✔Cupcakes to Kill For

34. Exit Strategy🔪

The Black Viper's hideout hid hideous secrets within its rooms, but it also harbored some of Casey's most fondest memories. To anyone passing by, it was just a ramshackle home that needed to be torn down. To Casey, he remembered all those nights in the summer when they had bonfires out in the backyard and danced with stars in the sky, drunk on alcohol and merriment.

Now, it only contained betrayal and bittersweet memories that made Casey sick to his stomach. The people who treated him like friends kidnapped his son and tried to sell him to perverts. That was his new reality. Nobody cared about Veronica's wrath, because what could she possibly do behind bars? Maybe she didn't even care what happened to Wyatt.

As much as Casey wished he had the strength on his own to save the ones he loved, he couldn't do it without backup. That rage from before, back at the motel, still coursed through his blood like liquid venom. Casey felt no remorse for slitting that man's neck. He hoped he burned in hell for his sickening fantasies.

"This is it," Casey said.

Emmett leaned forward, snorting. "What a shithole. Can't say I'm surprised they'd live in something like this."

Casey shrugged. "Yeah, they really let the place go after I left."

"Sounds like you were close with these assholes," Emmett remarked as he parked the car. "Yet you were never an official member, were you?"

"Absolutely not."

"Before we go in, I must warn you. We might kill people you once considered friends."

"They're already dead to me." Casey unfastened his seat belt. "Anyone who can hurt my son doesn't deserve to live. Like you said, those close to us are usually the ones who betray us."

Emmett nodded. "I'm glad you understand. Before we barge in, we're gonna get as many of our people positioned around the block. Just in case these assholes try to make a run for it. We're gonna target their vehicles first, to make it harder for them to escape."

"Okay, sounds good to me," Casey told him.

"Normally, we'd set their shit on fire, but with your boy in there and August, we can't risk it reaching them," Emmett explained before adjusting a com in his ear to communicate with others, positioned around the neighborhood. "Well, lead the way, Casey. You know the layout best. The three of us will enter first and scout the place out for the others. If possible, we'll get your boy and August out safely first before blowing the place to hell."

"There's something else you should know," Casey told him. "Not everyone will flee, but I'm sure they'll recruit backup, which I'm guessing is who that van belongs to. I don't recognize it as none of theirs. They have too much pride to disregard an attack on their hideout."

"How many hideouts do those fuckers have?" Emmett asked.

"Um, I think three. This one is the lowest ranked," Casey replied. "Veronica used to run this place. I'm not sure who's in charge anymore. I think August's supposed to be, but someone else stepped up."

"Jeez," Emmett muttered.

As they made their way across the street, Casey kept his eyes peeled for any of their members lurking around. Heart pounding in his throat, Casey pushed onward to show Emmett where they entered the place. He expected Jon to greet them outside, however, nobody guarded their hideout.

With cautious steps through the unkempt grass, Casey reached out for the door knob. He almost expected it to open with ease or detonate some kind of lucrative explosive, but nothing happened. They'd locked it.

"Stand back," Emmett instructed.

Emmett retrieved his own pistol, tucked away in his overcoat, and shot the lock. An easy and efficient way to open the damn thing.