My voice hardened as I looked down at him, still struggling to catch his breath. “You’ll watch as we dismantle everything you’ve built. One code, one dollar at a time.”
“And then?” he croaked.
I shrugged. “Depends on how controlled Blaze’s burn is.”
Blaze chuckled as he dragged Marcus to his feet and shoved him into a chair.
Wizard got to work, his fingers flying over his keyboard in a blur, dismantling BAM’s digital world piece by piece. By the time we were done tonight, BAM Financial Intelligence would be nothing more than a cautionary tale.
Blaze set to work, strategically placing accelerants to ensure the fire would be precise and controlled. No collateral damage, but enough to leave absolutely nothing behind.
The rest of us talked shop while we waited. The first time Lennox opened his mouth to say something, I nodded at Fallon, who promptly closed it with his fist. “Try again, and we’ll knock out more teeth and gag you.”
He remained silent.
Just over four hours later, Wizard unplugged his laptop and shot Lennox a smug, humorless smile as he closed his laptop and stood from behind the desk. “It’s done. Every piece of intel you’ve stolen is gone, and all your accounts are now zeroed out.”
Cross jerked Lennox to his feet, and Fallon pushed him up against the wall. I walked over and met his stare with a dark smirk. “And every name connected to BAM is now fucking bankrupt. I made sure of it personally.”
“Everything is ready,” Blaze pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “Let’s get the fuck outta here. My woman is waiting to welcome me home.”
Marcus watched helplessly from where Cross and Fallon had him pinned against the wall, his face contorted with panic and rage as he realized exactly what was about to happen. Blaze flicked open his lighter, the small flame reflecting dangerously in his dark gaze as he glanced over at me with a dry smirk.
“Time to torch this place. They’ll see the smoke from miles away.”
I gave a short nod, watching as he casually dropped the lighter into the designated spot. Small flames erupted instantly, slow rolling at first, contained, but no less deadly than a roaring, hungry fire.
The heat surged, licking at our skin as tendrils of smoke began to fill the air.
“Put him with his friends,” I called over my shoulder as I headed for the door. Marcus screamed curses behind me as Fallon dragged him from the room.
We waited until he joined us again, then moved toward the exit. The crackling of the flames quickly drowned out the shouts of all three men.
We stepped out into the cool night air, breathing in deeply as we crossed the street to our bikes. We paused briefly, looking back at the growing inferno engulfing the building, bright orange flames flickering in the darkness.
Blaze tilted his head, admiring his handiwork, and nodded with grim satisfaction. “Now that’s how you fucking solve a problem.”
“Agreed,” I muttered with a gruff laugh, swinging a leg over my bike and starting the engine. My brothers did the same, the roar of our motorcycles mingling with the sound of the building groaning as its structure was eaten away. Without another look, we pulled away from the destruction we’d left behind.
19
POPPY
Waiting for Colter felt different tonight. I wasn’t super clear on where he and a few of his club brothers had gone, but his intensity had put me on edge.
Luckily, my sexy biker wanted me to be comfortable, so he’d suggested I invite Clara over to the clubhouse to hang out with me. Her reaction to her first visit to the Hounds compound was just the distraction I needed.
“This place is unreal,” she whispered, her gaze darting from the pool table to the shelves of alcohol bottles behind the bar.
I sat on one of the black leather couches along the back wall, with my knees tucked under me, trying—and failing—not to stare at the door while wishing Colter would come through it. “Yeah, but it feels like home already.”
Clara perched beside me, her eyes huge while she soaked in every detail like she’d just stepped into a forbidden world. “I’ve heard rumors about this place growing up. Everyone has, though, since Riverstone isn’t that big and the Hounds own a huge chunk of the town.”
I bumped my shoulder against hers. “And now your bestie is carrying a Hounds baby.”
“Which is totally wild.” She shook her head with a soft laugh. “But I’m still waiting for one of the guys to tell me to leave.”
Stella flashed her a smile. “You’re Poppy’s best friend. That makes you family by extension.”
