Smoke & Metal (New York Crime Kings Book 3) (11 page)

Preparation

Emily

I don’t feel good. I chew nervously at my nails, trying my best to ignore the twisting and turning of my stomach. It’s not the map of the route Skull’s goons will be taking with Joel in the van or the fact there are rifles holding the sheet down on the coffee table. It’s knowing that at any minute Jai is going to walk out the door and I might not see him again. All three of them are dressed from head to toe in black, like robbers about to hit a bank. I eye up the stranger Ted let into the house. He calls him
Huss.
He’s tall —much taller than Jai—but just as wide. He doesn’t contribute to the conversation much and the way his steel grey stare occasionally flicks over me sets me on edge. His hair is cropped short on the top and shaved on the sides, exposing a large flaming skull. I slip the tip of a strawberry into my mouth and bite down. There’s something about this
Huss
I don’t like.

“Where’d you get the tattoo?” I blurt out.

Ted stops mid-sentence and looks at me over his shoulder. Jai does too. With a subtle smirk, Huss replies: “Why? Do you like it?”

“Not particularly.”

“Emily, c’mon.” Ted sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not everyone with a skull tattoo works for
him
.”

Ted should be happy I’m turning my attention from him onto someone else. Ted has proven his loyalty so far and I trust Jai’s judgment. The thing is, Jai doesn’t know Huss. And that puts me on edge.

Jai turns his focus to Huss. “Answer her. When did you get it?”

Huss’s gray eyes dance between Jai and I, glistening with amusement.

“Mexico.” He states, his voice as rough as the thick stubble on his jaw. “On my twenty-third birthday six years ago. Happy?”

Ted laughs. “Don’t bother. There isn’t an answer in the world that can make her happy. I’ve tried them all.”

They laugh—even Jai looks over his shoulder at me with a smug grin.
Hilarious
. I continue to eat my strawberry. I’m sorry if a skull tattoo puts me on edge. Perhaps I should remind them of the person we’re going up against.

“Don’t sweat it, Ted.” I simper, dropping the end of the strawberry into my bowl. “Not all men have what it takes to make a woman happy.”

Jai and Huss laugh, leaving Ted looking rather betrayed.

“You don’t even know what I’ve got going on,” he says defensively with a scowl.

I wave him off as I pluck another strawberry and lift it to my lips.

“I can do shit you can’t imagine, shit that will change the way you look at them strawberries you seem to love so much.”

I close my mouth, unwilling to bite the berry while he’s grinning at me. Who the hell uses strawberries during sex? Who in their right mind would waste such a delicious fruit?

The boys quickly fall back into serious conversation. Guns and cars are mentioned every second sentence and that’s when I tune out. The thought of the dangerous, fast paced rescue is making me want to pass out. I have to admit they know their shit though. Listening to them map it out is like listening to a storyboard for an action movie being read aloud. I prefer it this way instead of being in the center of the action. They’ve ordered me to sit this one out and I have absolutely no quarrels with that. I’d only slow them down anyway. I’m not the fast-driving, gun-toting heroes they are. That being said, I wish I could be there with Jai. Sitting around an empty house waiting for him last time was stressful enough…this time will be unbearable.

“All right.” Ted announces, pushing himself to his feet. “Let’s do this.”

They gather their guns and clear the couch. With a shit-eating grin, Huss plucks a strawberry from my packet and pops it between his lips. I frown as it crunches between his teeth and he drops the end in my bowl.

“Don’t even go there, Huss. Jai will kick your ass.” Ted warns as he shoves him down the hall.

“They’re a thing?”

“I don’t know what they are, but they’re definitely fucking. No one stays cooped up in a lake house without having some crazy, sensual, sexy…”

Their discussion fades away as they exit the house and I’m kind of glad I don’t have to hear the end of it.

Jai stops in front of me, his dark, blue stare shooting down the hallway.

“I don’t like him.” He states, bringing his frown back to me.

Jealousy is an extremely sexy thing on the person you’re attracted to. The tension in their muscles, the frown in their brow and the clench of the jaw…I don’t know why, but it just
gets
me. Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen jealousy manifest over me before. The thought alone is enough to provoke a coy smile to tug at the corners of my mouth.

“Of course you don’t.”

Holding his gun below counter level, Jai leans close. He tucks a finger in the neck of my thin, cotton coat and pulls me forward. Captivated his smoldering stare, I go with it, allowing him to pull me in close.

“I’m coming back.” He mutters, his eyes flicking to my lips.

“I don’t doubt it.”

“When I get back we’re gonna talk.”

“Ooh.” I flick my eyebrows. “How vague.”

He zips forward, crushing his mouth to mine and kissing me with his dry lips. My heart races and the fear of never seeing him again grows exponentially.

The collar of my coat flicks back against my chest. If it didn’t I wouldn’t have even realized he released me.

“Before I forget…"

I turn and lean against the counter as he rounds the kitchen bench and stalks up to me. He pulls a black handgun out from underneath his shirt and sits it on the surface beside me. I don’t know what’s more terrifying; the fact there’s a gun less than five inches away from me or knowing that Jai thinks there’s a chance I’ll need to use it.

