The Kingdom (Preacher Brothers 1)

I didn’t know these men, these criminals, thieves, but I had no doubt they were used to getting what they wanted. Hell, they took what wasn’t theirs. The sense of entitlement in these pricks pissed me off.

We were at this standstill, staring at each other, the sound of glass breaking coming from the front of the store. I had to do something. I wasn’t a hero, not by any means, but when I heard Richard grunt in pain again, something in me snapped. I wasn’t going to let the only person who gave a shit about me get hurt, not when I could try to stop it.

I might fail, but doing nothing wasn’t trying. It was submitting, letting another asshole try to walk all over me.

The masked asshole looked over his shoulder, his body partially turned. “What the fuck is going on out there? You guys are making so much noise.”

I edged toward the desk, only a foot or so from me, reached out for my phone, and quickly moved back to where I had just been at the same time he turned to face me once more. I had my phone pressed to the back of my thigh, feeling my heart race, feeling like he knew what I’d done, that I was “guilty.” But he said nothing, just watched me.

More glass breaking had the masked prick cursing. “What in the fuck?” He looked over his shoulder again. “One of you come in here and babysit, and I’ll go out there and get this shit done quietly.”

I glanced down at my phone and started dialing.

Nine.

One.

One.

Before I could hit Enter, the phone was ripped from my hand and I gasped in shock.

Something in me came alive and I lunged at him, knowing I had no chance. He was big, muscular. I was blinded by fear and anger, not just for myself but for Richard as well. Was he even alive?

I reached up, my fingers curling around the material of his mask, and before I knew what was happening, I pulled it off. For a second time, I stood still as I stared up at him. His short dark hair was mussed, the pure rage on his face clear and tangible.

“You fucking bitch. Now I have to put a bullet in that pretty head of yours.” He reached behind him and produced a gun, cocking it and lifting it until it was pointed at me.

I moved back, the tears slipping down my cheeks again, my arms raised and my hands outstretched, palms facing him.

“No. No, no, no.” I said that word over and over again like a broken record.

Everything stood still. Time. My life. The situation. And despite me begging, despite how I probably looked scared as hell, I didn’t feel anything. I was this void, no emotion, no feelings. Nothing.

I stared at his darkened eyes, feeling myself sober up, knowing this wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of whatever was next.

I lowered my arms and looked right in his eyes. “Fuck. You.” I sneered those words. “I’m not afraid of you.” For a second, I swore his eyes widened in shock, but then that mask was figuratively put back in place.

He took a step toward me, and then another and another until he was right in front of me. He lifted his arm higher, and I felt the coldness of the gun pressed right to my forehead.

He leaned in an inch. “How about now? Fuck me now, Red?”

Before I could answer, could say anything, the gun was ripped from my forehead, the man with the dark eyes grunting as his body was hauled away from me, his form slamming against the wall beside me. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands, feeling my eyes widen even farther.

The sight before me was filled with silence, even more so than any event that had happened in the last few moments of them breaking in.

Blue Eyes had the other man against the wall, his thickly muscled forearm pressed to the unmasked man’s face.

“What the fuck, D?” the man pressed to the wall grated out, his voice thick as if he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs.

“I told you not to touch her.” The sound of D’s voice was muffled behind the mask, but I could hear the venom in it, the anger… red-hot rage.

Both men stared at each other, saying nothing for several long moments, the tension in the air thick.

“She’s seen my face, D. She’s seen my fucking face.”

D looked over at me, his blue eyes so vibrant in this moment, as if his anger made the color even more intense. I couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe.

“I told you not to fucking touch her,” he said and slowly looked back at the other man.

“What the fuck, D? What the actual fuck?”