I pause, and when I strain my ears, I can make out the sucking breaths he's dragging in through his smashed up teeth.
"He's alive. Do you want me to fix that?"
I can't say I'll lose much sleep over ending him. He did try to kill Brooklyn and kicked the shit out of her before she ever came to me. But Brooklyn shakes her head. "We have to go. I have to warn my father."
"And you think he's going to listen to you?" I ask with an incredulous laugh. "Dallas will call him up at the first opportunity and tell him you're with me. And anything you say after that will make your father think that you're trying to protect me. Who's he going to believe has good intentions? His best buddy or your scuzzbag ex?"
She knows I'm right. I can see the struggle playing out on her face. It's heartbreaking to watch, like seeing a kid realize their parents are fallible for the first time. There's disbelief at first, and a struggle to accept it. Then anger. Then a disappointment so choking it nearly ends you. I want to let her work through her daddy issues, but she's right about one thing. We don't have time. Dallas and Axel weren't the only ones after Brooklyn. Their backup is probably waiting for the signal to swarm us.
"Come on," I say urgently, tugging her toward the large black car. Thankfully neither Axel or Dallas thought to take the keys from the ignition, probably thinking they'd need to make a speedy getaway once they had Brooklyn.
"Where are we going?" Brooklyn asks, climbing into the passenger's side after I tug the door open for her. She's buckling herself in when I leap into the driver's side and take off. I may or may not have run over Axel's hand as I backed out of the muddy driveway. The wheels definitely sling mud all over the rat bastard, and I don't feel an ounce of guilt for burying him in muck.
"Beats the hell out of me. But we have to get out of here."
The car is steadier and infinitely better than riding a bike in this weather. Brooklyn turns the heater up to full blast and soon it feels like I'm sitting in the middle of a broiler. I'm sweating and want to crank on the air, but Brooklyn seems comfortable for the first time in days, so I keep my fingers off the dial, content to get heat stroke if it makes her happy.
She plugs my phone into a charger and lets it lie on the seat between us as we drive. She fiddles with the radio, turning up the beat so loud she can ignore the worries that must be screaming through her head. Worry for me and worry for her father. Which loss would devastate her more, I wonder? Does it really matter at this point?
I pull the car off into a little out of the way burger joint that marks the halfway point between Uncle Rocco's cabin and South Hollens. He used to bring Cruz and I here on the way home. It's full dark by the time I pull up, and the lobby is closed, so I run through the driveway, glad that I still have my wallet on me after everything that's gone down. I order burgers, fries, and a large drink for each of us before pulling into a space to wait.
Brooklyn devours her burger like someone's announced it's her last meal. She's halfway through her fries before she even takes note of what I'm doing. I'm going through my recent calls list and don't have to scroll far to reach the number I want. I can't call my own fucking brother for help, and I don't want to drag Penny into this mess. I'm not getting another family member killed. But there's one man I think will come, regardless of how angry Cruz is with me.
I press call. The phone rings twice before a man answers.
"Kase?" he asks before I can force out my plea for help. "Kase, where are you?"
Penny must have called him if he's already anticipating disaster. I guess word of my exploits got around the MC quickly. Cruz probably shouted my treachery from the rooftops and bookended it with a big old fat "I told you so" to anyone who'd listen.
"I'm at Harry's burger joint. I'd really appreciate it if you stayed on the phone a few fucking seconds before running to my brother. We're in trouble."
He doesn't ask who the other part of "we" is. Hell, even if Cruz hasn't told him, he can probably guess. It's not like our family feud is much of a secret.
"What happened?"
I'm not sure how much Brooklyn wants me to divulge, so I just recount the attack outside the cabin, the interrogation, and our flight to this remote little eatery. By the time I'm through, Ryker already has keys in hand, ready to head out the door.
"I'm coming to get you. I don't give a fuck what has gone down between you two, Cruz will never forgive himself if you get shot on our watch."
I want to snap that he's not a babysitter separating a pair of squabbling kids. But the truth is, I need his help if I'm going to be able to hide Brooklyn from Dallas and her father. My only good hiding spot has been discovered. Ryker and Cruz relocate battered women all the time. Surely he'll know a hole we can disappear into for a while until we can get a message to Gardel about Dallas.
"Fine. We'll be waiting. And bring some of Cleo's clothes before you come. Brook isn't wearing much."
Ryker lets out a groan, like I've just confirmed his worst fears. There are more murmurs from Cleo and the sound of a car door being slammed.
"Kase, you fucking idiot," Ryker mutters.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm aiming for a Darwin Award. I get it, okay? Just tell me you can come."
"I'm coming. Don't move."
"Wasn't planning on it. The gunshot wound hurts like a bitch."
Ryker lets out another string of swear words and then hangs up.
"You shouldn't have called him," Brooklyn murmurs from the passenger's side. "I don't think we can trust any of the Spades."
I let out a bark of laughter, though nothing about this situation is particularly funny. "You can't trustmypeople? Who else can we trust? Your buddy Dallas will have all the Kings on guard. I step one toe over that line and I'm dead. And it would be worth that to keep you safe, if I thought for one second that your daddy could do it. But he can't, Brook. He's got a hate-on for me and it's going to get him killed."
