Copper patted her shoulder, “Don’t you worry, sweetheart. We’ve got guns, too. A lot of guns.” He clapped his hands together loudly. “Let’s get to it.”
I grabbed Ember’s hand and pulled her to me. Wrapping my arms around her, I buried my face in her neck and breathed her in. I didn’t want to leave her here, but I had to do this. She was mine damn it, and no way in hell was Octavius getting away with the way he had treated her and what he was still trying to do to her. “Stay here with Jamie. No matter what, only open that hatch for me, Copper, or Bronze. Okay?”
She nodded her head and sniffled. Aw, shit. I couldn’t handle tears right then. She looked up at me with fear in her eyes, but blessedly no tears. “Be careful.”
“I will.” Fuck it, I didn’t care who was watching. If this was my last chance, I was taking it. I covered her mouth with mine and kissed her as if it was the last time I would ever kiss her, because it very well could be the last time. I pulled back and met her eyes, “I love you, baby. So damn much.”
She shyly smiled, “I love you, too, Dash.”
I needed to get out of there before I changed my mind and stayed there with her. “Let’s go.”
Copper climbed out first. I hopped out right behind him. He turned around and shot me an appraising look, “Phoenix know about that?”
“I think he has an idea, but I haven’t specifically said anything to him. Didn’t want to do it over the phone during one of our check-in calls. I plan to talk to him face to face as soon as we get back, assuming he’s still there to talk to.” My voice trailed off with the last part. I was trying valiantly to not let my worry for my brothers take over. I could worry about them once Octavius and his men were taken down.
Copper placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Don’t go there, brother. He’s alive. I feel it,” he tapped his chest with his fist, “in here.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am,” he replied, as if it was a given fact.
***
An hour later, we were all in position awaiting the arrival of Octavius and his minions. I was practically vibrating with anxiety and pent-up rage. “Calm your tits, man. You ain’t going to do anyone any good if you can’t get a shot off or hit your target because of twitchy fingers and sweaty hands. Find your zone and get your fucking head in it,” Copper ordered.
I nodded. Fuck, he was right. I was letting my concern about my brothers and my fear for Ember’s safety cloud my mind. I needed to focus. I had a job to do. A simple job. Wait for them to exit the vehicles. Shoot to kill the ones not wearing white.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Not wearing white. Shoot to kill.
Exits driver seat. Shoot to kill.
Exits front passenger seat. Shoot to kill.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
My zone. I found it. The calm washed over me. My hands steadied. My vision sharpened. My ears homed in on the sound of tires crunching over gravel. They had arrived. It was go time.
Just like Ember said, three white Suburbans came to a stop in the cabin’s driveway. The occupants remained inside for several long moments before we finally heard the first click of a door opening.
Copper whispered into his earpiece, “Let most or all of them get out before you start shooting. Going black.” Copper turned off his earpiece. There would be no more changes or adjustments to the plan. No more communication between the contact men scattered around the property, each with a small group of brothers.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Doors started opening. Men exited the vehicles. Three were out of the second vehicle, two from the first and third. Come on, what were they waiting for?
A good 30 seconds passed before the last two doors opened simultaneously and the last occupants stepped out. The doors shut immediately followed by a cacophony of gunfire and screams that filled the air. Bodies violently dropped to the ground until there were only three standing. Three dressed in all white, each standing beside a different vehicle.
The next thing I knew, I was in front of Octavius with my gun to his head with no recollection of how I got there. “Gotcha motherfucker.”
He glared at me with hate-filled eyes. Then the ballsy fucker spit in my face. Spit. In. My. Face. Oh, fuck no. I slammed my gun into the side of his head. The pussy dropped like a sack of bricks. I pressed his head into the ground with my boot, keeping my gun trained on him at all times. “Gonna need some rope and some duct tape!”
