Down & Dirty: Diesel (Dirty Angels MC Book 4)

by Jeanne St. James

  “Not much cover close to the cabin,” Mercy said.

  “Gonna stand here an’ chit chat or we gonna get that fucker?” D finally asked, impatiently.

  “Thought we were havin’ a meaningful conversation, boss,” Brick joked.

  “Need to get this done so I can check on my woman,” D grumbled.

  “Don’t gotta be here, boss. We can handle this one little flea,” Mercy said.

  “Know it. But it’s personal.”

  “Wanna piece of him, too. Been waitin’ too long for it,” Hawk added, stepping closer.

  D studied his older brother. Even in the light of the moon, he could see Hawk’s face was as hard as granite.

  “Gonna distract him. Don’t let the fucker escape. Take ‘im down but not out, got me?” D got a response from everyone but his brother. “Got me, Hawk?”

  “Yeah,” he finally grunted.

  “This ends here,” D told him.

  “Just this piece. Lots more pieces to the puzzle, brother,” Hawk muttered. “Don’t get fuckin’ shot.”

  “Not plannin’ on it,” he answered. But as soon as he did, a shot rang out, and he stepped back from the impact. A burn hit his chest and he lost his breath as he dropped to his knees, a hand automatically going to where he was hit.

  “Fuck,” D groaned.

  “D,” Hawk called out, but ducked as another shot pinged off a nearby tree.

  “Boss, you hit?” Walker asked, moving in closer.

  “Fuck yeah.”

  Another shot rang out and everyone dropped to the ground flattening themselves in the dirt.

  “Stay down,” Mercy yelled. “Brick.”

  “Yeah,” Brick answered. “Got it.”

  Brick crawled on elbows and knees deeper into the woods and disappeared.

  D sucked in a breath as he tried to remain calm. The spot where the bullet entered was throbbing with each beat of his heart. What made it worse was his heart was pumping a million beats a minute.

  “Where you hit?” Walker asked next to him.

  “Chest. Right. Upper.”

  “Just a scratch then,” Walker said. “Long as nothin’s nicked—lung, artery, heart—then you’re good.”

  Right, D thought. Hurt like fuck, though.

  “Don’t look like I’m gonna get to play, boss.” Mercy said, sounding disappointed as he crawled up next to D.

  Jesus fuckin’ Christ.

  A few more shots rang out and everyone ducked their heads. “Anybody else hit?” D asked, then winced when the pain shot through him.

  “Nope, just you. Your mama knew how to grow ‘em big,” Hunter said. “Makes for an easy target. Even a bad shot like that asshole in there can’t miss you.”

  D ignored Hunter and called out, “Z?”

  “Good,” Zak answered from behind him.

  Yep, he was the only stupid ass to get shot.

  Hawk handed him his bandana. “Pressure to the wound.”

  D grunted and took it, doing exactly what his brother said. He sucked in a breath at the burning pain.

  “Text Rig, Z. Get ‘im rollin’ this direction ASAP. Need to get the Jeep outta here after this is done. Tell him no delays. Got me?”

  “Yeah.”

  Black Jack took a few more shots, kicking the dirt up around them. One hit a tree and the bark exploding overhead before landing on them.

  “Fucker. Shit shot. Wastin’ ammo,” Walker grumbled.

  “Be glad he’s a shit shot,” Hawk said. “We just gonna sit here an’ wait ‘til he’s out?”

  “Fuck no,” Mercy said. Then said nothing else.

  “What the fuck we doin’ then?” Hawk asked. D could hear the impatience in his brother’s voice. “Brother’s shot, need to get ‘im to a hospital.”

  “Needs a fuckin’ Band Aid and a beer,” Walker said. “He’ll be good.”

  Suddenly a bunch of shots headed their direction.

  “Asshole got one of his rifles,” Hunter growled. “What the fuck’s takin’ Brick so long?”

  “Patience,” Mercy said.

  “Hard to be patient when it’s rainin’ bullets,” Hawk growled.

  “You ain’t hit, so quit bitchin’,” Walker told him.

  Just when Hawk started crawling in Walker’s direction acting like a man on a mission, a final shot echoed through the clearing. This one didn’t come from the direction of the cabin. It came from their left.

