Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hollywood
“S hit. Come on Hollywood, not now. Not ever.” Winter’s words, her anguished tone hit my ears, and my eyes opened. I took two bullets, one of those fuckers went straight through my tricep and the other lodged on the right side of my lower back. I wiggled my toes and when I realized I was fine, I let out a low grunt of pain as I pushed myself off the women. “You scared the fuck out of me.”
I managed a half-smile at her words. “Move,” I urged, my words low and filled with pain. “Run and don’t look back.” My gaze bounced between the best friends and Luisa looked relieved to have permission to run. “Keep your head down.”
Luisa got to her feet and crouched down low as she rushed around the shelves and disappeared.
“Winter, please.” I couldn’t do what I needed to do if I was worried about her and how the fuck could I not worry about this woman when I was fucking in love with her? This wasn’t about a promise to Winston, it was purely fucking selfish.
She shook her head, and defiance lit her eyes as she notched her chin high in the air. “I’m not leaving you.” She pushed to her feet when she was free of my weight and faced me. “You’re hurt. Let me help.”
It was the last thing I wanted to do but arguing with her now would guarantee both of our deaths. “Fine. Get in close to my right side and help me stand. Keep your fucking head down.”
She nodded and did as she was told, acting as my crutch as I stood and emptied my clip at the Jade Devils currently advancing on us. Winter shouted as bullets flew at us, but somehow, she knew when I needed her and plucked another clip from my back pocket.
I kept them off as long as I could, but another bullet hit me tearing across my right shoulder. I stumbled backwards and sent Winter flying to the ground. “Go, Winter! Now!”
“No!”
“I love you and I need you to get the fuck out of here. Please don’t argue, just do as you’re told.”
She gasped. Her eyes rounded as she scrambled to her feet and scurried around the shelf.
Winter was safe and that’s what mattered to me. I could die knowing that I’d kept my promise to Winston and that I’d given the woman who held my heart a second chance at life. It took me longer than it should have to turn and attempt to escape while shooting back but I knew this was it for me.
I tasted freedom. I experienced the love of a good woman and true brotherhood. That was more than most and even though it was too soon, I knew I could die happy.
“JT!” The higher pitched voice belonged to Mark Tamazaki, JT’s younger brother. “You killed my brother asshole!”
I stopped and nodded. “He had it coming.”
“Maybe, but so do you.” He raised the gun and took aim at my chest, a definite kill shot considering all the other holes in my body. His finger wrapped around the trigger and a shot rang out.
But I didn’t feel the pain of another bullet tearing through my body. I felt… relief.
A small spot of blood grew at Mark’s stomach. He dropped the gun and clutched the wound, a look of disbelief on his face.
I looked around for the person who had saved my life, and I was shocked as shit. “Win? What the fuck are you doing here?”
He looked left and then right before he darted over to me and that’s when I realized that he must’ve taken out some of the Jade Devils. “As soon as Slate pinpointed where they were holding Winter, I knew that’s where you were. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines and let you do all the work again. You’re always saving my ass, and I figured it was time I repay the favor.”
“You never have to fucking repay it. We’re friends, Win. Brothers.”
His lips tugged into a straight line, but he nodded, accepting my words. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
I nodded but when I tried to get up, I was dizzy as fuck and my legs crumpled beneath me. “Let’s try that again.” I heard my words slur but I pushed up again using my left hand since my right tricep and shoulder had been hit, but the edges of my vision were black, and Winston’s words sounded like they were coming from under water. “Winston,” I began but my mouth wouldn’t work, and my eyes slid shut.
This was it, I knew it as consciousness faded. I heard more footsteps and more bullets but no matter what the fuck I did, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Couldn’t keep my fucking wits about me.
The last thing I remembered was lying in the back of the van while Winter held my head, crying and kissing my face as if that act alone could pull me back from the brink of death.
I wasn’t sure it could, but it sure as shit made me want to stick around for another fifty years or so.