Page 44 of Kiwi

"It's going to feel good to kill one of you pieces of shit with my bare hands," the fucker on top of me heaves as spittle flies from his mouth.

As he chokes me, pressure builds behind my eyes. I thrust the blade upward, beneath his rib cage, then twist it. His eyes grow wide, and his hands lax. I shove him off and get to my feet. Retrieving my gun, I stand over him as he stares blankly into the night sky, his life fading. Bending, I pull my knife from his chest, wiping the blood off on his sleeve. Walking away, I leave him to die.

It's not until I've picked the crowbar up again that I realize how quiet it has become. With my back to the container, where Piper is still screaming my name, I raise my weapon, ready to shoot when I hear footsteps approach.

"Kiwi," Nova calls before moving closer.

One by one, each brother starts to appear, battle-worn, but alive. "Report," Riggs orders.

"Everyone is dead, besides the fucker who took off running through the marsh. Gabriel gave chase," Logan reports with a grin. "And trust me, the son of a bitch won't get too far."

"Piper," Nova yells, as I pull at the padlock.

"Daddy?"

"I'm here, baby girl," Nova reassures his daughter just as the lock busts open. I pull the chain from the handle, throwing it to the ground. Jake unlocks one locked hinge as Wick unlocks the other. They take a step back as I swing open the heavy steel doors—a burst of hot musty air blasts my face. Cowboy shines a light inside, to find several women clinging to each other, huddled in the very back of the container. My eyes land on Piper. Nova rushes passed, taking his daughter into his arms, and I can't help but wish it were me instead of him holding her. The other men walk inside the steel cage, assisting the women to their feet, and ushering them outside. "Are you alright?" Nova looks her over.

"I'm fine, daddy—promise."

"Unlock those other containers," Jake orders. Logan and Riggs take off. Cowboy says something to Jake before jumping behind the truck's wheel to transport Piper and the other women she was with. Throwing it in drive, Cowboy takes off down the road.

"Who are you?Don't touch me." A frightened voice cries out, gaining Piper's attention. Pulling away from Nova, Piper goes to comfort the woman.

"Shh. It's okay. These men are my family. You can trust them," Piper consoles the woman then turns to Austin, who was trying to help her. "Her name is Lelani. She's blind."

Kneeling, Austin whispers something to the frightened woman, then scoops her frail body into his arm, cradling her against his chest. The redhead buries her face in Austin's neck as he carries her out.

I'm still standing just outside the container, watching Piper with her father. I release a breath when her eyes search for mine once more. Giving Nova one more hug, Piper rushes toward me, throwing her body against my chest. Some of the weight I've been carrying vanishes. She doesn't say a word, and neither do I. Piper clutches onto me like I'm her lifeline, and my arms engulf around her. Piper sniffles. Pulling back a bit, I place my finger beneath her chin, lifting her face, and her red-rimmed eyes lock on mine, but it's the swollen black eye, along with a small laceration on her cheek lit by the moonlight that turns my blood cold. "Who hit you?" I bark.

Piper brings her hand up, brushing her fingertips along her skin. "A guy with a neck tattoo," is the only information she can offer.

Movement in the distance catches my attention, and I notice an incredibly angry Gabriel stomping across the yard, with a mud-covered man in tow. Nova meets Gabriel before he gets closer to the women. Piper peers in the direction I'm looking, but I make her look away. "I need you to help Austin with the women. Can you do that for me?" I look down at her battered but beautiful face. The need to kiss her is strong, so much so that I find it hard to walk away. I continue to stare at her for a beat, waiting for a response.

"Yeah. I need to check on Jia and Lelani anyway." Piper starts to walk away, then stops and looks over her shoulder. "Hey, Tai."

"Yeah?"

"I knew you would find me."

"Lucifer himself couldn't have stopped me," I confess, and I hope she feels the weight of my words.

Crossing the yard, I join Nova, Gabriel, and Riggs. On his knees between them is the man who ran like a fucking coward. "Fuck you, asshole," his dead eyes look at Gabriel before spitting blood at his feet. Nova shines a flashlight in his eyes, causing him to squint. I take notice of the blood dripping from his severely broken nose. Gabriel gives him a boot to the kidney area, and the guy yells in pain.

"Gag the motherfucker," Riggs orders and Gabriel produces a bandana, along with a small roll of duct tape. Who the fuck carries duct tape around?

As he's stifling the fuckers noise, I catch a glimpse of the ink on his neck. Grabbing the dirtbag's hair, I jerk his head to one side. "Give me some light, will ya?" I ask, and Nova aims the beam. Without thought, my fists connect with his face several times before I release the man. Heaving, I lift my eyes, looking at my brothers, who stare back, waiting for an answer to my sudden rage. "He's the dirty bastard who gave Piper the black eye she's sportin'."

Nova's nostrils flare, and he looks to Riggs. "He's not talkin' anyway. He's all yours, brother," Riggs tells him, then motions for me and Gabriel to walk with him, leaving Nova to do as he wishes with the piece of shit.

Several minutes pass after making our way back to where Jake, Logan, and Austin have eighteen scared, battered and dehydrated women loaded into the passenger van Cowboy had returned with, before hearing a single shot pierce through the silence that has fallen around us. My eyes never leave Piper, who stands beside her friend Jia, and Lelani, who will be riding back to the clubhouse with us by Piper's request.

We wait a few more minutes for Nova to join us. Walking up to Piper, he kisses her forehead.

Cowboy tosses a set of keys to Logan. "Here. Get yourselves back to your bikes. I have a timer set for this place to blow within thirty minutes. That should give you plenty of time." He looks back at the van, filled with women. "I need to transport them to a secure location, where they will get medical treatment before helping them get back home to their loved ones." He finds Riggs amongst us men. "Brother," he salutes him. "Stay alive."

Wasting no time, Logan jumps into the driver seat, and the rest of us, including Piper, Jia, and Lelani, load up on the back of the flatbed truck, taking us to the location we left our bikes. With Piper's help, Lelani settles behind Austin, her arms wrapping around his waist. Jia climbs on behind Jake, gripping onto his cut for dear life. Without hesitating, Piper settles in behind me. "Need you to hold on tight, babe. We'll be ridin' out hard and fast." Our engines rumble, and I fall in line with the others, my speed increases when my tires hit the blacktop. Piper slides forward, pressing her body against mine, her legs hugging my thighs, and her hands clutching my waist. Like thunder, I hear the explosion behind us as my bike eats the asphalt, putting as much distance between us and the destruction we left behind. In my side mirrors, the night sky glows orange from the fire's flames. Flicking my wrist, I twist the throttle hauling arse alongside my brothers.

Less than an hour later,we're rolling through the gates of the compound. Barely able to stand, I pull Piper to my side. Pop is sitting outside alone, smoking a cigar, with his shotgun resting on his lap. He stands, and I stop before entering the clubhouse. "My granddaughter, okay?" he asks, his forehead wrinkles more pronounced as he looks at her with worry.