Free Hell Breaks Loose: A Devil's Rock Novel by Sophie Jordan Page B

grabbed the
     guy’s hand and brought it down with a severe twist. The guy howled.
    Reid kept twisting, placing his mouth close to his ear. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you don’t touch what doesn’t
     belong to you.”
    “What? You tapped her and now she’s yours?” he blustered, his face flushed with pain.
    “Pete!” Zane shoved him in the shoulder, freeing him from Reid. “Go sit down. This don’t concern you.”
    Pete staggered away, clutching his injured hand close to his chest, his gaze shooting daggers.
    Zane looked at Reid, glanced at Grace, and then looked back at Reid. It was a familiar look. His face might have hardened
     and matured beyond boyhood, but with his brows drawn tight with concern, he was achingly familiar, even if Reid hadn’t seen
     him or the worried expression in years. He remembered his brother’s young face as he crouched in the corner, watching wide-eyed
     as Reid took a beating he thought would kill him for sure. Reid used to think he would die. He used to wonder if maybe he
     didn’t want to. One more blow, one more of his father’s raised fists, and he’d break, shatter in half. Thankfully, his father
     only blew in and out of his life sporadically. If that had been their lives day after day, he might not have made it.
    “You got this?” Zane asked.
    “Yeah. I’m taking care of it. Taking care of her. Like I said.” Reid shook his head with what he hoped sounded like a casual
     huff of breath. “Some of your boys need to learn a little respect.”
    “Man, they don’t know you, bro, that’s all. You been gone a long time.”
    Yeah, and he didn’t want to know them. His brother’s crew had taken a hard nosedive since he’d last seen them, years ago. They’d always been rough,
     but this was a new low.
    He felt another stare on him. Deep and scouring. He looked up and his gaze collided with Rowdy’s, from where he sat at the
     kitchen table. The guy jerked his chin upward in a single nod of acknowledgment.
    Zane slapped a phone and wad of cash into Reid’s hand. “Here’s a burner and some money. I’ll be in touch after I talk to Sullivan
     again.”
    Reid tore his gaze away from Rowdy. “You do that. I want to talk to Sullivan. Get me a meeting.” The man kept himself as guarded
     as the pope. Reid knew he couldn’t just go after him. Surrounded by bodyguards, they’d stop him before he could even get within
     fifty yards. Reid wanted— needed —to look the man in the eyes. He’d only have one chance, and he couldn’t mess it up.
    “Yeah yeah. I’ll tell him.” His brother clapped him on the back. “I’ll let him know. What you’re doing now will go a long
     way with the ol’ man.” Zane hesitated, looking concerned. “You up for this?” He nodded toward Grace. “You were never one to
     rough up the girls.”
    Reid ignored the stab of guilt at deceiving his brother. Zane was lost to him. He wasn’t his same kid brother anymore. He
     served Sullivan now. Reid held Zane’s gaze. “Prison changes a man. I’m back. Sullivan wants this done, then I’ll get it done.”
    “Yeah?” Rowdy released a harsh bark. “For how long? You’re a wanted man. An escaped convict. How long you expect to be around?
     You can’t just slide back in here and be one of Sullivan’s top men again.”
    “Why not? Afraid I’ll make you look bad, Rowdy?”
    Rowdy’s smile slipped. Even Zane looked uneasy. Rowdy uncrossed his booted feet from where they rested atop the table and
     dropped them heavily to the floor. He propped his elbows on his knees, his deep accent more pronounced as he said, “I ain’t
     afraid of shit. Least of all you.”
    Reid shrugged and moved to the door, still holding onto Grace Reeves by a fucking leash and hating himself for it. But then
     that was just more reason to hate himself. The list was long.
    He opened the door and guided her through it. Pausing, he looked back into the house. “I’m here now. Getting things