I stepped out into view and whipped my knife at the guy. He shouted, but it came out gurgled as my blade pierced his chest. His eyes widened and blood dribbled from his mouth before his eyes went dead and his body crashed to the floor.
I ran over, grabbed my weapon and made my way back to Deck and London. My head snapped to the right over my shoulder when something caught my eye through the east window.
I turned at the same time as a body flew through the glass and slammed into me.
The hard impact sent us both crashing onto the glass coffee table. I raised my knife to stab him in the back when I felt the agonizing pain in my shoulder as he jammed his fist into me so hard that I felt it dislocate.
I gritted my teeth and shoved at him as hard as I could. We rolled and struggled on the floor, the knife knocked from my grip with the arm useless.
I raised my left elbow and slammed it into his face. He fell to the side of me and I heard the crack of bone.
I reached for my knife in my boot at the same time as his kicked me backwards into the bookcase. It came crashing down and I was stunned for a second as hundreds of books toppled over me.
It was seconds I didn’t have with him hovered over me, a gun at my temple.
I shoved a few books off then raised my brows at him. “If it isn’t their little pet, Connor.”
The gun cocked.
“Connor. No,” Deck shouted.
There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes at the sound of Deck’s voice, but years of being drugged and conditioned in Vault’s hands wouldn’t stop him.
But Vic’s bullets did.
Connor went down as one hit his upper thigh and another in the shoulder. I shoved the rest of the books and shelf off me then grabbed my knife in my boot and went for Connor.
Deck was on me, his gun pressed into my neck. “No.”
“He’s not Connor anymore. You just saw that. End it.”
Connor groaned and moved to get up. Vic came up behind him and grabbed Connor’s arms, hauling him to his feet. Deck nodded to Vic, who put his hand on the back of Connor’s neck and then within seconds, he went limp and collapsed against Vic.
Deck turned to me, his eyes murderous. “You try to kill him once, just once, and our fragile truce is finished.”
I shook my head. “He’s not your friend anymore.”
“Yeah, well neither are you and yet, I’ve let you live.”
I snorted.
He took the unconscious Connor from Vic and threw him over his shoulder. “Josh. Coming out the front,” he said.
I grabbed London’s hand, bent to pick up my knife, and followed.
Tyler had the SUV pulled up to the porch. Deck placed Connor into the hatchback and I heard the click of handcuffs. At least he had the common sense to know his friend was dangerous and no longer his friend. The three of us piled into the backseat and we took off, stopping for a second so Josh could hop in the front.
I pulled London in to me, my hand on her head, stroking. The gun lay in her lap, her hand still clutched around it.
I noticed Tyler glance at Deck in the rear-view mirror, his expression grave, jaw tight. “Boss. Is it Connor?”
Deck nodded.
“Not good?”
“Nope,” Deck said.
I met Tyler’s eyes in the mirror. “He’s better off dead.”
“We don’t kill our men. Ever,” Deck stated.
“He’s no longer your man. He’s theirs.”
“He stays alive.” Deck slammed his fist into the window.
“I wonder if you’ll still say that the day he tries to kill Georgie,” I said.
“He won’t get near her,” Vic replied before Deck could.
I remained quiet because I knew the loyalty between these men was unbreakable. But that cord tying them together would snap if Connor attempted to hurt Georgie. He was a machine, the elements of who he had been reduced to nothing more than a fine mist.
And now, he lived like a trapped animal, chained to who he’d become. I also knew Chaos and there was no chance they’d keep her from seeing her brother.
Tyler pulled off the road into a parking lot an hour later and shut off the engine. Tristan and Chess stood waiting for us, leaning against my car. It wasn’t registered, so it was better than one of Tristan’s flashy vehicles.
I got out, wincing at the movement.
“Need to deal with that,” Vic said, nodding to my dislocated shoulder.
Deck came around to stand beside him. “I’ll hold him down.”
I laughed. “In your dreams, Deck.”
Vic grinned. Probably the only time I’d seen the guy smile. “You’d rather me hold you down?”
London came out of the car and I felt the gentle touch of her hand on my back. “Don’t need anyone to hold me down. Just do it,” I ordered Vic then dared Deck with my eyes to come anywhere near me. He chuckled and walked away.