Page 29 of Rough Road

“You should be in Belize with Eli.”

She chuckled as if any of this was funny, as if any of the things they’d been through weren’t hanging over their heads and wouldn’t continue hanging over their head until this was over. “Well, I felt like I belonged here, taking care of the club and taking care of you.”

He shook his head. “The club. That’s what this is about?”

She hadn’t seen him angry often and the intensity of it surprised her almost as much as how he could twist her words into something she didn’t mean. “No, Einstein. It’s about you and us and me. I need to be here to see this through so we can get on with our lives and you can stop blaming yourself. But it’s also about the club and what it meant to my dad and how I won’t let it go to some cheap shot loser who thinks he can be Max.”

“And you think you can be Max?” His disbelief struck something in her, a deeper, darker anger than any she’d felt before. She might have expected it from Kye or Sage or even Hamilton, but not from Grier.

“I know I can.” Ruthlessness was part of the nurture versus nature debate, and that same ruthlessness had cycled through her childhood. “So, just stay out of my way, Grier.”

The first shot ricocheted off a tree, missing everything but leafy branches, but the unmistakable ping said the time had come. It had started.

* * *

Grier listened. More shots. More bikes. The screech of brakes locking up. The thwack of bodies falling. He glanced at Fiona. His warrior princess. Rifle in hand, pistol in her waistband.

They’d planned for Sage and Hamilton to take four Omens to “interrogate,” who would either lead them to Kye or die. Sedotal wasn’t to be touched. Not by anyone but Fiona or Grier.

From his spot, Grier watched Hamilton dragging one of the motorcycle riders behind a tree. They hadn’t counted on the Omens bringing Kye along, in a van that slipped past Kye’s computer trap. The black, windowless vehicle sped to the center of the compound and slid to a dusty stop. The side panel door opened, and Tyler Sedotal stepped out with a gun in one hand and Kye in the other.

“Come out, come out wherever you are.” Sedotal sing-songed the words then deadpanned, “Or I’ll blow his fucking head off right now.”

Grier caught Fiona by the arm. If he’d let her, she would’ve walked out there and shot first. Not that he could blame her, but she was their element of surprise. Their only one now, since Sedotal coming in this way had voided the others. “Stay here. He won’t expect you to be here.” He walked toward the door. “If you get a good shot, take it.” When she nodded, he added, “Don’t come out until you’ve taken him down, Fiona.” Fury darkened her eyes. “I mean it.” Softer he added, “I love you.”

She nodded to the opening. “Go.”

They’d underestimated Sedotal. They’d not given him enough credit, and now, he had Kye as his human shield. Grier raised the shotgun Sedotal would eventually force him to put down and walked out. Since this wasn’t Kye’s first hostage situation—he’d once been Max’s right hand, a hot commodity for other clubs as a bargaining chip—he walked ahead, not struggling, but not making it easy for Sedotal to move him either. His steps stuttered and Sedotal yanked him backward, closer to his body. And since Kye towered over him, the amount of space Fiona had to take her shot shrunk.

“Had your wife, now I’ve got your boyfriend. Hard couple of weeks, huh?” Sedotal smirked at Grier and took a hold of Kye’s hair, jerking his head back. “Did your wife tell you the fun we had?”

“She said you weren’t man enough to get it up.” She hadn’t said anything much at all about her time with him. “Is that because your dick doesn’t work, or do you prefer your dates more masculine?”

“My dick’s fine. Ask your wife.” Grier ignored the jibes and stared hard at Sedotal. Gun hand extended toward Grier shaking. Twitchy left eye. Nerves. Maybe nerve damage. Either way, an advantage.

“Already did. I think she said small and broken. Doesn’t matter. You’re dealing with me now and I don’t give a shit about your dick.”

“I would rather deal with her. Where is she?”

And like they didn’t have a plan, like she didn’t give a good god damn about her own safety she walked out of the cabin. “I’m right here.” Her grin, if something so evil could be called that, was darker than anything Grier had ever seen. His heart faltered. “And I gotta say all this witty banter is thrilling, but not really why we’re here. So, are you done stalling?”

Sedotal stared at Fiona. “You’re awfully brave for someone wearing my brand next to her pussy.” She didn’t talk, just kept grinning that sick little smile. “Put your gun down or your boy dies.”

Fiona scoffed. “Not my boy. He’s a traitor. Shoot him if you want.” Grier couldn’t tell if she meant it or not. She spoke with a quiet ferocity. “He was never one of us anyway.”

Kye, whose face resembled a sad, misshapen clown’s whose makeup had run in all the worst ways, lifted his head to stare at Fiona. “Bitch.”

Grier’s gut clenched at the slide of metal on metal and the unmistakable click of the bolt. She’d loaded a shell into the chamber. And this time, Grier wasn’t sure who she planned to shoot. “Move him. I’ll get rid of him and you can deal with me. Just the way you wanted.” She ground the words out as he shoved Kye to the ground. Fiona shifted the rifle and aimed at Kye. Sedotal aimed at Fiona, Grier aimed at him. Kye remained on the ground with a rifle pointed at him. He lifted his head, looked at Fiona, winked, and reached as if asking for help. She tossed him the rifle, he twisted around and aimed at Sedotal as Fiona pulled the pistol from behind her back. Now three guns aimed at Sedotal.

The evil in her smile deepened. “You seem to have a choice. You can shoot one of us and the other two will open fire and you’re gonna be nothing but a bad memory. Or you can put your shit down now and do as you’re told.”

Grier waited as Tyler threw his head back and laughed. “You always let your bitch talk for you?”

He shrugged. “I like the sound of her voice.”

Tyler aimed at Fiona but stared at Grier. “I like when she cries in pain.” Why hadn’t Fiona fired? This could all be over. “Do you know what a duel is?”

“A duel?”