Ifinally sat back, exhausted, puke dribbling down my chin and soaking my beard as Iclosed my eyes and tried to catch my breath.
“Gauge?” Shooter'svoice. “Gauge? What’swrong with him?”
“He’sbeen through some shit!” Belle uncharacteristically yelled. “Like Isaid, he needs to rest.”
Ifelt myself drifting, pain and exhaustion pulling me back under. Iwanted to pass out. Iwanted to sleep away the pain and only wake up when it was gone.
“Get someone in here to clean this up,” Shooter ordered. “Find out who did this, now!” he yelled. “Iwant them in the ground by midnight.”
That made me pause in my pursuit of oblivion and Iforced myself to open my good eye and focus on him. Shooter was turned to face the others, but Casa noticed me looking and nodded for Shooter to turn around.
“Iknow who it was,” Isaid, hating that my voice sounded so weak and pitiful, but no matter how hard Itried, my words couldn'tfind any strength. Shooter came closer and Istruggled to focus on him; something was pulling me back under.
“Who?” he asked, the single word sounding savage. He sounded more like his father Hardy than he’dever sounded before. “Who the fuck dared to do this to one of my men?”
“The Vipers,” Isaid, my words slurring as Ifought to stay awake. “It was the Vipers.”
Iheard Rider'sintake of breath and Casa’ssmile fell as he looked from me to Dom and back again.
“You sure ‘bout that?” Casa asked, his brow furrowing. He lit another cigarette.
Inodded, hating that Iwas doing their bidding by passing on the message, but knowing Ihad to. This shit was too important not to pass on. Ilooked back at Shooter.
“They had amessage for you,” Icoughed, feeling spittle and blood splatter my front. “They said, ‘this is just the start.’”
Shooter'sexpression, if possible, turned harder.
“They mean business, Shooter. We need to deal with them now, before they do anything else.” Iwinced as Itried to sit up and something inside me tugged.
Shooter leaned closer, his hand cupping the back of my head. “I’ll make them pay for this, brother.”
Inodded and he released my head, letting it hit the pillow underneath. Ilet out apainful sigh. “Just gimme aday and I’ll be back up on my feet.”
“Not achance,” Belle snapped, wiping my face with awarm cloth. “Rest, Gauge, please.”
The room was spinning, my vision and hearing coming in and out of focus. Pressing ahand to my side, Igritted my teeth, trying to hold back awince of pain.
“We’ve got this. You just rest up,” Shooter replied. Glancing across at Belle, he shrugged apologetically at the stern expression she was giving him.
Itried to sit up again, because there was no way in hell Iwas staying in there while my brothers fought agoddamn war. Because that’swhat it was—war. But as Iattempted to sit up again, whatever it was inside of me that had been tugging suddenly snapped, and pain like I’dnever felt before slammed into me.
Squeezing my eyes closed, Iimmediately saw Jolie’sface. “Jolie,” Ipanted, clutching one arm around my middle. “Gotta find Jolie.”
Iopened my eyes and looked at Dom, watching his whole body tense.
“What did you just say, motherfucker?” he asked, stepping toward the bed, his face twisted angrily. “You been bangin’ my sister?”
Istared up at him dumbly before laughing. “Fuck no,” Igroaned before another wave of pain washed over me. “They’ll kill her, Dom. Find her… Find Jolie before they do.” My words died out as something inside me felt like it popped, and more pain exploded through my side like I’dbeen shot all over again. Igroaned, my muscles tensing as Ifolded in on myself, sliding back down onto the bed.
“He’sbleeding again! Fuck, fuck, he’sbleeding, Belle! What do we do?”
“Jesus, where’sit all coming from?” Iheard someone, possibly Rider, say.
“Give me some space!” Belle yelled.
My vision blurred and then turned black. My body felt like it was on fire. Ifelt roars of pain leaving my throat, but my ears were deaf to them as Ipassed back out, the image of Jolie’sface and the look we’dshared right before I’dpushed her out of the window the last thing Isaw.
“Any news?” Iasked as Iswigged on some whiskey.
