The Forbidden Note (Redwood Kings Book 4)

Hall is holding a sharp, wicked-looking knife with a serrated edge.

I want to laugh in his face.

This guy golfs with the owner of a shopping mall and rides around in his parents’ yacht on the weekends. He eats curated cheeses and salami on a charcuterie board that he specially requests from the cafeteria and complains when they don’t carry his sparkling water at the right room temp.

He’s not a street fighter.

He’s nothing but a piece of crap.

And yet, he’s standing here with a knife acting like he’s tough.

I’m going to enjoy ripping him to shreds.

I shoot a quick glance at Sol.

He peers at me from behind his mask.

I jut my chin at the highway, indicating he should run. My best friend rips his mask off, a crazed smile on his face.

And I understand it as if he spoke out loud.

There’s no freaking way he’s leaving.

Not because he cares about me.

Although I’m sure there’s some of that mixed in.

It’s because he’s been waiting for an excuse to bash someone’s head in.

My crazed expression is a mirror of his.

Damn.

We really are the lunatics of the group.

My eyes return to Hall who’s swaggering toward us like he’s filming an eighties mobster movie. His finger is on the tip of his knife, flicking it like it’s skin and bones. The moon glints against the dangerous edge, dispensing light all over our faces.

“Where’s the rest of your stupid crew?” Hall grinds out.

The answer is ‘not coming’.

Neither me nor Sol had time to tell anyone we’ve been ambushed. I really wish there was such a thing as twin telepathy. But there’s no way to let my brothers know we’ve been cornered. They’re in the van with the girls, driving far away from this mess.

We’re on our own.

“Why?” I smirk at Hall’s hired hands. “Did your friends want our autographs?”

Hall throws his head back and laughs. “I forgot you’re the funny one.”

“Wrong. I’m the one who beat your face to a bloody pulp last week. Remember that?”

Hall snarls, his face twisted and dark. “I’m going to take you down, Cross.”

I smirk.

“You Kings think you rule Redwood. But guess what. You don’t. Not anymore. I’m taking over now.”

I notice his goons closing in around us, forming a circle that we can’t break out of.

Sol and I inch together, our backs thumping into each other.

“Scared?” Hall laughs.

“Just wondering how much of your daddy’s money went to mobsters.”

“Come on, Zane. Did you think you could dislocate my jaw,” Hall moves his chin back and forth, “give me six stitches,” he indicates the scar beneath his eye, “and just… what? Skip off into the sunset? You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

My smile inches up. “I know exactly who you are. A filthy pig who squealed and wiggled right there on the back steps of Redwood. Remember, Theo? How you begged for mercy? How you peed your—”

“Shut up!”

“The other eye looks a little lonely. Come here. I’ll give you a matching scar.”

Hall’s face turns red and he charges at me. I twist to the side, dodging the knife and grabbing his arm. He’s much scrawnier than me and I use his own weight against him, taking advantage of his wild movement.

My shoulder smashes into his chest and I twist his arm painfully. Hall bawls out like a lamb about to get its head chopped off. I try to displace the knife while he’s trapped against me, but something heavy smashes into the back of my head.

I lose my grip on Hall and stumble to the side drunkenly. My skull ricochets with agony. White-hot blitzes of pain accordion down my spine all the way to my toes. My legs lose their strength and one bends of its own accord as I struggle to get my bearings.

Through the corner of my eye, I see Sol. He’s being cornered by three of the thugs. Arms windmilling, he punches one in the face and gets two blows in return. He’s putting up a valiant fight, but there are too many of them. He’s going to run out of steam.

We need an advantage, but there’s no time to find one.

Hall and the thug that hit me attack me together. I step back and throw a punch at the thug since he presents the bigger threat. I hear the zing of Hall’s knife behind me.

I jump away, but the tip slices me in the side. Scrambling around, I block Hall’s second attempt and shove my shoulder into his chest, driving him backward.

Hall collides into the thug.

I hear them both grunt in pain.

That’s right you ugly twat.

I’ve been in my share of fights. The girls who jump into my bed aren’t always single and there have been a few bar room brawls with jealous gym bros who couldn’t keep their anger in check.

I may not know how to fight like Finn does—with whatever secret ninja powers he’s been keeping under wraps—but I know how to give as good as I get.

With Hall down and embarrassed about it, I launch at him.

He raises the knife, but he doesn’t know how to thrust it. I grab his head, lift my knee up and slam him in the nose.

Blood spurts everywhere.

Gritting my teeth, I grab the hand holding the knife and try to get the weapon away from him.

I hear someone groan in pain behind me.

It’s Sol.

Panicked, I glance over at my best friend. His punches are losing steam. The thugs are getting too many hits in.

I need to get over there.

A thug comes charging at me before I can take a step. It’s too late to correct my stance. There’s no way I can dodge the bat that’s coming my way. It crashes into my back. There are nails at the end. I hear the rip of fabric and feel the hot stinging pain as the nails claw into my flesh.

Hall scrambles up again, holding a hand to his broken nose.

