Chapter 14

Soren

I could not fucking care less about Lee being on board with our impending fatherhood. I find it odd and absofuckinglutely irritating that my brother is so calm about the information Lee has just told us. Right after the call we headed to our weapons room and started preparing. Lee had said they were about thirty minutes away, and they would come to us. It was plenty of time to prepare, toget our heads straight. A fight is coming. It's inevitable. The battle between the lesser of the two evils is on the horizon, and I intend to walk away unscathed with my girl back at my side. The only problem is the bombshell that Lee just dropped on us, and my dear brother's reaction to it. My eyes track him around the room, while he loads bullets into the chamber of his gun. He won't meet my gaze, so I know he isn't as calm as he is portraying.

"Are we just going to pretend that phone call didn't happen? When they get here are we supposed to join hands with the killer and sing ‘Kumbaya'?"

Steffan's back tightens, the muscles bunching under his shirt, and I can guess I've hit a nerve somewhere. So he's not exactly immune to the fucked-up situation this is.

"What should I have said over the fucking phone, Soren? Huh? Oh, that's great you're with the killer? Oh, it's only our girl's best friend, just kill her now?"

My lip curls up while I watch him unravel. Steffan runs his hands through his hair, gripping the strands so tight I almost think he might pull it out, until finally, finally he looks at me. For once I can see his confidence falter.

"So what is the plan? Because Lee seems ready to play happy fucking family with his sister and his long-lost heir sister. Who, by the way, wants us all fucking dead!"

"You heard what he said about Walter. He brought Kali in and practically raised her. I'm not saying we trust Kali, but we need to find out the whole story. I trust Lee." Steffan shrugs his powerful shoulders, the ones that carry the weight of our world, lifting up and down.

I wish I was like him sometimes. I wish I could find the gray area instead of black and white. Wrong and right. Our side or theirs. Maybe if my father hadn't found my darkness so early and harnessed it the way he did, I might be more like Steffan. Too bad I am my darkness. The soulless twin who protects the brotherhood with bloodshed. There is no in-between or gray area to excuse what happened. I can't unsee the faces of every member of our brotherhood, dead. Their unseeing eyes staring up at us from that beach. I can't unhear Taylor's screams when we found Lois. Or the way her body shook with fear every time she was followed and terrorized. For every nightmare that keeps her awake when she should be sleeping, at peace, and healthy. I still want revenge after finding my brother when he was injected with poison, and he was rushed to the hospital where he almost died. And let's not forget when I was held hostage. It's going to be a big "fuck her" from me.

It doesn't matter to me if Kali worked alone, or had help at some point from whom I would assume was Bryce and Alex . She can't be trusted. And the fact that Lee is so willing and ready just to take her at her word makes me leery. Kali was living in the same room and in the same space as our girl. My little mouse has been in the same house as the killer the entire time. Until I know Kali's motive for that, and that she never planned to harm Taylor, I don't trust her.

"I don't," I finally say and watch as Steffan's eyes widen at my admission. "I don't give two fucks about the Illicit. They were on their way out anyway. We always knew we wanted to make a change. But there's also the brotherhood that we stand for. Innocent people who existed, but she wanted to take them out. Taylor was terrorized. That is what Lee is siding with right now."

My brother's throat bobs with emotion, that I'm sure I'm feeling somewhere. Maybe. Probably not, but if I was normal, I would be. It's his best friend. A man he loves. He doesn't want to believe this could go bad. It's a good thing I'm the twin who always prepares for those bad things.

"I'm not saying we trust Kali. I don't think Lee does. I think he's doing what he needs to in order to get out of the situation he's in, so we can find the one person who matters the most to all of us." His voice is full of emotion when he finally speaks again.

I slide my knife in the holster and flip the safety on my own gun before placing it in my shoulder holster where it's hidden under my jacket. "We're bringing her back, Steff. And I'll take out anyone who stands in my way, or even poses a threat. You be as diplomatic as you want. I'm taking the kill shot if it's warranted."

"Taylor comes first," Steffan nods, even though his eyes lose some of the life in them.

"She always fucking has."

