“What the fuck does that matter?” I ask, throwing my hands in the air.
“Answer my fucking question,” he growls.
“Yeah. I am. She’s mine, Phoenix. Mine!”
“Then let’s go get your girl,” he says, turning and heading toward the line of bikes. I hold my hand out to Grinder and he quickly passes me his keys. I walk with long hurried steps until I reach his bike and climb on, slipping the helmet on my head. I can’t even describe what I’m feeling in this moment. I know I lost without her. I know what that feels like and I refuse to feel that again. Not over her.
We speed through the streets, Grinder following in the truck. Most of the guys came to the hospital to wait with me and it was appreciated.
When the clubhouse comes into view, anger dances in my veins. I slow down and park the bike, cracking my neck from side to side. Tension coils in my muscles as I pull my gun from the back of my jeans and check the ammo.
“Don’t do something stupid until you have her,” Phoenix reminds me. I nod my head as the rest of the guys check their weapons and come to stand next to me.
“Shoot to kill. I want Edge. Don’t touch the women,” I tell them. They all nod and agree to my terms as we start stalking toward the front door. I give hand signals to a few guys to go around back. I watch them go as I suck in a deep breath and head for the front door. My gun is raised and as soon as I step inside, I fire. Before anyone knows what’s happening, we’ve taken out everyone in this room.
“Spread out! Grinder, get those women outside!” I order in a gruff tone. My eyes scan the room quickly finding a few closed doors. The guys split up and each take a door. I head for the closest one that happens to lead downstairs. I can feel her. She’s here and what a better place to take her but the basement.
I take the steps slowly, keeping my eyes open and listening when I hear her screams. My insides tighten, my finger stroking the trigger. As calmly as I can, I keep moving. As soon as I step foot in the basement, I see another room in the center. Swiftly, I make my way to the doorway and throw it open, seeing her. Tied to a chair with her hand a mangled mess. Tears stream down her cheeks as she tries to hold her head up. My strong, brave girl. Swinging my arm around, my gun aimed right at her dad. I pull the trigger and watch as he falls to the floor, holding his leg.
“What the fuck?” He roars. Quickly Phoenix fires and takes down his little helpers before moving toward Edge. I rush to Ant and drop to my knees in front of her.
“Baby, look at me. Please, look at me.” I’m begging and I don’t care. I need her to respond to me. I need to know that she’s here with me. Slowly, she lifts her head which had fallen forward and locks eyes with mine.
“You came?” She says softly.
“Did you doubt me?”
“I didn’t know. I hurt you, Leo. I know I did.”
“Yeah, you did but you know what? I fucking love you. That’s all over with, yeah? What’s important is you.”
“I love you, too.” Fresh tears spill down her cheeks as I cut the ties free. Ant tries to stand but she’s too weak.
“Stay here. I’m gonna handle that motherfucker,” I tell her. She nods her head and leans back in the chair as I turn to her dad.
“I’ve hated you since the first second your name left her lips,” I tell him.
“Fuck you!”
“You used her. Hurt her. Broke her down until she believed what you told her. You threw a rat in my club and thought you’d get away with it. You lost, Edge. You lost it all.” He smirks at me but I wave Phoenix away from him before pulling the trigger. The bullet strikes him right between the eyes just like I wanted it to. In a perfect world, I would have made him suffer longer but judging by the look of Ant, she needs medical attention and I will not risk her health for this piece of shit.
I tuck my gun and slide it into the back of my jeans before walking over and scooping my girl into my arms. She moans and cries out in pain as I hold her to me.
“You’re gonna be okay, Ant. I’m gonna take care of you.”
“It hurts, Leo. What if I can never use my hand again?” Her fears kill me. They rip me apart inside but none of that matters. As long as she’s still with me, that’s all I need.
“I got you, Antonia. Don’t worry.”
Epilogue
Antonia
6 weeks later . . .
Happily-ever-afters don’t exist. That’s what I told myself growing up with two parents who tossed me back and forth like a football. If the two people I’d loved with all of my existence couldn’t find their person, how was I ever going to?
At sixteen, I was sure I understood the cruelty of the world. But oh, how I wish I could tell her about the man I’d be with today. The one who somehow ignites a fire deep within her. Someone who is the reason she smiles every day, encourages her to go after what she desires, and reminds her she can get through anything because she isn’t alone.
Men like Leo are hard to come by, but man, I consider myself lucky every damn day.