“You can take care of yourself while I’m gone?” He asks, his voice full of concern and compassion.

“Do you have a smaller gun?”

A smile twitches at his lips, but he manages to hold it back.

“Just remember what I told you and you’ll be fine.”

He smooths the back of his fingers over my cheek and it takes every fiber in my being not to take a hold of it and beg him not to go. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and wish him luck…

If only I had the courage to tell him how I really feel. If only I had the courage to let go of my doubts and let him have me the way he wants.

Bang

Jai

I’m so fucking ready. I’ve been waiting for this day for too damn long. I may have took the long way, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is I’m here now.

That’s all that counts.

“They’re late.” Huss murmurs from the driver’s seat as we sit parked on the side of the road. It’s a minimal traffic road concealed by dense shrubbery. Huss says the odds of someone stumbling upon the scene is minimal, making it the perfect place.

I don’t know much about Huss, A.K.A Jordan Husstel, but in the short time I’ve known him I’ve already compiled a list of things I hate about him. One: he’s a perfectionist. Everything has to go the way they’re supposed to. He frets about the slightest change. Apparently it makes him uncomfortable. I decided a long time ago that those who aren’t accepting of sudden change are weak and can’t be trusted. Two: he’s a ladies man—and not the good kind either. The stories Huss and Ted have exchanged are stories I would have reveled in once. Now Emily’s body and face is all I can picture. I can’t help but imagine her being disrespected in such a gut wrenching way by the men before me. Men who didn’t care about her the way I do now…it makes my finger twitch against my rifle’s trigger. Three—

“We shouldn’t waste any more time.” Ted announces, unclipping his seat belt. “Any second they’ll show. Let’s get into position.”

I pull my hood up around my face and tug on the door handle. Cold air blows in and I clench my rifle, pulling it close to my chest as the cold chills the tip of my nose and spreads across my cheeks. I kick the door shut and sprint as fast as I can until I’m one hundred and nine yards down the road. Ted is on my right, covering that side of the street. When I reach my mark, I rush into the forest and hide amongst the trees. Dry sticks and leaves crunch underneath my heavy boots, but they’re a whisper compared to the thrumming in my ears. Panting, I reach into the pocket of my black hood and pull out a red, laser pointer. I point it to the road and click the button three times. Right after me, Ted’s green laser streams across the road for three short clicks. I look to the car and Huss flicks the lights once.

Now we wait.

“Stone?”

I jump as Ted’s smooth voice barks through my walkie talkie. I inhale through my nose and blow it out, as I pull the bulky device from my pocket.

“You scared the shit out of me. What?”

I hear him laugh from across the road and I roll my eyes. So much for stealth.

“Do you remember that time you spilled coffee all down the front of Captain’s suit?”

I choke on a laugh, unable to help myself. It was my fourth day on the force and I got stuck doing the morning coffee run. I hadn’t known Ted then. He was transferred in the day before I started, and he was the loudest motherfucker laughing over the Captain’s shoulder as he cussed me out in front of everyone. Somehow we became friends after that.

“Yeah. I remember.”

“Good times. I miss you around the precinct, bro.”

I smile. If I’m being honest with myself I miss being there. Life was so much easier when I was writing up speeding fines and chasing down shoplifters. Life was easier when I was fighting someone else’s bad guy instead of hunting down my own. Back then, my problems ended with my shift. They didn’t follow me home and they sure as fuck didn’t haunt me in my dreams.

“Shit. There are headlights approaching. Nine o’clock.” Ted mumbles through the speaker.

My stomach flips and slams into every other organ in that vicinity, making me want to throw the fuck up. The plan is straightforward. Stop the van, kill whoever is driving, and grab Joel.

“They’re supposed to be coming from three, not nine. What the fuck is happening?” Huss growls through the radio.

I peer through a bush and see the headlights for myself. The vehicle is definitely a white van.

“Fuck.” I swear. “We need a new plan and quick.”

“No!” Huss shouts. “We stick to the plan.”

“Huss, we’re a hundred yards in the wrong direction. It isn’t going to work unless you hit them front on.” Ted warns.

The vehicle passes Ted and I. This is my only shot to get Joel back. I can’t give up now. I won’t. I leap from the bush and chase the van. My muscles burn immediately. No matter how fast I run, no matter how hard I pump my legs, the van gets further away. I’m not going to catch it. There’s no way.

“Jai? What the fuck are you doing?” Ted shouts after me, but I ignore him.

I bring the radio to my mouth. “Now, Huss!”

I expect him to let the van pass. It gets close, so close I stop running, my shoulders slump.

But then I hear the rev of the engine and the wheels as they spin against the dirt before he flicks the lights on and the car roars forward. Whoever is driving the van has no time to react and the sounds as the two blocks of thin metal and plastic slam together is deafening. The metal squeals as it twists together and all I can do is watch. This isn’t how it was supposed to go. There’s no denying our escape vehicle is completely totaled.

Panting, Ted stops beside me. “Huss!”

Nothing.

“Guns up.” I order. “Check the van.”

