his fingers for Landry to bring out the captives. In seconds they were being pushed from the van and into the clearing. Flame snarled behind us, and I felt the tension rise among the brothers as the prospects came closer. They were beaten, their faces covered in blood. A Klansmen led them to the center of the clearing and kicked each of them to their knees. I rocked on the spot, ready to just fucking storm these fuckers and take as many out as I could. But Adelita turned to look at me.
Diego walked to the prospects and pulled out a knife. Styx held out his gun, the Hangmen Mute ready to shoot Diego through the skull. Diego moved beside Slash, reached down and cut the rope that bound him. He next moved to Zane, and finally to Lil’ Ash.
“Adelita,” Diego said, and jerked his head—a command for Adelita to go to him. Adelita’s eyes moved from the prospects to Charley, who was being held at knifepoint by a Klan solider. And finally to Diego. Adelita moved from my arms, and it took everything I had not to wrench her back to me and take her the fuck away. With a sad smile, Adelita walked away from me and toward Diego. My blood ran cold. I didn’t like that look in her eyes. Like she was saying goodbye for real.
Only the sound of Diego’s voice took my attention away from her. “Get to your fucking feet.” The prospects did as he said. Adelita got closer and closer to Diego.
The relief I saw on the prospects’ faces as she approached was obvious. They were fucking kids. They’d be scared shitless. Adelita stopped next to Diego. He smiled at her. Tank laid his hand on my arm to stop me from going over there and taking her the fuck back. I breathed, trying to calm down.
“The kids,” Ky barked.
Diego nodded, but then said, “Oh, just one more thing.” One second he stood beside Adelita, and the next he had his arm around Lil’ Ash’s throat, a gun to his head. Looking directly at Ky and Styx, Diego said, “You took something of mine, now I’ll take something of yours.”
Lil’ Ash’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Flame roared in rage from behind us and plowed through the men to get to his brother. Diego released his safety, just as Slash rushed at Ash from the side and knocked Ash to the ground and out of Diego’s hold. Diego didn’t falter; instead he turned the gun on Slash and shot a bullet straight through the kid’s eyes. The world moved to slow motion as Lil’ Ash’s scream ripped into the air, followed by Smiler’s, who ran from the men toward his cousin lying on the ground. Blood seeped from his head. Slash’s eyes were open, staring at nothing.
The world slammed back into real time as Ash pushed off the ground and ran toward us. Grabbing a couple of guns from Ferg, one of the Florida chapter’s brothers, he turned back into the clearing and started firing. Fucking roaring and firing bullet after bullet into Klan and cartel flesh. Flame was beside him in seconds, guns aimed at the Klan who had started firing back.
“Zane!” Viking’s voice rang out to the youngest prospect, who was watching the scene like he didn’t know what the fuck to do. One of the cartel rushed at Zane, knife ready to stab the kid. A shot rang out in the distance, and the cartel fucker hit the ground—bullet to the heart. AK. Zane only took a second to lean down and pick up the cartel prick’s gun. He followed Ash. I watched as the little fucker started firing slugs at the cartel and Klan. Two men immediately went down. I was sure the kid had never killed before . . . He had now.
Ash looked as insane as his brother as the three of them tore bullets through the Klan and cartel. Ash had snapped. Smiler was on the ground beside Slash, trying to pull him back to our line, Smiler’s face full of fucking agony. Tank helped him, but as the kid was dragged past me, I saw that he was gone.
Diego.
Diego had killed Slash.
I was gonna fucking end Diego.
“Tanner!” Adelita’s voice cut through the deafening sounds of bullets. Diego had sunk back into the cartel’s protection line. Rushing through the mass of battling men, I sank my knife into anyone who came my way,