The crowd closed in, constricting my movement.
Noelle cow-kicked the man in the kneecap and spun out of his arms when he fell.
Perfect opening.
I grabbed the man’s head and slammed it into my raised knee.
Noelle tried to stay close to my side.
I was tempted to grab her hand, but I needed both free. “Grab my jacket.” I barked the order at her. “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
“I won’t.” Her words were a promise that steadied me.
The look of wide-eyed vulnerability made my chest ache.
I didn’t say a word, but I vowed then and there to do whatever it took to protect her.
Then she was behind me, out of my sight but gripping the back of my leather jacket tight enough to pull at my shoulders.
A guy wearing a stupid grin lunged at me.
I returned the smile and smashed my forearm into his face.
Rafe ducked beneath a sloppy punch and pummeled a guy’s ribs hard enough to crack bone.
I’d never seen him so savage, or Ash looking possessed as he grabbed two beer bottles and cracked them against the sides of a man’s head.
The woman we loved was in danger, and we’d cross Hell itself to protect her.
“Cops!” The shrill warning came at the same time I threw a booted kick at a man trying to sneak around behind me.
I checked the window before I believed a word out of their lying mouths.
Colt ducked his head through the open door. “We gotta go. Now.”
Rafe raised a hand in a signal we all knew. “Vipers, out.” His words hit the room like a bullet.
The chaos doubled as the brawl fractured.
The scent of spilled beer crashed against testosterone-fueled rage.
If we were still here when the cops arrived, there was a real risk of bloodshed.
I wasn't about to let that happen, and neither would Rafe.
The leader who’d cornered Noelle grabbed one of his guys by the back of the neck, and the two of them bolted for the rear exit.
I hauled Noelle to my side. “Stay with me.”
Icy wind stung my cheeks when we burst out into the snow.
I ran us toward my bike and hopped on.
Noelle swung in place behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
Her breath hitched when sirens screamed from one street over. “Hold on.”
It was all I could offer her as I revved the engine and tore out of the parking lot.
