Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

93

THERON

The text sent chills racing through me.

Nyx: HE’S HERE

I jumped out of bed and shoved on clothes. Kaelin looked up at me.

“What’s going on?”

“I have to go,” I said.

“Theron,”

she growled in warning.

“Don’t leave this house,”

I continued. “West is here—”

at the look on her face I paused and came around to her side of the bed. I took her face in my hands. This could be the last time I saw her but I didn’t want to think about that and I wasn’t about to scare her.

“I’m serious—do not leave this house. But—have West hook you up in his cave and anything you can do to help him I’d appreciate it. He can fill you in.”

She lit up and nodded eagerly.

“Thank you,”

she breathed.

I cut her off with a kiss. I went to pull away but she tugged me back for another and looked at me intently like she wanted to say something more. Instead she gave me a knowing smirk.

“Get a few hits in for me,” she said.

I grinned back as she echoed the words she’d said to me before the Red Rabbit job.

“Good bye, darlin’.”

I wanted to say more. I wanted to demand she stay safe and tell her how I felt all in one breath. But there wasn’t time and saying those three words now was not how I wanted to do it. With a final look over my shoulder, I left the room and raced down the steps. I ran into Graham in the kitchen.

“He’s at Elysium.”

Graham grabbed his jacket and tossed me the keys to my Aston sitting on the counter.

“Let’s roll,” he said.

I called Nyx as I peeled away from the house, trying really hard not to exceed the speed limit through the neighborhoods.

“Jesus,”

Nyx answered. “I’ve been trying to reach you—”

“When did he get there?”

I demanded.

“About five minutes ago. He’s sitting at the bar with a few men. He’s asking for you.”

“Has he seen you yet?”

“No.”

“Good. Tell Demetrius to clear the bar. Who’s there with you?”

“Lach and Atlas,” Nyx said.

“Wait for me in the back,”

I said. “I’ll be right there.”

The drive to the club felt like it took an eternity.

Really it was only fifteen minutes, maybe less since I couldn’t help running a few red lights the closer I got. I flew into the back parking lot of the club but the minute I parked, I turned to Graham.

“Are you ready for this?”

“I’m all in—Let’s end this.”

We walked through the back door of the club and Nyx and Atlas were standing there waiting.

“You good?”

I asked them.

Nyx was practically vibrating with adrenaline but he nodded, looking more composed than when I’d spoken to him on the phone. Atlas looked as calm as ever and if I didn’t know him as well as I did, I’d think this wasn’t affecting him. Except I knew better.

“Lach and Demetrius are clearing the bar,” he said.

I headed down the hallway towards the main floor of the club. The smell of alcohol, cigars and perfume from the dancers assaulted me as I rounded the corner and stepped down into the moody lighting of the speakeasy. Lach and Demetrius stood near the front door, speaking quietly to some of my men.

But I had eyes only for the man at the bar. He turned and those sinister eyes that haunted me locked on mine with a slow sinister smile on his lips.

“Vetticus,”

I said, stopping in front of him.

He looked the same as he had a decade ago—the same lithe body, more business man than military. His hair was a little longer, a little grayer and his face had a few more wrinkles, but it was him—the man who’d stolen everything from me. The man who I’d spent every waking hour of the last ten plus years planning my revenge against.

“Kraven,”

he purred, stepping down from the barstool, he looked me over in appreciation. “Time has been good to you I see.”

He looked around at the bar. “You’ve built quite the empire for yourself—all while staying hidden for some time.”

“Well, you found me,” I said.

He chuckled. “Don’t start thinking me a fool now, Kraven,”

he said condescendingly. “You wanted to be found.”

I shrugged. “So did you.”

He inclined his head, his smirk stretching to his eyes. “A great reminder of how much we’re alike, don’t you think? What did you say back then? We break people. Are you still a monster, Kraven?”

When I didn’t answer, he gave me a knowing look before he turned his head to take in the space.

“Still trying to play house I see,”

Vetticus said. “You have quite the family unit going on.”

His gaze settled behind me on Nyx and Atlas, and his eyes sharpened. Heat poured through me and I wanted to drag his attention away from them.

“Reaper, Phantom—good to see you two again.”

“Can’t say I share that sentiment,” Nyx said.

“Go fuck yourself, Vetticus,”

Atlas growled.

Vetticus’ eyes crinkled at the edges as he chuckled. He turned his attention back to me.

“Well, I’ll cut to the chase,”

Vetticus said. “I’m here for you. So—here’s the part where I say we can do this the easy way…or we can do this the hard way.”

Vetticus motioned to his men who moved towards me.

Atlas stepped forward. “He’s not going with you.”

“I see we’re choosing the hard option,”

Vetticus said easily. “I’m afraid you’re outnumbered in this.”

