Heart shattering, I fought for my earlier resolve. Then I gave my beautiful angel in the back seat one last look, kissed my fingertips, and pressed them to her soft cheek.
“Daddy loves you so much.” My voice cracked though I tried to stay strong.
Finally, I turned to Raiven, grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her hard. Before I could second-guess my foolhardy decision, I jerked the door open. The car had backed up and was starting to move toward us.
“Go!” I didn’t stop to see if she was listening, I simply started walking toward the car, shooting.
Thankfully, she’d listened, and I heard the engine rev before the tires squealed and she shot around me. The blast of heat and exhaust as the truck passed me caused my hair and shirt to wildly whip around.
I don’t think they expected such a ballsy move, because she flew past them as I filled their radiator and windshield with the bullets in my clip. As I was swapping out clips, the passenger door to the car flew open. The dark-haired man who staggered out of the vehicle was pointing a gun at me and we both fired.
A burn across the outside of my bicep registered as I dove into the shallow ditch and tried to find a minuscule amount of cover. Much as Soap had earlier, I cursed the flat, deserted roadway.
Seeing a small clump of brush down the road a bit, I attempted to low-crawl to it. The sharp burning pain in my back took my breath away and I couldn’t go any further.
Blackness began to seep into the edges of my vision. Goddamn, all I could think was I had survived a brutal deployment only to die from a bullet to the back in the middle of nowheresville, Kansas.
Right before I succumbed to the dark oblivion, my head was jerked back by my hair.
“Don’t worry. We won’t let you die. Yet. Two birds, one stone. How’s that for luck?”
The sinister laughter was the last thing I remembered before I was swallowed into the midnight abyss.
“Nightmare”—Avenged Sevenfold
The nightmare I was stuck in was shredding me from the inside out. My sanity was unraveling as I floored the truck before the door had even shut. I was surprised I didn’t hit him with it.
It had been years since I’d actually driven anywhere.
Not looking as I shot past the beautiful avenging angel with his pistol trained on the car in front of us was impossible. One last glance at him left my chest aching as if razor-sharp talons had ripped my beating heart out.
I’d reached enough speed by the time I passed the dark vehicle holding the devil himself that it was a blur.
It took everything I had to force my eyes on the road ahead of me and not to look in the rearview mirror.
Fumbling without looking, I patted around for the phone I vaguely remembered was in the holder in center console. By the time I found it, my hand was shaking so bad I couldn’t even think of looking for numbers.
A quick glance over my shoulder showed Presley had cried herself to sleep. Thank God. She had dried tears on her rounded cheeks and her little mouth open. Every so often she took a shuddery breath.
Belatedly wondering if his phone was connected to the truck, I searched in quick glances for a voice control button. Finding it on the steering wheel, I spoke.
“Call Styx.”
Except my voice didn’t sound like Matlock’s and it was shaking so bad, the damn truck said, “Did you say call Steven Exxon?”
Frustration welled.
“No!”
I repeated my request two more times before the bitch said, “Did you say Call Styx Mobile?”
“Yes!” I shouted.
“Calling Styx Mobile.”
Each ring had my anxiety spiking.
Finally, after what seemed like the eightieth ring, a deep voice came over the speakers. “Yo bro, what’s up? Where y’all at?”
“I-It’s not Matlock,” I stuttered.
The previously jovial voice suddenly became stone-cold sober. “Where’s Lock? Who’s this?”
“R-R-Raiven.”
Once again, his voice changed. This time it was calming and easy. “Hey, Raiven, honey. What’s going on? Talk to me.”
“They—he—I….” My brain refused to cooperate with my mouth.
“Slow down, darlin’, it’s okay. Where is Lock?”
“They ran them off the road, they got in front of us. He… he….” As I started sobbing, I heard someone start talking rapidly in the background. The phone was muffled, but I heard Styx swear before the phone was uncovered and he spoke to me again.
“Okay. Raiven, who did they run off the road?”
“Yeah,” I barely got out.
