Obsession (A Bad Boy's Secret Baby)(96)

We passed through the remaining two rooms, they were compartmentalized and featureless. They held most of the lawn care and landscaping supplies. Finally outside, I briefly marveled at the gigantic, immaculately maintained lawn. It was defiantly bright-green, considering it was autumn. It flowed directly into the marshy river.

On the bank was one last fanboat, the others had taken the girls to safety by Remy and the Veins. Strangely, it was facing the opposite way, inward like it had just arrived. Regardless, that was our ticket out of here.

It didn't matter that I'd only heard of these kinds of boats in passing, or that I had no idea how the hell to operate them. I guess today was my day to learn.

Flora and Claudine ran ahead while I made sure we weren't followed. They were passing a boat maintenance shed near the shore when I spotted stirrings in the water and through the tall grass. All the noise had definitely disturbed the wildlife. I didn't see any alligators, but that didn't mean they weren't around, lying in wait for a distracted meal.

“Hey!” I was about to warn them to keep an eye out for trouble when another gunshot rang out, this time ear-ringingly close.

I saw Flora drop before I heard her scream.

A lump of dread lodged itself into my throat. It took everything I had not to run directly to her, but I knew just being nearby wouldn't help. Claudine had no such hangups, she bent down by her sister.

I circled around the shed to where the shot had come from.

Lucky stood proudly, smoking gun in hand. It immediately dawned on me that it was his fanboat we were headed to. He must've just arrived on it, that was why it was facing the way it was.

I came up behind him, my pistol drawn and trained. He finally noticed me, his eyes flaring wide. There were no clever quips, no witty banter and no hesitation.

The only sound between Flora's labored wails was me pulling the trigger.

Next came the subsequent dry, sad clicks. Lucky flinched, but my cartridge had been empty.

“Shit, man!” Lucky hollered. He double checked that he hadn't been shot. Then he laughed in blatant relief. “Where do you think I got my namesake from, fella? Just not your lucky day— Ronin?” he asked, looking me over and realizing who I was. “Oh my... Then that must mean...” Lucky glanced at Flora. “This—” He laughed again. “This couldn't be any more perfect!”

Flora rolled on the grass, clutching at her thigh. It was pouring blood, and though she was trying to stop it with her hands, Claudine was crying. She desperately wanted to help, but she needed more than her will for this. I had no idea how badly Flora was injured, but if Lucky hit an artery, she would be dead in mere minutes. Flora's life was slipping away.

“You're still riding with the same whore?” Lucky asked. “It must be love. Can't blame you, really.” He looked Flora over lewdly. “Even all bloody, that piece of pussy cleans up awfully sweet.”

Right then, regardless of what came next, I said something in my head. It wasn't a prayer, but more of a pledge. I swore to anyone or anything that might be listening that I wouldn't let this happen.

I wouldn't let Flora die.

“You ain’t got a damn thing to say? You know, my nuts still fucking hurt, you fucking asshole! You know what I'm gonna do now? I'm gonna let you watch as I kill your whore fir—”

I didn't have the time nor the inclination to listen to the threats of the dead. In that moment I was no longer a man, I was just a series of synapses, rapidly firing. I was cornered and with Flora hurt, flight never registered as an option.

There was only fight.

I charged Lucky, hurling my gun at him. It struck him in the throat, dipping his head and obscuring his attempted gunshot.

A near miss.

I put my forearm into his throat when I reached him, taking us both to the grass. Lucky squirmed, his unkempt nails drawing long, red lines over my brow. I let him rip the skin on my face because it took both of my hands to strip the gun from him.

But when I did... I had him.

With the weight of long-overdue justice, I rained down wrathful blows onto Lucky's face with the handle of his weapon.

Abduction. Crack. His eye socket shattered.

Rape. Crunch.

Imprisonment. The flesh on his cheek flayed away.

Human trafficking. Teeth exploded.

Murder.

Each pulping strike was fueled by all the lives Lucky had destroyed. All the horrible shit that this evil bastard had a hand in, finally catching up.

I was Lucky's reckoning day.

“Ronin!” Claudine's voice was so distant that I hardly heard it. I'd given myself over completely to my old military training. I was a passenger in my own mind. My body was on autopilot. “Ronin!” Again, I barely recognized it.

All I saw was Lucky's face. It was a shattered pulp. His breathing raspy and broken, he struggled to maintain consciousness. I saw my gun-clenched fist punch the pistol's barrel into his mouth. Then, I saw myself fire off the rest of his magazine.