Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📖

he knew Massimo could smell him, too. There was no point in hiding. That was what a wolf would do, not a Were. He slowly walked toward his Pops.

Massimo greeted Leandro with open arms. Leandro walked into them, and Massimo petted his son’s fur.

“It could be worse. You could be Carter.” Massimo chuckled. “Now, do you want me to call you Fluffy or Leandro?” he asked.

Leandro growled.

“Is that growl for Leandro?” Leandro leaned his head against Massimo, then shook it.

“Goodbye, Fluffy. Only joking. Come on, Leandro, let’s go home.”

Byrant turned to walk in the opposite direction.

“Where are you going?” Carter asked him.

“I’m no good to you,” Byrant admitted. “I can’t shoot anymore, not after my last bounty. I missed and killed an innocent woman, that’s why I didn’t want to join you. In case I shot the wrong person.”

“We didn’t just want you in the gang for your shooting skills, but also for your good looks. Now that Leandro is Fluffy, the looks part is not looking good at all. We’ll be called the ugly crew. I don’t want to be part of the ugly crew. No way, not me, not with these looks. Have you seen my profile? It’s good from every angle.” Carter turned to show Byrant.

“We’ll work on your shooting,” Massimo reassured him. “You could start with Carter if you like.”

“Hey!” Carter exclaimed.

“Don’t worry we’ll get you back to your best.” Massimo patted Bryant’s back and led him back to the group.

Afana had killed all the infected on Levels Four and Five. He looked down on Level Six, furious to see Terrier looking up at him.

“You fucking traitor!” Afana’s voice echoed through Level Five, sending a shiver up the spines of those who heard him.

Afana sprinted toward the door to Level Six, swiping anyone in his path out of his way.

All he wanted now was Terrier.

He typed the code into the control panel, but the door didn’t open. He turned and looked at the generals.

“It doesn’t work,” General Flint informed him nervously. Afana scowled at him. The generals had made the bunker safe even from him.

Afana tried the code again, but it still didn’t work. He glanced down through the floor and saw General Murray and George. Had that ginger bastard rewired the lock? I’m going to twist his head off those scrawny shoulders and shove it up Terrier’s ass, then I’m going to rip that traitor in two.

Afana dropped to his knees and pounded on the glass floor. He could feel the eyes of the generals on him as he pounded the glass, but he didn’t care and wasn’t going to stop. He was going to get that bastard.

The group headed into Pinewood town center, Leandro keeping pace by Ryder’s side.

“The old gang kicking ass once again.” Carter grinned as he looked at Leandro and Ryder. “Just like old times!”

Ryder was happy that Leandro was with her. She was dying to call him Fluffy but didn’t want to insult him. She did feel bad for him since she knew that he wanted to be both. Hopefully, he could work out how to turn back.

People came out of their homes and businesses to thank the group for protecting them, and wished them luck with their next mission. Ryder felt proud of what she and her friends had done and hoped that the people she planned to rescue from the bunker could maybe come back and live here. It would be nice for them.

Tightwad was still outside the Old Dog. God only knew how, since the smell was worse.

He waved at the group as they headed over to them. “I’ve got a present for you,” Tightwad said to Carter. In his arms he held a colorful sweater. “I made it a bit big, and thought it would fit you nicely.” He held the sweater out to Carter. It looked like a rainbow had thrown up on it, and Ryder knew that Carter was dying inside.

“Thank you! You shouldn’t have,” Carter said in his most genuine voice.

“It was no problem.”

“Really, you shouldn’t have.”

“Go on, put it on,” Ryder encouraged, smiling down at Leandro, who had a wolfy grin on his face. “It matches your bows.”

Tightwad smiled proudly. “I thought that as well.”

Everyone else suggested Carter put it on too, and he reluctantly did so. He pulled at the sleeves, trying to bring them down to his wrists. One was too long, and the other was too short. The collar hung down in the middle. It was the weirdest sweater ever.

Carter had a large smile on his face. “Tightwad, it looks great! Maybe having a good-looking model helped.” He posed, showing the sweater off.

“Fabulous, Carter,” Vicky agreed, grinning.

As they headed toward Massimo’s house, Ryder looked at the ground. There was a picture of Mama Lou looking back at her. “Mama Lou?” A vision of Mama Lou she’d hoped she would never see or know became engraved in her mind forever. Mama Lou was naked on the front of the magazine.

Ryder knew Mama Lou loved books, but this was taking it a bit far. Ryder tilted her head so she could get a better look at the face. It wasn’t Mama Lou, but it did look a lot like her. What type of magazine was it?

Massimo looked at Ryder, confused, then down at the magazine. He scooped it up quickly, all the color draining from his face. “What’s this doing out here?” he asked, flushed. Ryder instantly knew it was his.

He rolled up the magazine and shoved it into the waistband of his pants, pulling his shirt over it. He was hiding it. Massimo looked down at Fluffy, who was shaking his head at his dad. Massimo gave him the “What?” look.

Ryder smiled at Massimo. He really was the funniest guy she’d ever met, with a freaky side. She looked at the merry men and woman Massimo and Leandro had helped her recruit, each one offering his or her own skill set to overthrow the