We didn’t waste any time after we got confirmation from Watts.

Dressing, we gathered our bags and triple-checked our guns and ammo before making our way down to the garage. Everyone was assembled, waiting for the word to move out. For better or worse, today was going to be a big day in the history of Fortitude MC.

“Holy hell, your hair!”

I gave Spike a bitchy look and flipped him the bird.

Someone let out a wolf whistle, and a few guys laughed, lifting the serious tone that filled the grease-scented space. For their benefit, I did a little twirl, flicked my platinum locks, and blew a kiss.

“This is how it’s going down,” Gasket said, nodding to acknowledge our arrival. “We ride for Las Vegas in half an hour. Mayhem crew—you’ll hold tight until seven p.m. after which, you’ll enter the casino from separate entrances. Head inside, gamble, drink, be complete assholes. Make that security team work for it. My crew—we’ll stake out Monroe’s and watch their comings and goings. We’ll need to play it by ear. If they leave, we’ll need to follow. At seven p.m., we’ll strike, no matter where they are. Got it?”

The bikers nodded and confirmed their agreement.

“Whatever happens tonight, the Hollow Riders will be in the ground,” he added. “No excuses.”

“Sloane and I will enter the Halcyon just after seven,” Chaser said, eyeing the mayhem crew of Bones, Hopper, Stewie, Ringer, and Davis. “We’re counting on you to be our smoke screen.”

“Things might get rough without warning,” I said. “You’ll need to be ready to make shit up on the fly.”

“We’ve got your back,” Hopper said with a nod. “Don’t worry about us. You worry about getting the big man.”

“Then saddle up,” Gasket said. “You know the plan. Stick to it.”

The bikers began to move, gathering up their stuff, and the garage filled with the noise of mobilization.

“Take care of yourself, kid,” Gasket said.

“Don’t get yourself killed,” I replied, throwing my arms around him. “I expect to see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Same here.” He sniffed, his voice wavering.

“Are you crying?” I pulled back and made a face.

“No way.”

I saw his eyes sparkling, and I laughed. “Liar.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Free and clear, okay?”

I nodded and smoothed down his vest. “Courage in pain and adversity.”

“And you, kid.” He stepped back, raising a fist. “Fortitude! Let’s ride!”

The assembled bikers sprang into action and filed out the roller door. We followed, wishing them luck as we went. Spike, Butcher, Ratchet, Bones, Stewie, Hopper…all of them.

We lingered on the pavement as the entire club powered up their motorcycles and formed a convoy on the street. One by one, they moved off, their engines roaring as they departed. It was a hell of a sight.

“That’s not exactly inconspicuous,” I said, plugging my ears.

“They know what they’re doing,” Chaser replied, pulling the car keys from his pocket. “This isn’t their first rumble.”

I knew these were seasoned men, but it didn’t help knowing they were en route to a bloodbath. When Gasket said they would deal with the Hollow Riders, he meant to kill them. But who was I to fret over it? We were going to kill King and anyone else who got in our way. Our forever depended on it.

“So many things could go wrong with this,” I said, starting to feel nauseous.

“And so many things can go right,” he replied.

I took a deep breath and held onto it for a second. Finally, I let it out like I was letting go of the last shred of fear and doubt I’d been holding onto.

“Are you ready?” Chaser asked.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

* * *

I leaned back in my chair and watched the stream of people walking up and down the Las Vegas Strip.

Earlier, we’d met Watts on the way into the city. Chaser took the signed letter with our deal from him, inspected it closely, then sent the biker on his way to join the mayhem crew. Apparently, it was legitimate, but I didn’t know much about these things. I trusted his judgment.

In the distance, I could see the spiked tower of the Halcyon rising toward the sky. We kept a few blocks and a casino or two between us, waiting for go time. We hadn’t heard from Gasket or the mayhem crew, but I knew we wouldn’t until the operation was over. I wondered if that was what made me so queasy. Not knowing what was going on.

I turned my attention to the Strip in front of us. We’d chosen a little diner to wait at, ordering some food and drinks, and sat at an outside table hidden in a corner. From here, we could see the comings and goings of the restaurant and watch the foot traffic.

It felt strange sitting on the most populated street in Nevada as a wanted criminal with a thousand and one security cameras and police officers around me. I pushed my sunglasses up my nose and glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to go down.

I was also getting used to the constant furnace that the sun and the baked desert bedrock created. I didn’t even notice the underboob sweat anymore. Typical. The moment we get to the crescendo, and I finally learn to deal with the heat.

Chaser glanced at his watch.

“What’s the time?” I asked.

“Six forty.”

“I need to go to the toilet,” I said with a groan.

“That’s just nerves.”

“Sexy, huh?” I smiled in an attempt to alleviate some of the churnings in my small bowel.

“Sunset is seven-oh-five,” he said, his lips quirking. Not infallible to toilet humor…noted. “We’ll move then.”

“Okay.”

“You got everything?”

I felt the weight of the Fortitude executioner pressing into the small of my back, hidden by the oversized T-shirt I’d donned that morning. It wasn’t exactly a tactical outfit, but tonight wasn’t about fashion. We needed to blend in until we got to the upper floors of the Halcyon. Then it wouldn’t matter.

