Candy’s smile faded, and both of them came to a halt. She leaned down and whispered something to the boy.
“He’s beautiful,” Lana said.
“Looks like you, Steele,” Transporter said.
“She’s reminding him to stay close to her and away from any of the men. Not to make a lot of noise or cry. Especially not to cry,” Mechanic reported. “She told him they would swim later, that they needed to get back inside.”
Steele knew Candy was aware Donk liked to hurt smaller creatures. The girl straightened and started to turn.
“Candy,” Donk roared. “Get your ass over here and suck my cock.”
“Mine too,” Riddle said.
Favor just opened his jeans.
Candy pushed the child behind her and indicated the door to the house. “I’m supposed to be watching him.” She took a step to try to get back to the safety of the house.
Donk started toward her, his strides long, arms swinging angrily, reminding Steele of a gorilla. “You do what I say,” he snapped. “Get your ass over here and bring that little pissant with you. I’ll drown the little mongrel.”
Candy held up her hand to placate him. “I’ll blow you, Donk. No problem.”
Steele focused on the boy. He was looking at Donk with fear, but also with open distaste. He didn’t turn and run as Candy had instructed him to do.
Donk reached Candy and grabbed her by the hair, twisting her head, clearly prepared to shove her to her knees. A startled cry of pain came from Candy, and both hands went to Donk’s arm to try to ease his hold on her.
Zane exploded into action. “Don’t hurt her!” he yelled and flung himself at Donk.
The big man swung his fist at Zane. Candy stepped in front of the child, so the blow took her just above the elbow. She screamed and sank down onto the patio, cradling her arm.
“What the fuck, Donk?” Lizard yelled as he ran to his daughter, leaving the gate open wide behind him. He leaned down to examine her arm. She kept crying, rocking back and forth. Lizard straightened slowly, glaring at Donk.
“Stop whining, you little bitch. This is your fault. Open your mouth and I’ll give you something to do besides cry like the whiny little bitch you are. You’ve always spoiled her, Lizard. She doesn’t do anything she’s told.”
Lizard glared at him. “You broke her fuckin’ arm.” He got Candy to her feet. “I’m taking her to the hospital.”
Candy indicated the little boy. Zane started toward her, but Lizard shook his head. “Can’t take him, Candy. Bridges would never allow it. Let’s go.” Lizard all but forced her around to the gate that led to the front drive where he’d parked his vehicle.
Donk wrapped his fist around his cock and then roared. His gaze dropped to the little boy. Furious, he took a step toward him. “I’m going to drown you, you little fucker.”
SIXTEEN
Steele heard Breezy’s frantic cry and knew she and Keys had been watching closely from the wide window in the house. Birds took to the air, all the sparrows, lifting off the branches of the tree they’d been resting in so that the air turned black. As one unit they flew like a dark shadow to insert themselves between Zane and Donk.
Everyone was on the move with the exception of Preacher. He squeezed the trigger, and Donk’s head exploded. Immediately he shifted his aim and shot Riddle right between the eyes.
Transporter’s rifle also sounded, and Favor dropped to the ground. Steele, Maestro and Savage leapt from the roof, landing in a crouch as Breezy burst from the house, Keys on her heels.
A truck was already in the front yard, everyone leaping into it, Player at the wheel. Keys tackled Breezy, stopping her.
“Go, go,” Steele ordered, and Player stepped on the gas.
Keys could handle Breezy. Steele wasn’t going to allow his woman anywhere near this mess. He had no idea how many men were still inside. Mechanic had confirmed at least five, but there was likely to be more. Any one of the Swords was capable of shooting Zane from a distance, even if Torpedo Ink could keep the boy from entering the house.
Player had mapped out the quickest route to the estate, covering the distance in record time, but it was the longest few minutes Steele could ever remember. Dirt rose in clouds around the vehicle. The birds shrieked, and the hawk darted in the air. Steele caught glimpses of it diving as if attacking something and then rising sharply, only to go back, talons extended, wicked beak in play.
They hit the ground running, spreading out, some going in through the various entrances, the layout of the house and grounds already completely familiar to them. Steele went to the backyard, Maestro and Savage beside him.
Donk’s body lay only feet from Zane. The child stood in a pool of blood, tears streaking down his face. The door to the house was open. A wall of birds spun in circles between Zane and the door, making it nearly impossible for the little boy to move.
“Get in here,” Junk snarled. “I’ll beat your ass if you don’t get in here, Zane,” he called to the child.
Zane turned toward the sound of Junk’s voice, and Junk stuck his head around the door to give him another order. The hawk dropped from the sky and ripped its talons across Junk’s face, digging deep, leaving long furrows over his cheeks, one eye and forehead. His high-pitched scream matched that of the hawk as the bird rose into the air. Junk staggered and fell. The bullet tore into the doorframe where his head had been. He scrambled backward and kicked the door closed, leaving Zane alone with the three dead men and all the birds.
Zane put his arms into the air, trying to shoo the birds away. Steele hurried across the patio, staying low, Maestro running with him. From inside, guns spat. Glass shattered, and bullets zinged past both men. Steele, heart in his throat, kept moving toward his son, terrified that Bridges or Junk would shoot the boy out of pure spite before he could get to him. More windows shattered, proving the two men weren’t alone in the house.
Zane put both hands over his ears and walked backward away from the house, leaving a bloody trail of footprints. He was getting dangerously close to the pool. The dark cloud of sparrows circled him continuously, making it difficult to see him through the spinning shadow of birds. The noise was horrendous with all the birds making a riotous racket.
The boat came at the pier fast, Lana at the wheel, Mechanic training guns on the estate. Steele threw caution to the wind and sprinted toward his son. Maestro ran with him, his body a solid wall between Steele and the house. Ordinarily, the moment he realized Maestro was in danger, Steele would have stopped his reckless behavior, but this was Zane. His son. Breezy’s son. He kept going, hoping the universe would be understanding and Maestro wouldn’t get hit.
He reached Zane just as the little boy realized he wasn’t alone out there. When he spotted Steele rushing toward him, he turned and started to run, heading right for the pool. Steele renewed his efforts, trying to put on more speed. He reached the boy just as Zane had one foot over the edge. Wrapping his arm around him, he dragged him to his chest, whirled around toward the lake and kept sprinting fast, heading for the boat, Lana and Mechanic.
Bullets hit all around them, and then Preacher and Transporter were answering, returning fire, hosing the house back and forth across the windows so that whoever was firing at Steele and Maestro had to hit the floor to keep from getting killed. Preacher had switched weapons but was no less lethal.
Zane struggled, trying to get free. “I’ve got you,” Steele whispered. His heart felt like it would explode in his chest any minute. He had his boy. His son. Safe. Relatively safe, he qualified, as he raced along the pier toward the boat. He was more exposed than ever now, right out in the open, his feet pounding on the wooden pier as he got closer to the boat, although the birds were forming another dark wall between Maestro, him and the house.
He had Zane wrapped up tightly, so nothing could hurt the boy. “We’re taking you to your mommy. She’s
waiting for you,” he assured, over and over, as he ran.
The boy stopped struggling as they reached the boat. Lana had pulled on a long shirt that covered her body as she drove the boat. She had the powerful craft alongside the pier and she reached for Zane as Mechanic steadied it. Steele transferred his son to his “sister.” She took him, immediately bringing him in close to her.