None of us say a word as we exit, we stay silent as we lock Raney and Puck away in our suite before we make way to the elevator down to meet with the Phoenix Group.
“They’ve already explained they will be wearing balaclavas. I’ve got no issue with them protecting their identity, but just in case.” Koz takes a small step away from the front of the lift and presses his hand against a hidden armoury. The door pops open with a silent rush of air, and a soft purple UV light flickers on, illuminating some of the finest weapons available on the black market.
“Let me know what you prefer. In time I’ll get you whatever you need but for now this is all I have,” he steps back, grabbinghisguns. The only ones I’ve ever seen him use.
Hayes isn’t a gun virgin. He’s a fucking crack shot that hardly misses despite the distance. I’ve tried to throw him off his game by digging my hands in his pants and jerking him off as he shoots, but it’s impossible to get him to miss. He thinks it’s got to do with his steady hand and his eye for detail. Either way, we both enjoy me trying to throw him off his game.
Tonight, he’s not quiet nor sullen. Clearly, he’s not jumping out of his skin to do this. And there was no argument falling from my lips that this is not for him to do. I’d never hold him back. Much like he told Raney, we all need to be who we are. Plus, he’s got some scores to settle with Sharlene.
Koz stands back as the elevator descends. The lights come on automatically when we exit into the basement.
When Raney was still out cold after we arrived, he took us each on an extended tour, and then tested us over and over to make sure we knew the place and its capabilities. He’s made this warehouse apartment block into an impenetrable fortress, to give his princess the easy life she wants.
A small flashing light follows us on the ceiling every few feet. Soundlessly signalling we have visitors approaching.
“This is a meet and greet. I’ve asked them to stop by for fucking payback.” He smirks, a shrug rolling from his massive form. It’s intimidating as fuck.
We wait in a cavernous room. It’s not hard to figure out what this room is about—it’s in the meat hook that hangs from the roof, the stainless-steel walls, the massive drain down the middle. How he got this together, I’ll never know, but I’m so fucking glad he did. The thought of anyone coming at our pack sends me nearly feral.
A series of footsteps echo across the concrete floor, and Lew waits at the back door as the Phoenix Group enters. It’s surreal, almost movie-like in how three masked forms walk closer, two of them pushing wheelchairs in front of them.
The scent of Sharlene and Andrea’s fear fills the space, as does a buzz over my skin. It feels fucking good to have them here.
“Koz,” one of the trio of men says as he steps forward and holds his hand out. His hand is bare, unlike the other hidden behind black gloves, matching those of his associates. A strange tattoo that looks like three scorpions on his thumb, and yeah, it’s my police training burning alive as I take every detail in. Just in case.
Koz shakes his hand before his hand sweeps towards us. “Hayes and Talon, Pack Siderno.”
Hayes moves forward and shakes his hand before I do the same. His grip is surprising. It’s assertive, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t set alarms off like he’s an all-out psycho grappling with normality.
“Lew can make you a coffee if you like. I’ll need only four minutes tops. I have everything I need here.” Koz points to near the door.
It takes me a second to realise what I’m looking at. And clearly since we’ve been together sleeping with our omega, Lew got it ready for him.
“I apologise if it makes transportation more cumbersome, but I literally don’t give a fuck,” Koz says as he turns on them. A moment later he carries in two five-gallon plastic buckets. He drops them in front of Sharlene then grabs another pair for Andrea.
Without uttering a word, he unbinds their feet. Andrea whimpers and cries, and she fights against Koz’s grip, but it’s impossible to stop him plunging her feet in the bucket full of concrete. She struggles, without warning and from fuck knows where, he pulls a knife out and stabs her through the thigh. She screams, and he ignores her completely.
He leaves the knife buried to the hilt as he calmly deposits her other foot in the second bucket.
Hayes moves in front of Sharlene. I take a step to him, and my hand drops on his lower back. He does the most Hayes thing I think I’ve ever seen when he twists around and locks his eyes on her as he kisses me. His tongue licks over my lips once he’s done, and then he leans down and spits in her face. “I hope the devil and every demon in hell makes you, and your son, suffer. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again, and let you know I’m balls deep in love with Tal and with the girl who was always destined to be ours. And yeah, Sharlene, that is my revenge—letting you know how fucking happy and in love I am.”
He spins around me after making the only point he wanted to make. I can hear his footsteps as he makes his way back to the lift to wait for us.
Sharlene’s eyes jump past me to Koz as he nods before he rips her leg out of the restraints and dumping her foot into the bucket. She struggles and bucks against the other restraints. Whatever they have shoved in her mouth keeps her garbled protest unintelligible. I can see the venom and fight in her eye, and it’s not anything we need to see more of. Flipping my gun, the crack of the butt of it against her head is like a small boom in the room. She slumps forward, an ugly noise falling from her as unconsciousness takes her.
One of the Phoenix Group takes a step forward, a gun hanging casually from his hand when Koz is kneeled, and I move without thought to stand protectively in front of him.
“Fuck off. Lower your gun, defective,” the guy chuckles, “my bad, I meant detective.”
The one standing behind him pipes up, “Nah, it’s totally defective. But my comrade is right. Use your big boy brain, read the situation, and lower your weapon, Jeffers.”
Of course, they’d know who they’re dealing with, but it still has me craning my neck to crack the rising tension like I do when I’m about to empty my gun.
“Without being a prick, if you speak like that again to anyone in my pack, I’ll come looking for you and deliver my final payment in cash,” Koz threatens. He does it without volume, although he’s dialled up the menace barely hidden behind the condescension.
The guy doing a Michael Jackson impersonation, with one glove, sighs so loud, if he took his dark glasses off, his eyes would be rolling. “Shit! I knew this would happen! Siderno, lock your fucking shit up. We don’t need this; we all agreed no bullshit.”
“Pull the leash on your dog. He shouldn’t have taken a step out of line with his Glock ready to go. Honestly, we’re done here…” Koz stops talking for a minute as he stands and drops one of his feet on top of Andrea’s knee, keeping her foot deeper in the setting concrete. “If everyone can put their weapons down, you can take these two wonderful pieces of shit away with you when you leave. And I can go back to my omega.”