“How’s your hand?” The man questions, sitting back in his leather chair. His eyes are glued on my hand like it’s a piece of porcelain only moments from shattering.
I had one massive reconstruction surgery the morning after he pulled me from my father’s club. I was in so much pain when the surgeons were explaining what needed to be done to save my hand, but from what I gather they put lots of titanium inside my hand, in an attempt to get it back to where it was. Only, there are no guarantees.
I have a few more weeks of healing to do before my second surgery where they go in again and refine things, but I’m looking forward to having the weird 80s style contraption off my hand for the time being.
“It’s fine, Leo.” I mutter, scrolling on my phone. I got a text from one of my mother’s men, Lorenzo, who’s now one of my men actually. She sent him and his brother here to be with me after everything went down. My own sort of personal protection. I guess she’s not too keen on something happening to the woman who will inherit her crown one day.
If it weren’t for Magnum somehow slipping away, I might not need the additional security. He was the only body I didn’t see, and I know for a fact Leo and his brothers shot down everyone inside the club.
“You sure? I mean, the rods just came off yesterday. You hurtin’ or anything?” The man has barely left my side since it all went down, and for that I’m grateful, but I’m not Humpty Dumpty.
“I promise you, I’m not as fragile as you’ve convinced yourself I am.”
He furrows his brows, “What?”
“Leo, I love you, but if I’m in any sort of pain I promise you I will take an ibuprofen.”
He presses his lips together in a frown, “Yeah, alright, ‘cause you aren’t stubborn as shit. You only took the pain meds the docs gave you for what, the first day or two? Shit, Ant. You don’t gotta be so damn hard on yourself.”
“I’ll be as hard on myself as I want. You can’t control every aspect of my life, babe.” I gently remind him. He keeps wanting to rule over every damn thing, and I’m never going to be the type of woman who lets him do that. For fuck’s sake, I need to live my own life too.
“Whatever, bullheaded, crazy, woman.”
“Whatever, stubborn, overbearing, man.” I mock him, rolling my eyes and everything.
“Mock me again, young lady, and see what I do to your ass.” Leo threatens, causing Lorenzo to cock up a brow from the corner of the clubhouse.
Grinder on the other hand snickers from behind the bar. “Ooo, what you gonna do, man?!”
The front door to the club comes bursting open, and in runs a woman I’ve never seen before. She’s short and has a pixie cut with the brightest magenta hair. “Winnie, what the hell? Somethin’ on fire?” Leo rises from his chair immediately.
Who the fuck is this Winnie bitch?
My hand might be fucked, but I’ll lay a cunt down if I need to.
“Kenna, she’s in labor. My car isn’t running. Can one o
f you fuckers take me to the hospital?” The girl looks desperate at this point, and I’m doing my best to settle myself down, trying to think this girl is only a friend of Kenna’s and not some ex of Leo’s.
Leo draws his brows together as he thinks. “Wasn’t one of Ascher’s boys supposed to be pickin’ up a car from you about now?”
Ascher, Phoenix’s identical twin brother, who has a street gang.
“Yeah, and I got the damn paint job done, but it wasn’t Ascher’s boy who came to get the car. That’s when I got the call from Phoenix, and I’m not gonna fuckin’ sit in a car with that piece of shit ever again. Now, who in this fucking club can get me to the hospital? She went into labor two months early, Leo, I need to get there and I need to get there fast.”
“Grinder, get Winnie’s ass up to the hospital.” Leo shoots out the order, and Grinder drops everything he’s doing and walks her out.
“Who is she?” I waste no time getting the information I want.
“Kenna’s best friend. She does body jobs on cars, paints ‘em and shit. She even did a sick piece on Phoenix’s bike a couple weeks back. She’s as much family as you are, babe.”
“Leo, we should get over to the hospital too, yeah?” Lynch, the club enforcer, asks.
Leo nods automatically, “Yeah, let’s all get ready and roll. We need to make sure they’re okay.”
I know Kenna’s had a really rough pregnancy. It’s part of the reason Phoenix asked Leo to be the interim president until he could get things under control with her. I just pray this baby is going to be okay.
Author’s Note
Thank you all for your continued support while we took some time away from this series to focus on some of our individual projects. We’re both ecstatic to say we’ll be continuing the series and the third book in the Full Throttle series will be releasing in the spring of 2021. Make sure you go pre-order Burnout now. Ascher and Winnie’s story is up next guys!
Much love,
Erin & Elizabeth
Sharp Edges (Full Throttle Book 2) Page 8