Theron lifts his hand.He was once a farmer himself, albeit with a real big axe.
“I’ll do it.It goes quick with that new milking machine Ben installed.”
“Sounds good.”Facing Luna, I invite her into the conversation.“I’m-a need you to contact a mainland scientist or marine biologist.Invite them to test the water once the winter curfew is lifted.”
Rundas reminds us.“Message that daddy of yours too, Miz Luna.Don’t want him getting all freaked when you don’t get right back to him.”
Luna rolls her eyes.“I left a message on his satellite phone.Told him about the scatty connectivity.”
Artim has been sitting silent.Raising his head, he asks Luna something.“Can you search for a doctor in Minneapolis on that computer engine?Goes by the name of Dr.de Doorns.”
If Artim wanted to upset Luna, he is going the right way about it.She’s the only one who doesn’t know that Dr.de Doorns was the doctor Tempest was seeing before Wulf murdered her.
“I don’t need a search engine,” Luna explains.“Dr.de Doorns is a really famous fertility specialist in Minnesota.I saw a video about him online.”
From the blank looks on our faces, Luna can see our confusion, so she goes into more detail.
“A fertility doctor helps women fall pregnant.Some women are fertility challenged.Some men are sterile.And then some women get their eggs frozen for later.”
It’s as if she is speaking another language.And Theron is way out of his depth.“Frozen for later?”
“Yes.Women can wait until they are fifty or sixty years old before falling pregnant now.The doctor injects them with hormones.”
“Okay, darlin’.”Stepping up, I place my hand in the small of Luna’s back and begin propelling her towards the door.“That’s enough science for one day.”Moving at lightning speed, I pull on leather gloves and grab the full-face helmet and bandana.“Let’s get you some lunch.”
It happens so quickly and all at once.
I am jerking the door open before Rundas can say the words.“There’s someone outside!”
Jake Farmer sneaked up to the clubhouse while we were inside absorbed with our conversation with Luna.
He waits for the door to open all the way before pulling the trigger of his double barrel shotgun.
“That’s for my Linda, you fucking no-good biker bastards!”
ChapterTwenty-One
Luna
No, time does not slow down.So no, I don’t see everything happening in slow motion.
One moment I am being escorted from the clubhouse with Shadow’s stony hand pushing me forward, and the next moment he’s in front of me and sheltering my body from a hail of lethal projectiles.
As strong as he is, not even Shadow can absorb the gunfire’s momentum without grunting and lurching forward.Or is he pushing us into the shade so that the pale cloud-covered sun can’t reach us?
And in that fraction of a second, I am shocked to think of him as vulnerable.You see, in my mind, Shadow will always be immortal and everlasting—just like my love.
That crazy man outside just fired both barrels of shotgun slugs at us.Enough firepower to bring down an elephant.
The blast is deafening.A violent wind gusts and blows my hair as the Riders rush past us.I am vaguely aware that in the short time between now and then, they have donned gloves, helmets, and bandanas.Every inch of skin is hidden from the overcast gray sun.
I don’t see what happens because Shadow has his back to the door as he cradles me in his arms.
I have no doubt that the Midnight Riders are acting on instinct.I fight for them to hear my voice above the sound of their snarling growls.
“Don’t kill him?—”
Shadow overrules me.“Keep it clean.I don’t want Luna seeing the mess.”
