Tiny followed my gaze, his body tensing at the sight of the girls.“They really OK?”he asked, his voice tight with concern.
“They’re fine,” I assured him, squeezing his hand.“We were all so scared for you.”
“They shouldn’t see this,” he muttered, gesturing vaguely toward the blood on his face.“Don’t want to scare them more.”
The protectiveness in his voice, even now when he was the one bleeding and injured, made my heart swell.“Hate to break it to you, big guy, but they’re already running this way.”
Zelda reached us first, Kira half a step behind her.They both threw themselves at him and Tiny, bless his heart, caught them each in one arm and held them close.Zelda’s expression hardened into a mask of fury that reminded me so much of my own I almost laughed despite everything.
“Did you at least hit him back?”she demanded, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.“Did you break his stupid face?”
Tiny’s laugh rumbled through his chest, though it cut off sharply as the movement jostled his injured ribs.“Yeah, Zelda.I got him good.”
“You can call me Z,” she said, lifting her chin.“Blame Knight.Heard him call me that when he talked to Mom.”
Kira’s eyes brimmed with tears as she stared at the blood on Tiny’s face.“Are you gonna be OK?”she whispered.
Tiny’s expression softened as he looked down at her.“I’m gonna be just fine, darlin’.Nothing a little rest won’t fix.”He winked at her, the gesture so incongruous with his battered face that a watery giggle escaped her.
Knight approached us, his tattooed face set in grim lines.“Cops are on their way,” he said without preamble.“We need to get out of here.Now.”
“What about him?”I jerked my chin toward Andy, who was still kneeling on the ground, blood running from his nose and split lip.The hatred in his eyes as he glared at me made my skin crawl.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Knight assured me.“Got some anonymous tips headed to the right people about his dealings.Couple files might have found their way to the feds too.”He shrugged, a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth.“Andy Harlow’s about to have a very, very bad day, and it’s only going to get worse.”
Relief washed through me, so intense I swayed slightly on my feet.Tiny’s arm tightened around my waist, steadying me.
“Let’s get you all back to the compound,” Knight said, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at the girls.“The girls and Caleb can ride with me, Riot, and Griffin.Penny, you ride in the Bronco with Tiny and Pain.”
“I want to stay with Mom,” Zelda protested immediately, her expression mulish.
Knight knelt down so he was eyelevel with her.“I need you to help me keep an eye on your sister,” he said quietly.“And Tiny needs your mom right now.Can you do that for him?After what he did for you today?”
Zelda’s eyes flicked to Tiny, who was still leaning heavily on Pain’s shoulder, then back to Knight.After a moment, she nodded reluctantly.“Fine.But I get to ride with Riot.”
Knight’s lips twitched.“Sure thing, Z.”
Kira hesitated, looking uncertain until Griffin approached her, his usually stern face softening into a gentle smile.“Want to see how fast my bike can go?”he asked, and Kira’s eyes widened with a mixture of fear and excitement.
“Is it scary?”she asked in a small voice.
Griffin shook his head solemnly.“Not when you’re with me.I’ll keep you safe.”
After a moment’s consideration, Kira nodded.“OK.”
As Knight led the girls toward the bikes, Pain guided Tiny toward the Bronco, which had somehow survived the entire ordeal with only a few new dents.The tire tracks in the gravel where we’d been forced off the road were still visible, a reminder of how quickly our simple shopping trip had turned into a nightmare.
We were passing the man who’d hit Tiny with the crowbar when Tiny suddenly stopped, pulling away from Pain’s support to stand on his own.Blood still streaked his face, but his eyes were clear and cold as he stared down at the man who’d knocked him to the ground.
“Next time,” Tiny said, his voice carrying easily in the sudden quiet, “make sure your fuckin’ swing counts.Any bitch-ass motherfucker who can’t kill a man with two blows to the head with a crowbar has got to be a fuckin’ pussy.”
The man glared up at him but flinched when Tiny took a step closer.One of Andy’s other men actually chuckled, earning himself a murderous look from his compatriot.
“He’s right though,” the man said with a shrug.“You hit a man in the head with a crowbar, he oughtta be dead.”
Pain stepped forward, placing a hand on Tiny’s shoulder.“Save it for later, brother.Need to get your girls.”
Tiny held the man’s gaze for a moment longer before nodding once, a gesture so full of contempt that the man looked away first.I couldn’t help but feel fierce pride at the sight of Tiny standing tall despite his injuries, unbroken and unbowed.