He pulled his gun out and leveled it at Atlas, then looked over at Demetrius.

“Sorry, North,”

Demetrius said as he pulled out his own gun and pointed it at me. Viktor, Konstantine and a group of other Bratva stepped out of the shadows, guns pointed at my men.

“Demetrius,”

I growled. “Why?”

“A better business opportunity presented itself.”

“What did he give you?”

“Stakes in the games—exclusivity,”

Demetrius shrugged. “It’s always about money and getting ahead isn’t it?”

“Fuck you—Viktor, Kon—seriously?”

Nyx snapped.

He made to step forward and Viktor punched him solidly in the jaw. Atlas snarled but Kon pressed the barrel into his face and he stilled.

“Turns out your people aren’t as loyal as you thought,”

Vetticus said, the false sadness on his face at odds with the glitter of amusement in his eyes. “Cuff him.”

I heard movement behind me as two men came and yanked my wrists behind my back.

“On your knees,”

he said forcefully.

I could feel Vetticus’ gaze boring into mine. The club was silent, the tension high. My jaw clenched as I slowly sank down onto the ground, my glare locked onto Vetticus. He stepped up to me, the smugness pulling at his lips as his eyes glowed with triumph.

“Ah, I always did prefer you in this position,” he said.

His hand caressed my jaw and I turned my head away. Vetticus just laughed.

“I told you I’d bring you to your knees before me.”

Vetticus basked in the moment as he stared at me, then seemed to catch himself and turned to his men, waving his hand over my shoulder.

“Line them up.”

“Vetticus, you have me,”

I growled. “Leave my men out of this.”

Vetticus just looked at me with a condescending look like I should know better.

“Come on now, Kraven—where’s the fun in that? Besides, it wasn’t part of the deal.”

His men moved towards Atlas, Lachlan, Graham and Nyx. They were restrained and forced to their knees off to one side. His men and a few Bratva stood behind them with guns to their heads.

“What deal?”

Nyx asked, his attention jumping from Demetrius to Viktor who had his hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, that’s right you wouldn’t know,”

Vetticus chuckled. “You’re all going to play in the next game.”

Nyx’s mouth thinned and his gaze turned murderous but he didn’t make any other comments.

“My, my—this is a familiar sight,”

Vetticus grinned as he walked the line. He ended in front of me again and paused, slowly pulling brass knuckles from his pocket he placed them on his fingers.

“I’ve waited a long time for this.”

He slammed his fist into my jaw. Once, twice—a third time and I collapsed to the ground. The men must have tried to move because I heard barked orders and a scuffle, then I was getting hauled back to my knees.

“Oh yeah,”

Vetticus exhaled loudly and chuckled. “It feels good to have you back.”

He walked over to Demetrius and slung an arm around his shoulders. Demetrius stiffened but his face remained unreadable, cold and calculating.

“I’m liking this partnership already,”

Vetticus said. “Alright, load ‘em up! It’s time to go!”

I was hauled to my feet and dragged towards the door. The others were given similar treatment but then I heard Vetticus speak.

“Wait,”

he called. “Bring the Reaper back.”

Viktor and Kon shoved Nyx back down to his knees in front of Vetticus and he pointed his gun at him. “Vetticus!”

I barked. I took a step towards them but the men hauled me back.

Atlas fought savagely to get free. “No!”

“I think you need a reminder of who’s in control,”

Vetticus sneered. “Pity—but all is fair in love…and war.”

Vetticus’ finger settled on the trigger.

Demetrius stepped forward and put a hand on Vetticus’ arm.

“A show of good faith,” he said.

He aimed his own gun at Nyx and before anyone could move, he pulled the trigger.

Nyx fell backwards into Viktor and Kon and then chaos ensued. Atlas lost his mind. I viciously fought the men holding me—fury and panic rising.

No. No. No.

Atlas was yelling, the look on his face equal parts anger and agony. It took an additional two men to restrain him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Graham putting up a fight but then go limp as they drugged him. Lachlan was colorfully cursing Vetticus out and struggling against his attackers but he soon was drugged as well. The Bratva obstructed the view of Nyx as Vetticus’ men continued to drag me towards the door.

“I’ll kill you!”

Atlas raged. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”

I watched Vetticus shake Demetrius’ hand, ignoring the yelling and general upheaval he’d just caused.

“Pleasure doing business with you. I’ll see you soon.”

Demetrius’ hand snaked out, his eyes cold and dangerous. “Looking forward to it.”

Atlas’ raging fell silent as he was drugged and I watched as Nyx was dragged away.

I felt a prick in my own neck and as everything began to go dark, there was only one thought running through my head: This wasn’t part of the plan.