Rayna knew she should speak the fuck up and tell Fury she was hit, but whatever happened next would make or break her.
She had her bottom lip tucked so snugly between her teeth she tasted blood, but that wasn’t the only source of her pain.
Rayna took a chance and glanced down to see more of the thick, red, liquid seeping from between her fingers.
Her white t-shirt, a gift from Fury that read Tequila Made Me Do It, was quickly becoming drenched through.
Rayna whimpered, but the sound was quickly inhaled by the angry growling of Fury’s bike beneath her.
Now was not the time to draw more attention to herself- she'd done enough damage already.
She’d lost control and blown those Blazin’ Eagles bastards right to hell, right where they belonged.
Rayna knew that if Tide or Crow had gotten the chance to draw their guns, her and Fury would be roadkill right alongside them.
Then she’d gone and blown Thrasher to bits, but not before he got her first- the sticky blood coating her shaky fingers was proof of that- and the pain was overwhelming.
Tell him, tell him, tell him!
In fact, as she watched Fury, Limit, and Prettyboy fall into a triangle formation, she thought about speaking up, but her tongue was tied.
The only thing she could do was hold onto Fury, soak up his warmth-
Or was that her own blood coating her skin and keeping her warm?
Rayna thought back to the many times she'd been bloody in the last five months and knew that this time, she wouldn’t wake up okay.
Rayna tried not to cry at the idea of her showing up to the Seven Deadlies’s clubhouse in much the same position as Lizzie had, because it was going to tear Fury apart to see her like this, but she couldn’t help it.
Her tears fell anyways.
Putting pressure on the wound was the only thing she could do as they rounded a familiar road, the road that would lead her home.
Home?
The clubhouse?
Yeah, the clubhouse was home, Fury was home, and if she could just make it there, everything would be alright.
In a last ditch effort to keep herself upright, she tossed her bag off of her shoulder, catching Fury’s attention when it went flying over the side of his bike.
His dark eyes met hers and she promised herself she’d him as her anchor- that she'd use the feel of him, the sound of his voice, the way he looked at her as reason to stay awake and to keep her shit together.
They were close now, so close she could see the tall fence lining the property, but there were still two pissed off Blazin’ Eagles riding behind them, and she was out of bullets.
Rayna still had Fury’s gun nestled in her hand though, the handle coated in blood and adhering to her pale fingers.
Rayna used it to keep pressure on her wound, her hand disappearing underneath her brand new t-shirt that was now ruined beyond repair.
As they sped towards the electric fence the gates opened, and to her surprise, Fury and his brothers glided right in before she caught a glimpse of Slayer hurriedly closing the gate.
His hand slammed onto a big red button, and she knew he was turning on the electricity.
The two Blazin’ Eagles left, Haze and Jaden, sped past the clubhouse, obviously understanding they were outnumbered in numbers and allies.
Seven Deadlies’s territory spanned through most of North Carolina, and while they only had one charter, they had many friends and allies that were littered all over the U.S
There was no way the Blazin' Eagles, all fucking two of them, could rage a war now.
As soon as Fury stopped his bike, she sighed with relief and buried her face in the back of his cut.
Keep cool, Rayna.
Don’t panic, just call Laura.
But, she’d been bleeding out for some time, and she knew that the spots appearing behind her eyes weren’t a good sign-
“Rayna, you good?”
She had her right hand buried between her and Fury when he asked that question.
His raspy voice went straight to her head, grounding her.
“Call Laura,” Rayna choked out.
Fury stiffened against her, and Rayna felt a hand on her back.
“Rayna, you okay?”
Through the chaos happening on the lot, Rayna could barely hear Ox’s voice- or was it the roaring in her ears that made it so hard to hear?
She opened her eyes and saw Arrow and Torch undoubtedly securing the lot now that there were enemies in their territory while Rider and Slayer rushed to close the garage.
Lockdown.
We’re going into lockdown.
“Rayna? Baby?”
