Chapter Twenty
Rebel
Kinsley lets out a scream of such anguish at first I’m not sure what is wrong.
Did she get shot? I’ll fucking kill the bastards if she’s hurt.
I’ll kill them anyway. They were riding straight at me, not slowing down.
That was the first warning something was up.
Then one of them reached inside his jacket, I had just enough time to see the other man already held up a gun before instinct kicked in.
I hadn’t cared about anything other than protecting her.
Fuck my bike, fuck everything else. All I could think about was protecting Kinsley.
She’s fighting to get out of my arms, and I tug her back, not sure we are out of danger yet, even as my brothers spill out of the clubhouse, alerted by the gunshots.
“Colton!” Kinsley screams and kicks and hits out enough that I lose my grip on her.
She runs away from me, and I finally see why.
“Shit.”
Before I can reach her, she’s fallen to her knees, her hands on her cousin’s chest, desperate pleas falling from her lips.
I take it all in within seconds, assessing, planning and trying not to lose my shit.
It takes me a moment to see the woman behind Colton isn't moving. It's Marisol, the one who works in the church. She has a bullet hole in her neck, and her eyes are wide, staring upwards.
"Fuck."
The church doors crash open and Patrick runs out, having heard the gunfire. He stops abruptly at the top of the steps when he sees the bodies.
I might be a heartless fucker but there is nothing I can do for her.
All I care about right now is Kinsley. I grab her shoulders, and she fights even harder.
Tears stream down her cheeks, her hands are covered in blood.
It’s hard to tell in the dark, and with his black clothes, but there are enough shiny, sticky patches on his shirt to see he’s been hit multiple times.
“Colton, don’t do this, don’t you fucking die on me.”
“Baby, let me see,” I say gently, surprising myself with the term of endearment.
“No!” she screams shrugging me off.
“Kinsley.” This time my voice is loud enough that she jolts and recoils away from me. I’ll deal with that problem later. “Let me check him over.”
“He needs an ambulance,” She cries. Then she punches me in the chest, hard enough I fall back a step. She's in shock, it's understandable.
Two of my brothers arrive and one drops to his knees. One of them is Genesis, a trained medic, and he presses his fingers to Colton’s neck to check for a pulse.
“He’s alive,” he looks from Kinsley to me. “I need to get at him.”
Not wanting to, but knowing I have to, I grab Kinsley beneath her arms and lift her up, holding her tight against my chest. Stryker takes her place, and he and Genesis get Colton’s shirt open. Kinsley screams again, seeing all the blood. She fights like an alley cat to get away from me.
“They’re helping him. Stop fighting me. They’re helping.”
It takes a few more tries, but eventually she quits fighting, sagging against me.
“Marisssssol….”
“Colton!” Her fighting resumes at hearing him trying to speak.
I tighten my grip. His eyes are open and he’s trying to look around. Fuck. I turn Kinsley away from the church before she can see Marisol. Patrick is crouching over her, holding her hand. He has closed her eyes.
Kinsley is losing it enough over her cousin, she doesn’t need to see Marisol is dead.
Nero stops beside me, and we stare at each other, holding a silent conversation. His face is blank, whereas mine is full of rage. It’s not that he doesn’t care. He’s gone into his dark place, but he has to be the president, he has to make the hard choices.
Fury and Razer are riding away, and Nashville is coordinating the other brothers.
“An ambulance is on its way,” Nero finally speaks. He watches Kinsley a moment, then his eyes harden, some of the blankness slipping, he’s seen Marisol.
“I can’t lose him,” Kinsley whispers. “I can’t.”
“Genesis is a medic, he’s in the best hands, the ambulance will be here soon.” Even as I say it, sirens fill the air.
There will be cops too, Nero has a lot to deal with, but he isn’t moving, his concern for the civilians taking over. When he looks my way again, I nod, I’ve got this.
After a brief pause, he heads back over to where Nashville is watching us, his hands on his hips and his expression full of worry and anger.
They’ll need to deal with the cops, there is no getting around that. Nero has to figure out a way to get to the shooters before them.
Kinsley is sagging even more. If I let go, she might fall.
“I’m not leaving him,” she says, tears soaking her face.
“You don’t have to,” I say, taking her cheek, turning her to face me.
“They’re gone. I’m not in danger. If you make me leave him,” she says through bared teeth. “I’ll never forgive you, Rebel. Never.”
All I can do is nod. I call out to another brother to get a car over here.
Kinsley is shaking her head. “I have to go with him.”