I pull the gun up, pressing the butt of the rifle firmly in the pocket of my shoulder. I relax my neck, letting my cheek fall to the stock, bringing my nose to the charging handle. We approach slowly, each step calculated and careful. It’s deafeningly quiet and the thick smell of oil and melting plastic hangs in the air.

I slip in front of Ted as I advance on the back of the van. Seven feet away the doors spring open and I’m caught off guard, like a fucking amateur, by two assholes holding shotguns.

Bang.

Bang.

Skull’s men crumble to the ground, one missing the van completely and crashing against the asphalt at my feet. I glance over my shoulder as Ted peers over the sight of his gun.

“Thanks.” I breathe out, my ears ringing with the shots.

“Take the left.” He states. “I’ll take the right.”

With a nod, I move to the left side of the van. There’s no movement—even as my fingers wrap around the cool metal of the handle. I keep my gun up, my finger half squeezing the trigger, and yank the door open.

“Ugh!” I grunt as a heavy, hard body slams into me, knocking the rifle from my hands.

The back of my skull hits the hard surface and we crash against the road as the rifle slides along the asphalt and into a ditch. A crippling pain sears over my skull and bears down in my eyes. My brain rolls in my head and my lungs fail to expand all the way underneath the weight of his body. His heavy hands are at my throat, his sharp knees digging into my stomach.

“Shoulda known you’d be here, motherfucker.” He growls, digging his thumbs into my throat as hard as he can.

I push on his biceps, but he doesn’t move because he has the more dominant position. I gasp for air. Oh, fuck this. I will not die tonight.

I flick my hips, throwing the asshole off me. Already weakened by the crash, he loses his grip and is thrown three feet to my left. I roll onto my stomach as cold air floods my lungs, making me feel nauseous. I take a second to regain my equilibrium while the asshole who got the jump on me groans and clenches his face. I spit, then stumble over to my rifle and pick it up off the ground. It vibrates in my hand, forcing energy into my bloodstream. As I approach him, I point the gun at his face. He lowers his hands. His face, the one that was just contorted in hate and anger, is now soft and pleading.

“Please.” He begs, his voice thick and hoarse. “I have children.”

I press the tip of my gun to his forehead. If that’s true I’ll be doing his kids a favor by blowing his head clean off. No one can use them as leverage if he’s dead.

“If I let you live Skull will kill you himself — your children, too.” I push the gun harder. “I’d be doing them a favor.”

“Jai!” Ted shouts at me.

I don’t tear my eyes off the man I’m about blast from this world. “They have backup close by. We gotta go.”

Maybe I shouldn’t kill this guy…maybe it’ll send a bigger message if I leave one of them alive.

“Put a bullet in his head, Stone.” Huss groans from somewhere. He coughs and splutters. “He’s seen our faces. If you let him go, we’ll lose everything.”

That’s all that needs to be said. I squeeze the trigger.

Bang
.

Blood splatters up my arm, the rest of it on the road, as his mangled head smashes against the street. Ted and Huss have risked everything for this moment. If they want him dead? Done. No questions asked. I had reservations about Huss’s loyalty earlier on, but after tonight I consider him as loyal as they come.

Silence.

I turn my attention to Ted. He gives me a confident nod, but his lips are sad. His eyes drowning in regret. Behind him, Huss slides his bloodied body against the van. His clothes are ripped, exposing patches of clean and inked skin. The light of the moon shines down through the thin canopy and the dark blood on his face is visible. It runs from his head and his nose, it gushes from his stomach and his thigh, and it drips from his left arm. An arm that is so obviously broken it sends bile into my throat.

“Jesus, fuck.” I swear, stepping toward him.

He grunts in pain as he turns toward the open passenger door.

“I’m all right.”

“Shit. We need to get you to a hospital.” Ted says, running a nervous hand over his face.

“I said I’m all right.” He hisses through clenched teeth. “Just get me back to the lake. I’ll take care of it there.” He turns his blood shot eyes on me. “Check on your brother.”

Right. Joel. I jog around to the back of the van as Huss explains to Ted that he set up a secondary car an hour north of here. I have to hand it to him, he’s thought of everything. Maybe these OCD people aren’t so bad after all.

I pull myself into the back of the van and there he is, tied to the side of the van, gagged and unconscious. His grey tank and black jeans are filthy, torn in some places and caked in mud. I’m frozen in place. It feels like a dream…I never thought I’d see my big brother ever again. Slowly, I lower my rifle to the floor and turn to shut the doors behind me. When they click firmly into place, a faint blue light brightens the space. That’s when I notice the blood trickling down the back of his neck.

I rush forward and crouch low to grab his face.

“Joel?” I tap his cheek.

Nothing. Shit.

I press my fingers to his pulse. It’s soft, but it’s there. I exhale as relief floods my entire body.

I did it. Joel has been found. I drop and rest my head on my knees. The sounds of metal peeling from metal dig their way into my brain, making me shudder. Thank God the van is still drivable or we’d be screwed—and not in a good way.

I lift my head to look at Joel as my body gently rocks from side to side with the movement of the moving vehicle. I almost don’t recognize him.

“You silly mother fucker.” I mumble. “What have you done to yourself?”