Chapter Twenty-Seven
DREW
“Too bad you think you get a say in any of this, little lady,” Trigger told her, his smile making my stomach twist up like a thousand knives were stabbing the lining of it.
If Ayda got hurt, I’d lay my body at their feet, look up into their cold, angry eyes, and I’d tell them to take out my beating heart and put it in a fucking trophy cabinet for them to fawn over for the rest of their lives.
A victory! Look who took down the president of The Hounds of Babylon, once and for all.
Like any of that shit even mattered.
The 9mm pressing into my skull wasn’t enough of a deterrent for me.
I glanced up at my father, watching his face, studying it for just a heartbeat more than I should when I thought I saw the gentle fluttering of his lashes as his body swung in subtle waves. He was alive. I could feel it in my soul.
The Nav behind me pressed down harder, making sure I could feel every bit of the cold metal against my head. On my knees, they thought I was helpless, but I’d been on my knees a thousand times before and survived. I could take that gun outof that pussy’s hand without breaking a sweat, and suddenly it seemed worth the risk. There was just something I needed to do first.
“Trigger?”
He spun around slowly, the movement smooth and controlled. His eyes were wide as he looked down at me, the master of the universe, while I looked up at him, temporarily helpless in his eyes, my club at his mercy.
“I’ll fight,” I told him, ignoring Ayda and her wishes. “If that’s what you want me to do, I’ll fight for her happiness. I’ll fight for all of them. If that’s what gets you off, and if that’s what all this is about…” I glanced around at the altar, the flowers, the ropes around the edges of the setup, and at the chairs he’d lined up for some private viewing. “I just ask one thing first, before any of this happens.”
Travis turned his intrigued smile upside down, and he tilted his head to one side.
I held eye contact with him for an uncomfortable amount of time, not blinking, watching his every twitch, his every fluttering of confusion he struggled to hide behind a fake smile, and I watched the way, as time went on, his shoulders relaxed, as though he didn’t have to be on high alert with me on my knees in front of him.
Then I moved quickly, dodging to the side so fast that the guy putting all his weight down on the gun against my head stumbled forward, losing his footing enough for me to bring the edge of my palm down over the gun he was holding and watch as it fell to my feet. There was no scrambling, no plea for survival, or any poor timing on my part. I had that gun in my hand the second it bounced, and then I jumped up on my feet, ignoring the weapons that were moving closer around me, and I pressed that fucking gun against The Nav’s head, holding myself upright as I glared right at Trigger.
“Do not fucking underestimate me throughout any of this,” Itold him, my jaw tense, and my eyes murderous. “You might know what you’re doing, but I can assure you, I do, too.”
“Always so dramatic,” Travis smirked. “You never disappoint, Tucker.”
“I never miss a shot, either, so bear that in mind when you’re fucking with me, Travis.” I raised my brow—jaw tight.
“Noted.” Trigger tipped his head in acknowledgment before he took a step closer to me. “But my men never miss either, and you’re currently outnumbered three to one. Unless you want me to give the signal for one of mine to put a bullet in one of yours…” He held out his hand for the gun in my grip, waiting patiently.
I glanced up, looking at my brothers.
Slater was furious, his face set to thunder. Jedd looked more patient, a calm having washed over him that only Jedd could ever carry in such circumstances. Kenny was weighing up how to help—I could tell by the way he was looking in every visible corner of the warehouse, checking the high windows, scoping out the place. Moose was, even under the circumstances, waiting for my instruction, and Deeks…
Deeks looked fucking sad as he stared at me, the oldest of us all, tired and worn out with this side of life as much as I was.
I thought of Harry.
I thought of Pete, too.
And then my eyes found Ayda’s as I slowly let my shoulders sag and held the gun out for Travis to take from my grip. He knew what I could do. I’d had my way for a minute. Now it was time to play his games.
Once the gun was in Travis’s hand, the Nav I’d taken out groaned and got to his feet, stumbling to the side before Travis jerked his head, effectively dismissing his own brother. The guy left, having failed his club, and I saw the anger in the way his fists curled in and out beside his thighs as hebegrudgingly walked away.
“Brothers,” Trigger called to his men. “Bring them closer.”
Jedd, Slater, and the rest of them were pushed forward, and hisses of cuss words thrown back at The Navs came from each and every one of my guys, as the Navs tugged them back sharply, making them freeze in place behind the row of white chairs that had been lined up in front of the altar.
Trigger turned to Ayda.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be pretty for you.”