  Then the cabin was eerily quiet. Dead quiet.

  “Holy fuck,” Z whispered in awe. “Head shot?”

  “Former Navy Seal sniper,” Hunter muttered, climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. “’That city is well fortified which has a wall of men instead of brick.’ That’s a quote by Lycurgus of Sparta. Only with Brick, the saying is, ‘That city is well fortified which has a Brick instead of a wall of men.’”

  “He that good?” Z asked, surprise clear in his voice.

  “Yeah, fuckin’ the best.”

  “Damn,” Z whispered.

  “Rig en route?” D asked Zak.

  “Yeah.”

  Hawk pushed himself up to a stand. “Gotta get you to a hospital.”

  “Not here. Home.”

  “D, there’s one closer to here than home.”

  “Gotta get to Jewel.”

  He heard his brother make a noise, but Hawk said, “Let’s hit the road, then,” finally. “Don’t need you bleedin’ out before we get there.”

  “Just a scratch,” Walker said again.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Hawk shot in Walker’s direction, making the man laugh.

  “We’ll stay an’ clean up this mess,” Mercy said to D as he helped him to his feet. “Get your brother to drive you back in the Jeep. We’ll stay until this Rig gets here with the rollback. I’ll get ‘im to take your bikes instead. Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” D answered him. “Thanks, brother.”

  “Wish the night ended differently, but whatever. Next time. Plenty of more pieces to the puzzle to play with, yeah?”

  “Yeah,” D said on a pained breath. Hawk came from behind him and braced an arm at his back. It was good timing, too, since he was starting to feel a bit light-headed.

  “Let’s go,” Hawk said and helped him toward the Jeep. “Z, ridin’ with us or followin’?” his brother asked over his shoulder.

  “Stayin’,” Z answered. “Gotta check out this head shot an’ will ride back with Rig.”

  “Jesus,” D muttered.

  “Don’t be surprised if suddenly he’s hangin’ at the range with Brick,” Hawk said low as he helped him into the passenger seat of the four-by-four.

  “Fuck me,” D muttered.

  “Gotta a bit of a ride home, lots of time to tell me what you’re gonna do ‘bout Jewel.”

  “Fuck me,” D muttered again.

  “Stop fussin’, woman!” D barked as Jewel fluffed a pillow and tried to tuck it behind his head.

  “I have to take care of my ol’ man,” she stated with a smirk.

  “Ain’t your ol’ man,” he grumbled.

  “Swore I heard you say it.”

  That he did, but he wasn’t going to admit it. At least not when she was being cocky. “By accident.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Right.”

  “Ain’t true unless it’s official.”

  “I’m sure Pierce will have no problem setting up a special meeting for that.”

  Fucking Pierce. They still needed to deal with his ass. And here he was sitting in the hospital. With everyone being more worried about his flesh wound, they wouldn’t want to discuss that issue.

  As soon as Hawk got him to the hospital, he was rushed into surgery and they dug out the bullet, cleaned out the wound, and sewed him shut. They said he was lucky he had a lot of heavy muscle to take the impact.

  Nothing major was damaged besides flesh due to the caliber used and the distance he was shot from. But he would have a badass scar for the rest of his life. Though, it did fuck up one of his tatt
oos.

  That wasn’t what pissed him off. No. He never got to see Jewelee when he’d arrived. No matter how much he demanded he see her before he went into the OR, they all ignored him.

  Hawk found that amusing since that wasn’t something Diesel was used to.

  But he did assure D that he’d check on Jewel and be waiting for him once he got out of surgery.

  His brother kept to his word, of course. He certainly wasn’t the only one waiting when he finally woke up from the anesthesia.

  Ace and his mom were there, and just about everyone else. Z and Rig arrived not long after he came out of surgery and Z assured him that things were “cleaned up.” He told him Mercy would give him a full report once he was out of the hospital.

  That was good enough for him since he trusted his crew one hundred percent.

  The nurses had insisted everyone leave since he was still groggy from the surgery and they reluctantly all filed out. All except Jewelee. Even against the nurse’s orders. And D backed her up by telling the nurse that he’d rip out his IV and leave the hospital if she couldn’t stay with him.

