Claiming Crusher (Savage Brothers MC #4)

“Should we try getting off the trail and sliding down the mountain to see if it might end up near the road?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady, knowing we’re so high up, sliding might be more dangerous than facing Tiny and whatever goons he’s called for help. I think of Beast and the betrayal I feel in my gut…it hurts. Why did I trust him?

“Hell if I know at this point, Dani. You know my parent’s. Our trips to Lexington and Louisville were their idea of hiking. I don’t know shit about climbing hills—or directions apparently.”

“Did you hear that?” I ask. Someone is following us and they’re closer than they’ve ever been. I stare at Nicole. I can’t panic. I can’t. I show Nicole a big rock behind me, we’ll have to hide behind there. It’s not much, but it’s better than being out in the open. We crouch down behind it and I grab her hand hard. God never hears me pray, but I pray that he makes sure Nicole makes it through this.

“Alright bitch it’s time for you two to come out. I know you’re here, Irish tells me I don’t have time to watch you squirm anymore. It’s time we finish the game,” a strange voice calls from in front of the rock.

As further proof God hates me, my prayers are not only unanswered—my boss, the man who offered us an escape to London, Kentucky, is now standing behind us while the other guy had us distracted. He’s pointing a gun at us. Shit.

“Irish?” Nicole questions.

“Sorry Nic, just business. You got caught up in it. It’s time Dragon is brought down and sadly girl, you are a sure way to keep him so wrapped up in his head he has no idea what’s going on.” He says, pulling her away from me.

He grabs me by my hair at the same time, pointing the gun at my temple walking us around the rock and making sure Nicole leads the way. I don’t fight or scream. I’m trying to figure out a way to save Nicole.

“How can you betray Dragon like this? He thinks of you as his brother?” Nic asks. In a lot of ways she’s na?ve. Men don’t need a reason to be cruel. They just are. The two of them go back and forth and I tune them out. I need to find a way out of this.

“Fucking shut it. What are you doing telling this whore our business?” The first voice we heard yells. I had forgot about him.

I swing around to look at who it is and see….evil. I see the same anger and hate in him that has been in Michael’s eyes every time he hit me. Irish is a dumbass, he won’t survive this. This guy will kill him, easily.

“What does it matter anyway? She’ll be dead and we’ll be long gone by the time Dragon finds her or her friend,” Irish maintains.

They argue back and forth a little longer and I can hear Nicole’s voice but I can’t concentrate. They’re discussing mine and Nicole’s death. I can’t let her die. I need to get them focused on me and give her a chance to get away. If they aim their anger at me she might have a little more time to get away. I fucked up so bad. Nicole would never be in this situation if not for me. I was trying to save her and instead…I’ve killed both of us.

“Well since you’re doing the world a favor and ridding it of morons, maybe you could turn the gun on yourself,” I say, trying to sound cocky. I need to draw them away from Nic. I have to.

The man doesn’t react like I thought he would though. In my experience men enjoy hitting and beating up their trophies first. Apparently not this guy, because he shoots me. I feel the sharp pain in my leg in unison with the sound of the gun going off. Nic is screaming as I go down, again I want to focus, but I can’t. All I can feel is the white-hot agony of Nic pushing at my wound and the warm liquid pouring against my skin. I want to look and see the wound, but everything is going black.





Chapter 6




Crusher


How do you know when your ass is sewn up over a woman? You see her lying in a pool of blood. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. My world stops for the space of a minute and my heart actually hurts. I’m in deep and I haven’t even had my goddamned tongue in her mouth.

When I got to the top of the mountain to find Irish, an original member of our club, had shot not only Dani, but Nicole too, I thought it was a nightmare. I was afraid the club had a traitor but a brother who helped create the Savage MC? Never. A brother who fought with us overseas betraying the club cut so fucking deep, there just wasn’t words. It still hasn’t fully sunk in. I haven’t had time to think about it, because we had to rush both women to the hospital.

One of the bullets that lodged in Dani’s leg, nicked an artery. If not for Nicole trying to stall the blood and having a compress wedged against it, I would have lost her. She’s undergoing emergency surgery. I stayed close, waiting for word that she’ll be okay. The other brothers are with Dragon, because Nicole is in bad shape. I’m worried about her too, don’t get me wrong. Still, it just didn’t seem right that everyone turned their backs on Dani and left her alone. I get the feeling the girl has been left alone a lot in her life.

“Mr. Dawson?” A nurse asks, coming out of the surgical room door.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Ms. Smith did fine with everything…but…”