38. Steel

38

Steel

Gunshots sound as Iron Sinners spill out of the house, trying to make a run for it. They’re taken down one by one by my men guarding the perimeter.

Inside, Havoc and Ghost sweep the rooms, putting down anyone who points a gun at us. A few are restrained with zip ties to see if we can get any information out of them, but overall, it’s a bloodbath.

“Clear.”

“Clear.”

My men work through the rooms one by one.

The house is larger than it looks from the outside. A long hallway stretches all the way to the back with bedrooms on either side. Dirty mattresses and clothes scatter the floor, and handcuffs hang from the metal bed frames, telling me exactly what the Iron Sinners use this house for.

Another mess to clean up for another day .

Havoc and Soul clear half of the rooms while I clear the others. And Ghost sets up a perimeter with Legacy.

“A few men made it to their bikes before we could clear the garage. I think one was Reyes.” Havoc pops his knuckles.

“Fuck.” I wipe my hand down my face. “Is anyone tailing him?”

“Yeah, but we were too slow. He’s gone.” Havoc shakes his head. “Any luck in here?”

“It’s clear.”

No Tempe or Austin.

No Dimitri.

Gunshots ring out from the side yard, and I rush outside to see what’s happening.

Legacy’s standing at the corner of the house, firing at a few men hiding behind a truck in the distance. One pops up, and Legacy aims for his forehead, painting the desert with brain matter.

I press my back to the side of the house and take two more out as they try to rush Legacy from behind.

“Jameson!”

At first, I think I’m imagining Austin’s voice. But when he calls my name again, his cry splices my heart down the middle.

I search the yard to see where his voice is coming from, and that’s when I spot little legs running as fast as they can toward me.

“Jameson!” Austin screams again .

An Iron Sinner catches sight of him at the same time as I do, but the moment he makes a move, I plant a bullet in his chest and run toward Austin.

“Cover us,” I yell for Legacy, who shoots anyone in an Iron Sinners cut.

My legs burn as I run to Austin. Tears spill from his eyes when I reach him. I scoop him up, pulling him back toward the cover of the house. His little arms hold me so tight they’re cutting off air.

Or maybe he’s not that strong, but either way, I can’t breathe.

I can hardly think.

Nothing matters outside of keeping him safe.

Some families are born, but some families are built—like my club. Like Austin and Tempe coming into my life. The kind of family I never wanted because I’m not a good enough man to deserve this kind of love.

But as Austin shakes in my arms and a sob rips from his chest, I’m that man for him. It doesn’t matter that I’m not his father; he’s my kid. My responsibility. My ray of sunshine in a desert where I didn’t think I could stand any more heat.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re safe.” I rub his back, holding him close, wishing I could erase the pain that’s filled his life to the brim.

I hug him tighter, trying to absorb what he’s going through.

“Austin.” I rub my hand down his back. “Where’s your sister?”

I scan the yard, but there’s no sign of her .

Austin lifts his head, and his cheeks are stained in tears as he looks to the left. I follow his gaze to a large shed that stands at a distance.

“The bad man got her. She told me to run.” His voice cracks. “She said I had to run.”

A tear slips out, and I crouch down to set him on his feet, looking him in the eyes. “You did the right thing, Austin. You did good. I’m proud of you.”

“You are?” He wipes his eyes.

“Of course.” I brush his hair off his forehead. “You came and got me. That’s exactly what we needed you to do.”

He nods, chewing the inside of his cheek.

I look up at my men making their way over. They’re quiet, even if their eyes move from me to Austin, making it clear they’re thinking what I am—Tempe’s not here.

“I need you to go with Ghost for me.”

Austin jumps into my arms again, wrapping himself around me and holding tightly. “Please don’t go.”

“Listen to me, big man.” I pat his back, and he pulls away just enough to look at me. “I’ve gotta go get your sister, okay? This is important.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“I need you here.” I rub his back. “Think of it as your mission.”

“A secret mission?”

“Exactly, and very important. Will you help Ghost keep a lookout while I go find your sister?”

Austin looks over at Ghost, who nods.

I squeeze his shoulder. “Can I rely on you to help me with this, Austin? ”

“Will you get Tempe?”

“Yes.” I almost choke on the word as it comes out, and again Austin flies into my arms.

“I’ll keep the lookout.” He squeezes tight. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Ghost takes my spot by the house, squatting down by Austin. “Want to help me check the cameras?”

Austin nods, distracted by Ghost’s phone while I slip away.

Legacy doesn’t leave his perch, keeping a lookout for stragglers as I make my way to where Havoc is stepping off the porch.

“Austin said Tempe is that way.” I point to the shed.

Havoc nods, grabbing another gun as we pass the vans.

When we reach the building, Havoc winds left, while I keep to the right, sticking as close to the building as I can to maintain cover. There’s a muffled scream on the other side and a scuffle in the dirt, so I pick up my pace.

“Bitch.” Dimitri’s voice is sharp and out of breath.

I turn the corner with my gun aimed straight ahead and find Dimitri holding Tempe from behind.

She’s wrestling him. Clawing at his arms and tucking her chin so he can’t cut off her airway. She kicks him in the shin, and he folds over, grunting. Grabbing his arm, she bends forward and flips him to the ground.

My chest swells at the sight of her fighting back with all she has. Even when I notice she’s barefoot and a cut on her forehead is bleeding. Her chest heaves as she fights Dimitri, and as I move forward, I’m not quick enough .

Dimitri is back on his feet before I can get in a clear shot, grabbing Tempe by the hair and holding her in front of him.

