“You want to box them in?” she suggested.
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “You take the rear. Let’s do it.”
Will jumped out of his seat, crawling into the back and digging something out. When he came back, he threw me a baseball bat and my mask, and he held his own crowbar, his white skull with the red stripe already on his head.
I pulled the mask on, completely forgetting about not showing ourselves. There were people on the streets, and while I didn’t care if my father’s men saw us, I wasn’t winding up on more motherfucking videos, since we had to do this in the busiest part of town.
We passed houses, businesses, and streets lined with cars, most of the town closed down for the night, but there were still people about.
Perfect.
Gabriel’s guys might be less inclined to use weapons if it was populated. My father kept his shit under wraps, even though most of the town knew how his house operated.
The stoplight appeared up ahead, they started to slow, and I punched on the gas, speeding up.
“Go,” I shouted to Rika.
I swerved to the left, she swerved to the right, they stopped, and we swung around, skidding to a halt, Will and I in front and Rika in the back, so they couldn’t drive off or back up.
Not waiting a single second, we jumped from the cars, masks and hoods drawn, throwing our weapons into their windows and smashing the glass.
Bystanders gasped or yelped in shock, but I didn’t waste time worryin
g about them.
Breaking the rear glass, we reached in, unlocking the doors, and I came down on the two guys in front as Rika and Will grabbed Winter and Michael.
Anderson and the other guy shouted and laid on the gas, trying to move, but they were locked in, just bumping into our cars in the front and behind. We had everyone out of the car before they even had a chance to reach for their weapons.
Will sliced off Michael’s restraints, and Michael didn’t wait a moment more. He whipped open the front passenger side door and hauled himself up, shooting his legs into the car and kicking the other guy in the face.
Will took Winter, climbed back in our SUV, and Michael grabbed Rika, running for their car.
“Back at the house,” I told them. “I’ll send Crane.”
Rika nodded, Michael climbed into the driver’s seat, blood seeping from his head, and they took off, swerving in a U-turn and jetting past us.
I jumped in our car, pulling around in a circle and seeing Anderson trying to start the car as we blew past.
I didn’t care if there were cops or if someone on the street was calling them in right now. I wasn’t stopping until we were safe.
I looked over at Winter, sitting in Will’s lap as he cut off her zip ties, and I quickly scanned her face and clothes. She still wore the same bloody jeans from yesterday when I’d been bleeding all over her and Will’s hoodie. She didn’t look hurt, except for some blood trickling from her lip, and nothing appeared ripped like there had been a struggle. Her angelic face and white-blonde hair looked like they’d been through the ringer tonight, though. Eyes red while worry and upset creased her face. I could tell she’d been terrified.
How the fuck did this happen? I wasn’t asleep long at the hospital. They didn’t have her long, right? God, if they touched her…
I quickly called Crane on Will’s cell.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Take any guys left and go set up shop at St. Killian’s,” I ordered him. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wasn’t sure if my father was paying him anymore, but if he wasn’t going to go, I knew he wouldn’t tell him where we were going.
“You think Gabriel will go there?” Will asked me after I hung up. He still held Winter in his lap.
I shook my head. “No. He’ll take time to regroup. He’ll come eventually, though. We need to be ready.”