“No, who was run off the road?” He enunciated clearly and slowly.
“Um, Gunny and Soap.” I sniffled.
“Where’s Lock, Raiven?” he asked again.
“He got out and told me to go.” I heard his sharp inhale at my answer. Then my tears escaped with a broken sob.
“Is Presley okay?”
I chanced a peek at her. Her eyes were open and she looked confused as she sniffled, but she was safe. For now. “Yes.”
“Good. Now can you tell me where you are?”
“D-d-driving down the road. F-fast.”
“Okay. Is anyone following you?” At his question, I glanced in the rearview mirror.
“N-no. Not that I c-can s-see.”
“Good. Okay, listen to me. Take a deep breath, and slow down enough that you don’t wreck but keep moving. You got me?”
Nodding, I didn’t think about him not being able to see me.
“Raiven?”
“S-s-s-sorry. Yeah. Okay.” My knuckles were white where I clenched the steering wheel for dear life.
“Can you tell me where Lock, Gunny, and Soap are right now?”
Now that Presley was awake, I swallowed the lump in my throat and took the deep breath he’d told me to take. “I don’t knooooow. Back there.”
It was whispered but he heard.
“Shit. Okay, are they—” He seemed to find some difficulty. “Are they alive?”
“I don’t know.” My answer came out thin and thready as my throat burned and wanted to close. So many things I didn’t know, it was like being a broken record.
Silence.
“Okay. I’m tracking that y’all are on the Kansas Turnpike. Is that right?” his deep, calming voice asked.
Frantically searching the road in front of me, I finally saw a sign. “Yes.” Then I wondered how the hell he knew that. “How the hell?”
“Need to know basis, babe. Trust that we’re tracking you and we’re loading up to head your way, but we’re a long way away. I need you to keep your head. I’m going to make a few calls. I’ll be calling you back shortly.”
Words stuck in my throat.
“Raiven? You hear me?”
“Um, yeah,” I croaked.
“Good. If you need me before I call you back, you call, yeah?”
“Okay.” Immediately after my answer, the phone went dead.
Heart pounding painfully, I trembled. I had no idea what I was doing.
When the small voice came from the back seat, I wanted to cry but managed to hold my shit together.
“Waiven? Whewe’s my daddy?”
Oh God.
Breaths coming in gasps, I struggled not to hyperventilate. Pasting on a smile, I gave a valiant attempt at sounding cheery.
“He’s with your uncles.” That at least wasn’t much of a lie. “They’re going to catch up to us.”
Now that part, I prayed with every formerly non-believing bone in my body to be true.
“Otay.” She didn’t fuss, she didn’t cry, she took me at my word without question, and I didn’t know how to deal with that.
Checking the rearview, I was relieved that there was no black Charger barreling up on us. Except I was equally as distressed that there were no bikes behind me either.
“You okay back there, kiddo?” I looked at her in the mirror.
Her answer was a li
ngering sniffle, then a toothy grin, before she popped her headphones back on and her eyes focused on the video she had playing.
It terrified me that her innocent little life was in my hands. I didn’t really know the first thing about kids, and I was a fucking wreck.
The first vehicle I’d seen in miles passed us on the opposite side of the highway, and I wondered if they’d be able to help. If they’d see everything going on back there.
Shit! Why didn’t I call the cops? The thought hit me as quickly as the answer.
Because I didn’t know how far Stefano’s reach was and I didn’t know who I could trust.
The phone rang and I saw Styx’s name on the dash screen. I was shocked to see how much time had passed.
“Hello?”
“How you doin’, sweetheart?” was the first thing he asked.
“Honestly, I have no idea.” A fat tear tracked down my cheek.
“Everything’s gonna be fine. You hear?” he demanded in a calm, commanding manner.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Okay, in about thirty minutes or so, you’ll see a group of about seven bikes pass you. They will turn around and come up behind you. You know what the Demented Sons back patch looks like, right?”