Nodding, I brushed my fingers over the other Glock I had hidden at my waist. The revolver only had six bullets in it, so additional firepower was a must. If it weren’t for the symbolic justice my father’s gun represented, I would’ve just brought the Glock.

“This’ll go fast,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t stop walking, okay?”

“I won’t.”

We rose from the table, and Chaser tossed a couple of notes down, setting an empty glass over them so they wouldn’t blow away. Taking my hand, he led me out onto the street, and we walked the two blocks to the Halcyon in silence.

At this stage, we’d said everything that needed to be said. We’d made our plans, said what was in our hearts, and shed all our fears. This was the moment we’d been working toward since the moment we met. Revenge, justice…it was a little of both.

We were one step away from forever.

“Keep your head down,” Chaser said. “The cameras won’t be able to get a clear picture of you that way.”

“Do you think they’ve got facial recognition?”

“Probably.”

“Then you better keep your head down. I’ve got a fabulous new do.”

Following Chaser’s advice, I lowered my head, and we walked hand in hand into the casino. In the immediate foyer were a few clothing boutiques, a lingerie store, and several restaurants. Then the slot machines began to take over. Rows upon rows of flashing lights and electronic beeps assaulted our eyes as we were jostled by thousands of gamblers elbowing to find the perfect machine. I saw one lady kiss each quarter before she put it into an Ancient Egyptian themed machine, and I wished that winning a jackpot was the most of my worries.

When we made it to the main gaming floor, we glanced toward the mass of roulette tables and caught a glimpse of a scuffle erupting between staff and a few men. Security guards were rushing over, shouting and talking into their walkie-talkies. Someone picked up a chair and flung it, the metal crashing into a table, sending chips flying. Chaser grasped my arm and tugged me in the opposite direction as a brawl erupted. The mayhem crew was coming through.

“Head down,” he murmured as two men sprinted past us. They didn’t even glance our way as they rushed to break up the fight, which was getting louder by the second.

I caught a glimpse of Hopper in the distance, bolting down a row of slot machines to join in the madness.

Finally, we made it to the foyer of the hotel and stood in front of the bank of elevators. I pressed the call button, and as we waited, the revolver felt heavy against my back. When an elderly couple stood near us, I swallowed hard. There was no way they would know who we were, but I didn’t like lingering. I glanced at them out the corner of my eye, but they weren’t even looking at us. They were watching for the elevator.

A ding signaled a car had arrived, and a set of doors swished open to our right. A few people exited the car, laughing and chattering, and didn’t bother looking at us.

I darted into the elevator, keeping my head angled toward the floor. There were cameras in here, likely in the roof, but I wasn’t looking up to find out.

The elderly couple went to step into the elevator with us, and Chaser held up his hand. “This one’s taken.”

I jammed my finger on the close button as they blinked at us in confusion. The doors slid shut, and we were alone. They had no idea they were staying at a hotel owned by a madman, but then again, the deeper you went into this place, the more perverted it became. Dark sexual fantasy knew no bounds.

Chaser pressed the button for the penthouse, but it wouldn’t light up.

“You need the right keycard,” I said.

Chaser grunted and pressed the button for the floor below. The button shone red, and we began to rise.

“How are we going to get up there? You don’t expect me to scale the…” I shut my mouth, suddenly anxious the cameras had ears, too.

“Hopefully, there’s someone I can shoot who has one,” Chaser murmured.

I swallowed hard and watched the numbers on the display go up. When we reached thirty-three, the car came to a stop, and the doors slid open. Peering down the hall beyond, Chaser gestured for me to follow. The plush beige carpet muffled our footsteps as we moved forward, but the decor was otherwise bland and uninspiring. The long line of hotel room doors were closed, and nothing moved. I couldn’t hear a sound other than our own movements.

A wave of uneasiness came over me, and I reached for the Glock under my shirt.

“No one’s here,” I whispered.

We moved on, rounding a corner. More rooms and another empty hallway, though at the end was a glowing exit sign.

“This is too easy,” I said. “I expected there to be more men.”

Chaser grimaced, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Up until now, the Hollow Men had always been one step ahead of us. They knew what we were doing before we even thought to do it. Something was wrong. We shouldn’t have been able to get this far without a hotel keycard.

“We can’t go back now,” he said. “This is our one chance. We’ll have to play it by ear.”

I nodded and tightened my grip on the revolver. The only way left open to us was forward.

“Try another hall?” I offered.

Chaser nodded, and we went back the way we came. The moment we turned the corner, we stopped in our tracks, and my heart twisted and stopped beating. I literally died for a full thirty seconds as everything came crashing down. I didn’t believe it when people said their lives flashed before their eyes in a near-death moment. I still didn’t believe it because nothing happened when I saw my mortality staring at me down the barrel of several guns.

A group of men blocked our way, their guns pointed directly at us. Behind them, several hotel room doors were open. I turned, only to find more had emerged from rooms in the hall we’d just been in.

Ambushed.

“We really suck at this,” I said, raising my hands. “Like epically.”

Chaser grunted. What else was he supposed to say during a moment like this?

We were screwed. Check-fucking-mate.