Cruz (Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC #5) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,92

kept me up at night too, so just sitting here was a blessing. Something I didn't take advantage of often.

"Do you have to have this trash on so loud?"

I squinted at my brother, whose head had just peeped through the screen.

"You're going to let bugs in."

He snorted. "That all you have to say?"

"Sorry to disappoint," was my dry retort, but I kept my face averted from him lest he see my smile. "But you and I both know I'd flick your nose if I was closer. As it stands, I'm too damn tired to get up."

He huffed. "You need to take a break. When was the last time you went on a vacation..." Before I had a chance to answer, he answered himself, "Wasn't it when you went to Vancouver? With Jesse?"

I cut him a look. "Niagara Falls, and yes, for his wedding."

Rain rolled his eyes. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride."

That had me laughing. "You trying to make me feel good about myself tonight, kid?"

"Not a kid anymore. I'm officially an adult," he retorted.

"When you call Madame Butterfly trash, that's when I know you're a kid."

"So I'll be a kid until I'm ninety? Because I'll never like that—"

Before the two of us could carry on bickering, the explosion seemed to tear through the airwaves. We were two miles down the road from the Sinners' compound but, unerringly, I knew that was where the blast's epicenter would be found.

Not only because the Sinners were the only people in the local area who would ever get their asses blown up, but because they were my only neighbors for miles around.

I jerked onto my feet, the bench skidding backward in my haste and Rain rushed forward, his hands and mine coming to the railing as we stared at the clouds in the sky, rosy red, a luminescent orange.

My mouth trembled as I whispered, "Rex."

Rain, sounding like the kid he'd just vowed he wasn't, whispered, "He'll be okay, won't he, Rach?"

I bit my lip. "There's only one way to find out." Turning to him, I grabbed his arm and said, "Call the cops, but stay here, Rain. I need you to stay here because I won't be able to help if I'm worrying about you."

"I can help too!"

I shook my head. "You know I don't want you involved with the Sinners, dammit."

Rain pulled a face, but we both knew why I didn't.

It still surprised me when he didn't argue anymore though, and he kept his teenaged butt silent as I rushed inside, grabbed my keys, hauled ass out into the yard and jumped into my SUV.

Within five minutes, I was barreling down my driveway, out of the gates, and was resenting every minute's distance between me and the Sinners.

It wasn't like there was anything I could do when I got there, but I just needed to know.

I just... shit. I just needed to know.

What with Giulia and Luke Lancaster, then the Farquars, and Stone's legal situation recently... I did my job for more reasons than the salary Rex put into my bank account every month.

As much as I denied them, as much as I'd cut ties with them on a social level a long time ago, they were my family.

And my family was under attack.

I drove too fast, which meant the bushes either side of the SUV on the thin track that was the road to my property probably scraped the shit out of the sides, but I didn't care. Didn't give a damn.

I raced harder, faster, and when I reached the gates, I happened to see a set of taillights barreling down the road toward the town.

Squinting, I failed to register the license plate, so I took a mental note of the make and model. I was mad at myself for not grabbing the plates in time, but I forgot about everything, even Madame goddamn Butterfly, when I saw the gates were blown off at the hinges, and the level of force of the blast had me wondering if anyone could have survived that kind of bomb.

"Jesus, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" I whispered under my breath, annoyed and agitated and anxious all at the same time.

In fact, that no way summed up just how panicked I felt.

It was real. This was real.

All the years I'd shoved him away, rightfully so, but shoved him I had, and it all boiled down to this.

To a blast that could have stolen him from me before we even had a chance to