Rayna could barely lift her head as she slowly dropped her feet to the ground, her boots sliding clumsily against the asphalt.
As calmly as she could, she removed her bloody hand from beneath her shirt- Fury’s bloody gun still rested in her palm- and she watched Ox’s eyes widen.
“Shit! Rider, call Laura, now!”
Rayna took a deep shuddering breath as Ox helped her from Fury’s bike, which was abruptly ripped out from under her when his large form followed closely behind Ox. She cried out in agony when he laid her out on the warm cement.
Fury’s gun skittered across the ground as it fell from her hand.
The sun was bright overhead and the glare made her close her eyes, but she didn't even care, because she was floating.
I’m floating…
Rayna let the heat from the ground beneath her seep into her chilled skin as her arms fell limply to her sides.
Fury was screaming, his handsome mouth quirked into a scary grimace as Ox ripped her shirt right down the middle.
Rayna wanted to yell at him for ripping her present from Fury, but her voice came out garbled instead.
Someone was suddenly kneeling beside her head, and she caught the faint scent of Green’s favorite cologne, something he dubbed ‘the most fuck-able scent on planet earth.’
Fury’s fingers gripped her chin roughly and the movement jarred her, causing her eyes to open wide.
She screamed when Ox pressed his hands to her abdomen, and finally, as if she were exiting a long tunnel, she could hear what Fury was saying.
“Hold on, baby! Don’t close your eyes!,” He demanded as he took one of her hands into his.
As he said that, the sun was swallowed by a large cloud, and suddenly, all of that heat Rayna was busy appreciating moments before, was gone.
Why is it so fucking cold?
I’m freezing…
Rayna started to shiver, she started to fucking cry again, because Fury’s dark eyes were wet and rimmed with tears of his own as he leaned over her.
“You’re doing so good, baby. Laura will be here soon, and she’s gonna fix you right up,” Fury said roughly.
But, she could tell by the look on his face that he didn't really believe that, and Rayna didn't blame him.
There was another warmth slowly gaining her attention, and it had nothing to do with the sun. As Rayna lifted her other hand, she saw her own blood trailing along the underside of her arm, all the way to her elbow.
She was bleeding out, and she knew it- one glance at the men surrounding her told her they all knew it.
“Where is she? Ox, she’s gonna fuckin’ die!,” Fury roared.
Ox’s hands were pressed tightly against her stomach, his gaze somber.
Rider was standing beside them, his phone pressed to his ear, but Rayna couldn’t hear what he was saying.
Green had her head in his lap and he was whispering sweet things into her ear, his mouth pressed against the shell of her ear.
Prettyboy and Limit were kneeling on the ground beside Fury, their expressions worried. Slayer joined the group then, and he rushed to his knees beside Fury.
“Laura is right around the corner, Rayna. She’ll be here in just a second,” He said softly.
Rayna felt like she was drifting; that was the only word that seemed anywher
e near accurate.
Drifting.
The irony of the entire situation wasn’t lost on her, either; she’d escaped that hell hole clubhouse only to be killed off by the Blazin’ Eagles anyway.
I’m dying.
Her body hurt, but her mind didn’t, and the longer she laid there shaking, the less her body began to hurt, too.
Fury’s face came into view as he kissed her mouth, his lips hard and unrelenting.
“Don’t fuckin’ leave me. Please.”
His words had her choking on a sob as she weakly pressed his hand to her mouth, unknowingly bloodying her own lips.
The silent admission, the fact that she knew she was dying, had her crying against his tanned skin as he bent over her.
She tried to get the words out, the only words that mattered in that moment, as he watched her.
“Love…you-”
They came out strangled, two words almost completely devoured by the sound of her own blood flooding the back of her throat, or the current of tears; she wasn’t sure which.
Fury’s own face crumpled like an old coke can as Slayer moved out of the way so he could hold her.
Against Ox’s better judgement, Fury gripped Rayna tightly against his chest, her blonde head cradled in the crook of his arm.
