Chapter 23 #2
If I showed up at Rory’s house, it would be game over, the rich pricks and the Psychos would know instantly, but I didn’t exactly have another option.
Decision made, I started running towards it, praying Skeeter wasn’t there to shoot me on arrival.
Rory
I slept for a few hours before Jensen woke me, apologizing for having to leave, but Lukas and his mom had been fighting again, so he had to go to Lukas and talk him off the ledge. I wanted to stay in bed, but I forced myself to get up so he could drop me off at home on his way, giving them space.
Lukas had called Jensen, not me, so I needed to respect that.
Caden was out with Tyler, and I found a note from Josie in the kitchen, apologizing for upsetting me earlier and to let me know she’d been called away for an emergency meeting, meaning I had the house to myself for the night.
Once I’d had a hot shower and something to eat, I got comfortable in the theater room with a movie, intending on having a chilled night at home. So I was surprised to hear banging on the front door not long after.
The banging continued as I walked through the house, and I was starting to think it was a damn cop until I swung the door open to find Hunter on the other side.
He was pale, blood soaking his shirt where a noticeable bullet hole was in his jacket, and he winced as he met my gaze.
“Sorry, I didn’t know where else to go. I had to ditch my bike.”
“What the fuck happened?” I asked, keeping the door blocked. If this had anything to do with the Psychos, I couldn’t exactly let him in.
“We got caught up in the beef between the Reapers and Demons,” he stated, looking like he was about to fall over. “Please, I just need to patch this and I can leave. The cops were on my ass, so—”
If Skeeter found out about this, he’d go ballistic, but I couldn’t exactly leave the man bleeding out on the doorstep.
I swung the door open and relief filled his face as he stepped inside, and I made sure to lock the door before motioning to the stairs. “My bathroom. You know where it is, stalker.”
I knew it was bad when I had to help him up the stairs, his jaw tight as he sat on the edge of my tub and I helped him peel his jacket off.
“Fucking hell,” he growled, managing to get his shirt off so he could try and inspect his injury. It was bad, blood still leaking from the wound and making me panic slightly.
“What do I do?” I asked, grabbing medical supplies out of the cupboard.
His inner forearm tattoos looked like robot arms, the skin being made out to be torn to show mechanics underneath, and burning feathers were scattered down both his upper arms and outer forearms, the flames bright with color.
The bullet had missed his ink, so he was lucky there.
“Is there an exit wound?” he asked, and I peeked over his shoulder to look at his back, seeing another wound that did slightly damage a tattoo.
His whole back was covered in the Devil’s Armada logo, the burning pirate ship bright with flames as the torn sails kept the ship moving. “Devil’s Armada” was written across one side close to the front, just like it was on their jackets.
“Looks like it.”
“Good. I need to stop the bleeding. A towel or something.” I grabbed a towel from the shelf and offered it to him, but he shook his head. “I can’t reach behind me properly. Press it against the wound firmly.”
Taking the towel, I moved to stand beside him and made the towel reach both wounds, trying to put pressure on both.
Hesitation filled me when he growled out a curse, but he shook his head.
“Harder. Don’t worry about hurting me.” When I did as instructed, he blew out a breath. “Good girl. Hold it there for me. We’ll patch it when it slows. If it needs stitches, I’ll deal with it back at home.”
Nausea swam through me at all the blood, my hands shaking a fraction. “Should I call someone?”
“You’ve got it. You’re doing fine,” he said with a tight smile.
“You’re going to pass out on me,” I warned, apparently amusing him because he chuckled.
“Nah, I’ve had worse. Now I’m sitting down, I'll be okay.”
“Shouldn’t I call Marco or something?”
“He’d only do what you’re doing.”
“Did he know you got shot? He’s probably worried about you,” I scolded, intending on stealing his phone, but the second I released some pressure from one of the wounds, he raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t move or you’ll make me bleed out. I can call him.”
“I should let you fucking bleed out,” I grumbled under my breath, making him snort as he pulled his phone from his pocket to call Marco, putting it on speaker.
It only rang once before he answered, his voice full of worry. “Where the fuck are you, man? You should’ve beaten me home.”
“I’m fine. Had to ditch my bike,” Hunter answered, sucking in a sharp breath when I applied more pressure. “I’m laying low for a bit.”
“Where—”
“Bro, I’m good. I’ve got a hot nurse fixing me,” he joked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Hey, stalker number two. Nurse Donovan here. I’ll try not to let him bleed to death, but I can’t promise anything,” I said dryly, making Hunter hiss in pain as I pressed against the wound harder.
“You took that shit to Rory’s?” Marco spat, surprising me with his anger.
“Didn’t exactly have another option, man. I ditched the bike and was on foot. I was going to pass the fuck out if I kept running,” Hunter answered, studying my face. “I just got lucky that she let me in.”
“You mean you got lucky that Skeet wasn’t there. I’m on my way.”
“No, don’t—” The line went dead before Hunter could reply, making him huff his annoyance. “That prick doesn't listen.”
“No offense, but I’d rather he came and got you. I helped you, but if Skeet finds out you were here, heads will roll,” I warned. “Where’d you dump the bike? Someone should get it for you.”
