“You sure?” I look across the container to an old cupboard in the corner, prompting both men to look too. It’s the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Time to strike.
I swing my leg, taking out the guy that’s holding me in place with his gun, his body crashing to the floor with the lack of his legs holding him up. I rise, grab the chair, and launch it across the container at The Bear, before giving the man on the floor a swift kick in the gut and a stamp on his head, knocking him out. I swing around, catching the fucker gaining his balance, his arm lifting with the gun. Fuck. I wedge my palms into the edge of the table and run, sliding it across the floor and slamming it into him.
“Fuck,” he yelps, losing his grip of the gun, his torso folding over the table. I dive across the metal top and grab the gun, aiming it at him as I get off and back up.
“Oh, how the tables have turned,” I whisper, smirking at his leering face. “You should have brought a lot more men.”
“Fuck you,” he breathes, shoving the table away from his thighs.
I hear a few noises from outside the container. “Oh, you did bring more men,” I say, reaching for the cupboard door. He clearly thought Black was more of a danger than I am. I don’t know whether to be insulted or relieved.
Wait, I do.
I’m insulted. Plain insulted.
I pull the cupboard door open, revealing the blonde who Danny followed back into town from his father’s grave, bound and gagged. “Now let’s talk business.” I yank her out and get her in front of me, relishing the disbelief on The Bear’s face. “Your phone,” I say, nodding to the table.
He keeps his eyes on me as he reaches into his pocket. But he doesn’t pull out a phone. He pulls out a tidy little handgun and aims our way. Not gonna lie, I’m astounded. And when he pulls the trigger and her body jerks, my surprise turns into shock. Fuck.
She crumples to the ground, leaving me without a shield, the gun now aimed at me. Well, this is a twist I didn’t anticipate. “She was a money-grabbing whore,” he says, stepping forward. “And now I believe the tables really have turned.” He pulls the trigger, and my body jerks, sending me slamming into the wall behind me on a hiss. My shoulder immediately aches. “Take a seat, Jam . . . Eni . . . now.” He laughs. “Really, I just don’t know what to call you.”
“I know what to call you,” I grate.
“What’s that?”
“Dead.” I lunge at him.
Bang!
And fly back on a grunt, the bullet hitting me square in my chest.
32
DANNY
* * *
Bang!
I flinch, watching as Beau fights and struggles in Goldie’s arms, swearing, cursing, screaming, calling me every name under the sun. “I’ll fucking kill you!”
She only stills and quietens down when the sound of a metal sliding lock sounds. I hold my breath, as everyone’s attention moves to the green container. It’s not James who emerges.
I swallow as the twisted fuck who’s played us all strides across the gravel with confidence, but I notice he has a small limp. “I’ll let you do the honors.” He smiles, tossing me the trigger button carelessly. If I would have placed my bets, and I did, I would never have expected James to lose this fight.
“Perry?” Rose gasps.
“No!” Beau shouts, starting to fight again, prompting Otto to move in to help Goldie restrain her. “What are you doing?”
“What the fuck is going on, Danny?” Otto asks.
I look at my wife. Her hands are over her mouth, her eyes welling. I look at Brad. He looks as grave as I feel. But my options are limited. I swallow, casting my eyes over Beau’s flailing, screaming form, holding up the trigger. “We walk away,” I say to Perry calmly, and he nods.
“What the fuck?” Goldie yells.
“Blow it,” Perry says evenly, relishing the drama, his hands in his pockets.
“No!” Beau screams.
I breathe in, giving her regretful eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, pushing down on the button.
“Danny,” Rose screams.
“Noooooooo!” Beau breaks free from Goldie, and I yell as she starts running toward the container. “Beau, for fuck’s sake!” I bellow. “Get a—”
Bang!
A ball of fire bursts into the sky, halting Beau in her tracks, and everyone shields their eyes from the blinding glare. She falls to her knees, broken, staring at the raging fire, and I rip my eyes away from her collapsed, crying form, unable to handle it.
I find Rose. Her devastation is equally unbearable, her head mildly shaking, as if she can’t believe what I’ve done. The disappointment. I can’t say I like it, and in complete shame, I look away from her too, finding Perry Adams. He’s always been a snake. But I never, not once, considered he could be The Bear. And now, watching him delight in the carnage, I have no faith that he’ll keep his word. And that’s more of a problem with Rose and Beau here. God damn those women. I loathe their loyalty.
I can feel the gun still pressed into my skull. “Time to ease off,” I say, pulling away, only to have the gun rammed back into my head. I still, pushing back the monster before he erupts and gets us all killed.
“I’ll ease off when I’m told to.”
“Your death just got messier,” I say darkly, turning my eyes onto Perry. “Tell him to back the fuck off.”
The sick smile he gives me says more than his traitorous mouth could speak. “I don’t think so,” he muses, nodding to his men. They all start moving in, herding us like sheep toward the cabin as the fire rages not too far away. I watch Brad claim Rose, bringing her to me, and Otto pulls Beau to her feet, walking her along. Her eyes meet mine. I know of the levels of hatred reflecting back at me. I take Rose’s hand and walk up the steps to the cabin, turning when I reach the top.
I scan the yard, mentally willing him to hurry the fuck up. “You’re out of your depth, Perry.”
He laughs. “You know, three years ago when you asked me to dig up everything I could find on the Greens, I assumed you were using the skeletons in their closet to blackmail them.” He looks at Rose. “Of course your whore would need an attorney.”
I inhale discreetly. “Call her a whore again, I will kill you, Adams.”
“Danny,” Rose whispers, squeezing my hand, telling me without telling me not to poke the fucking bear.
“I never imagined the kid they bought was Rose’s,” he goes on.
I glance across to Brad and give him a moment of my eyes. He shifts, uncomfortable. Then I look at Ringo. When my eyes catch Otto and Goldie, I see understandable utter contempt. Fuck. I turn my stare onto the green container, seeing the flames beginning to subside, and I smile, the extinguishers dowsing it from beyond disguised by the roar of the flames. Another flick of my eyes to Brad and the others, who all discreetly look toward the container too. Then I look at Beau, willing her to see me. Look at me, Beau.
“Tell me, Adams,” I say, holding out four fingers on the hand hanging by my side. “How do you want to die?” Rose’s body tensing tells me she’s reading the signs. I just hope everyone else is. I drop to three fingers, squeezing her hand.