To the End: Year Four (Hannaford Prep Book 4) Page 25

We arrive at the MC clubhouse and before I get out of the car Harley grabs my hand. I glance up to find him mulling over something in his head, a deep frown over his face.

  “Everything is going to be fine. We are going to find Avery, we are going to find your uncle, and we are going to fix everything." My voice sounds so sure and fuck I wish I felt that sure.

  He nods and says, "Diarmuid’s death is mine. Avery took me in after my parents died and she’s helped me with fucking everything, no questions asked. The O’Cronins only ever wanted a fucking puppet. An empty heir they could mold into the perfect leader they wanted. It doesn’t fucking matter that he left them, Diarmuid’s the exact same. He wanted me to prove a point and now that Liam’s dead, he just wants the fucking bounty taking Avery in will get him. Fuck the O’Cronins, I’m taking him out myself for touching her.”

  I squeeze his hand back. “I would never take that right from you, but you’ll have to work it out with Ash. He’s going to need blood for this and I will also say, the Stag is turning out to be a decent enough kind of guy. Maybe the next generation won’t be so fucking bad.”

  Harley grunts, not exactly agreeing with me. I slide out of the car and meet up with Ash and Blaise, who are both staring at the clubhouse like they’re about to raid it.

  There is nothing human left on Ash’s face. I thought that would remind me of his father, or his brother, but it doesn't. All it does is remind me that we are perfect for each other because we won’t let anything happen to Avery. We will get her out because how the fuck can we not?

  The biker at the door nods at me respectfully and lets us pass. I was expecting the place to be empty after the Jackal attacked but the walls are bursting with brawny bikers.

  “There’s our fucking backup.” Blaise mutters, looking around like he’s afraid to catch a disease just from standing in the room.

  I shrug. “As long as they know how to shoot, I don’t care what they look like.”

  Harley rolls his shoulders back. “The fuck are we waiting for? Where’s that dickhead Crawford?”

  As if summoned, he stalks out of the hallway the Boar had taken me down for our meeting, looking… well, like a pile of shit. Okay, so he’s still dressed in his usual suit and his hair still looks all perfectly trimmed but his face is all sorts of fucked up.

  I feel a little less like gutting him.

  The Boar walks over to him to take his side and face the room. The chatter dies down instantly, the respect for their Prez is a palpable thing. They start giving out the orders for how the night is going to go down, who is moving in where. None of it matters to me, I just need them in there shooting at the Jackal’s guys enough to slip past them all and find Aves.

  Illi stalks in behind us, quietly clapping Ash on the back. Ash ignores it, doesn’t even acknowledge Illi is there but the Butcher doesn’t take offense. He just gives me a grimace.

  “Sorry it took me so long.”

  Harley shrugs. “We’ve just been standing around with our thumbs up our asses anyway, no big fucking deal.”

  I roll my eyes and Blaise crosses his arms, staring the Crow down like he’s planning on killing him for Ash. Fuck, I forget sometimes just how loyal he is. I need to get this over with before the whole lot of them start throwing themselves into danger to get her back.

  If anyone is doing that it’s me.

  Illi starts huffing and grunting under his breath, entirely unimpressed with the plan of action. I am too but I trust my family to get the job done.

  When he huffs again, loud enough that bikers around us turn to give him a look. I elbow him and whisper. “How obvious is it that he wasn't made for blood."

  Illi's dark chuckle is soft but I hear his answer well enough. "Good thing we were."

  No truer words spoken in this shit-fest of a night.

  I finally decide I cannot take any more and I grab Ash’s arm, tugging him out and back into the night air. I can’t stand to listen to anymore of the bullshit. The Crow finishes up as we leave, solidifying his bullshit plan. They aren’t going to be able to find the Jackal. None of them have been in there before except Luca, and I haven’t seen him anywhere so far.

  It’s going to come down to me.

  Illi takes his own car and we all pile back into the Cadillac. The drive is short enough, the MC might be out of the slums but it’s still straddling the line between there and the docks.

