarms right-fucking-now. If there’s a single scratch on her, know that’s on you, and that you shouldn’t forgive yourself,” he spits.
And I feel it. I let myself feel every ounce of his hatred. It’s valid, but I don’t know that Lily would feel the same way.
“As soon as he gets them out, we can go in,” I reply sharply.
I’m not goin’ to argue with him, and now is not the time to go into all the twisted family history and lies I’ve been holdin’ in or how they’ve been tearin’ away at my fuckin’ soul.
“You sure we shouldn’t get more of the club involved?” Atlas questions.
“Someone from our own club let them into our compound, until we figure out who the rat is, no,” Cash spits back at him. “Unless you’re the fucking rat?” He gets in the man's face, and Axel steps between them, acting like a peacemaker.
“Enough with this shit, It’s been ten minutes. Should we go in?” Axel asks quietly, his own guilt eating him alive. We’ve all played our parts in what happened and neither of us deserves any reassurances. None of us want that. We just need Lily home safe.
“He’s goin’ to call me as soon as they make it out,” I reply.
Cash growls under his breath, and Axel just nods.
Atlas grumbles, but soon we’re all in motion as a gunshot blasts through the house, with a second pop following not long after.
“Fuck the plan; let’s go,” Cash demands, and I agree with him completely. All of us, Cash, Axel, Mickey, Maverick, Atlas, Ink, and Doc, go in guns loaded and ready to kill everyone onsite. Cash uses brute force to knock the door down, and it’s absolute mayhem from there.
We split into two groups, half of us using the couch in the living room for safety while the other uses the powder room for protection, popping out to shoot when they can.
Ink takes a hit to the thigh, and we place him gently behind the brown sofa. Doc quickly makes a tourniquet and stops the blood flow before picking up his weapon to fire again.
I count about six Wraiths; we’re evenly matched until Cash throws a fuckin’ can of tear gas into the kitchen. It’s the advantage we need as we leave Ink armed behind the couch and run straight into the mayhem.
We kill indiscriminately. There are no survivors, no need to question anyone, just complete annihilation of everyone in this fuckin’ house. A man grabs Axel and grips the wound in his arm, making him cry out as they fight hand-to-hand. My aim is steady as I shoot the Wraith, and his body collapses to the ground.
Axel gives me a nod of appreciation and picks up his weapon. When I look over at Cash, he has a Wraith by the throat, asking them where Lily is. The man points upstairs and Cash shoves the barrel of his Glock into the man’s mouth before firing. Brain matter splatters the white cabinets before his body falls to the floor. Doc shoots one more Wraith, and it seems like this floor is clear. I nod to the stairs, and the men follow. Cash quickly overtakes me on the steps.
There’s a man hunched over in the hallway, but he’s not dead. I speak too soon as Cash walks up and pops him right in the head without even flinching. We go to open the doors, but they’re all locked.
Cash and Doc struggle to knock down one door. There are two women in the room, but neither are Lily. They shriek and back into a corner, clearly wanting nothing to do with us. We need to find keys and get the fuck out of here.
“Lily?” Axel asks.
“Shelby?” Doc calls out her name.
No answer.
“We need to check back downstairs,” I state. “Doc, stay up here and make sure the girls stay safe,” I instruct. He nods hishead and holds his weapon like he’s ready to kill anyone onsite. Maybe we were wrong about the gunshots, and he got them out. Either way, I need to make sure.
Cash, Axel, and Mickey follow me down the hallways. We have to step over bodies left and right. We check three rooms down here, which are empty. When we get to the last one, I swear I hear sobbing through the wood.
“Move,” Cash growls.
