Lifting the knife again, Lilah raised it to her face, and I felt every drop of blood I had leave my face. “Baby, what are you doing?”
The gun shaking, fat tears fell down her cheeks, dripping on her hacked-off hair on the floor. “I love you. I never thought it would have ever been possible for me to feel this emotion… but I love you… with all of my heart.”
Choking back a fucking huge lump in my throat, my breathing crushed at my woman breaking down like this, I coughed and said, “I love you, too, baby… Please don’t do this! I fuckin’ love you too!”
Shudders racked Lilah’s chest and, through her sobs, she said, “I have to… to set you free. I love you too much to be your prison… to be your pathway to hell!”
I looked to Mae and Maddie, but all I could see was their confusion. Then stumbling and pointing her finger forward, Maddie screamed, forcing me to look back to my woman, just to see her press the blade to her temple, push the tip into her flesh. It all happened so fast I barely had time to register it.
Maddie, on seeing Lilah with the blade, ran forward. Lilah, startled by her sister, cried out and aimed the gun at Maddie. Her finger slipped and Lilah pulled the trigger, but rushing forward, Flame pushed Maddie out of the way and took a bullet right in the neck.
“FLAME!” Maddie cried out, seeing the brother hit the floor.
AK and Vike dived for Flame, Mae crawled to Maddie, and I turned just in time to hear Lilah shout, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” She dragged the blade down her cheek to her jawline, the knife slipping from her grip and clattering to the floor. My woman began convulsing, vomit spilling from the side of her mouth as she slumped to the ground, her body in shock.
“LILAH!” I yelled, the place a fuckin’ commotion. Brothers were gathered around Flame. Styx, Tank, and Bull cleared house.
Taking my bitch in my arms, my stomach rolled at her open cheek, her eyes lolling around in her head. She was a fucking mess, blood pouring from her body marred with a shit ton of cuts.
Rocking her back and forth and bringing her limp body to my chest, I whispered, “Baby… what the fuck have you done?”
Fingers ran down my cheek, causing me to rear back, and Lilah’s dazed eyes met mine and she tried to smile. “No more temptation. You are free from temptation… you are saved from… my evil.”
Lilah’s eyes rolled back and she passed clean out. Cowboy and Hush dropped to their knees beside me, and like a fuckin’ rabid dog, my hackles rose in protection.
“Brother, back the fuck off. We need to get her to the hospital. Ain’t Smiler gonna be able to sort this fuckin’ mess,” Hush said, taking no shit from me.
“Flame’s already gone. AK and Vike took him in the truck. She got him right in the fuckin’ neck. The stupid crazy fuck took a bullet for the little green-eyed one he’s obsessed with.”
Shedding my cut but never letting go of my woman, I wrapped it around Lilah and staggered to my feet.
Styx ran forward. “Get her to the hospital, NOW!” he signed, looking down at Maddie shaking, pale as a ghost and rocking in Mae’s arms.
“I’m driving. Let’s go,” Cowboy said, and the three of us ran for the exit, Tank and Bull hauling the last few folks out the door.
Jumping in the truck, Cowboy started the engine as I held Lilah in my arms, raking her uneven short hair from the wound on her cheek. Dipping my head down, I pressed a kiss to my woman’s forehead, her face still fucking stunning even hacked up to hell.
And for the first time in a long fuckin’ time, I started to cry.
*****
The clock ticked slowly in the long sterile hallway. The Hangmen were all here, lining up the linoleum floor with leather, everyday folk staying the fuck outta our way.