  Blaise parks the car and we all step out, silent and fucking ready to face whatever the fuck is happening in that building. The roar of the motorcycles is deafening as dozens of men ride in, then the sleek black town cars of the Crow’s men park around us. I don’t bother paying any of them attention. I’m too busy looking at the mess the Jackal has made of this place.

  There’s blood and bodies everywhere.

  None of them are men.

  For fuck’s sake.

  “He always was a fucking psycho.” Illi murmurs, lighting up a cigarette as he walks over to me.

  “Odie safe?” I ask, and he nods.

  “Left her over at the Crow’s place. I hate the cockhead but his place is secure enough, and she’s got her GPS tracker if shit got wrong. I did have to threaten that little creepy fuck about touching her though.”

  I frown. “Jackson? He’s a flirt but he’s not going to touch her. He’s in love with Viola.”

  Illi pulls a face. “I don’t like him. I don’t trust any man that spends all his days playing on his computer and jerking off over porn. He needs to get out a bit more.”

  I roll my eyes. The conversation is good for distracting me at least, I’m thinking a little less about Avery and what is happening to her right now. I just… I can’t think about it until I have her safe, then I can lose my fucking mind over it.

  I’m also trying not to think about how many of these dead girls I know, how many of them lived near me in the slums, went to school with me, danced at the same parties as I did back when my life revolved around the sick games the Jackal likes to play.

  Stepping back into the Jackal’s territory is a jarring, fucked-up experience now that I'm away from him. My life has never felt so different as it does right now staring at these corpses. Illi steps up to my side, grimacing as he glances around at the gore still left on the streets.

  "You going to be okay, kid?"

  Fuck. I don't know. I roll my shoulders back. "Of course. Let's get this over and done with."

  I pull the bandana tied around my neck up and over my nose. Illi pulls his up as well and I roll my eyes when I see what it has on it. The guy’s face tattoo, the snarling jaws of the Wolf, stares back at me in white. The cocky bastards.

  "Where the hell did you get that?" I say, glancing back to see they all have them.

  Blaise shrugs. "Avery got them. Apparently, being a part of a gang means we have to coordinate this shit."

  My chest hurts at the mention of her name. I let myself feel it for a second longer and then I empty myself of all of the pain, the feeling, the wishing. Once I’m nothing but a cold void, I nod to Illi.

  Let’s fucking end this.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The Crow and the Boar send their men in through the front entrance of the vaults.

  On paper, this is the only way into the dilapidated bank the Jackal has made his headquarters. It’s wide open and easier to defend against a hoard of bikers, so a smart defense move on the Jackal’s part.

  I know better than to use this entrance.

  “He’ll know we’re coming that way, kid.” Illi murmurs as I move away, and I shrug.

  “It’s still the best option. We take out the guard and then we’re further into the building than the rest of the men. I know I’m going to face him, I know he’s going to be counting on that.”

  Illi palms his cleaver in one hand and squeezes my arm gently in the other. “We’re in and out like old times. The plan is go in through the back, find the vault keys, go to the basement, then get out, killing anyone in our way, cool? We care about noth
ing else going on except getting our girl and killing that fuck D’Ardo.”

  I nod sharply. “The Stag too. He went in after Avery so we’re here for him as well.”

  Harley grunts under his breath and when I look at him he shrugs. “You forgot Diarmuid. He’s dead too, no matter what it takes I’m killing that fuck.”

  The sounds of gunfire that starts up all around us gets us moving and I take the lead because I know where to go and I need Illi taking up the rear to watch our backs. The alleyway is disgusting, full of trash and reeking of piss like the whole damn street uses it as a toilet. I mean, they probably do. The Jackal would encourage it to keep unsuspecting Mounty kids the hell away from here.

  “Once this is over with, we are never coming to the slums again.” Blaise says as he gags at the smell. There’s filth everywhere so I don’t exactly blame him, I’m just used to looking around it all, ignoring the signs of how bad this place actually is.

  Harley scoffs at him. “You wouldn’t have fucking survived growing up here, Morrison. Maybe you should wait in the car, leave this to those of us who aren’t spoiled pussies.”

