Page 231 of Malice and Surrender
Hand trembling, she held out the blade that was dripping red and whimpered as she let go of the handle. I stabbed Dave through the eye up to the decorative hilt. Raine’s body slumped, and she looked like she would fall over. Reaching out, I gripped her under the arms like a small child and stood in a single motion.
“Kai,” she cried, her arms wrapping around my neck, her body shaking uncontrollably as she clung to me. “You came for me.” I hated that even a shadow of doubt existed in her mind.
“Always.” I held her tighter. “I’ll always come for you.” Her crying got louder, but she kept mumbling how much she loved me over and over.
Marching for the door as the fire spread, I kept my eyes open for other threats. I hadn’t seen Frank on my way in and hoped that Roach or someone else found him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the coward found a hole to crawl into the moment the fighting started.
The shooting outside had stopped, but I still poked my head out the door to check that all was clear before stepping into the mid-day sun. All those we captured were on their knees with their hands zip-tied behind their back. I didn’t know what Chase planned on doing with them, but if it were left up to me, I’d make sure an example was made of them.
“I’m going in, now fucking let go of me,” Jace growled as Avro, Roach, and Chase held him back.
“Snake will find her,” Roach said, but Jace looked ready to throw down with the three men.
“The fire is getting bigger. What if something happened to them? Let go,” Jace roared.
I took a moment to appreciate Jace. He sure didn’t act like a celebrity. He was as ornery and ready to fight as any of the guys in the club. I had come to terms and was at peace with them and our relationship. They’d proven their loyalty to Raine, and that was good enough for me. The rest we would figure out.
Before they all ended up in a brawl, I whistled, and they looked over. The relief was evident in their eyes as Avro and Jace ran in my direction. They didn’t even wait for me to put her down before we were wrapped up in a hug.
Roach caught my eye, and he shook his head. I knew what that meant. They didn’t find Frank.
“I love you guys so much,” Raine said.
“We love you too,” Avro said. “We were all so scared.”
“I didn’t think I was ever going to see any of you again,” she said, breaking down into sobs that shook her body.
I didn’t know what this relationship would look like six months or even a year down the road. What I knew was that all the shit I’d been worrying about didn’t matter. All I cared about was Raine. The rest would sort itself out.
The building behind us exploded, and a large pillar of smoke snaked its way up into the sky, blocking out the bright rays of the sun.
In a way, we were back to where it all started, and even though I never wanted Raine to have to defend herself, I hoped it helped her sleep at night, knowing that she’d gotten her revenge. She deserved to see them all burn in hell.
I glanced around at the burning buildings and for trees beyond that. This wasn’t over. One day I’d find Frank, and I’d make him pay.
Two down, but still one to go.
THREE MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, AND THREE DAYS LATER
Raine
I stared at the stunning, simple wedding dress in the mirror before slipping my arms into the leather jacket. Turning to see the back, I smirked at the Lost Souls emblem.
“Are you sure you want to wear a leather jacket for your wedding,” Emma, the seamstress, asked.
Smiling, I took it off and turned for her to unzip the dress. “Yeah, I really do. It’ll still be ready next week?”
“Yes, all the minor adjustments will be complete.” Emma smiled as I walked into the changing room to get dressed. I glanced at the ring Jace had given me and then at the other two rings on the same hand. I looked like I was diamond-obsessed, but fair was fair.
Kai wanted the middle finger for his black diamond arrangement. He said it was a classic fuck you to the social norms.
Avro chose my index finger, and now my hand was worth a fortune and could be used as a weapon.
I kept Jace’s on my wedding finger. It had taken the jeweler a while to get the blood off it and put it back together. My overwhelming happiness quickly fell as I pictured it coated in blood. Looking up at the mirror, I couldn’t help but turn to stare at the mark on my arm.
I ran my fingers over the area. The brand had been a firm ridge before Jace found a plastic surgeon willing to fix it. Once it was fully healed, I would get a tattoo to finish covering it up.
Dave’s face haunted me, but what I’d succumbed to haunted me more. I still remembered everything from the hours I was in Frank and Dave’s grasp, and so many times, I woke up in a cold sweat with Dave’s mangled body taunting me. I jerked my fingers away from the spot as I felt myself slipping down that hole. I hated to think about that day.
