The footsteps came closer. “Where are you hiding, little mouse? Are you under the bed?”
Floorboards creaked, then fabric ripped. Whoever he was, he was just on the other side of the closet door, just a few feet away.
“I just want to talk.” The man laughed. “Talk shop. Or better yet, talk and chop.” Something slammed into the closet door. A thick blade stopped just shy of splitting my forehead open. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. The lunatic had just lodged an ax into the door.
He tried to pull it free, but the blade stuck. Seizing the opportunity to hopefully knock him off balance, I lunged at the door and kicked it open.
“Go, Sammy!” I held the bat over my head, ready to swing. Sammy raced out of the room with Oliver in her arms.
The man staggered backward, his fingers splayed across his nose. “You broke my fucking nose, bitch.”
I brought the bat down on his head and whipped around to follow Sammy down the stairs. Before I made it to the doorway, something grabbed my ankle. I hit the ground on my elbows. Pain exploded down my arm as he dragged my body backward.
“You’re going to pay for that.” His fingers clawed at me as I kicked out with my free leg.
I caught him square in the chest with my foot, and he struggled to breathe. His grip loosened, and I somehowmanaged to wrench free. My lungs burned as I scrambled toward the door.
“Marlowe! Where are you, Lo Lo?” Viper’s voice came from downstairs. Relief flooded through me. I tried to stand, but my leg buckled underneath me.
“Up here!” My voice came out barely louder than a whisper. Pulling myself toward the door in an awkward army crawl, I ignored the pain shooting down my leg.
“Marlowe!” Viper’s voice came closer. He had to be on the stairs.
I’d almost made it through the door when the asshole behind me landed on my back, knocking the wind out of me and flattening my entire body against the floor.
“Did you hear that?” Viper asked. He must have someone with him. Hopefully, a lot of someones.
Knowing he was only a few feet away gave me the strength to fight the monster who’d tackled me with everything I had. But he had the advantage. Not only did he outweigh me, I was trapped underneath him and facing the ground. I didn’t have any way to fight him.
“Sounds like I’m not going to make it out of here alive.” His hands closed around my throat. “So you’re going to die with me, cunt.”
“Go to hell.” My voice rasped, my throat on fire.
“Maybe I will, but I’m taking you with me.”
Black dots danced at the edges of my vision. I couldn’t swallow, couldn’t see anything, couldn’t breathe. The urge to fight kept me focused, but for how long? I closed my eyes. Viper wasn’t going to get to me in time. All the plans we’d been on the verge of making were never going to happen. I never should have left Mustang Mountain. If I’d stayed, maybe none of this would have happened.
The darkness took over. I couldn’t move. Evil had won.
“Get the fuck off her.” Viper let out a growl that sounded more animal than human. A single shot rang out, then the tightness blocking my airway gave way.
I coughed and immediately winced as thousands of razor blades sliced through my throat.
“Lo Lo, are you okay?” Viper swept me into his arms.
“What happened?” My voice strained, and the words came out soft and garbled.
We barreled down the stairs as the kitchen burst into flames. Smoke stung my eyes. I buried my head against Viper’s chest, wishing it was all a bad dream.
He carried me outside the club’s compound toward an ambulance parked in the middle of the street. “She’s hurt. Tell me she’s going to be okay.”
“We need you to move out of the way so we can take a look at her.” I couldn’t tell who was speaking. With my eyelids barely cracked, the only person I wanted to see was Viper.
He set me down on something soft. Two paramedics talked about me like I wasn’t even there. “Vitals are dropping. We need to stabilize her and get her into the ER.”
“Don’t you quit on me now, Lo Lo.” Viper held onto my hand as they lifted me into the back of the ambulance. “I’m going to be right behind you. I’ll meet you at the hospital. Just hold on, baby. Please, hold on.”
CHAPTER 12
