Well, fucking shit. What can you say to that?

He laughs and pockets it before turning away and cleaning up, giving me time to recover.

When we get back upstairs, I can feel the tension. They are all wondering what will come next, how the Triad will react and retaliate. This is more than a gang conflict, this is two families going to war. The city is their battle ground, filled with blood and money, and it’s only big enough for one of them.

My Vipers.

Because they don’t plan on losing, they will do anything to win, I will help them. This is my life now. They are my life. I chose this, I want this, and honestly…it feels right. It’s bad, but the excitement of it all has me happier than ever, and I finally feel alive. They did this. Made me into the woman I usually hide away. They pulled back the curtain and let me shine, unafraid of what they would find.

“They were freed three hours ago. I wonder what they are planning,” Kenzo mutters, his eyes on his tablet.

“Something big, we embarrassed them.” Ryder grins.

“It’s happening, our safe house downtown just went dark,” Garrett snarls, as they all get to their feet.

It’s time to go to war.

Chapter Forty-One

GARRETT

We wait until the next morning and then split up. Ryder is going to check all the businesses, Kenzo the illegal side of things, and Diesel will hit the streets and find out anything he can while I inspect the safe houses. We all take guards with us and are armed to the nines with weapons. Before we depart, we make Roxy promise to stay inside just for today and leave some guards behind.

They will be looking for payback, and grabbing one of us won’t be easy, but we still have to be careful. I ignore my fury at how close they got to us. The hits came way too fast, they never planned to make a peace. They have been building this up to take us down. We let their families live, and this is how they repay us?

I’m going to kill them all.

Taking the armoured car, we drive to the safe house that was hit last night. I had Tony and a few others go straight over after it happened, but I need to see it for myself as well. First, the old house, then this. How the fuck are they getting this information? Ryder is stressed as well—he wants the rat and he wants them now.

I can’t wait to see what Diesel will do to them when we find them.

The ride to the safe house doesn’t take long. We keep them running for any of our employees or even us if the need calls for it. We also have five escape plans—six now, thanks to Roxy. When you’re the most powerful people in the city, you sure as shit have a target on your back and gotta know when to run.

But this isn’t one of those times.

This? This is just another fucking lesson to assholes who think we’re weak, who think we’re nothing more than Ryder’s daddy’s money.

We pull up outside the safe house. I let them get out first, even though it chafes me, and with my hand on my gun, I slip out after them as they rap their knuckles on my door. I keep my eyes peeled, looking everywhere at once, checking doorways, other cars, rooftops, and windows. You can never be too careful, and with Roxy expecting me home, I find myself wanting to live.

The safe house itself is a tiny bungalow tucked between two other bungalows on the suburban side of the city. It’s small and unassuming, just how we like it. We have a whole hotel of tiny houses spread across the city—you can never be too careful, after all.

The guys go before me as we head down the old, cracked driveway and past the overgrown garden to the yellow peeling front door. The handle is broken, the lock too, and I tap their shoulders to let them know I’m behind them. They go in first, and I draw my gun, even though Tony has already been here. It could be a trap. We sweep into the house and split up to check it out. The one bedroom and bathroom are clear, the living room and kitchen too. Holstering my gun, I frown as I look around. The place is trashed with things ripped from walls, dents and cracks in the plaster, and furniture turned upside down. It appears like they were looking for something, but we don’t keep anything at safe houses, so this is all a threat.

A reminder they are there and angry.

That they can get to us. Curling my fists into my sides, I stomp through the mess, kicking aside the broken sofa. “Check on all the other safe houses, I want a report back. Find whoever the fuck is betraying us!” I snap.

Grabbing my phone, I dial Ryder. “Speak,” he snarls, obviously having as much fun as me.

“It’s trashed, they fucking knew exactly where to go. We need to find the fucking bastard who is giving them this information,” I growl, smashing my fist into the wall.

“I fucking know that, I’m trying. Go check out the other houses,” he orders, before hanging up. I pocket my phone. He’s stressed as well, we can all feel it. Before, it wouldn’t have mattered, it would have been fun, a game to destroy them, but now we have Roxy to think about, and we don’t want her caught in the crossfire. My phone vibrates as I’m slipping it into my front jeans pocket, so I yank it out and read the message.

Kenzo: No luck here.

Fuck.

Putting it back, I circle my fingers at the guys. “Let’s move out. We’re checking all the houses until we find someone, and when we do, we’re going to fucking kill them.”

They nod, and we rush off to search the next safe house.

Five safe houses later, and I’m pissed. Three have been hit, but there’s no sign of whoever did it, or whoever told them about it, because we all know it’s the Triad, a revenge hit. Maybe they were hoping they would find someone at one of them, I’m not sure. Either way, I want to smash someone’s face in.

I have to hold back the urge, my body vibrating with tension and anger, the feeling I get when I’m winding up to fight. Breathing through it, I try and tamp it down for as long as I can. Suddenly, my phone rings, and I answer it without looking.

“What?” I snarl into it, as we head to the next safe house.

“How fucking rude! I was going to be nice for once, but…” She laughs—Roxy. I relax instantly at the sound of her voice, a smile coming to my lips.

“You okay, baby?” I ask, my voice softer now. I see the two men in the front shifting, so I glare at their backs, and they hunch.

“Yeah, you, big guy? I got worried when I hadn’t heard from any of you.” She sniffs.

“You’re bored, aren’t you?” I chuckle.

“Out of my fucking mind.” She groans dramatically, making me laugh harder.

“Haven’t got up to any trouble yet?” I query, staring out of the window. All my tension seems to float away for a moment as I imagine her guards chasing her with pale faces, trying to keep up with whatever trouble she’s up to.

“Psh, not yet, but it’s only…nine in the morning.” She laughs, the sound heading straight to my cock and hardening it. “Though I did order us some new chains to play with.” Her voice goes low and sultry.

Fuck me.

I groan, closing my eyes for a minute. “Baby, I’m in a car with three other guys, you can’t say shit like that.”

“Why? You wanna chain them up too?” she teases.