Stuck With The Devil’s Brothers

CHAPTER 6

CALEB

My impatience was starting to wear dangerously thin.

Hunter wasn’t supposed to be here. Neither was Willow. But Hunter had a talent for appearing at my doorstep half-dead, and Willow had a talent for following chaos wherever it led.

Usually, I could tolerate both.

Tonight, I couldn’t.

I had less than twenty-four hours before everything moved into place.

I’d planned it the minute I found out who Daisy Drewmoore was. The heiress to the Drewmoore incorporated. One of the biggest names in the west.

At first it started as curiosity.

This fragile girl that showed up on my doorstep after three years of quiet. Holding a damn cupcake and a smile that could render you blind. Of course I would be curious as to how one gets to live without a care in the world.

So I decided to do a little… digging. And once I started, it didn’t take long to uncover the rot beneath the surface.

Her father owed the Serpent Gang millions.

That changed everything.

I’d spent years trying to get close to the Serpents. Years chasing ghosts, dead trails, and men too terrified to speak their names out loud. Then Daisy Drewmoore practically landed in my backyard gift-wrapped by fate itself.

The plan was easy. Leak her location to their database, wait for them to pick it up and when they come in for their price, I strike.

It was supposed to be simple.

Now I’m stuck here with a walking target and a fire hazard, both in shapes of my brothers. The serpent gang were scheduled to move in on Daisy tomorrow. I needed them out before then.

I tugged at the bandage harder than necessary.

He hissed through his teeth. “You know, most people use painkillers.”

“Most people don’t show up shot half to death.”

Hunter grinned despite the blood loss. “You missed me.”

“No one has ever missed you.”

His grin widened. “Then who’s the pretty girl?”

My pulse stopped, so did my fingers. That was a mistake because he noticed. Of course he did.

His grin widened. “Your new lady?”

I clenched my jaw hard enough that I heard a crack. “I barely know her.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Willow walked in like he owned the place, hands shoved into his pockets, silver hair still damp from the rain outside. “Daisy’s mine,” he announced casually.

For some reason, my chest tightened painfully. I pushed the odd reaction aside, clearing the table.

“She’s not a f*****g candy bar you can call dibs on, Willow.”

He didn’t seem to care, walking to the fridge and pulling out a wine bottle. The sound of the fridge door closing echoed through the air as he flashed a saccharine smile.

“That sounded emotional.”

Hunter barked out a laugh.

I stared at Willow. “Where are you going?”

“I fail to see how that concerns you.”

“Willow.”

His smile widened slightly purely to infuriate me.

Hunter leaned back carefully against the counter, wincing. “You know what’s interesting?” he said slowly. “I’ve seen Caleb threaten senators, mob bosses, and armed mercenaries with less emotion than he’s using right now.”

I paused, regaining my composure. “Willow always does stupid things that end up affecting all of us. I’m just making sure this isn’t one of them.”

Hunter's gaze lingered on me for a second too long. I moved before he could form a thought.

“I want you two gone by morning,” I said, “this isn’t a charity.”

Willow muttered something under his breath, too low for me to catch before disappearing out of the house. I could feel Hunter’s gaze piercing into the sides of my face.

I snapped my head to him, irritation growing. “What?”

He shook his head, eyes gleaming. “Nothing at all.”

I forced a breath through my nose, “You can rest for the night. Be out of here by sunrise.”

“You said that already.”

I bit my tongue, forcing the comeback down my throat and stormed out of the kitchen. I didn’t stop until I slammed the door of my room shut.

My pulse was hammering so hard I could feel it trying to escape my chest. What the hell was wrong with me?

I couldn’t afford any distractions. I had one shot at this. Despite trying to convince myself, her face flashed behind my eyes. Pale skin, rosy cheeks, big bright eyes that make everything around seem dull.

“Shit.”

I scrubbed a hand over my mouth.

What the hell was happening to me?

I stared at the ceiling, counting how many cracks I’d put up there. Focus on the mission, Caleb. That’s the entire point of this. To get to him.

But my inner voice was muffled by a feeling I had never experienced. It was like I had no control of my own thoughts. And I always had control.

What if-

A sharp shot rang through the air, slicing my thought in half.

A gunshot coming from outside.

I pushed off my bed immediately, my senses sharpening. In one swift motion, I pulled the gun from under my pillow, switching off the safety.

The silence that came after the gunshot was heavy, suffocating. I moved against the walls of my room until I could see directly into Daisy’s compound. My breath stalled.

They were here.

No.

It was hours too early. The Serpents weren’t supposed to move until tomorrow night.

I didn’t dwell on it. The handgun hit the bed with a dull thud as I crouched beside the floorboards and unlocked the hidden case beneath the bed.

The sniper rifle rested inside.

Beautiful, deadly, reliable. Unlike emotions.

The clicks of the casing unlocking were like a countdown to violence. I embraced it fully.

The weight of the rifle grounded me as I positioned myself on my balcony, hidden by the shadows of my curtains. I peeked at the scope, scanning the area.

Four men approached south, two at the door, five behind.

They seemed to be announcing their arrival. Dumb. I inhaled, shutting out the noise. My senses zeroed in on the intruders.

Leave one alive for questioning.

I pulled the trigger and at the same moment, my door swung open. My focus snapped as Hunter stumbled into the space, jaw locking.

“I’m guessing you heard the gunshots,” he said calmly now as his gaze swept over the scene in front of him.

I didn’t flinch, but irritation sparked hot in my chest. I ignored him, drawing my attention back to the intruders. One of the two at the front door was down, the other looking around in a panic.

“Damn it.” I growled, firing again.

The second man’s head snapped backward violently before he collapsed beside the porch steps.

The others must have caught on and were now circling the perimeter, opening fire aimlessly. A curse slipped from my lips as I ducked, taking cover as glass rained down around me.

Hunter ducked behind the bed. “Jesus Christ.”

I ignored him yet again, repositioning myself against the window sill. “Shut the f**k up.” I growled, taking out two more.

The scent of copper and something sicker had started curling in the night air. I couldn’t tell what was going on inside Daisy’s house, the lights were out, she didn’t make a sound.

My stomach dropped.

Was she-

A bullet whizzed past my ear, the metal ringing around my brain. I held back a scowl, aiming at the one responsible and shot him. I continued shooting until I heard the empty click of the last man standing.

I didn’t need to hear his ragged breath to know he was terrified. Good. He should be.

He was still stumbling over his own feet, checking the weapons of his dead comrades. I straightened, rolling my shoulders. I glanced back to Hunter who looked like he was about to have my head.

“Stay here.” I ordered and before he could protest, I stepped over him and out of the room.