“Cover him!” I yell to the boys. I aim over the bike and start shooting Zeek’s men as they pop up over the rooftop of the metal building.
“Die!” shouts from the side of the building, catching my attention. Looking over, Zeek wobbles out with one arm wrapped around his mid-section, where blood pours down his shirt, and his other hand holding a gun aimed at Tom Cat.
“Tom Cat! To your right!” I warn. Tom Can turns and I aim, but Zeek is faster and pulls the trigger first. Tom Cat falls flat to the ground.
“Aaaah!” I scream, running out from behind the bike. Pulling the trigger, a bullet slams into Zeek’s chest. He falls to his knees, staring at me as the light of our childhood fades before he face-plants.
I fall to Tom Cat’s side as he begins to choke and suffocate on blood. I grab the back of his neck and pull him close.
“Bull!” I scream. Bull runs from behind the bikes and drops to his knees beside me.
“We gotta get him to the hospital now,” Bull states. Glancing at the Sin City Outlaws, they seem to be doing the same, looking over their president, not concerned with us.
“Let’s get him there then,” I tell him.
“Lip, we need to get Cherry there, too.” Bull looks at me with wide eyes.
“What do you mean?” I stand, worry snaking through my chest.
“Your bullet. It went through you, and hit her.”
Bobby comes running up to us.
“I called Doc; they have a helicopter on their way. Should be here any minute,” Bobby states, his hands rubbing through his hair anxiously.
“I got Tom, go to Cherry,” Bull orders. I look Tom Cat over one last time, his eyes pinning me.
“Thank you,” I mouth.
“Broth—” He chokes. “We’re br-brothers,” Tom stammers, and tears threaten to prick my eyes. Tom Cat is a brother of loyalty, a brother who would risk his own to protect my life. Whereas my own flesh and blood betrayed me and wanted to end my life.
Sprinting toward Cherry, she’s leaned up against a bike and panting heavily. Blood soaks her skintight top right below her breasts.
“Baby,” I whisper, pulling her head to me.
“You. Get. Piper?” She takes a breath between each word.
“Yes, I did. She’s ours now,” I state, brushing the hair from her face.
A small smile creeps across her face. “Ours?” she whispers, and I nod. The helicopter zooms above us, and I look up. About fucking time.
“You’re going to be fine, baby; the medics are here.”
“I’m really cold,” she mutters, her eyes looking distant. Glancing down at Cherry’s gunshot, I see blood pouring through her fingers, and I panic.
“OVER HERE!” I scream at the medics.
Two people dressed in blue jumpsuits sprint toward us and place Cherry on a stretcher. As they strap her in, medics begin to scream and holler and I turn into a fucking wreck.
“We’ve lost a lot of blood on this one!” someone shouts. Tears prick my eyes, and I tug on my hair.
“Do something! Fucking do your job!” I scream.
“I got a heartbeat!” a medic with long hair hollers, and I can’t help but smirk with relief.
“Sir, we can’t do our job if you’re yelling at us!” one of them yells at me. Ignoring them, I jog alongside them and grab Cherry’s cold hand.
Lowering my mouth to her ear, I whisper “I love you, Cherry.”
They push Cherry in the chopper beside Tom, and a man with chubby cheeks pulls a sheet over Tom’s face.
“Time of death, 11:23AM.”
My eyes widen and my mouth drops open, the need for vengeance taking root in my chest. Before I could yell at them to do their job better, the helicopter took off. My world spins, and my heart races. My woman is hurt, and I’ve lost a brother. 11:23AM—a time I’ll never forget, because at that time I realized I’m not invincible, that I can’t fix everything, and I can lose everything with the snap of a finger.
CHERRY
“Baby?”
Blinking, the word echoes in my head, and I wince.
I lift my hand and wipe at my eyes, and a warm palm cocoons mine.
“Cherry, baby, you had me so fucking worried.” Looking over, I find Lip staring at me with tear-filled eyes.
“Lip?” I croak, my heart beating faster knowing he’s close.
Using my hands, I push on the bed to sit up, but my side buckles under the pain.
“Don’t, you were shot.” Lip frowns. That’s right. Zeek tried to shoot me but Lip jumped in front of him and took the bullet—well, most of it. It went through his shoulder and hit me. I look down and pull my shirt up, finding a huge patch.
“You lost a lot of blood, but they got to you just in time,” Lip states. “They had to remove the bullet in surgery, but everything went smoothly.”
He pauses, like he’s searching for words. Finally, he looks up at me again, sadness taking over his features.
“Cherry, I have something to tell you.” Lip sits on the bed, grabbing my hand. Hairs on my neck rise, and my eyes widen.
“What?” I whisper.
“Tom Cat, he—” Lip looks up, tugging his lip between his teeth.
“What about him?” Tears begin to leak from my eyes.