The Broken Pieces of Us (The Devil's Dust #2.1)

Shadow crawls, stumbling to get to Bobby. He slowly lifts Bobby’s head and puts it in his lap.

“What the fuck were you thinking, man?” Shadow asks, his tone dripping with fear and anger. I turn and look at Locks, who’s staring right back at me, not a glimpse of regret present. Any thoughts I may be irrational in wanting to kill him are gone. He just threw a brother in the line of fire to protect himself. He doesn’t care about this club, the term brother having no sentimental value to him. I wouldn’t put it past him to throw me in front of a bullet. I look down and notice Bobby bleeding uncontrollably, more blood than just a bullet to the arm would cause. I grab my phone and dial an ambulance. I am vague in my details. I tell an operator to just send an ambulance and the warehouse’s location, and hang up.

“I called an ambulance. They’ll be here soon, son, hang in there,” I inform Bobby. I close my eyes, trying to think. What the hell has happened to my club? What has happened to me as a president to let so much shit slip under my eyes the last couple of months?

“Think I’m pretty fucked up,” Bobby groans, grabbing my attention from my self-pity. His face clenches and blood seeps out beneath him. He doesn’t look good. I take my gaze from the man I watched grow from a child to Augustus. He’s rubbing his face with both his hands, his eyes carrying a regretful look as he eyes Bobby and Shadow. I look back down at Bobby, noticing the blood not letting up as Bobby moans in pain.

“You can do this, brother,” Old Guy encourages Bobby.

I kneel on the cold floor, the cement digging into my knees, and press my hand to his wound, trying to apply as much pressure as I can, but warm blood just seeps right past my fingers with no hesitation. I push harder, putting my whole body into it, slowing it down just a little bit.

“I stopped it some, but it’s not going to help for long,” I say, looking at Bobby’s face. I literally see the life slipping from him. Where is that fucking ambulance? I look back at my hands, which are slipping on each other from the blood, and back up to Bobby. His eyes are closed and his mouth lax.

“No, Bobby!” Shadow yells when he notices Bobby’s eyes are closed. He gives Bobby a shake, but Bobby doesn’t respond. I pull my bloody hands from his belly, my knees soaked with blood. Bobby is gone. I close my eyes, the ache of losing Bobby twisting itself deep in my chest. Shadow whimpers, trying to wake Bobby, but it’s no use.

Shadow stands, wipes his face with a bloody hand, and looks at Augustus. Before I can stop him, he grabs the gun from his waist and points it at Augustus. Men all around pull their guns out, pointing them at us.

“You killed my family,” Shadow says calmly, his tone scaring the shit out of me. He won’t take Bobby’s death without someone paying. The term brother between Shadow and Bobby is nothing short of family, beyond the club and deeper than blood.

“He jumped in front of my bullet meant for a traitor,” Augustus informs casually. “He killed your brother,” Augustus says, pointing behind us. I turn around and find Locks, who is nothing short of calm.

This is all his fault. He killed Babs. He got Dani hit, and used another brother for a fucking shield instead of protecting them. Within a second, Shadow switches his aim from Augustus to Locks. My body tenses, waiting for the fire of his weapon. He pulls the trigger, the bullet lodging right in Locks’ chest. The corners of Locks’ eyes grow wrinkles as he looks down at the blood spilling from his chest. I look up at the ceiling, silently praying to Babs, and then grab my gun just as Shadow raises his to take the final shot. Before I let him take the last breath from Locks, I raise my gun and aim at Locks.

“This is for Babs,” I whisper and pull the trigger. A bullet implants itself right into Locks’ throat.

Locks falls to the ground, landing on his back. I can’t look away. I need to know he is suffering, like Babs suffered, like he made everyone suffer. Blood splutters from the bullet hole in his throat; he is drowning in blood, much like the blood he shed from his betrayal.

“Now that’s over, are we done here?” Augustus says, hearing sirens near.

“Not quite,” Shadow snarls. My eyes widen when I see him point his gun at one of Augustus’ men. He is going to get everyone of us killed. I grip my gun tighter, ready to protect anyone of my men, when I realize Shadow is about to kill the man who chased down Babs and Dani. A loud bang echoes through the building as Shadow fires a bullet at the guy, causing him to fall down the stairs. My hand feathers the trigger, ready to fire if Augustus retaliates. Augustus looks at us and back at George.