“Yeah, he must have always loved her. I honestly didn’t understand their relationship until recently.” Winger’s looking at me again, and my stomach does this strange flip-flop, like his words mean more than what he’s saying. “She was the exception to his every rule. It could never be anyone else for him, and she accepts him, even as fucked up as he is.”
“Sounds like they are perfect for each other,” I agree, certain we’re talking about more than just Rex and Lucy at this point. “Does she know everything about how he watched her?”
“Stalked her,” he corrects, giving a truer meaning to my words. “Yeah, she knows everything, has from pretty early on. She accepts all of him.” Winger pulls me closer to his side. “She wants to meet you.”
“She knows about me?” I can’t hide the shock in my tone.
“Yeah.” Winger chuckles but doesn’t indicate why that’s funny. “We should get ready to head out. We need to meet them soon.”
“Will she be there?” I lean up on my elbow.
“No.” He widens his eyes. “Rex would kill me before he ever allowed her to be in danger.”
CHAPTER31
WINGER
There’s a line of cars following me when I turn down the rutted driveway to the house. We’re not trying for stealth. When I reach the metal gate, I get out and retrieve the bolt cutters from the trunk and break the lock before swinging the gate all the way open.
I’m not worried about anyone escaping. Hell, I don’t know if whoever was at this house before is still here. Ian was at his apartment in Polaris last I checked.
The headlights behind me cut off as we make our way to the house. I move to the right, parking behind the two vehicles still out front.
I’m watching the windows, so I see when a curtain flicks to the side.
“Did you see that?” Max questions without taking her eyes off the house. She’s jittery and moving around more than usual. I want to insist she wait in the car, but I know it would just piss her off. The vest I made her put on makes me feel a tiny bit better, but I won’t be comfortable until I know everyone in the house is either secured or dead.
I hear a chorus of doors closing around me, and I step out of the car with Max following suit. I keep my eyes on the house, looking for more movement, but it’s still. I have no idea what I’m about to walk into, and I have no doubt it’s less dangerous than the shit we did to take over the city, but I’m not going to take anything for granted.
Several of the guys surround the house, making sure there’s nowhere to run, while Iron and I meet up at the front steps. He grins over at me, and the light from the window next to the door shows me his wild eyes. He’s fucking excited. If Max were safe at home, I might be too, but the lead in my stomach won’t let me relax yet.
He rocks his head from left to right and balls his hands into fists. “Thanks for the excuse to let off some steam, brother. It’s been a minute since I got my hands dirty.”
“Don’t get cocky. I don’t know what’s inside.”
“I’ve got ya, pops,” he mocks, not at all concerned.
Max is on our heels as we walk up the steps. A voice calls out from inside before we make it to the porch. “I called the police. They’ll be here any minute.”
“Nice try, fuck face. Open the door.” I know he didn’t call anyone. Iron brought toys, and he already assured me that no cells would work the minute we were within five hundred feet of the house, not to mention I’m pretty sure the cops are the last people they want here. “Open the door.”
“No. I have a gun,” the man warns. I reach back and pull Max so she’s right behind me. Nothing will get to her without going through me first.
I motion for Iron to step back and lift the shotgun in my hand, then I fire two shots into the door near the locks. The booms are deafening on the porch, but I don’t reach to cover my ears. Hell, it’s a wonder I’m not partially deaf already.
A scream comes from inside, and Iron kicks the door open. “We have guns too, fucker.” The man slumped on the floor holding his bloody stomach gapes up at us, as if he can’t believe he got shot. I can’t believe he was dumb enough to stand that close to the door.
Iron wastes no time shoving the man all the way to the ground and patting him down for a weapon while I lean down and pick up the rifle on the floor near the door. Dumbass must have dropped it.
“You know him?” I ask Max over my shoulder.
She shifts behind me and says, “Never seen him.” The man’s eyes narrow, though, as if he recognizes her.
“Who else is here?” I question while looking around the woodsy interior of the cabin. I’m not sure that’s the right word. It’s too fucking nice to call it a cabin. The man pinches his lips as if that’s going to stop him from speaking.
Iron grabs him by the shoulders and props him upright again, only to punch him in the face so the man collapses back to the floor. “Who else is here?” I repeat.
“What the fuck do you want?” he finally asks, moving his jaw from left to right with a wince. Iron packs a hell of a punch, so he must have refrained a little if this chump is still conscious and talking.
