I’m not sure what him being here is going to rain down on the club, but there’s no way we can let the Baron and Damir get away. Not this time, even if Ethan will stand by his code and bring us all into the station. It’s better than having these two assholes out there ready and willing to take out members of our families.
The atmosphere is tense, the metallic tang of blood lingers in the air, the van still burning from the explosion it blasted through the clubhouse. Tonight will inevitably rock the foundations of Houston Defiance forever.
I have a feeling this is only the beginning.
“Tilman Squires, you call yourself the Baron, but all you’ve succeeded in doing is making Houston barren of life and energy since you took over. Houston needs a facelift. It needs to be free from tyranny and oppression. Honestly, everyone believes you rule this state. Well, I’m here to tell you, there’s a new tycoon in town. And I take zero shit from nobody,” Zero calls out.
Baron lets out a booming laugh. “You think you can run this town, boy? You don’t know shit! You and your pretty little lady have another thing comin’ if you believe you can take my place on the Houston throne.”
“That’s just it, Baron, we don’t need to be sitting on some damn throne because we have a whole fucking kingdom right here. We don’t need to rule. We just need everyone to know you’re not the man in charge anymore. Honestly, I don’t care if I’m the guy at the top, I just want everyone to know I’m the brother who chucked you off your damn high horse.”
Baron smirks. “And you think Lieutenant Rudd over there isn’t gonna call in his cop pals and have y’all arrested once this goes down?”
Ethan steps forward, shrugging his shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m holidaying in Hawaii right now. So… I didn’t see any of this.”
A smirk lights my face.
“Rudd! No, you can’t turn your back on this. There are three clubs here, two aren’t even in their state. Surely, you can have them done for murder, then extradite them back here. Ethan… Ethaaan!”
“I’d say it’s been a great ride with you Baron, but this is one I’m happy to get off,” Zero grunts pressing the gun to the Baron’s temple.
Baron closes his eyes, letting out the smallest of whimpers. “Please, Zero, my kids!”
“Baron, you have so many fucking illegitimate kids it’s not funny.”
“But Finley is here. You can’t shoot me in front of my flesh and blood.”
Finley steps forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “Just because you share your blood with mine does not make you my father. My life would be so much richer watching you die.”
“Just because I never wanted you, Fin, doesn’t mean I don’t… oh, who am I kidding, I never loved you and never will!”
Texas steps in front of Finley, puffing out his chest. “You don’t have the right to talk to her like that. You lost all privilege to even speak to Finley the second you killed her mother for your own personal gain.” Everyone widens their eyes, shocked by Texas’ outburst.
Finley shakes it off, sliding past Texas. “I can speak for my—”
“Stop getting people to fight your battles for you, Finley. It’s why you are, and always will be, scared on the inside,” the Baron grunts.
“I’ll put the damn bullet in you myself, you motherfucking—” Finley yells, storming forward, but Texas grabs her around her waist holding her back, effectively cutting her off.
“Hold her, Texas. She can’t throw away her career for this asshole. This job is on me,” Zero orders.
“Then, what are you waitin’ for? I bet you won’t even have the guts to—”
There is no countdown, just one word, “Zero!”
The crack of the gun blasts through the night air, the Baron’s cowboy hat flies off in the wind, landing on the ground in a pool of blood. His body follows soon after, his crisp tan suit, drowning in crimson—his own and of those who have fallen before him.
A fitting end for the man who has caused so much fucking trouble for us.
For him to lie in a mass grave.
He deserves nothing less.
Cherry rushes to Zero’s side. “I can’t believe it’s over. He’s finally gone.”
“Yeah, but not everyone is,” Prinie blurts out.
“How very astute, looking for a double murder, princess? When we’re only just meeting for the first time, too?” Damir calls out.
Wraith slams the butt of his gun into the back of Damir’s head.
Damir chuckles like it didn’t even hurt, the fucking bastard.
“This war you’ve brought to my family, Damir. All this blood you’ve spilled. You don’t even know the full story,” Prinie snaps.
“What I do know is your precious Wraith killed my brother, my father… my mother!”
“He strangled your mother out of self-defense, asshole. She was a terrible woman. You would know that if you bothered to get to know Wraith.”
Damir scoffs. “And why would I do that?”
“Because I’m your fucking brother. Sava found out before he died, and our father told me before he died, too. I’m your full brother, Damir. You started this war with me all the way back in juvie. Our mother was a whore, wasting away on drugs. And while you had the privileged life with the Triglavs, I was left being raised and abused by a whore. Now you tell me who should feel hard done by? Yet, you’re the one constantly coming at me, trying to kill my family.”
Damir scrunches up his face like he’s confused. “Why? Why would she treat you like that?”
“Because she was angry at me. Because she couldn’t come back to you, Sava, and Vlatko. I was the thorn in her side, her dark little secret. Our father didn’t want you or Sava knowing I even existed. So, she had to keep me away from you. It’s why she couldn’t come to see you as often. It’s why the drugs got worse. I was the accident who made everything so much fucking harder for her. And don’t fucking worry, she let me know it, too.”
“So, you’re saying you could have been one of us?” Damir murmurs, more like he’s trying it on for size.
“If things were different, Damir, I would have grown up alongside you and Sava. If our mother didn’t turn to drugs, I would have been a Triglav just like you. Who knows… we might have even liked each other,” Wraith admits.
Damir inhales sharply, then places his hands either side of the gun, bringing it closer to his forehead. “I told them to kill Prinie. I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to take from you because you killed our mother. But now I see I was led astray. I’m sorry… brother.”
Wraith grits his teeth, pressing the gun further into Damir’s forehead. The gun shakes in Wraith’s hand, but then he hangs it to his side. Prinie widens her eyes.
Damir shakes his head. “No, do it!”
Wraith turns to Zero, his expression somber. “He’s my brother… I haven’t even had a chance to get to know him.”
Zero exhales exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s your call, but he’s not roaming free around the clubhouse. No fucking way. He tried to kill me in prison and led an attack on Defiance soil. There’s no freedom for him, Wraith. You’ll have to think of something else.”