Talon (Uncompromising #1)(41)

André glanced at Siren then turned to me. “You got a death wish?”

I glared at him. “What’re you packin’?”

“Nothing that will stop an entire biker gang. Call in local reinforcement.”

“I’m not callin’ the cops.” Not for this. If I started shooting, I still had a chance of self-defense because they were all trespassing. I opened my gun safe and pulled out two H&K USP9 SDs with double-action triggers. I tucked them both into the back waistband of my jeans.

“You’re going out there?” André asked.

“Yep.” What fucking choice did I have?

“Please, Talon,” Siren pleaded. “Don’t.”

I turned and my gut constricted. Eyes wide, face white, cradling her wrist, she looked fucking terrified.

I didn’t have a single extra second but I took her in my arms anyway. “Nothin’ bad’s gonna happen. Don’t worry. I’m just gonna see what he wants.”

“You know what he wants.”

I hated the defeat in her voice. “He’s just comin’ to intimidate. I can handle this.” I pulled back and caught her chin. “But you gotta do me a favor.”

Looking weary as shit, she raised her eyebrows.

“Stay here with André. Do what he says. I’ll be back before you know it.” I pressed my lips to hers then I let her go. I glanced at André and inclined my head. “You know what to do.”

“I’m calling in local if I see anything start to go south,” he warned.

“Fair enough.” If bullets started flying, I’d be dead anyway. I typed a few keystrokes on my computer and turned on the audio feed to the security cameras. As the last of the motorcycles turned off their engines, it went eerily quiet.

I winked at Siren. “Showtime.”

Adrenaline pumping, no time to think about what I was walking into, I grabbed a T-shirt and stepped into my boots. My military training kicked in and I was mission focused. Carter wasn’t getting Siren. Period. I’d fucking unload both clips at all those assholes if it came to that.

I closed and locked the steel-reinforced door at the bottom of my stairs and pounded on it once so André would know to arm the perimeter. Then I opened my front door.

Randy stood three paces out with sixteen men behind him I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Scrappers, the worst kind, all of them. When you grew up hard and lived harder, you fought dirty. I knew because I was one of them but I’d never worn a cut. I’d chosen a different uniform.

“Little early to be sellin’ Girl Scout cookies, Carter.” I leaned on the doorframe and crossed my arms.

“Fuck you. Get her out here.”

“Who?” I asked casually.

“Bring me Nicole and we won’t have a problem,” he growled.

I pushed off the frame. “Here’s the thing. I’ve let a lot of shit behavior from you slide but stabbing a woman and breakin’ her arm? Now I’m pissed.” I took two steps toward him and lowered my voice to a deadly threat. “So that bullshit about you and I not havin’ a problem? You’re dead wrong. We got a big fuckin’ problem.”

“Get. Nicole. Now.”

“Go ahead,” I seethed. “Try and get past me.”

A smile, pure evil, spread across his face and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. “I don’t have to,” he said smugly.

I waited, knowing I wasn’t going to like what came next.

He palmed the gun in his holster. “Give me Nicole or go down for Maldonado’s murder.”

My blood ran cold.

“Didn’t hear me?” he taunted. “I’ll spell it out. Your pussy Marine friend Johnson and his cunt wife will go down for conspiracy to commit murder. You’ll get the death penalty, they’ll rot behind bars for being accomplices and I’ll still get the bitch in the end. So make a decision. Hand her over now or go to hell. Your choice. You got thirty seconds.”

My mind was racing, trying for every angle. How did he get Blaze’s name? Was the sniper who went after Layna a Lone Coaster? What evidence could actually implicate me? Had Candle recorded the call?

“Tick-tock.”

That was when I saw it. This wasn’t about Nic. This was about something he had to prove. He wanted me to go down. He was itching for me and I wanted to know why.

“Why don’t I save you the time, Carter? How ’bout we both pull our dicks out and then you’ll know once and for all.” I smiled, knowing I’d enjoy beating the fuck out of him. “Mine’s bigger.”

“Never had any complaints from Nicole. Why don’t you ask her how big my dick is?”