  Because that’s how pussy whipped he’d become in a fucking day.

  Jesus fuckin’ Christ.

  However, now he was starting to regret having her stay since she wouldn’t stop fussing over him. He needed to do something to get her to stop.

  He grabbed her wrist above the ligature marks and pulled her close. “Woman, lemme see your head.”

  She swatted a hand in his direction. “I’m fine. Just a bump, a bruise and a couple stitches.”

  “Lemme see.” He cupped the side of her face and brought her even closer so he could press his lips to her forehead. He pulled back a little and murmured, “Fuckin’ woman had me scared.”

  “Nothing scares you,” she scoffed, perching herself on the hospital bed by his side.

  “Thought of losin’ you did.”

  She frowned as she reminded him, “Almost lost you, too.”

  “Been shot at before.” Which was true.

  She sighed. “Yeah, but never hit.”

  That was true, too.

  “Can we not make that a habit?” she asked, her brows low, her blue eyes worried.

  “Gettin’ shot?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Yeah, baby. Promise not to make it a habit.”

  “My fault. I should’ve listened to you,” she whispered to D.

  “Ain’t your fault, woman,” he said, his voice gruff.

  “If I had been on the ride, he wouldn’t have got me.”

  “Could’ve snagged you anywhere.”

  As she curled her legs up and leaned into his good side, his arm snaked out and wrapped around her, holding her close.

  Jesus, she felt good against him.

  “If I’m hurting you, I’ll get off the bed.”

  “Ain’t movin’, woman, stayin’ right there.”

  She smiled at him. “So, it took me getting snatched to get you to make me your ol’ lady?”

  “Nope.”

  She raised her brows at him. “Changing your mind?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then what?”

  “Decided before that asshole got you.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. On the run this morning. Had time to think.”

  “And you thought it would be a good idea?”

  “No. Ain’t a good idea.”

  Jewel snorted. “D...”

  “Never a good idea to have some woman hangin’ ‘round your neck like a fuckin’ noose, squeezin’ your balls in a vise, naggin’ an’ bitchin’, rollin’ her eyes at you. All that shit sucks.”

  Jewel pinned her lips together for a moment, then said with a smirk, “Yeah, I can see that being a bit of a deterrent.”

  “More than a bit,” he grumbled. He lifted her hand and brushed his thumb lightly over the broken, brush-burned skin at her wrist from the rope. His heart seized when he thought of how badly it all could’ve gone.

  Instead of him lying in a hospital bed, it could have been her. Instead of her teasing him, she could have had her mind and spirit broken like Jazz had. His woman would’ve been changed forever.

  And that would have fucking killed him.

  “Sure you wanna be my ol’ lady?” he asked.

  Jewel met his gaze. There was nothing she wanted more.

  When she’d gotten the news he’d been shot, she just about collapsed. She had just gotten to church with Jag after a short stint in the emergency room. She had only been there long enough for the doctors to make sure she didn’t have a concussion and to get a couple stitches. Then not even an hour afterward, she found herself back in some fancy black Range Rover heading back to the hospital, Jag driving like a crazy man with Janice and Ace in the back seat. She could tell D’s parents were trying not to freak out, and she was trying to put on a brave face, also.

  When they arrived at the hospital in record time, they were relieved to find D’s gunshot wound wasn’t life threatening. She went from almost collapsing in panic at church to doing it in relief at the hospital instead.

  She loved him too much to bear losing him. Not this soon.

  Hell, not ever.

  “Never a good idea to have a man hanging around your neck like a fucking noose, being bossy and demanding, expecting you to obey all commands like he’s your master.”

  “Yeah,” he breathed. And she could tell he was fighting a smile.

  “It sucks. Can’t get dick anywhere else now, either,” she added.

  The crinkles at the corners of his eyes disappeared and he shot her a scowl. “Woman, ain’t even goin’ there.”

  She laughed. It was too easy to push his buttons.

  He looked up at the ceiling and blew out a breath. “Jesus, woman, what’d you do to me?”

  “Nothing you didn’t want done,” she said matter-of-factly.