“Don’t close your eyes, damn it! Don’t close your fuckin’ eyes,” Fury begged.
Rayna wanted to do what he asked, but she wasn't sure if she could.
Her eyelids felt like they were weighed down by bricks, and the harder she fought to keep them open, the harder it became to do so.
“Fury, let her go- Laura is here, you have to let her go!,” Ox demanded.
But, Rayna wasn't ready for him to let her go, so she held on tightly to one of his hands.
His calloused fingers were slick with her blood, but she dug her nails in so he couldn’t slip away.
Don’t close your eyes, Rayna.
Don’t close your eyes, or you’ll lose Fury forever.
The idea of losing Fury had her heart stuttering in her chest, had her gasping for air as Laura began to speak quickly to someone beside her while she pried her skin open and dug in.
Hurt, that fucking hurts!
Someone should stop her, or she’s going to kill me…
That tunnel-hearing was back so Rayna could only make out every other word, because it sounded like she was sinking underwater.
Down, down, down…
The air smelled like dirty pennies, but the scent didn’t upset Rayna.
Nothing bothered her.
And as she laid there, with her arms spread and her legs splayed out across the pavement, she kept her eyes open; Rayna kept her eyes open for so long, and it didn't even sting.
Nothing hurt anymore, and that drifting sensation was back again as she took one long, deep, shuddering breath.
“We’re losing her! Fuck, Ox, hand me…”
Laura’s voice was suddenly cut off as the waves crashed over Rayna, and she was tugged into the darkness completely. They were powerful enough to make her eyes close, loud enough to clog her ears…
Rayna didn’t hurt anymore, and for the first time in months, her heart didn’t either.
Chapter Seventeen
Fury knew that he’d done a lot of bad in his life.
He knew he didn’t deserve for whatever God or deity was out there, to answer his prayers.
Fury knew all of that, and still, he spent the better half of his night on his knees.
Rayna didn’t stir, not once, and the fact that she was so fucking still had Fury checking her vitals every few minutes.
She was like his own Sleeping Beauty, but no matter how many times he kissed her, she didn’t open her eyes.
Laura assured him that she was now stable, that she was out of any imminent danger, but he didn't believe her.
How could he?
She’d literally died in his arms for over a minute before Laura brought her back by the skin of her teeth.
Those had been the scariest sixty seconds of his entire life.
Even now, his fingers were still shaking as he slid a palm against her forehead.
Her chest rose steadily, but Fury had to feel her breathing to believe it.
“How she doin’?”
Fury glanced at Ox, who was lounging against the doorjamb.
“Still asleep.”
“Laura said she was going to keep Rayna sedated so she could rest comfortably.”
Fury already knew that, but he didn’t say a damn word as Ox rounded Rayna’s bed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Fury wanted to smack his hand away, wanted to tell him not to fucking touch her, but again his words failed him.
“She’s killed almost an entire MC. This tiny, slip of a woman, has almost wiped an entire group of renegade bikers…that’s pretty amazing, don't you think?”
Ox’s amber eyes fell on Fury and Fury waited silently for him to continue.
“What are your intentions with her?”
Fury narrowed is eyes.
“What the fuck do you think my intentions are? She’s mine,” He grated.
Ox held his hands up as he pulled up a chair alongside Fury.
“What are you going to do about that? You wanted control over this mission, brother. You have it, so what next?”
Death.
Blood, and guts, and mother fucking revenge.
“I’m going to bring them here, and I'm going to let Limit hang them up by their fucking spines in the garage, and I'm going to gut them,” Fury said angrily.
Ox’s lips twitched.
“Yeah, I thought you’d say something like that. I have Rider trackin’ them now. We caught wind of them settlin' down for the night right outside of Bryson City.”
Fury frowned.
“Wait, what about the fuckin’ rat we’ve got in the club? We find out who it is?”
Ox shook his head slowly as he glanced at Rayna over his shoulder.
