Fuck. Within seconds, this was going to turn real ugly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the pit or rather at the edge of the pit and it wasn’t in the one Deck was in. Trick? But how the hell would the kid get to the top of the pit without a ladder?
Then I saw the rifle.
What the fuck? I kept my expression steady, but as the familiar eyes appeared over the edge, I suddenly knew what the fuck was going on.
Connor.
Jesus. He was here. In one of the pits. Waiting.
Catalina. He was the one who had Moreno’s wife. He was the one who killed twenty of Moreno’s men then came here and waited for Moreno to show up. What he probably hadn’t expected was to see us.
Our eyes met for a split second. His were bloodshot, but the wild look had steadied.
I gave the signal knowing Deck, Ernie, Tristan, Vic and Tyler, if he was alive, could hear me in the headset. “It’s time.”
Then shit got real as I dove for Moreno, relying on Deck and the others to take out his men before I was hit. I felt the spray of dirt on my pants legs from the impact of bullets hitting the ground beside me.
It was chaos as Deck and Connor both shot up from the pits, and Ernie and Tristan came in from above.
Moreno made a dive for the door to where the kids were. I got to him first and slammed into him. We both hit the ground hard.
I grabbed him by the shirt, yanked him up, and spun him around before plowing my fist into his jaw. Then again. And again. Blood splattered my face and into my eyes, but it didn’t matter because all I saw was red.
Moreno’s fist crashed into my cheek and my head flung back. I reached for my knife in my boot. As my hand curled around the hilt, there was a stabbing pain in my side. I knew it was a knife wound, but nothing would deter me from ending this man’s life.
I yanked my knife free and had it to his throat before he took his next breath.
He stilled.
I was on top of him, something sticking in my side and the warmth of my blood soaking into my shirt. “Been wanting to do this a long time.”
He smirked. “You’re no better than me, Kai.”
It was my turn to smirk. “Actually, I am better. Because I’m the one with the knife to your throat. And I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you.”
His smile dropped and his eyes widened. “I’ll give you whatever you—”
I didn’t care to hear what he’d trade for his life because nothing would stop me from killing him. But it wasn’t the knife at his throat that killed him. It was the other one I’d grabbed in the dirt from where I’d tossed it earlier when I ‘surrendered.’
I lifted my body inches off him before stabbing the knife up between his ribs.
He grunted with surprise, face twisted with agony. My hand still on the hilt. I jerked up further. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth and a screeching sound escaped his throat.
I climbed off him, but straddled his body while I peered down at him.
His hands went to the knife still lodged in his chest as if to pull it out. Then he went limp and his arms fell to his sides, eyes staring and blank.
“You guys done yet?” It was Tyler over the headset. “The body is starting to stink up the place.”
Vic huffed then said, “Dragged his ass into a classroom.”
“You good, Tyler?” Deck asked.
“Good, boss. A few pints short on blood. Fading out, so you might want to hurry the fuck up.”
I stepped away from Moreno and noticed Connor beside me staring at Moreno, a murderous glare in his eyes. He walked over to the body, unsheathed his knife, bent and stabbed Moreno in the throat. Then he wiped off his knife on Moreno’s sleeve and placed it back in his leather sheath.
“You have his wife?” I asked.
He nodded, but his eyes were still on Moreno. Hatred burned pure and steady from him. I was uncertain how Moreno and his wife played into Connor’s life, but it wasn’t good, and Connor obviously had some of his memories back, although I was uncertain which parts.
Vic had taken off to get Tyler while Ernie checked the bodies, and Deck and Tristan filtered out the kids and talked to them. Well, Tristan spoke, but his soft reassuring tone was nothing like the cocky playboy Georgie had complained about coming into her coffee shop when she’d been assigned to make contact.
When the last of the kids came out of the room, Connor’s eyes deviated from Moreno to them. There was a flicker of softness before they hardened again. Tristan lowered a ladder into a pit on the north side of the yard and climbed down to get the kid, Trick.
Deck jogged up to Connor and me and said to him, “You remember?”
Connor’s expression was blank. “Don’t need to remember. Told you to leave me the fuck alone.”
Deck stiffened, brows lowering. “Connor, it’s over. You can come home. We’ll get you medical—”
Connor’s harsh, gravelly laugh had Deck stop short. “Too late for that.” He glanced over at the kids. Tristan was crouched down in front of them speaking, his hand on Trick’s shoulder. “She was good with kids.”