I hadn’t bothered to beg him because I knew he wasn’t going to go for anything we said. If the club didn’t come for us we’d be dead. But I knew they were coming.
I knew without a doubt these men didn’t have the same skills that OD and his brothers did. They weren’t going to win in a fight against the men who’d not only earned my trust, but my respect and admiration. I’d barely seen them fight, but I’d seen them win. Seen the way they worked together.
And I knew, deep down, that OD would move the heavens and Earth to get to me. I really needed to woman up and tell him how I felt. I couldn’t actually pinpoint exactly when I’d fallen for him, but there was no way that feeling in my chest right now was anything other than love. The fact that I knew he was coming for me. That he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. How could it be anything else?
I just wished there was a way to warn him about the trap he and the others were about to step into. He probably already knew, but knowing him, he wouldn’t care either way. He was still likely to charge in head first. Keeping my mouth closed and my eyes open, I watched for anything that could help me help them.
CHAPTER 27
Overdrive
The ride over was a fucking blur. I was trying to keep the thoughts out of my head because they kept asking what would happen if I was too late. Then there would be pictures in my head. Visions that were making everything turn red. They all centered around Rue. Dead.
I didn’t slow down as the others rushed to keep up with me. My motorcycle was quickly out-distancing the SUV that Merc and Hype were in. They had the rest of our back up weapons. I didn’t need backups. I had my pistol and three new mags in my pockets. I’d pick up whatever I needed along the way. Because there was nothing I needed except to get to my old lady.
No one tried to warn me to slow down. They knew this was life or death. No. It was death. Any fucker who’d put his hands on my woman was going to die a gruesome, grizzly death. I’d make sure of it. Not one of them would live.
I took the corner into the car wash at a reckless speed, but I wasn’t fucking stopping. Not for that. Not for the chain link fence that was held closed by a lock ahead.
Gunfire rang out and I glanced up. Ruck had raced ahead of me and was parked near the gate with his weapon out, firing at the lock so that I didn’t crash into the fence and wreck. The lock gave way beneath his expert aim and I covered my head with one arm as my bike tore through the gate.
I went flying through the air. My bike skidded on its side away from where my body hit the concrete. It was a fucking stupid idea, and I’d known it was going to end this way, but I wasn’t slowing down to politely open the gate and walk onto the property.
Sliding to a stop, I pushed to my feet and started running. They’d know we were here. We hadn’t exactly been stealthy. Fuck quiet. This was going to be loud. And fast.
I pulled my weapon out as movement came out of the darkness to my left. Averting my eyes so I didn’t completely kill what night vision I had, I pulled the trigger and sent two men crumpling to the ground. My brothers spread out from behind me, running off to find targets to kill.
Whoever found Rue knew to take care of her. I just fucking hoped it wasn’t too late. Kilo stuck to me like glue, making sure I didn’t do something stupid. Well, more stupid.
We ran toward the building and my eyes narrowed as three shadows slipped into the open bay. “Kilo.”
“On it,” he muttered.
I hit one of the men running away from behind, sending us sprawling to the wet concrete. We exchanged blow after blow as we struggled to end each other. I didn’t know where his friends were, but I knew I didn’t have long before they’d fucking gang up on me. “Kilo!” I bellowed, pulling my knife from my pocket and managing to plunge it into the fucker’s side.
He howled in pain and jerked the hand that was still holding his gun toward my head. I just barely managed to jerk to the right and avoid a bullet to the fucking skull. My ears nearly exploded as the gun went off right next to one.
“Fuuuuuck,” I groaned, pulling the knife out and stabbing the asshole in the neck. Jerking away from him as he panicked and tried to staunch the flow of blood spurting out of his throat, I shook my head, trying to clear my ears.
Looking over, I saw this guy’s two friends running toward me. Great. “Kilo!” My voice sounded distorted, even in my head. I glanced in the direction my best friend had run in and stared in shock.
This asshole was standing there, wallet out, credit card in hand, paying at the fucking kiosk.
“What’re are you fucking doin-” I broke off with a grunt as a bullet bounced off the pavement near me. Scrambling for cover, I swore as the closest guy caught up to me and kicked me in the ribs.
Pain exploded in my body and I knew I was going to be paying for this night for quite a while. Assuming I lived through it. Going into this fight, I figured I would. But that was before my friend decided to stop and pay for a fucking car wash.
The machinery around us began to move. I wasn’t sure why there wasn’t some kind of mechanism to stop it if it sensed people inside the bay, but something told me Kilo had taken care of that function. He and the other bastard were shooting at one another.
Bullets flew through the air and I swore as I fought to gain my feet as the asshole who’d kicked me lifted his gun. I wasn’t going to die on my fucking knees while he stood there like a triumphant asshat. Fuck that shit. It didn’t matter that he was about to put a bullet between my eyes. I’d figure something out.
A shadow came through the steam and water like an avenging angel. When I saw who it was, I swear my asshole puckered in fear. Gun to my head? No problem. Seeing the woman I loved flying through an area saturated with criminal pieces of shit and bullets? Yeah, my bowels were ready to evacuate my body in a hurry. I jumped to my feet, keeping the fuck wad’s attention on me. If he turned and shot Rue… I’d lose everything.
Wait. There are two people. Who the hell…?
A young kid slid, as though he was sliding into home, and stopped right in front of the guy about to shoot me. Then Rue hit him from the side in a tackle that would make any NFL linebacker proud.
The guy didn’t let out a sound—he didn’t even have time to realize what, or who, had hit him—he just pitched forward over the kid at his feet and his arms pinwheeled as he tumbled into the rotating brushes. Then the screaming started.
