Page 38 of Griffin
Darby stepped back from the wall, rubbing her throat.She caught my eye through the thinning smoke and her lips curled into something that was half grin, half bared teeth.“Thanks,” she rasped.
“Any time.”I moved past her, trying to stay low to make myself a smaller target and to find a spot to see through the haze around us.
The fight was over faster than I expected.Iron’s team likely hadn’t planned on the club returning or rebounding from the initial surprise so quickly.Within minutes, the compound crawled with Kiss of Death members who’d poured back through the gates like a tide of fury.The smoke dissipated as a couple of men went around opening windows as they secured the place.I still hadn’t spotted anyone other than the man who’d attacked Darby.Which meant I’d missed the core of the fighting.Cool night air rushed in, and the vast interior resolved itself.Two downed attackers and one more lay face down being zip-tied by Tiny and Gunnar with casual efficiency.
Griffin came through the door last, weapon drawn, scanning every corner with those deep-set green eyes until they found me.I stood in the middle of the room with the pistol still in my hands.My ears rang.My hands trembled with the crash of adrenaline, a fine vibration I couldn’t stop no matter how hard I gripped the gun.I probably looked half feral.
Griffin stopped in front of me.His gaze pinned me.I still held the gun, painfully aware of the downed man I’d shot, still groaning and clutching his side where Darby’s knife had found him.Then Griffin looked back at me and his fierce expression let me see exactly the kind of warrior lived inside Griffin.
“You OK?”he asked.
“I’m fine.”My voice came out steadier than I felt.“Were they after me?”
“Likely.”He didn’t ask why I wasn’t in the panic room.He didn’t tell me I should have stayed hidden.He just reached out and squeezed my shoulder once, firm and grounding, and then stepped past me to help deal with the aftermath.
I turned back to the man on the floor, the one who’d had his hands around Darby’s throat.He lay on his side, groaning as blood pooling under him from the knife wound.
I walked over to him and drove my boot between his legs with every ounce of rage I’d been carrying since the night I crawled out ofEnclave Éclipse, surrounded by the bodies of people I’d worked with.His howl echoed through the warehouse, a high, thin sound that bounced off the concrete walls and made Tiny look up with raised eyebrows.
“That’s for my sister, you piece of shit,” I said, and turned away from him.
Gunnar snagged Griffin as he stomped his way in my direction, phone to his ear.Griffin looked confused, but followed without a word.When Gunnar reached me, he held my gaze as he continued to speak to the caller.“Hannah, I’m giving the phone to Veda.Tell her what you’ve got.”
My gaze darted to Griffin before going back to Gunnar and taking the phone.“Hannah?What’s going on?”
“Veda.One of the women here knew Tessa by name, asking if we found another woman on another transport.”Hannah spoke calmly, but I could hear her anxiety as she spoke.“If she’s right, and she admits she can’t be sure how much she imagined and how much actually happened, but she says Iron took Tessa from where they were held two days ago.”
I felt the breath leave my lungs.“She’s alive?”
“Two days ago, yes.At least, I think it’s been two days.They drugged the women so she said it could be more or less.From what I could piece together, ‘special handling’ means she’s young enough to pass as a virgin.”
“I swear to God, Hannah.I’m gonna find Iron and when I do, I will kill him and make him suffer every indignity I can think of.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone and I thought I’d either lost Hannah, or I’d said too much and pushed Hannah away.I should have known better.
“On my word as Knuckles’ old lady, bringing the full weight of my husband’s position as president of Kiss of Death, Veda, I will make sure you have this kill.”
I’m not sure I could have been more surprised at anything she might have said.“Are you shittin’ me right now?Making fun of me?”I didn’t see it of the woman, but I had only known her a short time.
“No, Veda.”She didn’t sound like she took offense.In fact, she sounded gravely serious.“I mean what I say.And I make good on my promises.”
“Thank you,” I said.“I’m sorry I said that.Thank you for calling me.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.You’re one of us, Veda.No matter what happens next.You’re one of us, and we will protect you with the full weight of the club.You and your sister.And that means getting the retribution you feel is fitting for the crime.”
I lowered the phone in a daze.Griffin stepped close, reaching out to touch my hand and, very slowly, pulled me closer to him.
I handed Gunnar his phone, adding softly, “Thank you.”
Griffin found me again a few minutes later.I was sitting on the floor with my back against the wall and the gun resting on my thigh, staring at nothing.He lowered himself down beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched, and didn’t say a word.
“She’s alive,” I whispered.“They think she’s still alive.At least she was two days ago.”
Griffin’s jaw clenched and his hand tightened on mine.“I promised you I’ll bring her home and I will.I’ll bring her home, no matter what.”
I looked up into his eyes and finally voiced the one concern I hadn’t dared to ask myself.“What if she’s not alive, Griffin?”
“I’ll bring her home anyway.You will get your sister back, Veda.I can’t promise she’ll be alive, but I can promise you that I’ll bring her home.”
