“Ayda,” I said calmly.
Her eyes moved slowly from Trigger to me. For a moment they were completely vacant, but before I could say anything more, her eyes dropped to the gun in her hand and the reality of the situation settled over her. If I’d thought she was pale before, it was nothing to the ghost staring up at me now.
I gave her my deepest stare, trying to connect some life back into her gaze.
“Do you remember what I’ve taught you?” I raised my brows. “My way, not Sutton’s,” I hinted.
The words infiltrated a small part of the fog as though I was giving her a lifeline, and she nodded in understanding.
Good girl,I thought.
“I need you to do it. No questions.”
Trigger’s head was snapping between the two of us now, his amusement growing as he tried to decipher the unspoken message I was delivering.
“Do you understand me?” I asked her. “No. Questions.”
Ayda sucked in a deep breath and nodded as another wave of fortitude washed over her. She didn’t move her gaze from mine. She just waited, ready for whatever came next.
Good girl.
“What the fuck are you two lovers trying to—?”
“Shit,” I heard Slater mutter.
Raising my left arm out to the side, I reached over and tapped the bicep, pointing to the edge of it and telling her where her first live target was going to be.
“Go,” I growled, tensing my whole body, waiting for the pain.
There was no hesitation. No sooner had I closed my eyes, the shot rang out, followed by a restrained whimper.
Time went slow when you knew there was a bullet aiming your way. My heart was beating hard, hoping beyond all hope she wasn’t so far off the mark as to hit it, when I felt the graze of the bullet tear through my skin enough to cause a searing burn flash through my whole fucking arm.
I gritted my teeth and growled out as the agony, like a flaming hot poker, seemed to spread up my arm, down my chest, and straight into my groin. I just didn’t have time to let myself feel the luxury of self-pity. I dug deep, remembering how pain was my friend, and before I knew it I was opening my eyes and stepping forward without any hesitation whatsoever.
My right, uninjured arm swung wildly through the air, connecting with the side of Trigger’s jaw and catching him by surprise. His wild eyes caught mine just before they rolled into the back of his head and he went down like a sack of shit, his face smashing against the ground with a heavy thud.
“Ayda, drop the fucking gun,” Slater commanded, rushing toward her.
She opened her hands and let the Glock fall to her feet before she backed away, in the opposite direction of Jacob’sprone body.
As soon as I saw she was backing into one of my brothers, I turned to Slater and blew all the air out of my cheeks as he came to stand in front of me.
“You’re a crazy fucking bastard, Tucker,” he breathed, shaking his head and curling his fists in front of me.
“Yeah, now tell me something Idon’tknow.”
“Your girl is gonna kill you for this.”
“I said something I don’t know, Slate.”
“The things I do for you.” He sighed.
“Don’t pretend like you’re not going to enjoy this.” I managed to smirk as I prepared myself.
“Just a little bit.”
“Do your worst.”