“No, but someone tipped ‘em off. No one but us knew you were down in Myrtle, and they wouldn't have ambushed you like that if you’d have had backup,” Ox said softly.
Fury swore and clambered to his feet, his whole frame trembling from lack of sleep and agony.
“They ambushed us ‘cause some rat sold us out. Don’t blame yourself for this, Ox. Rayna took those fuckers out all on her own. She protected me, Prettyboy and Limit. She didn’t have to do that, I wish she wouldn’t have done it, but now this is on me. I’m gonna fuckin’ end this.”
Ox eyed Fury closely.
“You sure you’re up for it?”
Fury gestured wildly towards Rayna.
“You’re kidding, right? You know I’d do anything for her, Ox.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear. That you plan on keeping her.”
Fury couldn’t imagine letting her go, not now.
Rayna Claire was gonna be his old lady- he’d meant what he said about her taking his name and his brand.
She was his.
“She’s mine, and that’s the last fuckin’ time I'm gonna argue about it.”
Ox smiled, irritating Fury further.
“What?”
“I’m just happy for ya, man. We’re gonna set this shit straight, okay? There’s only two of ‘em left. We can handle this quickly an easily.”
Fury didn’t doubt the easily part, but he sure as hell didn’t want to end them quickly.
“I wanna savor this one, Ox. They almost killed my old lady. I’m not gonna settle for anything less than a slow, painful death.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to. Let’s go check in with Rider, see where they’re at. We’ll have Church, devise a solid plan.”
Fury nodded, his gaze straying back to Rayna.
Her small form barely made a lump out of the bedding, and Fury hesitated.
“What if she changes her mind when she wakes up? What if she decides this life ain’t for her?”
Ox slapped him hard on th
e back.
“She won’t. But, if for some reason Rayna Claire decides that she can’t hack it here, then we let her go. You and I both know better than anyone that you can’t force someone to stick around if they don’t want to,” Ox said sadly.
Fury knew he was talking about Lizzie; but he also knew that Ox was referring to a woman from his own past, Maddie.
“I don’t know if I can let her go,” Fury admitted.
“Then give her a reason to stay.”
Give her a reason to stay…
Am I not enough of a reason?
Won’t she choose me back?
“Fury, Rayna loves you. I know it, you know it- don’t worry about something that hasn’t happened yet, okay?”
Fury knew that Ox was right, and the weekend they’d spent together had been perfect up until the Blazin’ Eagles showed up…but what if she blamed him?
What if he didn’t live up to her expectations?
He’d already failed her once, what if he did it again?
“Fury, this wasn’t your fault. You did what you had to do. You got her out of there as fast as you could, right?”
Fury nodded, but the guilt he felt inside was practically eating away at his guts.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It should be me layin’ in that bed, Ox. She should have never gotten hurt!”
Ox gripped Fury’s shoulder, shook him slightly.
“You didn’t know. Fuck, none of us knew! It’s my club that has the fuckin’ rat, and I had no idea. How can anyone expect that you would have known this would happen, when even I didn’t?”
Ox’s argument made sense, sure, but it didn’t make Fury feel any better.
Nothing short of Rayna agreeing to marry him and be his old lady would make him feel any better.
“So what do we do about the rat, boss? That needs to be addressed first, right?”
Ox sighed and shook his head.
“I have an idea. I think we should flush him out the old fashioned way, Fury. Make him think Rayna knows who it is, and that we’re waiting for her to wake up to tell us.”
Fury shook his head immediately.
“Fuck no, Ox. I'm not using Rayna as bait!”
Ox gripped the edges of Fury’s cut and shook him hard enough to clack his teeth together.
“Do you want this to work? Huh? I can’t green light this mission until I know our bases are covered, Fury. This is the only way. Besides, you can stand guard in here as long as it takes. If the bastard thinks he has her alone, he won’t even see you comin’.”
Wrath (Seven Deadlies MC) Page 15