Page 48 of Blaze
I squeeze the phone tightly. “Yes, Enzo. Please, Enzo. I know what it’s like now to not be with you. I know The Styx, the bar in Devil’s Haven, will be empty. I’ll go there, and you and your men can come get me? I’m afraid the bikers will try to stop me.”
“Don’t worry about them.” Enzo’s voice sends ice down my spine. “They’ve got bigger issues to deal with now. If you aren’t there when I arrive, I will order my men to burn this entire town down. Do you understand, darling?”
I swallow, nervous but thankful he’s coming. “Yes,” I say with genuine relief. Even if only half of them come to The Styx, that means Blaze and the rest have better odds. “Yes, I’ll be there soon.”
He hangs up without a goodbye, and I drop the phone on the passenger seat. A warbling sob has my chin shuddering and more tears spill down. I’m terrified. God, I’m so fucking terrified. But if I don’t do this, I’ll never be free. I’ll always be on the move, looking over my shoulder, wondering if today is the day he finds me.
I readjust my grip on the steering wheel. I’m not running anymore.
And this time, when I pull the gun on someone, I’ll make sure the safety is off.
17
BLAZE
I have no control over my thoughts. All I can think about is the fact that my mate, the female I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with, just rejected me.
“Brother, you good?” Brute’s voice snaps me out of the trance I’ve been in since Kennedy told me she wanted nothing more to do with me.
“No, but it doesn’t matter,” I growl, clenching my fists.
He raises an eyebrow. “It matters to us. We can’t have our most badass brother getting distracted out there.”
I snarl, a little bit of smoke trailing from my lips, but don’t reply. Instead, I take another drink of the whiskey in front of me. The liquor doesn’t have the same effect on me that it does on humans, but Reaper will have my head if I get drunk when we know a fight is close.
I slam the shot glass down onto the counter and glare at the rest of the brothers around me. Chainz and Heathen both have their eyes on me. They’re worried, but they won’t say it—even after I attacked Heathen less than an hour ago. They know how much I’m hurting and can’t even begin to understand what this means to me.
Cinder knows, though. I can see the fucking pity in his eyes.
It’s not just a broken heart. It’s the knowledge that I’ve found my fated mate and she’s rejected me. It’s the fact that, as far as I’m concerned, I’m as good as dead. I may keep on living, but a part of me died in that bedroom.
It’s the fear of losing the first thing I’ve ever really had, something worth more to me than my own life, the thought of a life without her.
Reaper storms into the party room where we’re all gathered again after a patrol. “Stubs has eyes on them. Ten cars, at least four men in each. Let’s go.”
Fucking finally. I need this fight. It hardly matters that we’re outnumbered two to one, not counting however many Light Justicars that’ll be involved. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve come up against them.
I roll my neck, the bones giving satisfying cracks.
“I want everyone in groups,” Reaper announces. “You know the drill. Don’t get separated and don’t die.”
The brothers all grunt and yell their agreements, but it’s not like we’re new at this.
“Blaze, you’re with me,” he orders, and I fall into line, moving towards the door. Chainz falls in step behind us.
The three of us slip outside and immediately spot our targets’ headlights approaching on the horizon. We fall into line with the original demons who formed the Knights of Hades, creating the first line of defense behind Reaper. Only Stubs isn’t here; he’s back in the clubhouse, making sure any authorities don’t catch wind of what’s about to go down. Other Knights and prospects slink through the dark night around us. Some climb up to the roof of the clubhouse, lying down into position for sniping. Others, like the shifters, transform into their beast shapes and disappear into the desert. None of them go far, but not even my demonic eyesight can find them when they don’t want to be seen.
The SUVs pull off the highway and into the large gravel driveway like this is some friendly gathering. They come to a stop with less than military precision, and I sneer in distaste.
The Knights of Hades have fought side-by-side for centuries, both in this realm and in the Underworld. We may fuck around with parties, alcohol, women and our motorcycles, but when it’s time to fight, we are damn good soldiers.
It’s why I can already tell we’ll win.
The doors open and men flood out, all dressed in various tactical styles, each one carrying a rifle or handgun. My own handgun rests in its shoulder holster under my leather cut, but I won’t bother with human weapons tonight.
Tonight, I’ll let my true nature reign. Tonight, I’ll be Haborym, eldest son of a prince of Hell, soldier under the Reaper. Tonight, I’ll personally send these men to my father in the molten depths of Hell.
Reaper’s hand twitches. Bones and Brute meld into the shadows at the silent command. They’ll be up in the air, ready to offer air support if the Santi Pastori and Light Justicars have a second wave of men incoming.
