“Fuckin’ stabbed me,” I tell Ban. He walks over and kneels in front of me.
“Let me see.” I move my hand, and he pulls my shirt up to check my wounds.
“Those are pretty deep. You’re losin’ a lot of blood, Patch.”
“I’m fine. Did you find Alan?”
“Yeah, he’s over there.”
“Bring him over here,” I tell him. I try to shove myself to my feet, but I’m weak. I know there’s a lot of blood oozing out of me, but I won’t stop until I know that motherfucker is dead too.
I pick up a gun lying close to me as the guys drag a kicking and screaming Alan toward me.
“Nice to see you, asshole,” I say as they set him on his knees in front of me. My head feels fuzzy, dizziness trying to take over me. I shake my head and refocus.
“This can wait, Patch,” Binker says as he looks at my now blood-covered shirt.
“No, it can’t. This ends now,” I tell them all. I raise the gun in my hand and notice the slight shakiness of my hand. I can feel the energy slowly slipping out of me, but I need to finish this.
“We need to get you help,” Kal roars as I move my gaze to his and back to Alan.
“You fucked her over. You caused her pain,” I say through the gasps for air.
“Fuck you!” he squeals. Then I pull the trigger. He goes down with a thud, and my arm drops to my side, suddenly feeling too heavy for me to hold up.
“Patch?” Kal asks as he moves toward me. I hear gunshots, knowing the guys are taking care of whoever is left of the Bad Ryders. A small smile tugs across my face.
“Patch?” Kal says again. I can feel my head lolling to the side now.
“You promised me, brother,” I say softly.
“You don’t get to do this, Patch!”
“You promised me,” I tell him once more as everything slowly slips away.
Chapter 26
Anika
All the girls said waiting is the hardest thing to do. They all hate it. They never know what’s happening or if everyone will come back in one piece. The doctor is here on standby, from what Ivy has told me. She stays close to me but not too close that it’s uncomfortable.
I pick at the hem of my shirt as I stare at the door. It’s been hours since they’ve been gone. Hours. My stomach churns at the thought of what might be happening. I can’t think straight.
I need him. That’s all I can think of right now is how much I need him. The door opens, and my heart leaps, but it’s just Ellie coming in. She glances around and then rushes toward me, pulling me into a hug.
“Have you heard anything?”
“No, nothing. The girls said we just have to wait for them to come back. If they come back,” I say.
“They’ll come back, Anika. He will.”
“I’m scared, Ellie. I’ve never been this scared in my life. Not even when we were locked in that basement.”
“Everything is going to be fine. He’s going to be fine.” I let her words settle me slightly. I don’t know, though. I don’t know that he’s going to be okay.
Each minute that ticks by is the longest minute of my life. Ellie and I found ourselves at the bar amongst the other girls with a drink in our hands. This is what hell has to feel like. It’s thatstirring feeling in the pit of your stomach from the unknown. It’s the burning that you feel from the inside out. The butterflies that don’t stop.
Every noise we hear, I look to the door, but it’s nothing. A few of the guys that stayed back wander in and out, and each time I'm about fly out of my chair to see him.
