Branded

"You fucking tricked me."


Four words that both elated and terrified me. Parker Adair was one of the pillars of the old Castillo Cartel, newly anointed as Bastard Brother Industries. He was also a crazy fucking bastard, and I had tricked him. Now it was time to find out if he'd keep his end of the bargain and we all walked out of here or if I'd just started another war we didn't need. 


"You didn't put any parameters around the card deck. I could have had a pinochle deck for all you knew." I picked the cards up, sliding them back into the deck, my nerves on fire as he chewed his jaw and narrowed his gaze on me. 


Fury radiated off Parker as Lake unlocked his holster and drew his gun. As the one responsible for us, carrying the weight of our success, health, and happiness on his shoulders, he stepped forward, menace etched in every line of his body. 


"Are we going to have any problems?" Lake growled. 


Andre stepped forward and— 


The speakers made a series of beeps as the electricity shut off. The exit sign above the door lit up, bathing the office in a red glow.


For a second, no one moved. Then Lake cursed as the brothers exchanged a look. 


Had they planned this? The nervous jitters were swiftly replaced with raging suspicion. If there was one thing Atlas had taught me, it was that there were no coincidences. Them showing up on our Showcase night was bad enough, but the electricity going out too? 


Atlas was the only one not frozen. “We need to get Beasty,” he tossed over his shoulder as he sped toward the door. Pulling out his keycard, he raised it to the sensor.


Lake rushed to his desk and rummaged through the top drawer with his phone flashlight. “That’s not going to work while the electricity's out. I need to get the master key. Where the hell are the backup generators?” he mumbled.


Andre and Parker continued to stand there as they both watched Lake hunt for the key. 


Fuck this. I was with Atlas, we needed to find Beasty. 


I skirted around Parker, ready for him to yank my arm, but he didn't. Once I was behind Atlas, I released a trembling sigh of relief, but I didn't trust it. Not at all. 


Nothing was more important than getting to Beasty. 


"Found it!" Lake shouted. 


A loud explosion rocked the building, and the floor shook beneath our feet.


“Move!” Lake shoved me out of the way, jamming the key into the lock and opening the door. Once it was open, he raced through, and Atlas and I battled shoulder to shoulder to stay on his ass. 


We were running. 


People were screaming. 


Shadowy silhouettes raced back and forth under the emergency lights. I searched every figure, knowing the shape of Beasty's body as if it were my own or Atlas'. 


Lake headed straight for the dressing room, tossing both men and women out of his path as he went. Inside the room, girls huddled in the corner, but there was no Beasty. 


There was no fucking Beasty! 


“Where the hell is she?” Atlas shouted, gripping the sides of his head as he stopped short. Pulling out his phone, he tapped at the screen. Without internet—and deep inside the club—his phone would be useless. 


He tried anyway. 


"I need the cameras. If I can see the cameras, I can find her quicker.” 


My own frantic restlessness surged through me, I spun left, then right. This wasn’t good. This couldn’t be happening. Not after everything. 


This life, where we handled our shit and took care of Beasty, where nothing could touch her or us again, was supposed to be our only future. 


It was not supposed to be another hunt for the woman we loved. I sucked in a sharp breath. 


Holy fuck. 


I. Loved. Her.