Page 91 of Sparrow

It’s locked.

His eyes turn to me, flat and blank, like he’s not at all surprised to find the door locked. “She’s already seen them. She’s locking herself in. But there are more doors and windows than she can get to. They’re already here.”

I don’t even have to ask. They’re here, and they’ll get into the house and get her.

They’ll take our girl.

I turn and run for the entrance again, my gun in one hand and my other reaching for the brass knuckles I always keep in my back pocket.

Because I’ll be well and truly fucked if I let them take her back from us.

I’ll die before I let that happen.

“Call Bear and Gunner!” I shout behind me. “We’re gonna need some backup!”

I don’t wait to see that he does it. And I don’t have to look back to see that our crew is coming with me, their weapons in hand and their faces furious. They know where Arden came from, and they lover her almost as much as I do, at this point.

And absolutely none of us is going to lose her. Not after everything she’s done for us.

Mars

We rush forward en masse, drills and hammers and screwdrivers in our hands like we’re some sort of deranged group of superheroes.

It’s how I feel right now. I feel like I could fly if I tried, like I could destroy anyone in my way with a single look. These men, these criminals, had my girl locked in a cottage, and though I’ve gone out of my way not to think about that for days, now it’s all I can remember.

I don’t know if the Saints are the ones who kidnapped her, and I don’t fucking care. Because they were holding her hostage, and that’s just as fucking bad.

I should have given my men the command to go after them days ago. Right after we rescued her, when we realized who they were. Hell, I could have told them after the Saints attacked the girls at the cafe. Every single one of my men would have jumped at the chance to protect Sammy and Taryn, and they would have sold their souls to protect Arden.

I should have.

But I didn’t. I was too distracted by everything else.

Now, I’m not distracted.

And I want blood for what they’ve done to the girl.

We tear into the first group of them, our fists raised and ready. I see Dutch take one man out while Whiskey stabs another with a screwdriver, and on my other side Orion is beating a man with the butt of his gun.

I want to tell him to use the fucking thing right, but I’m too busy with the man in front of me. I slip my brass knuckles onto my fingers with the ease of long familiarity and swing, but he ducks the swing and comes up aiming at my nose. I get out of the way of his swing and take it in the shoulder, and he pulls a gun from somewhere. Before he can pull the trigger, Rookie tosses me a tire iron and I swing, connecting with the man’s temple.

He hits the pavement like a sack of stones and I step over him, already swinging for the next guy in line. I have to get through this group of defenders to the men with the rope. They’re still heading for the house and Arden is in there by herself.

I’m not going to let them take her again.

I hear her scream and my swinging gets more frantic, man after man going down until I’m in a clearing and can see the front door of the house. The Saints are at it, and though it’s locked, they’ve got someone in front of the door trying to pick the lock.

I don’t think he’ll manage. I had Gunner design that lock specially, and I think it’s unbreakable. But I’m not willing to chance it. I take one more man out and sprint for the group trying to break into my home, murder on my mind and fury rushing through my veins. Orion appears from somewhere and falls into stride with me, and a second later Bear tears into the driveway in his truck and screeches to a halt. He jumps out and takes up my other side, and I glance over to see that he’s brought two guns.

Of course he has.

Bear always has to be so extra.

“Where’s your brother?” I shout, wanting as many men here as I can get.

“Fucking out of town, but you know he’s no good in a situation like this anyhow,” he says. “He’s lost his edge.”

“Lost it? He never fucking had one,” I return.