corpse I’ve seen since, but maybe this boy’s blood will be as pretty as his face, huh? Now where was I? Oh yeah, six…five…four – Oh Fox, did I ever tell you about the time I bent Rogue over a table and fucked her sweet pussy in front of a mirror? She touched herself the whole time, just looking at me railing that tight hole o’ hers.”
“Shut your fucking mouth!” Fox bellowed from the clubhouse as my skin itched over Shawn’s words.
Keep talking, dead man.
One of Shawn’s men was just ahead of me in the woods and I moved up silently behind him, my knife in my grip. I lunged forward, slamming my hand down over his mouth and driving my blade up hard between his ribs, stifling his scream as he died. I was making a mental tally of my victims that I’d be sure to ink onto my body later tonight. If I survived that long.
I lowered him into the shadows and stepped over his body, moving closer to my target as I wiped my knife off on my jeans, placing it back in its holster before taking out my gun.
“Speaking of holes, I’d best get on with putting one in your boy Johnny James, unless you wanna come out here, sugarpie?” Shawn called.
“Let him go, you can have me instead,” Fox offered and Luther instantly shouted out in refusal of that.
“No!” Rogue screamed, terror coating her voice.
“I don’t want you, Fox, I want your girl,” Shawn chuckled. “And you’re down to three seconds now to send my little whore out here. Three – two-”
I raised my gun, lining Shawn up in my sights and aiming for his back. I was tempted for the kill shot, but I’d promised that to my little unicorn. I’d make sure he was maimed good though.
“One and three quarters – one and a half-”
“JJ!” Rogue screamed. “I’m coming, I’m-” Her voice cut off and I had the feeling Fox was responsible.
“One and a quarter,” Shawn went on.
Shut your goddamn mouth.
Shawn aimed his gun at JJ, ready to take another one of my brothers from the world, and yeah I was pissed about Chase. Because that death should have been mine. Fuck if it meant more to me than that. And fuck if it still hurt me every goddamn day.
My upper lip peeled back as hatred and rage ebbed under my skin and I pulled the trigger.
The bang split the air and Shawn was thrown to the ground from the blast, knocking JJ down with him. A cacophony of noise rang out as Fox and his men started firing and Shawn’s gang returned it, war descending in an instant.
JJ crawled away, scrambling to his feet and I ran towards him, firing at an asshole Dead Dog coming up behind him and dropping him to the ground like a fly. I pulled JJ backwards towards the trees for cover, shoving him into the woods before turning back to get hold of Shawn.
The motherfucker was already on his feet and through his torn shirt, I saw a fucking Kevlar vest covering his body.
“No,” I spat as he sprinted away into the throng of his men and called a retreat as the Harlequins spilled out of the clubhouse.
The Dead Dogs tore away into the woodland and I lost sight of Shawn, a snarl ripping from my throat as I stepped forward to go after him. JJ caught my arm, dragging me back into the trees and I cursed as I tried to shove him away.
“Get off of me,” I snapped, but he didn’t let go, digging his heels in.
“He’s gone,” he insisted. “And if you run into that war, you’ll end up dead. The Harlequins will shoot you if The Dead Dogs don’t.”
I’d taken my ski mask off and tossed it somewhere and I cursed myself out for it as the bloodlust pumped through my chest. In that instant, I didn’t give a fuck if I put myself at risk, I just wanted Shawn bloody and on his knees for Rogue. I didn’t give a damn what it cost me. He’d hurt her, he’d killed Chase, he’d-
“Maverick,” JJ barked, shoving me against a tree so hard that my skull impacted with the bark. “You need to get out of here.”
Gunfire filled the night and the Harlequins were swarming the whole area. I shoved his hands off of me, determined to finish what I’d come here for, but JJ got in my way, his chest slamming against