Blood was still dripping from my wound as I pressed my hand against my side. I slid the gun away from me when a couple of the new guards pointed their weapons at my chest. “Don’t worry. I only shot other inmates,” I joked.
“He’s telling the truth,” the bloodied guard announced, gesturing to where I leaned against the wall. “Protected us all from the few inmates that escaped. Kept the girl from being attacked.” He groaned as he pushed against a wound on his upper thigh. “Call a fucking ambulance.”
“Already done,” one of the new guards replied.
I was fading in and out, fighting to remain conscious. I could feel my body growing colder. Somehow, I managed to move closer to Rachel. She rested on her knees between her father and me, trying to apply pressure to her Hannibal’s wound and help me at the same time. It wasn’t working.
“I’ll be okay,” Hannibal assured her.
Rachel shook her head. “You’re both shot.”
“I’ll live,” I managed to say with a slight slur.
She looked panicked when she heard me. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Crypt.”
She frowned. “Crypt? Is that a nickname?”
“Road name,” I answered with a grunt.
“You’re a biker.” She glanced between Hannibal and me. “It doesn’t seem like a good life choice.”
“To be fair,” I rasped as my head fell back against the wall, “We weren’t shot because of our clubs.”
Hannibal snorted.
“But you’re in prison because of it.”
“Uh, no. Sorry, darlin’, not true. I just beat the motherfucker who raped my sister.”
She gasped.
“And I took care of the motherfucker who hurt a single mom and her daughter,” Hannibal added.
Rachel didn’t know how to reply to either of those revelations. Tears filled her eyes, shimmered for a few seconds, and then spilled over as her chin wobbled. “You shouldn’t be in here. Either of you.”
Hannibal sighed.
“Not according to the law,” I contradicted. “We’re outlaws.”
She ingested that information but didn’t comment on it.
“Where is that ambulance?” Rachel asked as guards rushed around the room, securing the prison. She sounded pissed.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I assured her. “We’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think you will.” She sniffled, swiping underneath her nose. A tiny smear of blood marred her flawless skin.
Even crying, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Up close, I could see we were about the same age. She was probably a few years younger than me, but not too many. Not enough to make any difference.
“Don’t shed a tear for me, Brown Eyes.”
“Crypt. Hey!”
She said more words, but they became a garbled mess in my brain. My vision tunneled. I was losing too much blood. I didn’tknow if I was going to die, and it made me do something risky and reckless.
I felt for Rachel’s hand, and I tugged her toward me, smiling when she fell against my chest.
“What are you doing?”
I didn’t reply. My hands rose and felt for her face and brought her toward me, searing my lips to hers.
Fucking heaven.
If I died right now, I’d be a happy man.