Another grunt comes from across the lawn. I turn in time to see Sol swaying back and forth like the ground can’t hold him anymore. With one last crushing blow from the thugs, he crumples to the ground. The thugs don’t stop. They deliver harsh punches to his stomach and back.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears.

My vision turns red.

I whirl around, noticing the idiot who hit me is cranking his arm back to let the bat loose again.

The world is spinning. I’m pretty sure blood is oozing down my neck, but I’m running on pure adrenaline and fury.

Roaring, I roll to the ground, pick up a rock and slam the thug in the face as hard as I can. He staggers back, but he’s so big that my hit didn’t knock him out. He regains his balance quickly, but I’m already on the move.

“Sol!” I yell, running over.

I ram into one of the guys who’s kicking my best friend. Moving like a wild thing, I kick another one in the knee cap. He goes flying to the ground.

I reach a hand out to Sol.

He grips my fingers, face a bloody mess.

The thugs surround us again.

Hall joins them.

Six against two.

Terrible odds.

I spit blood on the concrete, feeling woozy and fighting to stay in control.

“Round two?” I smirk.

Hall yells and comes at me again. I’m ready for him and brace myself. The moment he’s close, I duck and wrap my arms around his waist, tackling him to the ground.

My fist slams into his jaw and chest. Once, twice, three times.

Before I can get another blow in, I’m being hauled off by two thugs. One pounds me in the stomach while the other grabs me by the throat.

I choke, black creeping along the edge of my vision.

Hall jumps on top of me and rains blows on my head and stomach. I let him tire himself out before locking my legs around him and rolling us around. His eyes widen and I know I have the advantage.

Or at least I did.

Until his thugs wrench both of my hands and grab me off him again.

Hall grins, getting up from the grass. His shirt is hanging off his shoulder and he’s holding his ribs as if I did some permanent damage.

Good.

I smile when he limps toward me, but the smile turns into a roar of pain when he grabs my wrist and twists it back. “You’re a drummer, right?” He sneers in my face. His putrid breath washes over my cheek as he peels my wrist back further.

“Ah!” I scream.

“What will it feel like if you can’t drum ever again?”

“Zane!” Sol yells. I see him ram into the guys holding him down, fighting to get to me. He manages to knock one over, but there are two more to restrain him. They dog-pile on top of his body, squelching his frenzied and desperate attempts to be free.

“Hold him down,” Hall commands.

His thugs tighten their grip on me.

Hall twists my hand even further. Desperately, I throw myself to the ground so I can shake him loose and kick my leg to sweep Hall off balance, but his thugs grab me. I’m pinned to the pavement while Hall stomps on my wrist repeatedly.

I hear the bone crack.

My mouth opens in a howl of agony.

I can’t help it.

It’s the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt.

The thugs release me and I sit up, my eyes locked on my hand. My wrist is hanging at an odd angle.

Hall grins evilly.

“What the hell are you doing?” someone yells.

Hall and his thugs freeze.

Rick prowls toward us, swinging something back and forth. “Back off!”

“He’s got a gun!” Hall shrieks.

The thugs don’t wait around for further instructions. They pile into the black van. Hall chases after them, looking like the pathetic punk that he is. The van is already moving by the time he jumps in.

“Are you guys, okay?” Rick asks as Hall and his thugs drive off.

“You and this gun again,” I say breathlessly.

Rick laughs, but it turns into a choking sound when his eyes drop lower.

I won’t look at my wrist again.

If I don’t look, it won’t be broken. It’ll be fine.

Rick gently kneels beside me. “The gun is empty, but they didn’t know that.”

“What if they kept attacking us?”

“Well, they didn’t.” He swallows hard. “I-it worked.”

Sol rushes over to me. His eyes drop to my arm and a look of horror twists his mouth.

The world starts turning black at the edges.

I can’t feel my hand.

No, I’m fine.

I’m fine.

I’m going to patch myself up and then hunt Hall down. He’s going to pay for what he did tonight.

“I think you should call an ambulance,” Rick says softly.

Sol breaks out his cell phone.

Tires squeal in the distance.

I hear a car door slam.

At that moment, my strength gives out. I flop back on the trampled pavement, all the blood rushing out of my head at once.

Dutch and Finn appear over me.

Finn’s hands land on my stomach. When he lifts them, the tips are stained red.

“Zane?” Dutch’s eyes are wide and gleaming in pain. It’s almost like he’s the one who got jumped tonight.

Finn’s face is also laced in panic. I’ve never seen my brother look that worried.

I’m fine.

I want to tell them out loud, but I’m tired.

So tired.

There’s too much blood.

I can smell it.

Where is it coming from?

Can’t be my wrist.

My wrist is fine.

I’m fine.

“Zane!”

Pain strikes my chest. That’s the voice that breaks me. That makes me start shaking all over.

I don’t want her near this.

She can’t see this.

“Zane, no, no.” Grey kneels beside me and cradles my face between her hands. “Zane.”

“I’m… fine,” I manage to choke out.

It’s the last thing I say before the world goes black.