I nodded. “Um, yes.” I remembered my uncle in his throughout the years.
“Perfect. That’s what they’ll be wearing but with an Oklahoma bottom rocker. One guy will ride up next to you so you can see their patch. If it’s not one of our guys or you see a patch that says Demon Runners, you sideswipe them and keep going. Got it?”
“Yeah.” I took a long, shaky breath. Jesus, it really was like being stuck in a living nightmare.
“They will escort you to us, then we’ll take over.”
“Okay. Umm, Styx? What about Ma—What about Lock and the other guys?”
Please don’t lose it, please don’t lose it, please don’t lose it.
“We’ve got someone on that too, but right now you and that little girl are the priority. Don’t worry about them. They are tough and they’ll have backup soon.”
Feeling a little better, I shook off my feeling of foreboding. “Thank you, Styx.” It came out as barely a whisper.
“Hey. We take care of family. You hear?”
The lump in my throat was so big I could barely swallow, let alone answer. A small whimper was all that came out.
“Stay tough. We’re gonna get through this. Later.” He hung up.
I’d no sooner ended the call with Styx before the phone rang again. Tears broke through the dam, and I sobbed as my uncle’s road name flashed on the screen.
“Uncle Carlisle.” My words were a sloppy, snotty, watery mess.
“Blackbird? You stop that sniveling. You’re made of tougher stuff than that. I got a phone call that filled me in on what happened. Are you hurt? Are you okay?” His gruff voice echoed through the truck.
Was I okay? Fuck no, I wasn’t. I was definitely hurt. Decimated, even.
A man who’d stirred insane thoughts and feelings in me after barely over twenty-four hours might have sacrificed himself for me and his precious little daughter. How was I supposed to cope with that?
“No, I’m not hurt. Scared. Fuck, I’m terrified.” A quick peek in the back seat showed Presley was sleeping again. Damn, that little girl slept well in a vehicle.
“You just stay moving, and the guys will be with you soon. Okay? How are you doing on gas?”
“I’m still good. We had filled up right before everything went to shit. But Matlock—” A shuddering inhale and sobbing exhale interrupted my ability to speak.
“He’s going to be okay. He’s tough too. Blackbird?”
“Yeah, Uncle Carlisle?” I tried to keep my sniffle quiet.
“You are strong. You take care of that little girl and yourself. The guys will take care of everything else. I wish you would’ve told me everything when we picked you up in Chicago, but I understand. I love you.” It might have been my imagination but it sounded like his voice cracked before he cleared his throat. “I’ll see you soon. I snuck in on a cancellation for my appointment this morning, so your aunt and I got on the road as soon as we heard from Styx and Snow.”
“Thank you. Travel safe. I love you both, too.” As the line went dead, I hoped that I’d live to see him again.
“Sorry”—The Art of Dying
Every-motherfucking-thing hurt. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to swallow. My eyelids were so heavy I had to fight to get them to crack open the slightest.
Groggy, I let my eyes travel over the room until I realized I wasn’t alone. My heart sped up, and I wanted to jump to defend myself, but I couldn’t move. Limbs like lead, I could barely turn my head their direction.
“Who are you? Where am I?” My voice was like sandpaper on gravel. My mouth was dry and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Blinking, I saw a woman next to me.
“Shhh. Try not to talk. Drink a small sip of this. Your stomach hasn’t had anything in a while, and we don’t want you puking on yourself.” She gave a blurry half-hearted smile. “I’ve been giving you TPN since you’ve been out so your body got at least some nutrients, but they’d kill me if they knew. Thankfully they’re too stupid to know it wasn’t just IV fluids and antibiotics.”
While I sipped slowly through the straw she placed at my lips, I studied her with clearing vision. Dark brown hair pulled up in a severe ponytail exposed huge brown eyes and a face devoid of makeup. At my confused look, she shook her head. “Sorry, I’m speaking Greek, huh? That’s Total Parenteral Nutrition. Um, basically nutrients through your IV.”
