“We don’t want your money,” Hammer barked at him before turning toward Killyama. “What happened?” His calm voice broke through all the other voices.
Seeing Kane’s diverted attention, Killyama used the opportunity to grab the cell phone, barely missing getting caught as Kane started dressing. Sliding it into her pocket, she quickly moved toward the door.
“Tell her this is too much happiness-ess for me. I’ll wait outside.” She turned her glare on Kane. “Fucker, next time you want something off the menu, ask first.” Bolting out of the room, Killyama ran down the hallway and through the back door.
Jonas, seeing her coming, got out of the Escalade. But before he could ask what happened, she told him to go help Hammer.
“Shit.” Jonas took off running inside the back of the parlor. She wanted to go back inside with him, but she didn’t want to be there when Kane discovered his cell phone was missing.
She was climbing into the backseat when she was hit from behind. Falling forward, she twisted over to see Kane was over her, the bastard’s face filled with fury.
He didn’t give her a chance to react before wrapping a coat hanger wire around her neck.
“Why watch me fuck someone when you can experience it for yourself, cunt?”
She tried to shove him off her, forcing herself to disconnect from the pain around her throat. However, she didn’t stand a chance of breaking his hold, and she would run out of air if she concentrated on breaking his grip.
Every lesson Hammer and Jonas had taught her flashed through her mind. Arching her body, she tried to shove Kane off her. When that didn’t work, she crossed her arms, reaching for his wrists. Managing to get her feet on the seat, she used her thighs to push Kane over her head. It didn’t work. The Escalade was big, but there wasn’t enough room for her to successfully perform the maneuver.
The wire around her neck twisted tighter, making her almost black out. Using her last chance at survival, she tried to hit him in the nose with the palm of her hand, but he blocked her, which meant he released the coat hanger.
Killyama couldn’t see what he was doing. By the time she saw the flash of a knife, she didn’t have time to respond. The searing pain in the same spot she had been shot two months ago filled her with agonizing pain.
Digging her nails into his wrist, she was able to keep him from plunging it any deeper, but her grip was becoming slippery from the blood oozing out of the wound.
He was ripping her pants off when Hammer jerked him off her, flinging him back. Then Kane ran as Jonas unwound the coat hanger, Hammer on his heels.
“Hammer! Get back here!” Jonas yelled, trying to help her sit up. “You need to drive us to the hospital!”
Seconds later, Hammer slammed the back door shut then jumped behind the wheel. “You okay, Rae?”
Gasping, she held her burning throat.
“Stop, let me see.” Jonas cussed when he saw the wound then asked Hammer to hand him the first-aid case out of the glove box.
Hammer passed it to Jonas. “I told you to wear the fucking Taser!” He drove expertly as he screamed at her.
“Give her time to catch her breath before you start yelling,” Jonas reproved him as he stemmed the blood on her shoulder. “Her throat’s a fucking mess.”
“Is it still there?” Killyama croaked out.
“What?” Jonas asked as he wrapped a bandage around her throat.
“Kane’s cell phone. Is it still in my pocket?”
Jonas helped her pull her pants back on. She was hurting too much to feel embarrassed.
He took out the phone, showing it to her.
“The hospital’s ten minutes away.” Hammer honked at a car going too slow.
“No, drive to our hotel room.” Killyama’s order was given in a hoarse whisper. “I don’t want Shade to know anything went wrong.”
“Fuck that!” Hammer growled. “I’m driving you to the hospital. I can meet Shade.”
“He’ll know when I don’t show.”
“I don’t give a fuck what Shade or Train figure out. I had to watch for years as your father turned you inside out. I’ll be damned if I watch The Last Riders do the same.”
“Please, Jonas.” He was always the one she went to when she had to get Hammer to see reason. “As soon as I give the phone to Shade, I’ll be out of there. If Shade finds out, he’ll call Train. I don’t want him asking any questions.”
Jonas stared at her sympathetically before telling Hammer, “Go to the hotel. Hurry. She’ll disappear if The Last Riders show up.”
“They won’t show, but they will want to know why I helped.”
The good part of being hurt was that Hammer and Jonas stopped arguing when they reached the hotel. It took the two men an hour to get her cleaned up enough to pass Shade’s inspection. She carefully redid her makeup, concealing the lower portion of her jaw that was turning purple.
“Hand me a jacket.” She was afraid to bend over to pick up the leather jacket.