  I sigh. “We’re trying to be stealthy here guys. Do you not see the guys on the roof with guns ready to be aimed at us the second we’re in range?”

  Though none of the Jackal’s guys have Diarmuid’s level of skills and I know O’Cronin won’t be up there, he’s probably not even here anymore but I don’t tell Harley that. He’s not one to stick around after he’s been paid.

  I know all of his little hiding places anyway; we can track him later.

  Ash pulls his gun out. “Like Illi said, the Jackal knows we’re coming and how we’re getting in there so who the fuck cares if they hear us coming.”

  And then he shoots at the roof of the building. He has a silencer on, thank god or my eardrums would’ve been blown out at this close range, and it takes a second for the body to fall off of the roof and land at our feet.

  Well.

  “That was a great fucking shot.” Illi says, kicking the corpse as we pass it.

  Ash shrugs. “We’ve been training for this day for months. You don’t think Harley’s taught us some extra tricks?”

  I know the guy on the ground, I don’t look at him because I don’t need to think about what a shitty person he was right now. I need to focus on getting us in there without catching a bullet between the eyes. “There’s two others, you think you guys can get them too? Illi and I will take the door.”

  They still can’t see the door from where it’s obscured but their trust in me is rock solid. Harley and Ash both pause and aim at the roof, while Blaise stays close behind me, his own gun drawn and held in his hands with the sort of confidence that comes from extensive training. I knew they’d all been working with Illi while I’d focused on planning and homework with Avery but I didn’t realize just how much they’d grown into exactly what I need.

  Confident, assured killers.

  Fuck.

  “Blaise, when this is over remind me to apologize to you for making you a killer.” I murmur, and he scoffs at me.

  “Ash did that a long time ago, Star. No regrets. Now tell me what I’m shooting, because at the moment I kind of think I’m just going to be used as a human shield if someone aims something at you.”

  I roll my eyes and make a mental note to ask him for that story. How do I keep forgetting to ask?

  “Kick it in? The vests should be enough, the fuckers the Jackal has working for him aren’t exactly professionals.” Illi murmurs, and I hear two more bodies hit the cement behind us.

  “Shoot it out first, let’s not start the night filling up on lead.” I say, and Illi raises his gun, shooting at the hole in the brick wall that’s covered by a large sheet of steel. It looks like nothing from here, there’s plenty of other places that have old signs propped up or slabs of wood, which is why it’s the perfect escape route.

  The Jackal had used it once while I was working with him. There had been a party here and some flunky got drunk and set the place on fire. The Jackal had dragged me through here to get away from the smoke and once the fire was out he’d executed half the men here. He’d rambled and seethed about it for weeks, sure that it was an assassination attempt, not a stupid mistake by some guy who couldn’t hold his beer.

  “On three-” Illi says, and Ash stalks up behind him.

  “Three.” He snaps, and he shoves past us, ripping the sheet off of the wall like it’s nothing and letting it crash to the ground. He keeps his body away from the hole and thank god he does because a shot rings out from the blackness of the hole. There’s shouting, a few of the Jackal’s guys still standing, and Blaise shoves me behind him as Illi and Harley deal with them.

  “I’m fine.” I snap, but Blaise holds me there with one arm easy enough. He doesn’t let me go until Illi calls out it’s safe.

  “You know I’m also wearing Kevlar, right? I’m just as covered as you are.” I snap at him, and he steps back behind me as we catch up with the others. I feel irritated that he’d cover me, that he thinks I not only need his protection like that but that I’d be able to live with myself if the fucker took a bullet for me. Nope, couldn’t do it.

  “You’re also nearly two fucking feet shorter than us all and your head is an open target so yeah, you can stand the fuck behind one of us. Get over it.” Harley snarks back, and for the record I’m not that much shorter than these overprotective assholes.

  We step over a dozen dead guys, the Jackal clearly wants a few of us taken out before we get to him. He’s underestimating my guys. I hold tightly onto the Wolf as I walk through the blood and gore, ignoring the crunching underneath my boots every so often as I stand in bone fragments. You shoot a guy in the head, you better believe you’ll be stepping in pieces of his skull.

