****
Thirty minutes later, they snuck up to a shitty cabin that was more fit for a dumpster than to live in.The only hint that someone was inside was the white smoke leaking from the chimney.
“How are we going to do this?”Sinn asked.“We go charging in, he could kill her.”
“How about sneaking around the side, busting in to surprise the asshole, shooting him in the forehead, and then burn his body to ash?”Saint said.
“Didn’t I just say if we charge in, he could kill her?”Sinn asked, perplexed.“I said it like five seconds ago.”
“What about smoking him out?”Lucifer suggested.
“You’d be smoking Kira as well,” Sinn pointed out.“We need intel of where she’s located inside.”
“How are we gonna get that without the moment of surprise?”Saint asked.“The best way is a direct assault, not negotiation.This isn’t a movie.”
Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose.“Are you two like this all the time?”
Sinn shrugged.“Pretty much.”
Before anyone else could say a thing, a scream came from the cabin.All plan ideas evaporated in a blink as they charged from their hiding spot, guns out and ready, with one thought in mind: Rescue Kira.Saint reached the door first and kicked it open.The puny lock buckled immediately in the rotted wood frame and they rushed inside, expecting to see Kira hurt or cowering.Instead, they saw Hoff lying on the floor with a knife sticking out of his neck.All three lowered their guns.
Sinn moved quietly forward.She stood staring down at the body, only looking up when he reached for her hand.
“He wanted to hurt me,” she said, tonelessly.“He had the dice again.Wanted me to roll it.I couldn’t go through that again.”
“You won’t ever have to,” he murmured and drew her into his body, hugging her like she was made of glass.“I’ve got you, darlin’.”
Saint came forward and cupped her face, leaning down to kiss her on her mouth.“You rescued yourself.You did what you had to do.”
“I know.I don’t feel remorse.I don’t think I ever will because I liked watching that asshole die.He almost ruined my life.”
“Kira?”
She turned and saw Lucifer.The patch of the Bone Breakers sewn on his worn leather cut.Sinn placed his hands on her shoulders, saying without words she was under his protection.
“What are you doing here?”she demanded.She didn’t like Lucifer.Or his club.“Why are you with Sons?”
“I wanted to apologize for what happened on my watch.I should’ve paid more attention.”
She folded her arms across her chest.“It’s a little too late for that.”
He nodded, as if he figured that was going to be her reaction.He sent a nod toward Sinn.“Has he been taking good care of you?”
“Yes.”Saint stepped closer, standing next to her.“He and Saint.”
“Ah,” his said, glancing between them.“I’m glad.I wanted you to know that I punished Hoff and the others for what they did to you.”
Just hearing his name flooded rage and revulsion through her.She gave a disgusted glance to Hoff’s body and waited to hear what Lucifer had to say.
“I never sanctioned what they did, and I made sure they’d never hurt another woman again.”
“Then you should’ve killed him,” Saint snapped, pointing to Hoff.“Because he just fucking did that.”
“Hindsight,” Lucifer muttered.
“How were they punished?”Sinn asked.
“I had them castrated.”Both men grimaced.Kira blinked, and immediately thought that was a wonderful piece of poetic justice.“Then I had them ostracized.Hoff ended up running with the local thugs in Laramie.Took me a while to clean all that up.”