She pulled the drink away, and I watched her as she checked an IV bag, then the dressings on my chest and arm, causing me to wince.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to taper off your pain meds so you’re more lucid. I’ll give you a little more,” she said softly. The single door to the room opened.
I didn’t know the guy but I sure as fuck recognized his cut. The Demon Runner barked at the woman, “Don’t talk to him, sis. Just do what we pay you to do.”
She snorted. “Pay me? You extort me. I don’t have a choice.”
The Demon Runner stepped closer. “Shut your fucking face, sis. Unless you want Viper to come down here and collect the money you owe us.”
Her eyes widened, and I could smell the fear emanating from her.
Whatever she’d given me must’ve kicked in, because my eyes started to get heavy again and I slipped out of consciousness.
I had no idea how much time had passed, but the next time I woke, the same woman was changing the dressing on my chest, but this time her hair was wadded up on her head. The same Demon Runner who was in the room before was leaning against the wall playing on his phone.
It rang, and he looked up, so I closed my eyes. I heard him tell her, “Don’t do anything stupid, sis. I’ll be right outside.”
Once the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes and whispered, “Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She refused to make eye contact.
Trying another approach, I asked, “You’re a doctor?”
“Surgeon.” She finished taping down the thick gauze and threw away the trash.
When I didn’t think she’d say any more, I saw her glance nervously toward the door. “Look, I don’t know why they have you or why they had me save you. But from what little I’ve overheard, you’re in trouble and they won’t mind wasting all my hard work once they get what they want from you.” Whispering, she spoke quickly.
“I can’t do anything else for you.” She slid something under my hip. “That’s the best I can do and I’ll deny it until my dying day. Good luck.”
The burly bastard stepped back in the room. “You done?”
“Yes. Dressing’s changed, pain meds administered, and last round of antibiotics running. Can I go now? I’m expected at the hospital in a little over six hours. I need some sleep.” Her dark hair was starting to fall out of the messy bundle she had it up in this time
, and she blew it out of her face. Dark circles graced the underside of her eyes.
“He weren’t supposed to get no more pain shit. Fuck. All right, go. Thanks, sis. You’ll get paid soon. You come change his shit again tomorrow after you get off.” She snorted at the guy, and I had a feeling he was the only Demon Runner with whom she’d get away with acting like that. He was either her actual brother, or possibly she was an ol’ lady but I didn’t get that feeling.
Whatever she’d given me for pain was starting to kick in, because my eyelids began to get heavy as fuck. I hated that shit, but if the cloudy memories I had were accurate, I’d be in hellacious pain without them.
My last conscious thought was to wonder if Raiven and Presley were safe.
The next time I woke, it was dark in the room, with only a small under-the-cabinet light on in the corner. I was surprisingly alone.
Taking the opportunity to catalog the room, I noticed cabinets that had locks on every door. I was on a stretcher like you’d see in an ER. I had an IV running, and the bag was nearly empty. Other than that, there was nothing sitting around the room.
“What the fuck?” Voice rusty, I croaked.
Trying to sit up was pure torture, but I finally sat on the edge of the bed with the blanket still covering me. I wasn’t sure what was worse, the dizziness or the nausea. When I clutched the bed, my hand landed on something small and hard.
Blinking, I stared at it a moment before I realized it was a capped scalpel. The woman’s words as she slid something under me came back. The problem was, I was weak as hell, dressed in nothing but underwear, and I had no fucking clue where I was.
A single scalpel wasn’t going to be very effective.
Not one to dismiss the small things, however, I tucked it into the back of my underwear with shaking hands. That small movement sent a burning, sharp pain through my chest to my back. My arm was on fire, but glancing down, it appeared it must’ve been a flesh wound.
That was also when I noticed the discomfort in my dick.
“Oh please don’t let my dick be gone,” I muttered. Lifting the blanket, I saw a tube coming out of the leg of the underwear. Tentatively, I pulled the waistband of out and peeked inside.
Lock and Load: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 10