Promises: The Next Generation (Bounty Hunters 5)

Ty almost fell back on his ass at the mention of his father. King! He knew exactly who he was. He’d been his father’s right-hand man, his most trusted comrade. Also, the only man who’d been invited to his father’s home and sat at his dinner table. Ty remembered his father sharing stories of this incredible man. He’d entrusted his life to him.

And he’d failed him.

Ty got back on his feet and walked around to the front of the chair. “What happened to my father? Answer that question now or we can all die here tonight.”

Brian didn’t waver. “He died in my arms in a cave, after we’d been held prisoner for months.”

The air in Ty’s lungs rushed from his mouth like he’d been sucker-punched. He dropped his hands to his sides, the blade he’d held so confidently a moment ago clanging loudly onto the hard floor.

“Breathe.” He heard someone say in a muted bass that barely registered in his mind.

Ty backed up and sank down onto his sofa before his knees could collapse. It was far worse than he’d thought. A prisoner? For months. To die thousands of miles away in a foreign land in another man’s arms.

Oh, father.

Ty was still reeling painfully over what he’d heard to notice how the men hurriedly moved around him, around his home, checking windows and the hall. It took him a moment to gather himself as the man in black—Brian—sat staring at him the entire time. Barely blinking. He appeared to have the same look of horror and regret that Ty felt inside. All the betrayal and animosity he’d felt toward the government flooded back to the surface, times ten. Why didn’t anyone protect him or save him? His father had been an important man in the military.

“You have a lot of questions and I promise I can answer all of them, but we have to go now. Someone’s coming for you,” Brian said

“Not coming… already here.” The brother said, closing the blinds and hurrying back into Ty’s bedroom. He came out a second later with Ty’s duffle bag strapped over his back.

“We gotta go now, Brian,” the other one said, while tucking away the interesting gun and pulling out one that would guarantee the funeral was closed-casket.

Who the hell are these guys? They were dressed in all black as if their gang was called, ‘El Negro’. Ty could tell they were packing serious heat and were dressed as if going into combat. Cargo pants, black tees, and heavy leather jackets. Whoever they were, one of them had the answers to his many questions, so he’d go with them.

“A good man knows when to lead and when to follow, son.”

Brian was up on his feet watching him carefully. He was tall, and at first-hand appeared unapproachable. His eyes were dark as midnight, and his face told a hundred sad stories at once. His voice was stern and direct when he spoke, “you failed to execute a critical move before making an enemy, Tyrell.”

Ty glanced back at the window then got on his feet, standing taller and more solid than he felt. It wasn’t time to—

Realization dawned on Ty. Brian. He’d just quoted the moral of a lesson his father taught him when he was sixteen.

“What move did you fail to make?” he asked, sensing Ty understood.

“I failed to build an army,” Ty responded gravely.

“Three going to the back and four staying at the front.” The man with the serious weapon went to the door and opened it, his head swinging from left to right, his firearm pointed at the ground. “On five we go.”

He began his countdown without anyone affirming his command. He was younger than the two brothers, but sounded as if he was in charge.

A heavy hand landed on Ty’s shoulder. “This was your father’s last wish. For you to come with me. I’m out of time. I need to know now. Are you in or out?”

“I’m in,” Ty said straight away. His father didn’t make mistakes and he didn’t trust easily, but Ty knew his father had respected and trusted this man wholeheartedly. Ty would too.

“Now you’ve got an army,” Brian said.

Ty nodded once and moved to the door with the rest of them.

“Towards the rear on one, there’s only two of them back there.” The commander said then finished his count, “two, one—”

“Wait,” Ty cut them off as soon as they got ready to charge and pointed toward the stairwell in the opposite direction. “This way.”

“Watch this,” Brian mumbled to his brother.

Ty didn’t know what he was telling them to watch. But he had a plan to get them out of there without encountering his new enemy. Not until he knew what he was dealing with. If Black Rock and his guys were coming for him, then the man had made a grave mistake, because Ty had already fixed the error he’d made.