The slamming of a car door and footsteps on the front porch of the house pull us out of our little family face- off. I let my mask slip in place and crack my neck side to side. Slowly, Steffan puts himself back together. Each step they take toward the front door, and into the house, is a piece of his spine straightening, his head lifting, and the easy going, yet serious expression on his face evens out. No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or the day after, until we have Taylor again, we'll do what is necessary.

Steffan heads down first and I'm right behind him, taking in the scene in our front entry way. Lee is back. Looking like he took a rumble in the dirt with an alligator. There's a gash in his forehead and blood on his shirt. He is still rubbing his wrist where I can only imagine he was tied. Judging by my look of Chanda's wrists, I'd say they both were. His queen bee of a sister meets my eyes for a second, and whatever she sees is enough to spark a hint of fear in her. Probably the only ounce of fear I've ever seen from Chanda, who usually would rather die than show any weakness. And last but not least, the woman of the hour. I trail my cold gaze over Kali. Her clothes are what she was wearing when she disappeared, but she's missing the blood, dirt, and grime of captivity. How Lee didn't notice this right away is a glaring sign in my mind that he's the weak link. Unlike Chanda, Kali meets my glare and her little chin lifts in arrogant smugness. My lips curl up in a sneer that drops quickly once Steffan shoots me a look.

"We're losing time," Steffan jumps in, straight to the point. Chanda pales and her hands twist in front of her. Interesting. It's the most uneasy I've ever seen the woman in my life. She must really love Succo if she's so distraught over his disappearance.

"You're sure it's our father?" Lee asks him.

"Yes," I practically seethe back at him, making sure to rake my gaze all over Amir's children. "He's been off the radar since he shot your mom. He knows we've been after him. Plus, one camera at the hospital caught him in his car leaving the parking garage."

"My last intel on Daddy Dearest also placed him back in the county lines," Kali speaks, her fingers tapping on her chin.

My brow lifts. "Oh really, would have been nice to know."

"Soren…" Steffan looks at me and I shrug innocently.

"I'm just saying, if she's hell bent on jumping into the game, she could at least be a team player."

"What's your problem little Carmichael? Sad that someone finally has bigger balls than you in the crazy department?" She steps forward but is stopped by Lee's arm reaching out.

"Kali."

Steffan slides a look between me and her, then to where Lee's arm is. I can practically hear his cogs turning, planning, and over thinking on how we're all going to make it out of this alive. "Soren just has some emotions he'd like to express. But we can save that for after. We are losing time on getting Jose and Taylor back."

"Please." Lee glances again at Kali and she softens like some fucked-up little kitten at his request. She steps back again and folds her arms around herself.

"You're right. We need to find Taylor and Jose before Amir does something horrible."

"Lee, Chanda, Kali," Steffan addresses them all, his full ruler persona showing. "Where would Amir take them?"

"Father always liked to keep his victims close to home. The old catacombs were his favorite before," Chanda offers us.

"If he wasn't torturing in the catacombs, then he used one of the MC's abandoned warehouses," Lee adds.

"He likely isn't torturing them, though," I reply, rolling my lips together.

"This is more personal than that," Kali speaks, her eyes zoning out as if seeing something we don't. My eyes narrow on her. "He has to know by now that we know. And he's a narcissist who has the women his son and his friend's sons all love."

"Where did they used to meet your mother, Kali?" Steffan asks her, using his soft voice, and I swear if he's caving right now, I'll slap him upside the head.

"There's a cove between Blue Rose and the beach. They'd meet there where The Illicit couldn't keep eyes on them."

Steffan glances over his shoulder at me, before looking at Lee who nods. "Looks like we're going to the cove."

"What if it's an ambush?" Chanda's voice shakes slightly.

"That's too flashy for Father. He'll want this to be personal," Lee assures her. I do trust him on this one. He's spent the most time in his father's company, learning from him, shadowing his every move. It's what he's been raised and trained to do.

"Well, lead the way, Princess Concord, or do you prefer Boudreaux?"

Kali turns toward me again, that scared little girl look on her face melting right off, and I catch a glimpse of the real killer underneath. "It's a shame she loves you so much, Soren. Your skin would make such nice angel wings."

I hear Chanda inhale, and Lee stiffens. I can't help the smirk that lights up my whole face. "Oh, Kali. Don't you know that being threatened brings out my good side?" She rolls her eyes.

