Chapter 22 #2
Skeeter moved towards me, standing by the bar and giving me his back as he tossed his keys back to me, his voice low.
“If things turn bad, you get the fuck out of here. Drive straight to the gun range and lock yourself in one of the rooms. They’re bullet proof.”
“I can’t leave you without a car,” I hissed as car doors sounded outside, earning a dirty look over his shoulder.
“I’m not going anywhere if things go to shit. If I do, I’ll be with one of the guys. I need to know you’re safe or I can’t focus. Promise you’ll go.”
“I promise,” I said, the words tasting bitter.
Diesel appeared beside me, his eyes on the door as he remained alert. He slid a gun in front of me, my heart hammering in my chest as the air became almost suffocating.
The door shoved open and a group of men walked in, my eyes scanning their jackets in hopes it was the Devils, but the screaming skull with the burning star of Satan behind it told me this was definitely going to go to shit.
Satan’s Soldiers were here, and it was fucking terrifying not knowing how this was going to play out.
“Not even a fucking phone call?” Slash drawled, crossing his arms and trying to look relaxed, but I could see the tension in his muscles.
One guy laughed and stepped forward, his eyes already searching the room. “Not like you’d answer.” His eyes finally landed on me, and I felt Diesel’s fingers wrap around my wrist on instinct, ready to drag me away from danger if needed. “Ah, there you are.”
“It won’t work, Razor,” Slash sighed, moving closer to them. “You’re looking for Max, right? You’d have to pay him to take her back. Probably should research your plans a little better before dishing them out. A ransom for her, I suppose?”
“I’m just taking what’s mine. Hand her over and we’ll be out of your hair in no time. No need for this to get messy.”
“Can’t do that. I don’t know what that piece of shit told you, but that bitch is Psychos property,” Slash replied lazily, shooing his hand. “You’ll have to handle it another way.”
“I’m not fucking leaving without what’s owed to me,” Razor snapped as he pulled his gun out, Diesel’s fingers tightening around my wrist so much that it hurt.
The sound of guns being drawn and the safeties being removed filled the room, and I swallowed as I stared at the back of Skeeter’s head. I couldn’t let this go down, but I had no idea what they wanted with me either.
If I handed myself over, Skeeter would only lose his shit and start firing anyway.
“You’re mistaken,” Skeeter said in a chilling voice, his gun aimed at Razor. “She’s mine.”
“Savage would be rolling in his grave at what you boys have done to his legacy. Look at you, willing to go to war over pussy. He raised you as his son, and this is how you repay him?” Razor spat.
“At least I’m not a bitchboy to another crew. How’s Rage? Sucked his dick much lately?” Skeeter asked with a scoff, and Razor’s face turned crimson with anger.
“Just you wait, Maddox. I’ll be sure to send you the video of my guys destroying your girl. You might be waiting a while though. I need a few months with her first. Really have some fun with her,” he chuckled, nausea swimming in my stomach.
And then Skeeter fired a shot and all hell broke loose.
Diesel grabbed me and shoved me down behind the bar, his hands shaking slightly as he grabbed the gun and forced it into my hands before pulling one out of his jacket for himself.
The sound of gunshots going off was deafening, and panic filled me at knowing Skeeter and Slash were in the middle of it.
“Stay down!” Diesel snapped when I tried to look.
“We have to help—”
“We have to get you out of here. Skeet’s orders, remember? You want to keep him alive? Then you need to go so he can concentrate. I’ll cover you. I’ve got your back, Donovan.”
“D—”
“Do you trust me?” he demanded, waiting for me to nod. “Good. I’ll get you out but you have to do as you’re told.”
He peeked around the bar and assessed the room, and I jumped as someone appeared in front of us, but it was Slash. He ducked for cover beside us, grabbing my chin firmly.
“There’s a window in the old bathroom that’s covered in black paint. Lock yourself in there and smash the window out,” he ordered, grabbing my gun and checking the clip before handing it back. “Just run. We’ll make sure no one shoots at you.”
“Skeet said to go to the gun range,” I said frantically, trying to remember how to get there. It was hard to think with the panic and gunfire.
He slapped my cheek a little harder than necessary, forcing me to focus.
“Gun range. Now. You don’t leave one of those rooms until we come get you, understood? We’ll call you when we’re on the way,” he promised, leaning in quickly to kiss me. “Be careful.”
Diesel acted like he hadn’t witnessed our kiss, motioning for me to move.
