Desolation Road (Torpedo Ink 4)

“He doesn’t have a clue what a fucking badass you are either,” Reaper said. “That’s the beauty of it. He sees us. He hasn’t convinced Plank or the others what we are, but he’s never, not one time, figured out that when he takes you to bed, you could end his life in a heartbeat.”

“No, he doesn’t give me that kind of respect,” Alena admitted. “At first I thought it was a good thing. I’d always have the advantage. But now, there’s a part of me that’s a little bothered by the fact that he’s been seeing me for a while and he still hasn’t seen the real me. He hasn’t looked that deep.”

“Have you seen him?” Absinthe asked. “Are you certain you see the real Pierce, or are you taking him on the surface as well because for some reason he makes you feel still in your mind for just a little while?”

Alena sighed. “Hell if I know anymore, Absinthe. I think I’ll join a nunnery. Do they even have nunneries? Are they called that?” She turned her attention to the job at hand. “How many Diamondbacks are out there waiting for us? Are we running a gauntlet, Code?”

“You’re staying right here, Alena,” Storm said. “You don’t need to go near that club. Reaper will go in and make certain no one’s inside. That’s his forte, slipping past anyone unseen. We’ll make certain he’s safe. Once we know everyone’s out, you torch the place from here. Make certain the fire department can’t get it out until it’s all the way to the ground.”

“I like to make certain myself no one is in the building,” Alena protested. “You know that. That way I know there isn’t a mistake.”

“Reaper will give you that assurance,” Czar said in a tone that brooked no argument. “We don’t want any other buildings to go up,” he added.

“Czar, really?” Alena asked. “I’m not that distracted.”

He grinned at her. “Just checking. The nearest building is across the parking lot and Pierce is on the roof. I thought you might just jump a flame or two his way to knock him off and shake him up.”

“Now that you say that …” She laughed, but it was a little forced.

Ice ruffled the hair of her black wig. “Let’s do it. Reaper’s going in. Be a ghost, bro.”

Reaper saluted and backed away from the heavy landscaping surrounding the mini-mall on the other side of the island that was the Felix Club. The mall was two stories high and had a small parking garage where they had stashed their vehicles.

Ice and Storm took vantage points high in order to cover Reaper. Pierce was their first target. He was lying on the roof across the street from the Felix Club, with a pair of binoculars. Another member of the Diamondbacks had taken up watch on the opposite corner, also watching the club with binoculars. The club was surrounded. They weren’t alone on the parking garage either. They’d had to be careful, hiding almost in plain sight.

Ice and Storm, bring in heat lightning, just enough to make it seem natural to disrupt cameras.

No such thing, Czar.

You know what the hell I mean.

There was a little snicker, but at once in the dark overhead, lightning forked in every direction streaking across the sky, over and over.

Mechanic, I want every camera down. Every last one. You got that? In the club and out. I don’t want Reaper accidentally caught on any camera, not even a shadow of him, Czar ordered.

No problem, Mechanic said. His body radiated enough energy to disrupt electrical signals and he’d learned to actually direct that energy. It had taken years of practice to be able to do so but he was very good at it.

He’s in, Absinthe reported grimly. He detested not being able to have his eyes on his brother. Normally, Savage would be with him. Reaper had made it clear he preferred to go in alone, that anyone else would be a liability.

All they could do was wait. The Felix Club was large. Reaper had to search every room to make certain no one was inside, no janitor was working or sleeping in the basement. No homeless person had pried open a window and was using the basement as a place to rest. Fifteen minutes later, Absinthe spotted Reaper’s shadow. He gave the thumbs-up and was back in the brush, moving with the landscape toward the line of parked cars.

Alena didn’t waste time. If the club was suddenly on fire, it was the perfect distraction to provide, no one would be looking for Reaper. Everyone would be concentrating on rushing to the club itself in order to find whoever had torched the place. The Diamondbacks would want to retrieve the outside cameras before the fire department and police got there. They hadn’t seen anyone enter the club or leave it. Alena didn’t need to get near it in order to burn it to the ground. She had the fire burning hot, the flames rolling wildly, windows blowing out, the air feeding the hungry inferno until the roof was engulfed as well.