  She waited for him to argue that point, but, surprisingly, he didn’t.

  “I don’t give a shit,” a loud female voice could be heard from outside the room. “I need to see my cousin.”

  “Ma’am!”

  “Don’t ma’am me. For fuck’s sake, I’m not that old.” Bella came barreling into the room and turned in time to shut the door in the nurse’s face. “Ol’ biddy,” she huffed. Her eyes turned to Diesel and Jewel over on the bed and she smiled. “Thank fuck,” she whispered and rushed over to them.

  “Ain’t no lock on the door,” D warned. “Probably will get security to come in an’ drag your ass out.”

  Bella lifted a shoulder. “Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Alive,” he grunted.

  “I can see that.” Bella glanced across the bed at Jewel. “He really okay?”

  “Fuckin’ woman! Said I’m okay,” he barked impatiently.

  Jewel turned her head to hide her laughter.

  “Well, don’t be a fuckin’ grump,” Bella barked back at him.

  “Just got shot. Allowed to be a grump.”

  “And him being a grump is different from when?” Jewel asked Bella.

  Bella smiled at her. “True.”

  “Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” D muttered, raising his eyes to the ceiling again.

  The door suddenly swung open and all eyes turned in that direction. Jewel was sure it was the nurse or security coming in to escort Bella out.

  It was someone in a uniform but not who they expected.

  “Fuck,” Diesel said under his breath, but loud enough for Jewel to hear.

  Bella frowned in the new arrival’s direction. “What’re you doin’ here?”

  Axel stepped into the room, then firmly closed the door behind him. He pinned his gaze on Bella. “You supposed to be in here?”

  “Are you hospital security now?” she asked smartly. “Get a demotion?”

  Axel’s lips flattened and he stepped closer.

  “Whataya want, pig?” D barked.

  “Jesus, Diesel,” Axel grumbled. “Can�
��t you ever be civil?”

  “Not to you.”

  Jewel could see Axel take a deep breath. Probably so he wouldn’t shoot Diesel in the other side of his chest.

  “Axel, he doesn’t want you here,” Bella stated.

  “Well, he doesn’t have a fucking choice. I’m here to question him.”

  “On what?” Jewel asked her cousin.

  “All GSW’s have to be investigated.”

  She frowned. “GSW’s?”

  “Gunshot wounds,” Axel clarified.

  “Slipped, fell, shot myself. Fucked up,” D grumbled. “Now get gone.”

  “We’ve got the bullet, D. We can do ballistics and see if it matches any of your weapons.”

  “SVPD isn’t doing ballistics,” Bella said, swatting a dismissing hand toward Axel.

  “Someone was shot, Bella.”

  “Yeah, an’ it was an accident an’ I’m just peachy,” D said, frowning. “Now get gone.”

  Axel shook his head. “You can tell me that a thousand times, but I’m not leaving until I get the info I came for.”

  “Ain’t sayin’ shit.”

  Axel looked at Jewel, who gave him a shrug. “I wasn’t there.”

  Axel stepped closer to her, seeing the injury to her head. “What happened to you?” His eyes slid to D. “He hit you?”

  “No!” Jewel exclaimed. “Holy shit, Axel. Don’t even say stuff like that. I clocked my head on one of the shop’s lifts.”

  Axel gave her an I-don’t-believe-you face. “Just making sure he isn’t taking out his miserable temper on you.” Before he could question her further, D got his attention. Luckily.

  “Fuckin’, pig. Steppin’ on thin ice. Can still get outta this bed,” D warned.

  “Smart, threatening a cop,” Axel proclaimed.

  “D would never hurt Jewel,” Bella stated.

  Axel’s gaze slid to her. “You know what happened?”

  Bella shut her mouth and averted her eyes.

  Did she know what happened? All Jewel was told was that after D got shot, Black Jack got away.

  Now she wondered if something else went down.

  “I don’t know shit. Just what D told you.”

  “Bullshit,” Axel growled. He stepped closer to Bella and grabbed her arm. “If you know the truth, you need to tell me.”

  Bella yanked at her arm. “Don’t know shit, Axel.”

  “Get your hand off ‘er,” D growled, sitting up.