"Can we go now, children?" Steffan glares between Kali and me. "We have more important things to do than let you both measure whose crazy stitch is larger."

"Ew."

"Mine definitely is."

Chanda marches to the front door and flings it open, "I can't with these two. I'm going."

"We're behind you." Steffan and Lee head for the door. Kali and I are both still at a deadlock. I refuse to budge for the murderer, and like hell will I present her with my back when she just threatened it.

"Grow up," she hisses before turning on her heel and marching to the door.

With one last glance around, I follow them all out the door. It's time to bring my little mouse home.

The cove is exactly as it sounds. The waves from the ocean can be heard in the background. There was a one-way entry to the secluded section of beach, unless you're walking the expanse of sand already. Rocks jut out of the water and boulders are stacked on top of each other. We all climb over them, following Kali, while also trying to remain incognito. Although I do have to agree with her. Amir already knows we're coming. There is no scenario where we walk away from Taylor, or his eldest child walks away from Jose, the love of her life. He knew, and was even anticipating this little family reunion.

Kali leads us to a small strip of sand that leads to a cliff jutting out. For the first time my stomach hardens, imagining the way Amir had most likely terrified Taylor here. I can almost feel the remnants of her fear prickling my skin. Kali shimmies around the corner and then we reach the opening. It's dark inside as far as I can see, but it's large enough that a person would need to walk in there in order to find light. The perfect hiding place.

Lee moves in front of Kali, Chanda behind him, and then Steffan. I follow closely behind, my gun out and ready. I expect Amir to play dirty, to try and catch us off guard. He's never one to play by the rules.

"Ahhh, my children have come at last," a voice echoes over the rock walls.

A few more steps and I finally see the glow of the light where Amir is. I try not to look closely at the two bodies lying on the floor. No surprise, Amir has backup with him. Two men I do not recognize stand next to Taylor and Jose, with their hands on their shoulders anchoring them in place. My teeth grind together that someone is touching our girl, someone who is going to lose their fingers by my knife tonight.

"Father," Chanda's voice is poised and guarded, the way she has always talked to the man.

"Mmm. My son, my slut of a daughter, and the prodigal daughter of The Illicit's whore," Amir's eyes are dead while he talks about his children.

"Now, now, Amir," Kali cackles. "If you start with the nicknames, I might start to think you like me."

Amir Concord's face turns such a deep shade of red that it's almost purple. The fury in his body makes him practically vibrate, while his eyes really take in the girl standing before him. His lover's child. The child he tried to have killed so his damn legacy wouldn't be tarnished.

I can feel Taylor's eyes on me, watching the whole scene play out, connecting the dots, and finding the truth out about her best friend. I have to force myself not to look at her, and it physically pains me to act as if she isn't there. Not when all our lives depend on it.

"You never should have been allowed to live," Amir growls at Kali. To her credit, she doesn't even flinch at the hate her biological sperm donor is spewing at her.

Her dark brow arches slightly. "I think my mother would disagree. And it's only her opinion I truly care about." She moves closer to Amir. "Go fuck yourself…Dad."

On the tail of her words, all hell breaks loose. Taylor and Jose slump to the side as Amir's suited men start throwing punches at us. Chanda makes it over to them and kneels to get to their tied wrists. Steffan and I are so preoccupied with the guards that my gaze is taken off of Kali and Lee. My main priority becomes living, and making sure Taylor makes it out of here alive.

I manage to dodge a fist to the head, but another one takes me by surprise in my ribs. A dull pain ricochets throughout my torso, but I keep going. Flicking my knife out of my sleeve, I attack. The man dodges and leaps backward. Clearly, he wasn't made aware this little party meant bodies were being left behind. His back hits an edge and he falls to the ground. I waste no time before jumping on him and using my blade to slit his throat wide. The man's eyes gloss over before freezing.

"Soren!" Steffan's voice calls and I search him out. He's kneeling with Taylor, whose eyes have closed.

"What the fuck happened?"

Dropping to her side, I take her freezing hand in mine, and notice how pale she is. "We need to get her out of here."

Steffan looks over to us, and back to Lee who is battling with his father, but winning. Kali is on her own with Chanda, trying to get an unconscious Jose between them. "I know."

"Then let's go." I shove him, while sliding my hand under Taylor's legs and back, lifting her body against mine. My brother starts to rise with me right when a gunshot rings out.

