“Get her out of here!” JD bellows before he disappears into the fray, but I shake my head frantically, jerking free of Jols’ grip.
“Hey!” she yells as I take off through the colliding bodies, towards my husband.
I duck just in time to miss a random swinging fist and get down and practically crawl the rest of the way, managing to get through everyone to find JD and Celina on the ground with Nate and Ringo.
Crawling up to them, I brush shoulders with JD as he pats Ringo’s cheek, while Celina starts howling as she stares down at Nate’s lifeless body.
“Is he alive?” I ask JD, who nods.
“He’s out cold, though. Not real fucking convenient when we need him to get control of his fucking men.”
I glance around at the chaos. Glasses breaking, chairs shattering, and tables crashing to the floor as they are used as weapons.
Looking over my shoulder, I search for Banes, my mum and Maggie, but I can’t see through the lashing bodies.
“You need to do it,” I say, grabbing JD’s arm and shaking it. “Tell them to stop.”
“I can’t,” he scoffs. “I’m not an authority figure to them. And you shot Spud, our VP.”
I roll my eyes. “I shot him in the arm. He’s still alive. Why isn’t he doing anything?”
“Are you stupid?” Celina sobs, her gaze looking harsher than I’ve ever seen it. “The balance has shifted. He’s not loyal to Ringo. He’s probably run off by now.”
I glance around, realising I don’t remember the last time I saw him.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
My eyes track over Ringo. There’s blood all over him, but I know a lot of it is Smitty’s. He has two gashes on his torso. One on his side and one on his hip.
I have no idea how serious they are, but the fact he isn’t waking up is scaring the hell out of me.
“Ringo.” I reach for his head, turning it towards me a little. “Please wake up. We have a fight to finish.”
Tears burn my eyes, but I try to fight them off. I need to see clearly with all the chaos surrounding us.
Cupping the side of his face, I run my thumb over his cheek like he often does to mine, finding my thoughts drifting to God, or whatever holy being there is that can help us right now.
“Please let him live,” I whisper. “Please. I’ll do anything.”
The screams of Doxies huddled in the back corner meet our ears, and Celina’s anger falls away as concern takes over her expression.
“They are going to kill each other if someone doesn’t stop this.”
I fear she’s right. This needs to end.
I know I’m not an authority figure, but someone has to take action, so I let go of Ringo and slowly stand, taking out my gun and weaving through the crowd.
I get shoved, and jostled, and have to duck more swinging fists again, but I make it through to the bar, which is covered in shattered glass, and I swipe my arm across it to clear the way before hoisting myself up.
Standing on the bar top, I use my boot to kick off some more shards before staring around the room.
I can’t see my mum, sister, or Banes, and my heart sinks knowing they have gotten away, but I guess they’ll keep for a different day.
Forcing myself not to think too much, I lift my arm high, pointing my gun to the ceiling, and pull the trigger.
The crack is loud, halting some, so I pull the trigger again, shooting a second round, which has most men freezing in place, blinking around to see what’s happening.
“YOU NEED TO STOP!” I yell as loud as I can, and slowly, eyes upon eyes land on me, and I feel my cheeks heat like I’m under a spotlight.