  The hallway leads into the center of the dilapidated building. There are old beams strewn across the cracked and scorched marble floor, giving you the feel that the ceiling might cave in on you at any freaking point. Well… more of the ceiling, there’s already sections that have come down.

  “If he’s that rich, why does he live in a shit hole?” Blaise mutters, and I shrug.

  “He lives in the vaults. It’s… different there. This is where the parties happen, and some of the killing.” I say, and Harley’s eyes meet mine as he takes the area in.

  The gunfire and shouting echoes through the building and the fighting has already made its way inside. We hug the outer wall as we work our way through, staying unseen but seeing exactly what’s going down.

  There’s a whole fucking lot of blood and death.

  I start to wonder how it is the Crow is going to wipe this night from the legal history of the Bay. Does he have enough police and governors on his payroll to do it? I wonder if Avery does? How does the city explain a hundred men suddenly disappearing? Fuck, I need to keep my head in this and stop worrying.

  “I’ll clear the way, you lot get the keys for the vault doors. It’ll be with the dope, always was.” Illi says, and I nod. It’ll be much easier getting down to the Jackal with them. He disappears through the dark hallway, silent and deadly.

  He kills two cowering guys and stalks off as we get to the back rooms, full of drugs and cash and dead girls chained to the wall, and I grit my teeth as I take it all in. I hate this fucking place. We need to set it on fire as we leave.

  Harley grimaces as he looks around. Blaise keeps his eyes on me and Ash is a blank fucking void still, cold and uncaring about anything except the job.

  Harley huffs and starts to rummage around, looking for keys or something else that might come in handy, but when he opens the only other door in the room his whole body jolts and he snaps it shut again. I raise an eyebrow and he shakes his head at me.

  “Whichever flunky or biker did that needs fucking therapy. He’s made the Butcher look mentally balanced.”

  Illi rounds the corner and grins at Harley. “Aww, sweet of you to say! I’ve just hacked a man to pieces for saying he
couldn’t wait to watch the Jackal fuck my wife once I was dead so my night is going fan-fucking-tastical. Next level amazing. I’m practically jizzing myself with joy.”

  Ah hell. “Big pieces or did you really get down to business on him? I feel like no piece of him should be bigger than a quarter.”

  Blaise pretends to gag, but the little psycho frown Illi has between his eyes eases off a little. “I guess I’ve been a bit slack. Wanna stomp on his skull with me?”

  Fuck, the pretend gag turns into a real one as Blaise’s skin takes on a green-y tinge. He turns on his heel and starts pawing through the drugs as he helps Harley look. Nothing.

  “Stop fucking wasting time. Get over here and look.” Ash snaps at Illi, and he grimaces at him.

  I start tapping my way around the room, nothing the Jackal loves more than a loose floorboard to hide shit in, and Illi checks the door frames and window sills. Harley gets frustrated and kicks the chair, flipping it. Yup, there it is.

  I duck down to grab the key from where it’s taped on the chair.

  Harley rolls his eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me? This feels like amateur hour.”

  I shrug. “The Crow is the one with all the high-tech shit. Sometimes simple works in your favor, but not today.”

  I try to ignore the feeling that this is all a little too easy. It feels like the Jackal is playing with us, that he’s doing all of this for us, and us alone.

  There’s nothing I can do but play his little game. Illi opens the door that leads to the staircase, flinging it wide and waiting for any gunshots or shouting. When there’s nothing he stalks through, gun first, then motions us forward when it’s all clear. The staircase down to the vaults feels like it never ends, like you’re heading to the center of the Earth itself as we step over the rotted-out holes every so often. Harley grabs my hand to steady me, like he knows my leg will get sore from all of the stairs, and I do my best to be gracious about it.

  When we finally get to the bottom of the stairs, guns drawn, there’s already people fighting down here but it’s too fucking dark to see much. We have no choice but to push on slowly, steady and careful.