Jackal aimed his Glock at the door, watching Rider open the door. The men running into the room didn’t know what hit them. They made it past the entryway before they started being gunned down, the sound of gunfire deafening.

A few turned back toward the door, but men coming in blocked their path. Others tried to run into the dining room, and the sounds coming from there showed they had met the same end.

Viper kicked the bodies to the side, opening the way to let men inside. Blood blossomed on Viper’s leg then, showing he had been hit.

Holding his position, Jackal shot the man as he was lifting his gun to shoot Viper again.

Jackal then moved from behind the bar, kicking more bodies out of the way, positioning himself next to Viper. “Get behind the bar.”

Viper didn’t move, shooting at more coming in through the door. Then Jackal and Viper moved backward as the bodies fell.

One man came in, terrified, and tried to grab Rider. As they struggled, Tate put a bullet in his skull.

When those outside stopped trying to get inside, the Porters, Rider, and Viper moved toward the door, going to them.

Jackal waited inside with the rest of The Last Riders, checking to make sure those littering the floor were dead. Those who were still living had their guns removed and were lined against the wall, moaning in pain.

Viper came back inside, limping. “That’s the last of them. The DEA is here. Train, call Shade; tell him it’s over. We won’t let the women up until we have the mess cleared.” Viper had moved the women into the basement last night. “Anyone who doesn’t want to have their guns checked for ballistics, give them to Drake. He’ll stash them until the DEA leaves.”

Jackal handed Drake his weapon, and several others gave theirs. Then Drake went to the kitchen, coming back with an armful of guns before going up the steps.

“Show me where you’re putting them. You have your hands full.” Tate took his brothers’ shotguns, following Drake.

“You need to go to the hospital to get that leg checked out.” Jackal gave Viper a bar towel to stem the blood soaking his leg.

“Train will patch me up. I’m not leaving.”

“Suit yourself.” Jackal shrugged, raising his hands in the air as the DEA agents came in with raised guns.

It took four hours before Viper let the women come upstairs.

Jackal went behind the bar, taking a bottle of whiskey out of the cabinet under the bar. He was surprised it wasn’t broken with the amount of bullets that had hit the bar from the front.

Train went to the kitchen, coming out with paper cups. Jackal poured all the men a drink.

“Fuck, the television has a crack on it,” Rider complained.

“None of the liquor was broken, but your TV is fucked.” Jackal took a drink of his whiskey before pouring one for Ice.

“That’s because Viper had a sheet of steel running through it.” Rider took several bottles of beer out of the cooler behind the bar, placing them on the bar for the men to reach.

Jackal and Ice stared at the men, taking the whisky bottle and passing it around, instead.

“I told you that you had to step up your game. That’s a five-hundred-dollar bottle of whiskey,” Jackal chided Ice.

“How many bottles does Viper have under there?”

Jackal poured himself a cupful. “I saw three or four.”

“Slip them out here and put them in my saddlebags. As soon as the shit clears, we’re out of here.”

“If you’re going to steal from a man, at least wait until I can’t hear what you’ll be taking.”

Ice took the whiskey back, pouring some in Viper’s cup. “Call it a parting gift. I was going to take the TV.”

33

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?” Alec asked, coming back into the room after he had checked out her upstairs.

Penni placed her makeup case on the small, round table in the area off the living room. “No thanks. I’m just going to bed and sleeping for a week.”

Penni locked the door after Alec left before going to the pantry and pulling out a bag of duck feed, shoving three scoops into a large baggie.

Going outside, she walked through the small neighborhood. It was only a short walk to the lake that faced the back of her condo. She could have easily climbed over the wall, but she had no desire to get stung if there were any stray bees that had been missed by the college when they had come to remove the hive. She would wait to check out her backyard when she wasn’t so tired.

She would feed the ducks first. Then she promised herself the sleeping marathon she had told Alec about.

There were several people around the mini-lake. It was barely ten in the morning, and the lake was secluded, but many in the community liked to sit there and eat their lunch.

The peace stole over her as she fed the ducks. Penni then sat on one of the benches under a large, shady tree when the bag was empty.

Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes, letting the shadows hit her eyelids. She stretched her hands, reaching out and letting the peace and tranquility invade her soul.

“I’ve never seen you sit still.”

“Go away.” Penni didn’t raise her eyelids. She had no intention of seeing Jackal’s face again.

She felt him sitting down next her on the bench.

“I’m not going away. I’ve been take caring of your ducks for weeks now; the least you could do is look at me.”

Penni snapped her head up. “Colton’s been taking care of them.”

“Colton did it until I got back in town. I’ve been doing it for the last three weeks.”

“I’m back now, so you won’t have to do it anymore.” Penni tried to sound grateful yet failed miserably. She waved him off with a shoo gesture.

Jackal shoved his hands into his pockets. “How’s Genny doing?”

With a disgruntled sigh, she answered, “Good. She moved in with one of the backup singers who needed a roommate.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t offer for her to move in with you.”

“I did. I think she wants a fresh start without being reminded of Treepoint every day. Shade said that Hennessy is back in Colt, Arkansas.”

“Yeah, he left the same day we did. The DEA and the Mexican police arrested those who orchestrated the attack on The Last Riders’ clubhouse. Viper said the Mexican authorities were relieved to bring the cartel up on charges and arrest them.” Jackal’s skeptical tone had her finally looking at him.

“You don’t believe them?”

“The cartel had too much power to have gone unnoticed for as long they did. They have to have someone in their pocket, shielding them.”

“At least they’re too busy now to give Hennessy anymore trouble.” Penni gazed at the lake, unable to look at him any longer.

“Lucky, Shade, and Cade are going to make sure there won’t be any chance of them escaping justice this time. They’re trying to get them extradited to the United States.”

“What about the Unjust Soldiers?”

“There aren’t any left.”

“I’m glad. I don’t like Hennessy, but he was trying to help out a friend. That, I can understand.”

“You’re going to give Hennessy a break and not me?”