“Doc, I don’t see you lowering that gun,” he barked back.
“I will,” Doc replied, and kept the rifle leveled at him.
“Is Doc short for Doc Holiday or somethin’? You fancy yourself a real-life sharp-shootin’ cowboy? You think you can hit me from over there without putting a bullet into your guy as well?”
“Nope.”
“Then drop the rifle,” Sugar Bear growled.
“I will.”
“You think I’m fuckin’ around here, Doc? I said put your gun down or I’m gonna shoot this fucking—”
Sugar Bear moved the barrel of his gun slightly away from Badger as he yelled, and Doc unloaded. Both Sugar Bear and Badger hit the ground from the force of the rubber bullets and Dash, Alamo, and Ozzy dogpiled Sugar Bear while Doc went to Badger. I raised my rifle in case anyone else felt the need to interfere.
“You…fucking…shot me. Ow, oh…shit,” Badger said, clutching his side.
“Sorry, man, but I knew he wouldn’t be expecting me to fire. I tried my best not to hit you.”
“Try harder next time, will ya? I think you hit me twice.”
“Looks like three from my count,” Doc said as he gave Badger the once over.
The Dogs got Sugar Bear to his knees after restraining him and Doc pulled out a black hood from his inside cut pocket.
“You should have never fucked with our families, Sugar,” Doc said before placing the bag over his head and turning to Dash, Doom, Alamo and me. “You guys help Badger, and Ozzy and I’ll take Sugar Bear. Milky should be out back with the van by now.”
We exited the building, and Doc threw Sugar Bear into the van, before sliding the door closed and yelling, “Drive!”
Milky floored it but didn’t get far.
A loud pop echoed in the van and Milky’s body lurched forward and he spit up blood all over the inside of the windshield. The van violently swerved as Doc struggled for the gun, punching wildly at Sugar Bear’s hooded head, until he stopped moving entirely.
“Jesus Christ, Milky!” Doom shouted, grabbing the wheel from the passenger seat before reaching over with his left foot and hitting the brake.
The van came to a stop and Doc yelled to Alamo, “Watch Sugar Bear, I need to check on Milky,” before getting out of the van. I could hear sirens approaching from the distance and knew we had to get the hell out of here fast.
Doc opened the driver’s side door and swore. “We have to get him to the clinic right away.”
“Shouldn’t we take him to the fucking hospital?” Doom asked as Doc examined the wound.
“It looks like the bullet went clean through his right side and missed his liver and kidney. I’ll know as soon as I get him on my table. If I can’t handle it myself, we’ll take him to County Hospital. Help me move him into the back.”
We quickly transferred Milky into the back and Doom sped off toward the compound.
* * *
Raquel
I paced the downstairs waiting for my brother and my man to get back from putting into motion whatever hairbrained scheme they’d come up with. To say I was pissed was an understatement, and to say I was terrified was beyond. Orion had saidnothingto me about this. He didn’t even wake me this morning to say goodbye.
“Raquel, come sit down,” Olivia said.
“No.”
Doc walked in with a bloody Milky and all hell broke loose, but I was too busy staring at the blood on Orion to worry about anyone else. I made a run for him.
“What happened?” I demanded.