“They won’t let you in the ambulance, they’ll be working on him.”
She lets out a sob, and my heart almost shatters. Seeing her in so much pain is tearing at me.
The rage I feel at them attacking us, the fear for her cousin, sadness at them being caught up in this. All of it mingles into one big ball of emotion I’m not used to and don’t know how to deal with.
“Kinsley.”
She turns at my sister’s voice. Raven looks down at Colton as the medics arrive and our guys let them take over. Her expression is unreadable, she’s frozen.
I’m going to need her. Kinsley needs her. Raven understands as soon as she looks at me and comes over, taking Kinsley out of my arms.
I’m reluctant to let her go, but she falls into the hug, sobs racking her body. Raven looks over her shoulder at me and nods. “I got her,” she mouths. “Are you okay?”
I’ve been shot, but I don’t say anything. It’s nothing I can’t deal with, and the adrenaline is keeping the pain at bay. The prospect runs over with car keys, and I hand them to Raven.
“Don’t leave her. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Oh God. Marisol,” Kinsley whispers. “She has kids, a husband…”
Raven is talking to her, keeping her calm. It should be me. It can't be me. She is going to hate the club for this. If he dies, she will hate me.
“Rebel! Let’s go.”
I’ve never in my life been this torn over the club before. My instinct is to follow my president’s orders, but watching Kinsley falling apart is pulling me in her direction.
Raven decides for me, heading to the car and helping her in, while Colton is loaded into an ambulance.
She doesn’t even look at me, and I don’t blame her for that. This is our fault. We brought this to their door. Watching her drive away almost cripples me, but I straighten, let anger replace worry, and stalk over to the clubhouse.
“What the fuck happened?” Nashville asks.
“Demon Sinners,” I snarl.
Nero’s fists clench and Nashville grabs his head, tugging on his hair. He’s usually unflappable in situations like this, except we’ve never had a situation like this. Nor have innocent people been killed because of us.
Nero’s voice is low, dangerous. “He gonna be okay?” He looks at the ambulance disappearing around the corner.
“He took three to the chest,” I say, monotone. “He was talking, but I’m not sure.”
“Send guys with them,” he gives me a quick look. “They stay and watch Raven and Kinsley. I don’t think there will be an issue, but I want them protected. Nashville, handle the cops, do whatever it takes for as long as you can.”
I appreciate that, but don’t say it. “What are you going to do?” I ask Nero as Nashville heads off to gather up some brothers.
“I don’t give a fuck if their Prez doesn’t know about this, no one attacks my club.”
“Damn fucking straight.”
For once since this shit show started, we're in full agreement.
His attention returns to the church. Marisol has a jacket thrown over her body. Patrick and Stryker are standing watch as the EMTs bring a stretcher to take her away.
“Get Genesis to look at that,” Nero nods at my arm. “Don’t think I didn't notice you took a bullet.”
“All they gave a shit about was how many people they could take down. Not who they were hitting. They were aiming at her. The one with the beard, when we catch up to them, he’s fucking mine.”
“Noted. Get that checked.”
Nero heads back to the clubhouse, two brothers following. I call out to Genesis to come in too. There is no point in being a dickhead about the gunshot. It needs to be dealt with. Last thing I need is an infection.
I text Raven while Genesis cleans and wraps the wound, telling me it was a graze. Easy for him to say, it's hurting like a motherfucker now. I push the pain aside and ask Raven to let me know when they reach the hospital.
Upstairs, Razer and Blaze are already waiting. Stryker comes in and stands at the window, his whole body is coiled and ready to unleash fury all over the first enemy we come across.
Blaze is busy with his laptop, presumably following traffic cams to keep up with the shooters.
I’ve suddenly got déjà vu. Nero stalks to his chair and grabs the back of it, leaning forward. “You get the number?”
Blaze nods and slides a phone across the table. “It’s programmed in, speed dial one.”
“You’re just going to call him?” I ask.
“We can’t kill them without telling them there are traitors in their club.”
“And if Wallen is lying about them not knowing these fuckers are here?” Stryker says without turning. “Making this call could start a real war.”
We all let that sink in. Nero clenches the chair tighter, his knuckles turning white. I’ve never seen him this indecisive before, but he’s right to be cautious. This phone call can make or break the relative handle we have on Storm’s bullshit.
Blaze tells us the number he has is for Viper, their VP. Talking to Viper first is all good and well, but Nero wants to speak to Jackal. President to president. Other clubs would reach out to me first, its the way things are done.