Tamar

I hate leaving when Dessa’s still upset with me. We need to head out, but I take the time to pull her aside. “I know you hate me at the moment, and I don’t blame you. But this isn’t just because you’re my sister and we’re walking into a situation that’s far more dangerous than anything we’ve dealt with before.”

She crosses her arms in front of her chest, glaring at me as she leans against the wall. “Then what? Cause if this is about Lars, then he can go fuck himself. I never asked for his interest or concern.”

“This isn’t about Lars—though fuck, Dessa. He likes you. A lot. And I know you’re angry at him, but it feels damn good to have someone like that, who’s willing to risk your anger because they care.” And Dessa needs this, just like I need Kage in my life. “As for staying behind, you’re too important to put at risk. Just like with Cashwell. You’re fucking brilliant, and though Cashwell can probably manage on his own, having you help him will only get things up and running a hell of a lot faster. Not to mention, I need you here to keep him safe. As annoying as Cashwell can be, I need you to keep him calm so one of these bikers doesn’t get fed up and decides to put a bullet in him to shut him the hell up.”

That earns me a bit of a smile, since she knows damn well it’s nothing but the truth. “Fair enough.”

I pull her into a hug, and then head outside where Kage and the others are waiting for me. “Ready. Dessa will stay and keep an eye on Cashwell, but just a heads-up for Lars. That girl can hold a grudge like no one’s business. She once didn’t speak to me for weeks when we were kids, all because my dad took me to the shooting range, and she was too young to join us.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know.” Kage laughs as we head toward Felix. “Were you able to find someone who looks like Cashwell?”

The plan is to bring in “Cashwell” for the bounty so we have a way into Huntington’s compound. Except that it won’t be Cashwell. We can’t risk his life when he’s the only one who can get the power running again. Instead, we’re going to get someone who might pass muster.

“They’re putting the finishing touches on him now. By the time they put him in a button-down shirt and get him a pair of glasses, Cashwell’s own mother will have a hard time telling them apart.” Felix gives us a confident grin, so we leave him to it, and head to our vehicle.

With an entire armory in the backseat, it isn’t long before we’re hitting the road, one vehicle of many in a convoy that’s getting ready to wage a war. Huntington isn’t an enemy to underestimate, and I know that we’re heading into a situation that may result in some of us not making it back home. But it’s a risk we need to take, given that this could change everything.

I look over at Kage—at my Old Man—and fuck, I’m grateful to have him in my life. He catches me looking at him, and pulls me close, draping an arm around my shoulder and kissing the top of my head as he continues driving and I nestle up against his side. He’s quiet, and there’s a tension in his body that’s immediately obvious and mirrors my own.

Needing to distract myself, I run over the plan again, wanting to make sure that every angle is covered. “How many men will we have total?”

“Close to two hundred. Not sure of Huntington’s numbers, but I doubt he has anywhere near as many, based on the info Cashwell gave us. Their advantage is that they’re protected in their compound, so we’re going to need our Cashwell look-a-like to be convincing enough to get us through the door. It’ll just be a small group of us going in, so we’ve got to be smart about this.” He lets out a ragged breath, his hold on me tightening. “I need to keep you safe, Tamar. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I do—just like I need to keep you safe. But if you’re putting your life on the line for our future, then you can’t expect me not to step up.” I know he’s worried about me, and I can’t blame him when we’re heading into a hornet’s nest. Yet there’s nothing we can do but fight. But there’s something he’s yet to tell me. “What happened with you and Huntington? I know you have it out for him, and it goes well beyond him being an asshole or a drug dealer.”

He growls at my question, but I have a feeling his anger is directed at Huntington and what happened between them, rather than at me. “That asshole is responsible for killing my brother, before the power even went out. Huntington was pushing his poison in our neighborhoods, selling to kids that weren’t even out of middle school. Of course, we didn’t take too kindly to it, but Huntington decided he wanted to send us a message of his own. He snagged my brother, who was all of seventeen years old, and sent him back to us in pieces.”

“Fuck. I’m so sorry, Kage.” I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have to deal with that sort of loss, but worse still knowing that they had likely suffered. “We’ll make sure Huntington takes his last breath. You have my word.”

“Fucking hell, woman. I love you so fucking much.” He catches my mouth in a brutal kiss, taking his eyes off the road for just a second, before turning his focus back to driving.

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek, letting my lips linger. “I love you too, Kage. I know it’s been fast, but I swear I do.”

“I know, kitten. It’s the same for me. I’ve loved you from the moment you leapt into my life. And once this is over…” He takes a deep breath as if mulling over whether or not to finish his sentence. “I’m going to marry you, Tamar. And then we’re going to start a family, and have us a few kids. We’re going to grow old together—whether we get the power back or not.”

I can’t help but smile, leaning into him and biting his ear, my breath warm against his skin, even as my heart feels ready to burst. “Are you asking me to marry you, Kage? Cause I swear I don’t remember there being a question. Just a declaration.”

He groans and kisses me, managing to keep his eyes on the road. “Will you make me a happy man and do me the honor of marrying me, Tamar?”

I tighten my arms around his neck, absolutely giddy, and steal another kiss. “Damn right I will.”

Fucking hell… I’m going to get married.

“As soon as I’m able, I’ll get you a ring.” He’s so serious, and I love him all the more for it.

“You’re a damn good man, Kage. But all I need is you.” It’s the truth. “We just need to get through this thing with Huntington.”

“Oh, we will, kitten. Don’t you fucking worry your pretty self about that.” Kage follows suit when the vehicles ahead of us pull off to the side of the road. No surprise really, since we’ve been on the road for a few hours, and still have several more to go. “We won’t stop for long. Just don’t wander too far.”

“I’m not stupid, nor do I have a death wish, even if I can take care of myself.” I hop out of the vehicle and it’s then that I realize just how many people we’ve got on our side.

There’s a sea of bikes and vehicles, and even more people milling about. Kage comes to my side and grabs my hand. “Come on. Lars, Ramon, and Virgil are over there, and then I need to speak with Felix.”

As we wander over to our group, I can feel all eyes turn to me. I’m not really surprised, given that I’m not only with Kage, who seems to know everyone, but I’m also the only woman here, as far as I can tell. “I’m going to go find a bush. Won’t be long.”

“You want me to come with you? Keep an eye out?” Kage’s brow furrows and I know he’s serious, but that’s not happening.

“Nah. I’m good. You take care of what business you need to deal with. I highly doubt anyone’s going to risk pissing you off just to sneak a peek of me peeing.” I kiss his cheek and then head off toward the tree line, picking an area where I’ll be alone, knowing damn well that I need to deal with my bladder now, since I don’t want us to have to abandon our convoy just because I was too stupid not to go when I had the chance.

Luckily, there’s no one around, and I even have a few squares of toilet paper. I’m pulling up my pants and I’m about to head back when I hear the sort of click I’d recognize anywhere. Someone cocked a gun and I’m in the crosshairs.

Fuck.

I slowly turn, and immediately let a stream of curses fall from my lips. “You fucker. I should have let you die—should have killed you myself.”

Benji.