27. Lars

27

LARS

I grip Alice's wrist and yank her behind a large oak, pressing her back against the rough bark. My other hand clamps over her mouth. "Don't make a fucking sound," I whisper.

Alice's eyes widen with confusion, but she nods slowly. I peek around the tree, my heart pounding as I spot Carlo and his goons stalking through the woods, heading straight for the carnival. Fuck. This is bad.

I pull out my phone and quickly type out a group text to Nash, Colt, Ty, Phoenix, and Remy:

Carlo's crew is incoming from the west side of the forest. Heavily armed. Get your asses here now.

The responses come in rapid succession, each confirming they're on their way, locked and loaded. I curse under my breath, realizing the severity of the situation I've dragged Alice into. She's not ready for this, for the violence and bloodshed that's about to go down.

I turn back to her, my hand still firmly over her mouth. "Listen to me carefully, princess," I say, my voice urgent. "Things are about to get real fucking ugly. I need you to stay hidden, no matter what happens. Understand?"

Alice nods, her eyes filled with terror. And yet, there's also trust in the man who brought her into this mess. I lean in and kiss her forehead hard before releasing her mouth.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice cracking with emotion. "I never meant for you to get caught up in this shit."

Alice reaches up and cups my cheek, her touch soft and reassuring. "I'm with you, Lars," she says, her voice barely audible. "No matter what."

I close my eyes momentarily, letting her words wash over me. She's mine, truly mine, even in the face of danger. But now's not the time for sentiment. I have to focus on keeping her safe and ending this war before it begins.

I take a deep breath and steel myself for the fight to come. Carlo and his men have no idea what's about to hit them.

I grip Alice's shoulders, eyes boring into hers with fierce intensity. "You stay right fucking here, you hear me? Don't move a goddamn muscle until I come back for you."

Her bottom lip trembles slightly. I can see the fear in her eyes, but a steely determination there makes my heart swell with pride. My girl's a fighter.

I press a quick, hard kiss to her lips before pulling away. "I mean it, princess. Stay put. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, I turn and stride into the woods, my hand already reaching for the gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans. I can hear the distant shouts of Carlo's men getting closer, and I know I don't have much time.

Braking into a run, my feet pound against the damp earth, weaving through the trees. I spot Nash and Colt up ahead, both armed to the teeth and looking ready for war. Phoenix and Remy are close behind, their faces set in grim determination.

"Where's Ty?" I ask, scanning the area for our fearless leader.

"On his way," Nash replies, his voice tense. "He's bringing reinforcements."

I nod, my jaw clenching as I hear the sound of gunfire in the distance. Fuck. It's starting.

"Alright, listen up," I say, my voice low and urgent. "We need to head them off before they reach the carnival. Colt, Remy, you two flank left. Nash, Phoenix, you're with me on the right. We'll converge on them from both sides and take those fuckers out."

The guys nod, their eyes hard and focused. "And remember," I add, my voice deadly serious. "No one gets past us. We protect our own, no matter what."

With that, we split up, ready to face whatever hell Carlo and his men have in store for us. The bastard was supposed to get his shipment tomorrow morning. Obviously, he decided to take it as revenge for dealing with the Blackwoods so much product.

All I can think about is keeping Alice safe and ending this war before it can truly begin. I just hope to God we're not too late.

I catch up with Carlo's crew, my gun drawn and aimed right at the bastard's head. Nash, Colt, Phoenix, and Remy fan out beside me, their weapons locked and loaded.

"Drop your fucking weapons, Carlo!" I shout, my finger hovering over the trigger. "You and your boys are outgunned and outnumbered. This ends now."

Carlo sneers, his hand tightening on his own gun. "You think I'm scared of you, pretty boy? You and your little carnival freaks are nothing compared to me and my crew."

I'm about to retort when I hear the sound of heavy footsteps up ahead. Ty strides toward us, a hulking figure beside him. My eyes widen as I recognize Gage, the creepy fucker who never speaks and always wears that damn skull mask.

Gage is a mystery, even to me. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen him without that mask, and I've heard rumors about the fucked up shit he's done. But right now, I'm just grateful to have him on our side.

Ty stares down at Carlo. "You heard the man, Carlo. Drop your weapons, or we'll drop you."

Carlo's eyes flick to Gage, and I see a flicker of fear cross his face. Gage is an imposing figure, standing well over six foot six tall with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. He's holding a wicked-looking knife in one hand and a Glock in the other, and I can only imagine the damage he could do with either one.

For a moment, I think Carlo might actually back down. But then his face hardens, and he raises his gun, pointing it directly at Ty's chest.

"Fuck you, Tyson," he spits. "You think you can just waltz in here with your freak show and supply those fucking Blackwoods with so much product they can fucking take Bridgwater? I don't think so."

Ty doesn't even flinch.

"Have it your way then, Carlo," he says. "Gage, why don't you show our friend here what happens to those who cross us?"

Gage steps forward, his mask glinting in the moonlight. Carlo's men shift uneasily, their weapons wavering as they watch the silent giant approach their leader.

And then all hell breaks loose.

Gage moves so fast that I can barely track him. One second, he's standing beside Ty; the next, he's hurling a knife at Carlo with deadly precision. The blade embeds itself in Carlo's throat, blood spurting from the wound as he gurgles and chokes.

At the same time, Gage raises his gun and fires off a shot, taking out one of Carlo's men with a bullet right between the eyes. Ty opens up with his machine gun, spraying the area with a hail of bullets that sends Carlo's remaining men diving for cover.

But Gage doesn't even flinch. He strides forward through the chaos, seemingly oblivious to the bullets whizzing past him. He reaches Carlo's twitching body and yanks the knife from his throat, sending a fresh spray of blood arcing through the air.

One of Carlo's men, his face a mask of terror, tries to run for it. But Gage is on him in an instant, slicing the knife across his throat in one smooth motion. The man crumples to the ground, blood gushing from the gaping wound in his neck.

I snap out of my stupor and raise my own gun, firing off a shot that catches one of Carlo's men in the chest. He goes down hard, his weapon clattering to the ground beside him.

And then, just like that, it's over. The clearing falls silent except for the sound of our own ragged breathing. I look around, taking stock of the carnage. Six bodies lie sprawled on the ground, their blood staining the earth a deep, dark red.

Somehow, miraculously, none of us got hit. I release a shaky breath and lower my gun, processing what just happened. Gage stands in the middle of it all, his skull mask splattered with blood, looking like something out of a fucking horror movie.