Kage

I need to keep my fucking head together. I nearly lost it when one of Huntington’s men frisked Tamar, feeling her up. Then bringing her into that situation unarmed, all for fucking nothing because Huntington is hiding behind his men like always.

The gunfire is faint in the background coming from outside of the compound. At first, I thought the fucker had gathered a small army to protect himself, but in reality, it’s nearly half of what we’d expected. Although we greatly outnumber them, they’re putting up a fight.

Tamar and I round a corner when I stop in my tracks. I jump back and throw my arm out to push Tamar behind me. I make a quick sign, aiming two fingers at my eyes and then point a finger at my left, to the hallway we almost ran into. She gives me a nod in understanding. Incoming. Not just incoming—it’s Huntington with four guys surrounding him, armed to the teeth. Shit.

From across the hallway, I see a door slowly opening. Taking aim, I quickly lower it when I notice it’s Lars and Felix. I make the same signal and they squat down, prepared for the fuckers who are about to come around the corner any damn second.

They must have heard or sensed something because bullets start to fly out of nowhere. Felix and I both empty our gun around the corner without risking a look that could mean a bullet to the head. I hand my guns to Tamar who hands me hers while reloading mine. We’ve managed to take all the guns and ammo from the fuckers in the office, so we’re armed well enough.

When we’re done firing off a second round, the hall falls silent. I raise my eyebrows at Felix, who’s standing on the other side of the hallway, shrugging his shoulder in return. Fuck. Carefully I glance around the corner and see three men painting the floor red with their blood.

Gun pointing forward, I pick up in a jog to go after Huntington because he’s not one of the three fuckers lying dead on the floor. I can hear Tamar, Felix, and Lars falling in step behind me.

The end of the hallway splits in two directions, and there’s a guy running through a door on each side, but I can’t make out which one is Huntington.

“Split the fuck up,” Lars growls as he runs past me, hunting down one fucker and trusting me to take on the other one.

I don’t have to look behind me to see Tamar is following me and I hope to fuck Felix has Lars’ back. But most of all, I need for the one I’m chasing to be Huntington. Although Lars has earned the kill just as much as I have seeing how we both need our brother to be avenged. But fuck…I want Huntington to die by my hand.

The door our guy went through is locked. I take a step back and shoot out the lock before kicking in the door. The guy’s standing in the middle of the room, still looking around for a place to hide when I fire a bullet right between the eyes.

It’s not Huntington. Fuck.

I spin around and run back through the hallway until Tamar knocks her shoulder against mine, making my steps falter. “Just stop for a damn moment.”

“What?” I snarl, knowing very well she doesn’t deserve my anger.

“You’re going in blind, Kage,” Tamar scolds. “Think for a goddamn second or you’re going to get yourself killed. You didn’t even check that room or hug the wall. You just stepped right inside, asshole. Now take a breath so your tunnel vision clears.”

Dammit. She’s right. I’m so damn blind with vengeance it’s all I can see. It’s too personal, too close, and it’s too easy to get myself killed this way.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting the tension flow out of me so I can regain my focus. We’re just a bullet away from wiping this guy off the face of the earth. I open my eyes and connect my gaze with Tamar.

She gives me tiny smile. “You good?”

“Yeah, let’s kill this motherfucker,” I tell her before I pick up my speed again, feeling an empowering strength flowing through my veins. And I owe it all to the woman who has my back, stepping up when I don’t even realize I need it. Need her.

We burst through the door at the end of the hallway. It’s a stairwell that leads downstairs. There are a few bodies draped over them we need to step over them to get down the stairs. Two gunshots ring out before we get to the bottom.

I see Felix sitting against the door, holding onto his arm while putting pressure on his side. Fuck. Tamar squats down, ripping her shirt off so she’s just in her tank, pushing the bundled fabric against Felix’s side.

“Looks like you caught two bullets, Felix. Can you manage? I don’t hear any gunshots so I think we can get you to one of the trucks. We need to get you back to the clubhouse.” Tamar switches from killing mode to aide, but shit, Huntington’s getting away and I’m worried about Lars.

“Where did he go?” I snap.

Felix’s head raises up and he swallows before he says, “Who, your brother or Huntington?” He rises to his feet and gives a grunt as Tamar tries to take some of his weight to get him to move toward the front of the compound.

“Lars, dammit.” I’ll track down Huntington if it’s the last thing I do but right now I need to focus on what’s important. My family.

Felix tilts his head toward a door. “He went after Huntington. The fucker grabbed a bike and fired his gun as he got away. Shot me twice. Lars went out after him.”

“Go,” Tamar presses. But I don’t have a fucking clue where to go or in what direction.

For the first time in my life I need to either trust Lars to handle it himself without backup, or I need to abandon the woman I love and a man who needs my help. The decision is taken out of my hands when gunfire flares back up from our left.

“Go. Get him out of here,” I tell Tamar while I try to take the shooter out.

When I manage to kill that one, I have to take out another one before we’re rounding the corner to the front of the compound. There are a few groups of men, all of them wearing my club’s colors. Two come running up to help Tamar and guide their Prez to one of the vehicles.

Gil jogs up to me. “Everything is clear. Inside and out. Did you guys manage to take out Huntington?”

“No.” I look around and notice Tamar is straddling a bike.

“Come on, Kage. Some of the guys will stay behind and the rest will return to the clubhouse. We need to go after Lars,” she yells over the roaring of the bike.

I don’t need another word. I get on in front of her as she scoots back, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist as we ride off, hoping to catch up to my brother. Praying he’s managed to kill Huntington. Or… fuck. I just need to find my brother alive.