CHAPTER1
Levin
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I gave the grenade in Dom’s hand a nervous glance.
He’d come up with this insane idea during the drive to where we were meeting the horsemen that he was going in with a grenade and pulling the pin. The plan was still being worked out past that.
How the hell we were going to manage was beyond me.
“Yes, I’m sure. If it doesn’t work out, we all die together.” Dom gave me a dark look, confirming what I’d already figured.
“That’s not exactly reassuring,” Fallon muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I need to call Nattie.” He sat back in his seat and put his phone to his ear, ignoring us.
“Dom, man—”
“I know, OK? I can’t let her die. I can’t let Vin die. If I don’t make it out, please take care of her. Do whatever you have to do.” He quickly thumbed through his phone.
My phone buzzed a moment later.
“I sent you codes to get into my safes. You know where all the safe houses are. There are money and weapons. Everything is all yours. There’s plenty to give her a decent life.”
“You’re going to be fine. We’ll make it out,” I said thickly, my eyes focused on the road.
We were minutes out, and I would’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t struggling to keep my sanity. Someone had bumblebee. They had Vin. Two of the three most important people in my world. Four if I counted the Russian prick in the backseat. His position in my ranking system was still being tallied.
I’d seen the way the blood rushed from Fallon’s face when Dom told us she’d been taken by the horsemen. The way his hands had shaken. His sharp intake of breath. The terror in his eyes.
“We might,” Dom agreed softly. “But we might not. That message to your phone is in case we don’t.”
I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to bumblebee and Vin. Maybe Dom’s crazy plan would work.
“If I die and you assholes live, make sure Nattie is protected, OK? She’s going to leave if she doesn’t hear back from me in a few hours.” Fallon paused. “And please make sure Bianca is safe if I don’t make it out.”
“You act like you’re going to die,” Dom said with a grunt. “I thought lords rolled hard and deep.”
Fallon scoffed. “I’ve never had to rescue my girl from a rival gang. Add to it, you’re a fucking madman with a grenade, and I’d say nothing I’ve ever done with the lords can compare.”
“I’ll make sure that’s written on your tombstone,” I said, making a hard left.
The tires of Dom’s blacked out SUV squealed around the corner as I gunned it.
“Russian fuckwit couldn’t compare.”
“Easy, shit for brains.” Fallon scowled at me from the backseat.
“Enough,” Dom said. “Let’s talk strategy. Drop me off a block away. I’ll walk in. You guys find a suitable place to park that’ll be easy for us to get back to if we get out of there alive. My phone is in my pocket on vibrate. Send a text. I’ll feel it. Don’t send it to me until you’re in position.”
“And where’s the position?” I asked, my hands twisted tightly around the steering wheel.
“Wherever you can get in and not be seen. This grenade will blow about ten seconds after I pull the pin. Fallon, I need you to cover me and Levin,” Dom said, turning to look at him. “We’ll grab Vin and Bianca.”
“How the fuck are we going to do all of this in ten seconds?” Fallon demanded.
“With a little distraction and a fuck ton of prayer,” Dom said. “Safest place is behind something heavy if this thing goes off, which I’m hoping it will. We just need to be clear of it when it happens. It’ll be chaos after that. That’s when we’ll make a break for it to the car. I expect you to already be in the driver’s seat waiting for us.”
“I’ll try,” Fallon said, looking nervous.
“I’ll attempt to talk sense to them. If they won’t listen, I’ll blow the place up.” Dom stared out the window at the passing scenery, a muscle thrumming along his jaw.