Page 72 of Christmas with Four Tattoo Artists

Finn peeked around the corner, his face tightening at what he saw. "There's a gas tank a few yards from the main group. If we can hit that—"

Kai finished his brother’s thought, "It'd create a big enough distraction."

"But who's going to make the shot?" I asked.

Before either of them could respond, a bullet hit the wall above us, causing bits of plaster to rain down.

"I'll do it," I declared, determination filling me. "You two, get to Julia."

Finn looked like he was about to protest, but Kai's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We trust you, James," Kai said, eyes locked onto mine. “Get it done.”

Without waiting for a response, I pulled my weapon and darted out, drawing the fire toward me. Every muscle in my body tensed, every fiber screamed for survival. The gas tank was in sight, and with a deep breath, I aimed and fired.

A massive explosion ripped through the night, sending Devils scrambling. The fiery inferno provided the exact distraction we needed. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kai and Finn sprinting toward Julia's room.

I dove behind a vehicle for cover, reloading and preparing for the next wave. With Andrew above and the chaos below, we were making a stand. This was our fight, and the Devils were about to learn what happened when they crossed the wrong crew.

The scorching flames provided the break we needed. With the Devils disoriented and confused, we took our chance. I made a beeline for the hotel room where Julia was being held captive, hot on Finn and Kai’s heels.

Adele emerged out of nowhere, stumbling in her expensive heels, her mascara smeared with tears. "Please, don't hurt me!" she begged, grabbing onto Finn's jacket, her voice thick with desperation.

We brushed past her, with Finn almost throwing her off him. The room's door was flimsy at best, and it took a single, powerful kick from Kai to bust it open.

Time seemed to slow the moment we entered the room. There she was, looking terror-stricken yet fierce. But my heart plummeted at the sight that followed. Klaus, with a maniacal glint in his eyes, had a gun pressed tightly to her temple.

"You think you're heroes, huh?" Klaus sneered, backing up toward the room's window, dragging Julia with him. "You think this changes anything?"

The room was a vortex of tension, every breath held, every muscle coiled and ready to strike. In that moment, an idea struck me. The window. If I could give Andrew a clear line of sight...

As subtly as I could, I edged my way toward the window, never taking my eyes off Klaus. The curtains were drawn, blocking Andrew's view. My fingers itched to open them, but I needed to be careful.

"Klaus, it's over. Let her go. We can sort this out," Finn reasoned, his voice level, but the strain evident.

Klaus laughed, a chilling sound that echoed in the compact room. "You think it's that easy? After all that has happened? You think I don’t know you’ll kill me?"

While they conversed, my hand slowly inched toward the curtain cord. A quick tug, and they would fly open.

I didn’t want to force Andrew’s hand to make a kill shot, but it appeared I had no other choice.

With a sudden yank, the curtains flew open. The world outside was clearly visible, and more importantly, the room was exposed to Andrew's watchful eyes.

Klaus momentarily blinked in response to the act, his grip faltering on Julia just a bit.

Kai lunged, trying to use the momentary distraction to his advantage, but Klaus was quicker, pulling Julia closer, the gun still menacingly aimed at her head.

"We'll all die before I let you take her from me," Klaus hissed, desperation and madness evident in his tone.

A cold, hard lump settled in my stomach. I didn’t want it to come to this. I didn’t want Andrew to pull that trigger. I had seen the aftermath of the last time he'd been forced to kill—the sleepless nights, the haunted look in his eyes. It tore him apart then, and I feared what it would do to him now.

But as I looked at Julia, her life hanging in the balance, I knew what the priority was. If it came down to it, as much as it would pain all of us, Andrew would have to make that shot. For her, for us.

The motel room was thick with angst, an unbearable torment about to unleash. Klaus's grip on Julia's arm tightened, his face contorted with fear and determination.

"I've given my life to the Crimson Devils," Klaus spat, his eyes darting between us. "I won't be fucked over by you or anyone else."

Finn's usually calm demeanor was replaced with raw frustration. "This isn't about the damn club, Klaus. This is about a woman's life, innocent and pregnant. She doesn't have anything to do with the conflict between you and us."

Kai chimed in. "You can have the studio. We'll leave but let her go. No one needs to get hurt here."