“Go! It’s clear. Run, Donovan.”
I kept my body low as I stood and ran towards the bathroom, the panic only growing when I grabbed the handle and it wouldn’t open. I tried again, but it was locked.
I turned as one of the Soldiers aimed at me, and I quickly raised my gun to fire before they could, the bullet hitting them in the throat instead of the head where I was aiming, but I wasn’t exactly mad about it.
Adrenaline coursed through me as I ran to the office to try and lock myself inside there, but that was locked too.
A bullet hit the door beside my head and I knew I had to get back behind the bar to cover, watching as Diesel stood and took down a Soldier that must have shot at me. He was yelling at me, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
Skeeter was trying to back up towards me while shooting, the fear reflecting on his face as he took a quick glance at me. He was yelling too, but it was lost among the rest of the noise.
Brick appeared beside me, keeping his eyes on the Soldiers as he took one down that had been shot but had gotten back up again, roughly pushing me back in the direction of the bar to cover.
At first, I thought he was mad at me, but then it was obvious he was just trying to help when he shielded me, almost getting shot himself.
I couldn’t see Matteo or Samuel, but shots were coming from behind the cage, so I figured a few were holed up there for cover.
“What happened?” Slash growled as Brick shoved me back behind the bar and took off again.
“It’s locked. So’s the office,” I answered, making him scowl.
“I unlocked it myself when I first heard the cars.”
“Well, it’s locked now!”
“The Soldiers are deeper inside now, so we might be able to sneak you along the wall and out the front door. You can’t hesitate, Killer.
The second I say run, you run straight outside and throw yourself in the car.
Got it?” he asked, peeking around the bar as Diesel reached out to take my hand, giving it a squeeze.
He was shaking more than me, and I squeezed it back, trying to reassure him.
The yelling and gunfire only seemed to be getting worse, and I barely had time to register it when Slash shouted for me to run.
I sprinted, the door feeling so damn far away as I tried to make my legs move faster, and then a body was slamming into me and knocking me to the ground.
I went down hard, my face bouncing off the floor and making my teeth clack together. Dizziness washed over me as I tried to scramble away, but then I noticed it was Slash.
“What are you—” I started, his body lifting off mine a little as he tried to stand, bile filling my throat when I realized my shirt and pants were becoming soaked with blood. “Slash!”
My scream seemed to draw attention as some of the gunfire vanished, and I didn’t give a shit if I got shot at this point as I pulled myself out from under him, and rolled him over to try and find the damage.
I pushed his shirt out of the way, finding two bullet wounds in his chest. He choked, pure fear forcing itself through my body as I pressed my hands against it to try and stop the blood from leaving his body.
“What do I do?” I said more to myself than anyone, my hands slipping from the slickness.
“You’re okay?” he asked weakly, trying to reach for me but I swatted his hand away.
“Me? You got shot! Stay still!” I growled, getting frustrated when my hands slipped again.
I was beyond caring about anyone else in the room as I yanked my shirt over my head and pressed it against all the blood as if I could force it back into his body, tears burning my eyes as he choked again.
I’d bet money on him having lungs full of blood, my hands shaking as I pressed down harder.
Skeeter dropped down beside me, not hiding the panic in his voice. “He got hit?”
“He needs a hospital. Now,” I said as a tear fell. “Get a car or something.”
I hadn’t noticed the deafening silence until now, seeing the Soldiers all gone and the Psychos running outside after them, leaving a few inside with us.
“Told you I can keep her safe,” Slash sputtered, and Skeeter shushed him.
“Be quiet. Save your energy. Baby, keep that shirt on him. I’ll get the van. D! Help Rory!” he called as Diesel ran over to help so Skeeter could get the van out front, Slash’s fingers finding my wrist.
“I won’t let them take you.”
“They’re gone, I’m fine,” I answered, letting him toy with my hair as we waited for Skeeter.
It didn’t take long before Skeeter was barreling back inside, the back of the van wide open right at the door as Brick pinned it open.
“Keep pressure on it,” Skeeter barked at me when I went to move out of their way.
It was hard when they managed to lift him between a few of them, and we shuffled him out to the van as fast as possible. I was shut in the back with Diesel, the shirt on Slash’s chest now completely soaked through with blood.
Diesel slipped his jacket off and pulled his shirt over his head, handing it over to me to replace the soaked one, and Skeeter climbed behind the wheel and warned us before putting his foot down, almost sending me backwards.