Why were so many people pointing guns? They were all on the same side. “Wasting time,” she gasped out. “Bad guy is waiting for me to be delivered to him…so…” Her eyes closed as she took just one moment to rest on the side of the road. Just one wee moment. “Could someone please deliver me?”
“Over my dead body,” Cass swore.
With her eyes closed, she smiled at him again. Or at least, toward him. She didn’t even know if he was looking her way. “You love me so much.” A mumble that came out like Youlovemesomuch.
“Yeah, I damn well do.”
Had that been an actual confession from him? Or was she delirious with pain and she’d just imagined those words? Her smile faded as she cracked open one eye to peer at him. “Say that again.” Not a demand. A plea.
“I damn well do.”
Those weren’t quite the words she’d wanted to hear. She swallowed. Opened both eyes.
“I. Love. You.” Cass stared straight at her.
Those words were way better than his previous ones, even if they had been gritted out between Cass’s clenched teeth. Before she could respond, he added, “And I am going to destroy the Twins for you.”
Her breath sighed out. “You say the sweetest things.”
“Ahem.”
She’d know that annoyed throat clearing anywhere. Gray, trying to get their attention. “He’s gonna need to leave, fast,” she murmured to Cass. “Because your crew will be back and they cannot see us hanging with Feds in the middle of the street.” Good thing it wasn’t a busy street. More like an old, country road that just had them on it.
“You are a Fed, sunshine,” Cass reminded her.
“Nah. I’m yours. Everyone knows that.” Her eyes closed again. Just for a moment. Long enough for her to regroup. “Just like you’re mine.” Her eyes opened. No more weakness, Agnes. Get this show on the road. “Let’s go end this.”
He made no move to end anything. “I want you in a hospital.”
“You love me, so you won’t sideline me. Not now.” She’d wanted this for too long. And it was just a dislocated shoulder. She’d had way worse in her life. “End it…together?”
“Fuck.” His shoulders sagged.
Fantastic. “I’ll take that as a yes…”
“She should be in a hospital.” Rage had his hands shaking, so Cass fisted them. “A hospital. Bear’s betraying ass is in the back of an ambulance, and you put my woman in the back of?—”
“A van?” Agnes called out. And she waved to him. From the back of the van. The same van that she’d flown out of not an hour before. “Time is tick, ticking, Cass. Let’s get this show on the road.”
She’d been bandaged up by EMTs. Checked out. By some kind of miracle, her worst injury was the dislocated shoulder. A shoulder that her brother Nash had put back into place for her. Now the shoulder was in a sling, she had bandages on her left forearm and wrapped around her left leg, but she was all right.
She is all right. Something he’d repeated to himself at least a hundred times so far.
Agnes had two brothers. Two brothers that he’d met so far. Ryan and Nash. Jeez, are there more? Cass was a bit afraid there might be. More brothers who were pissed that their precious sister had hooked up with an MC leader.
About to be a former MC leader. Because the game was ending. Secrets were coming out. The tightrope he’d walked would be snapping.
Ryan had been the one in the parking lot at the tattoo shop. Nash had been in the background, and he’d hauled ass after the van when it left. As Cass and Ryan had raced to catch up with the van, Nash had been feeding them directions about the van’s location.
Nash was currently glaring at Agnes because he didn’t like this new plan, either. As for Ryan…he’d brought the van back. He and Javion had come riding back with the van, accompanied by the other Night Strikers, and with a scared-as-hell Raz tied up in the back of the big, black vehicle.
Gray had vanished before they all arrived, thankfully. As had the Fed who’d been with him. Not like Cass had wanted to BS his way through an explanation about why Feds were on the scene to his crew.
Now, though, it was time to act. Time to get the van moving because, yes, Bayne was expecting a delivery.
You’re sure as shit about to get one. Only it would not be the delivery that Bayne expected. You’re getting me, you sonofabitch.
“I didn’t put her anywhere,” Ryan rumbled at him. “She put herself in the van. And she’s right. Time is ticking. Let’s go get this bastard. Now.”