“Can you ride?”
“I can, but I haven’t ridden one as powerful as yours before. I’ve only ridden up to a 400cc,” I said slowly, taking a peek at one of the wounds to see that the bleeding was slowing.
“Would Caden notice a bike in the garage? He rarely parks in there anyway.”
“Yes, he absolutely would notice your fucking bike,” I scoffed. “Let me put some gauze and a bandage on you now this is slowing. Hold this.”
He pressed against the front wound so I had a hand free, and I quickly set to work on patching him as best as I could. I didn’t have a lot of experience with bullet wounds, but I knew how to slap some gauze on.
“Can you ride it back to mine then? Marco can drop you back off after,” he continued, and I shook my head firmly.
“Not my problem, dude. I did the nice thing by letting you inside, but that’s where my help ends.
You have a whole crew that can grab your bike, so get one of them to help you instead.
Once Marco gets here, you need to leave, and I have to figure out how to hide your little visit from the guys.
I have no doubt in my mind that the Psychos can access the security footage here, and if Caden sees it—”
“I can wipe any evidence of me being here, don’t worry,” he said as he reached out to take my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for this. I owe you.”
I pulled back and started patching up the exit wound, giving him a dirty look. “We’re not friends, asshole. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I do. No matter what you need, I’ll help.”
“You want to tell me what went down tonight?”
He was quiet for a second before sighing.
“I went to check in with Lexi at Wet Dreams. Heard she married Archer. Hell’s Demons showed up and Justin Lopez, their leader, lost his fucking shit when he saw the ring on Lexi’s finger.
He’s obsessed with her. Probably the reason Lexi married Archer in the first place.
Means the crew have to protect her from the Demons.
In most crews, marriage means something. ”
It was refreshing to actually get information since I was usually left in the dark.
“Is Lexi okay?”
“Yeah, she wasn’t hurt. Reapers lost a few men, and we have some injuries, but the Demons were massacred. They’re all dead.”
I paused, giving him my attention to find him already watching me.
“You took out an entire crew?”
“The Demons weren’t as big as the rest of us. There were less than fifteen of them, so us and the Reapers versus them? They had no chance.”
“You got shot.”
“Archer’s right-hand got me. He’s a fucking snake,” he chuckled, worrying me slightly.
“Will you guys go to war now?”
“Not at the moment. I’ll keep it for a rainy day.
My beef with the Reapers has never had anything to do with crew wars, and everything to do with Lexi.
I fucking hate how Archer treats her, but it’s not like he’s abusive.
He just doesn’t deserve her, and since I give a shit about her, I like to remind him of that. ”
“Why don’t you date her then?”
“I don’t love her like that. Besides, even if I did, she’d never let him go. They grew up together and he has his hooks in her. Girls do dumb shit for guys they love,” he said dryly, reaching out to touch my shoulder but stopping himself when I jerked back. “Did Skeet do this?”
I glanced down at the scar on my skin, shrugging. “Yeah. If you know him well enough, then you know it wasn’t done in a violent way.”
“I spent years teaming up with him in the bedroom, so I know,” he murmured, and I shivered as his fingers brushed across it. “He likes to pretend he’s not the most damaged in the room by leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Don’t let him destroy you.”
“How do you know I’m not already the most damaged?”
“Eyes don’t lie. There’s life in yours, despite all the things the world has put you through. Skeet, though? There’s nothing good left in him.”
“You’re wrong,” I whispered, taking a step back once I finished patching him, tossing the bloodied towel aside. “He might have jagged edges, but damage can be beautiful too.”
“You love him?”
“I could, but he’d never let me,” I answered, startling when Marco spoke from the doorway.
“A siren is beautiful too, but they’ll still pull you under and drown you. Don’t let his monsters suck you in, Princess. Those pretty, jagged edges will cut you to pieces,” he warned, assessing my doctor duties with a satisfied nod. “Not bad.”
“Why did you shoot him?” I asked Hunter as he stood, grabbing his arm when he didn’t say anything. “Please. I want to understand. What the hell happened between you guys?”
Marco’s face showed zero emotion, but Hunter gave me a small smile.
“Maybe I’ll tell you one day. Right now, I need to wipe the cameras for you and sort out my bike.”
“They can’t know you were here, and this is the last time I’m helping you. Don’t come here again,” I said as I released him, and he nodded.
“Secret’s safe with me, Hot Shot. Thanks.”
I followed them downstairs to make sure they left, before heading back up to my room to clean up the mess, a scream leaving me as I found Slash standing in the bathroom with his arms crossed.
“You want to tell me what game you’re fucking playing? I’ll give you one second to tell me the truth before I drag your ass to the Shed and let the guys deal with you.”
“Slash—”
“Time’s up,” he bit out before grabbing me by the jaw and yanking me closer with a snarl. “I told that prick not to trust you.”
“Wait, please—”
“I’m done waiting,” he answered bitterly before putting me in a chokehold and squeezing until my vision went black and I went limp in his hold.
To be continued in Twisted Fate…