“Dimitri,” I shout his name and his gaze snaps to mine.

He looks from me to Havoc as he holds Tempe by the hair. With his free hand, he brings a gun up to the side of her head, and she stops fighting when the barrel presses to her temple.

Her eyes widen as she meets my gaze across the yard.

“Jameson—” She’s cut off when Dimitri pulls her hair harder.

“Let her go, Dimitri.”

“And then what?” He laughs. “You’ll just put a bullet in my head.”

“If you’re lucky.”

I’d like to drag him back to the Shack and tear him apart from his fingernails to his teeth. Better yet, I could give Ghost a few hours to let out his demons. But right now, all that matters is making sure Tempe is safe.

“Always knew you Iron Sinners were pathetic fuckers,” I taunt him. “Too scared to fight your own battles.”

Havoc slowly circles, but he doesn’t get any closer as we both keep our distance. He’s looking for any shot he can take, and I’m hoping he gets one while I keep Dimitri distracted.

“Your men are dead. You will be too in a second. There’s nothing left for you to fight for.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Dimitri narrows his eyes .

“Am I?” I take a step closer, watching him shift each time I do. “Reyes left you here. Everyone back at the house is dead. This battle is over. You’re the only one left.”

Dimitri’s jaw clenches, and even if he hates me, it’s clear he’s not happy to hear that. “It doesn’t matter. I’d do anything for my club.”

“I’m sure you would. But what would they do for you?”

Most outsiders view all motorcycle clubs the same, but that’s only because they don’t look closely enough. There are a lot of differences—from what we traffic to who we protect.

But the biggest difference between the Twisted Kings and the Iron Sinners comes from within.

There’s nothing I ask of my men that I won’t do myself. There’s nothing I won’t sacrifice that I don’t also expect them to. We have each other’s backs to the end. No one runs from a fight, and no one backs down.

“You think you’ve won this?” Dimitri sneers. “We already got what we needed. Why do you think Reyes blew his cover?”

“You want to talk about winning right now? You’re not walking out of here.”

Dimitri laughs, spitting a wad of blood on the ground. “Like that matters. Do what you want. This doesn’t end with me. Your club is going to burn around you, Steel. Titan made sure of it. Reyes made sure of it. This is far from over.”

With a cocky step, he creates just enough of an opening for Havoc to shoot him in the shoulder, forcing him to release Tempe .

She runs from his grasp the second he lets her go, and I close in before he can try to make a run for it.

Havoc grabs the arm with the bullet wound, driving his thumb in and forcing Dimitri to his knees. When he cries out in pain, I grab his jaw and force his mouth open further, shoving my gun between his teeth.

He tries to wiggle away but can’t.

I could draw this out; I could torture him for information. But one look in his eyes tells me I won’t get what I’m looking for. Dimitri was a pawn—a distraction.

They left him here because they no longer have use for him.

“Do me a favor.” I look Dimitri dead in the eyes. “Give your boss a message from me.”

I press the gun deep enough for it to click against his teeth. Havoc releases Dimitri to make room, stepping back. And before Dimitri can blink or try to fight me off, I send a bullet down his throat.

For Tempe.

For Austin.

Dimitri slumps to the ground, and I plant three more rounds in his chest just to make a point.

The last shot echoes and then there’s just silence.

“Jameson.” Tempe’s hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to face her.

She’s looking down at Dimitri, and I wait for something to register. Fear. Anger . But her face is blank as she stares down at his body.

“Look at me, wildfire.” I tuck my gun away, gripping her chin so she’ll face me.

Tears swell in her eyes. “Austin…”

“I’ve got him. He’s back at the van with Ghost.”

“You came for us.”

“Of course I did.” I brush a tear from her cheek. “I’ll always come for you. Come here.”

I pick her up, and she winces at my touch. I don’t know the full extent of what Dimitri did to her yet, but it makes me wish I could kill him all over again.

“I can walk.”

“Just let me take care of you.”

For once, she doesn’t fight as I hold her to my chest. She simply stares up at me—my spark in the wind. My wildfire that’s always ripping through the brush, carving her own path because she doesn’t trust anyone else to do it.

Except right now, she hands herself to me. We’re no longer alone, and she finally allows me to just be here.

Tempe curls against my chest, and I kiss the top of her head. Her hand weaves around the back of my neck, and warmth returns to my bones.

“Thank you, Jameson.”

“Nothing to thank me for, wildfire. I’ll always find you. Remember what I said? To my grave.” I kiss her again. “I love you.”

She looks up at me with a smile cracking her face. “I love you too.”

We walk back over to the house, and it’s crawling with Twisted Kings now. If the Iron Sinners were going to send more men, they would have already .

Soul and a few other men are carrying bodies through the front door, and I angle Tempe away because even if I know she can handle it, she shouldn’t have to.

Walking around the vans, I stop where Ghost and Austin are sitting inside one of them, watching something on Ghost’s phone.

“Tempe.” Austin smiles when he sees her, and I set her down inside the van so she can hug him.

Austin clings to her, resting his head on her shoulder and reaching a hand out to pull me to them.

“I knew it. That is a cape.” Austin curls against us, squeezing before looking up at me. “You are a superhero.”

Before tonight I might have argued that I’m just a bad man who does bad things and uses good excuses to justify them. But with my family in my arms, Tempe looking up into my eyes, I let myself believe it.

What is a superhero anyway?

Someone willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they care about? Because I’d do anything to hold onto this forever.