Axel and a few of the other men had come hurrying back to defend the Noble heir—I doubted they cared about me. “Their back-up’s arrived,” Axel hollered. “Let’s get going, now.”
Wylder tugged my shoulder. I thought of how Ezra had so easily dismissed my idea that I appeal to the former Claws members, and resolve gripped my chest.
“If my father—and the Claws—ever meant anything to you,” I called out to Jenner, “give me a little faith too. Colt should be destroyed for what he did to my family and our people. I want you to help me take him down, once and for all.”
Wylder pulled me away, Axel and the others training their guns past us in case the other men showed their faces.
“Get them!” Jenner ordered in a cold voice. “Don’t let any of them escape.”
I flinched inwardly, but my body knew enough to start running. Wylder cursed under his breath, keeping half his attention behind us as we sprinted toward the door. He fired a few shots, and I heard a body thump. Some ridiculous part of me hoped it hadn’t been the former Claws men, even after all that.
Axel and the others came charging after us, sidestepping so they could return the fire that was aimed our way. We reached the door, I rammed my shoulder into it, and just like that we were stumbling out into the humid summer night.
Fighting had broken out all across the courtyard. More cars had pulled in through the front entrance; the concrete yard was a mess of brawling bodies. Kaige and Rowan were right in the thick of it, landing punches and kicks between pulling their triggers at opponents farther away.
We had to get back to the truck so we could get out of here. There were so many men and guns between us and it. I gritted my teeth, wiped the blood off my wound, and dashed into the heart of the fight, Wylder right beside me. My pulse thrummed with a weird sort of eagerness I didn’t look at too closely.
I concentrated on the attackers in front of us, kicking the legs out from under one of the Steel Knights and aiming my gun at another who was firing at one of the Demon’s Wings guys. My bullets caught him in the chest, but too late—our ally was already crumpling to the ground, blood gushing from his neck and shoulder.
Damn it. I swung around at a rush of movement nearby, and found myself careening to the side as a burly form shoved past me. Before I could catch my balance, I’d collided with someone’s back.
My shoulder screamed in protest at the impact against my wound. Our feet tangled, and we both tumbled over.
It was another of the Demon’s Wings guys I’d stumbled into—the one with the shaggy hair who’d brought the truck. He glared at me as we scrambled to our feet. Pain seared all through my arm.
Axel reached down and yanked me the rest of the way up, ignoring the gasp of pain I couldn’t hold back. “Didn’t see you there,” he said with a sneer. I guessed he was the one who’d bumped into me. I barely held back a glare as I steadied myself on my feet.
The Demon’s Wings guy snarled at me. “Do you want me to get killed, bitch?”
My jaw twitched, but I reined in my temper. “It was an accident. I apologize.”
“Stay in your lane.” He pulled out another gun and started shooting at the men coming at us. Axel raised his hands as if in surrender. I didn’t have time to waste my breath on him, so I hurried onward, my gun raised.
Up ahead, Kaige had already jumped into the driver’s seat of the truck. It looked like I wasn’t the getaway driver this time.
Wylder had made it to the truck too. “Everyone with me, get over here, away from the building,” he yelled, holding up the device that would detonate the explosives.
He was going to set them off. That would definitely turn the tide in our favor—as long as we were out of the way.
I rushed toward them alongside our other allies, getting in a few more shots to help clear the path. I was just five feet from the truck when Wylder pressed the button.
The first explosion held enough power to shake the ground. I staggered, and Rowan was there, grabbing my arm to stop me from falling again.
The structure of the factory rattled, bricks shaking loose from the spire and a terrible rattling sound reverberating from inside. Debris rained down on the Steel Knights who were still closer to the warehouse.
The booms thundered louder and louder as the chain reaction sped up. Flames burst through the shattering windows, and smoke gushed up. With one final bursting sound, the roof collapsed in like it was a house of cards. The walls shuddered and toppled in on each other, the fire devouring everything in the mess of the broken warehouse.
Pandemonium had broken out across the yard. The Steel Knights who’d been too close were now just scalded bodies in the midst of the rubble. Others wove back and forth looking dazed, bleeding and dusted with soot.
The rest of the Nobles and the Demon’s Wings gathered close around the truck, staring but ready with their weapons all the same. This might have been a little more destruction than we’d pictured. My eyes watered with the wafts of smoke and dust that reached us.
“Everyone into the truck,” Wylder shouted.
Rowan started to guide me by the arm, but my gaze snagged on a figure swaying out of the wreckage. Jenner. He looked to be in bad shape, blood pouring from his forehead. The factory behind him burned brightly, the flames of it so hot that I could only take a few steps toward him before it became too much. But that’s where I held my ground.
Rowan tugged on my arm. “Let’s go, Mercy.” He followed my gaze to see Jenner, whose foot caught in the rubble and tripped him to his knees. “He’d have killed you if he had the chance.”
He had no idea just how true that was. But just then, the fire must have reached one of the crates of ammunition. Another explosion went off, sending a fresh burst of flames and flying rubble almost to Jenner’s heels. Something in me balked at turning my back on him.
I couldn’t just leave Jenner like that. He’d ordered my death moments ago, but he’d been misled by Colt… just like I’d been for nearly a year. If I could be tricked by the man for that long, if Dad could have been, did I really have any place blaming someone else for believing his lies?
I couldn’t see one of our men lose his life because of one stupid mistake.
Ignoring the heat, I took off running towards him. Behind me, Rowan yelled my name. I hefted Jenner to his feet and started dragging him on his unsteady feet. He was heavier than I expected.
Both Rowan and Wylder ran over to me with tense expressions. “I’m not leaving him here,” I said before they could get on my case. “Help me or get out of my way.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Wylder muttered, blowing out his breath in frustration, but they both stepped in and pulled the guy away from me. Before I had to protest, they jogged with him over to the edge of the compound where at least there was no chance of the fire or any new explosions reaching him.
That was all I’d wanted. I dove into the back of the truck. The two guys followed me. We crouched there with the rest of the men as the engine roared. Kaige turned us toward the street, and I tossed one last look toward Jenner before we tore around the corner and away.