I drop to my knees, my body covering Taylor, and pressing her into the hard ground. The bullet bounces off the stone, and another is fired. I hear Lee yell at the same time there's a slam, and another shot. One of the lights drop to the ground, shattering. Their shadows bounce around the cave with every grunt and echo of pain. My arms tighten around Taylor, using my body to shield her.

One final shot and there's a thud. Steffan moves as soon as he can. I let myself glance up as he and Chanda kneel next to Lee, who isn't moving.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay," I can hear Steffan talking, while he rips his jacket off and starts dismantling it. Chanda's chest heaves and tears flow down her face. My eyes dart up and collide with Kali's, who is watching the scene with the same detachment as I am. Her foot kicks out and jiggles the other body on the floor. Amir is wheezing and severely injured, judging by the pool of blood he's lying in.

Kali saunters toward Amir and kneels next to him. "Hi." Her beautiful face breaks into a huge smile. She pulls out a large blade, light bounces off it.

"You fucking bitch," Amir gargles. "If–if your mother had listened, she'd still be alive. I knew you'd," he coughs, "be trouble. You fucked everything up. Again."

Kali's smile doesn't falter. "You're not very nice." She giggles as she reaches up, hooks her fingers into his mouth and grips him by his jaw and bottom teeth. Her knife comes up and she sinks it into his mouth. Amir screams and tries to squirm, but he's already badly injured. We all watch in horror as she tosses his tongue to the side.

"You know," she calmly speaks as she wipes her bloody hand on his suit. "I wanted to take what was most precious to you. Your son. Your beloved heir. Then I realized, running your mouth is what you value most. You're going to die, but know that I silenced you before you take your last breath."

Amir closes his eyes in agony and makes some groaning noises. Kali lifts his hand and slides his family ring off. "I'll give this to Chanda. Don't worry. I don't want it. I'm keeping my mother's family name."

Kali completely lies down on her side next to Amir, totally ignoring the blood. "And get this, before anyone knows of your death, I have all the information I need to transfer funds back into my family's account. Looks like you tried to cut off that branch, and it's only growing back stronger."

She sighs and lies flat on her back. Entwining her fingers and letting them rest on her stomach, she tells him in a mock caring voice, "There, there. It's okay if you're ready to go. Let go, Daddy Amir, it's over. Head toward the fiery flames of Hell."

And I thought I was fucked up. Then a snake slithers across Kali and she giggles. "Hello, friend."

For the first time in my life, I think I'm actually scared of someone. I turn my attention away from Kali as she bathes in her enemy's blood, to check on Lee. Steffan keeps comforting him, while he coughs and hacks. Fuck, that means he's probably got blood in his lungs, which means something vital was hit. Steffan lifts Lee up, and I see his jacket material was wrapped around Lee's face. Blood is already soaking the material. There's also a gash in his side, a gunshot wound.

"Ugh. I can't even enjoy my moment. What happened?" Kali rises up and immediately transforms into a serious boss bitch. "Here," she moves forward, stripping off her shirt. With only a tank covering her torso, she hands her shirt to Chanda to use to press against Lee's body. She takes charge in applying pressure to the other wound. Kali knows what she's doing.

I glance down at Taylor and over to Steffan, Lee, and Jose who are still on the floor. Taking strength from our girl, I make the hardest decision of my life.

"Kali, come help Taylor. I'll help Jose so Chanda and Steffan can help Lee."

Kali's eyes widen but she wordlessly comes over, and slides her arm around Taylor, supporting her. "I got her," she replies, and I feel the truth in her words. Even though I hate it, I move away from them and over to Jose.

Amir's lifeless eyes are focused on the ceiling. Blood runs down the sides of his mouth, and multiple holes decorate his chest from the wounds. Still…

"Are we really sure he's dead? You know what always happens in the movies, right?"

Kali walks over and stares down at the man who shares blood with her. She glances at me before pulling a knife out. Before I can breathe again, she easily, and seamlessly, stabs Amir in the throat.

"Oh God." Chanda holds back a gag while Kali twists and jiggles the knife, practically forcing decapitation.

This bitch is seriously wild. I smirk at her smugly, oddly impressed. "Okay, show off."