Motherfucker. They were trying to take Sasha or kill us both in the process. My Reaper rose up to protect me so I could keep Sasha safe. It probably would have worked if not for the gun that was aimed in our direction. I had one chance to ensure the bullet him me instead of my fiancé.
I shifted down and the bike fishtailed, swerving to the right as I leaned into the turn and flipped the bike so that I was facing the van. Although my speed was decreased significantly, it didn’t change the fact that we were still moving far too fast. I never heard the gunshot that dislodged from the gun. The sudden impact hit my chest and I was thrown backward, knocking Sasha from the bike. She hit the pavement hard and rolled to her side, not moving.
“Sasha!” I yelled, terrified she was dead.
The sudden, jarring impact of hitting the asphalt was a shock to my mind and body. Pain lanced every single nerve in my system at the same time. I landed with a hard thud, cringing as my bike landed on top of me, bounced, and then flipped over, landing a few feet away. The crunch of metal and shattering of glass were the last sounds I heard before I reached a hand toward Sasha and lost consciousness.
My mind scrambled to make sense of the chaos unfolding in front of my eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not the wreckage that remained of Bodie’s Harley. The broken glass littering the ground. Even the skid mark imbedded in the inky asphalt that stretched far beyond the muted lemon-yellow light of the streetlamp.
My gaze skittered over the gravel of the road and found the puddle of dark crimson next to Bodie’s body. He wasn’t moving. Blinking, my fingers stretched across the ground, skimming over the coppery scented fluid that trailed all the way up to the wound on his chest.
A gunshot.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Bile rose up in my throat and I tried to turn on my side, groaning as a wave of pure agony swept across my back and lower limbs. My vision blurred, then cleared as I swallowed hard, trying not to completely lose my shit.
“Bodie,” I whispered, chest heaving as I managed to roll over to my right and my fingertips grazed the soft leather of his cut.
He didn’t stir.
Taking a couple of breaths to steady my nerves, I focused my attention on the surface of his chest, desperate to find a rise and fall. Breathe, please.
Nothing.
How long could a person stay alive and unconscious if they weren’t breathing? Didn’t I read somewhere that you had four minutes before permanent brain damage? How long had I been lying here before I woke up?
“No, no,” I wailed aloud at the thought that Bodie was gone. “I just found you.”
Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t have the strength or will to lift my hands and swipe the droplets away as a few slipped free and dribbled down my cheeks.
“I don’t want to live without you.”
The words tumbled with desperation and sorrow from my lips. I flopped onto my back, ignoring the stiffness of my movements as I stared up at the cruel, cold visage of the moon. Clouds dipped and danced, brushing across in a lighthearted banter, playful and teasing while mocking my current situation.
A groan escaped my lips as the pain in my body spread throughout every cell and organ all the way to my fingers and toes. Was this the end? Would I die here next to the man I loved without the ability to hear his voice one more time? Or feel his addictive touch?
A motorcycle rumbled in the distance and I knew the bike was heading this way. Several more engines joined the first. A herald of steel beasts that would finish what they started.
It would all be over soon.
Death would come on his fiery metal stallion and reap my sinful soul.
Choking on the knowledge, I lifted my hand high enough to flip off the useless moon and the hell rider that would steal my last breath.
Fuck you!
I wasn’t going to die that easily . . .
The bikes grew closer and I finally found the strength to sit up. My head was fuzzy and throbbed, forcing me to sway as I rose up to my knees. Shit. I probably had a concussion.
Reaching into my jacket, I pulled my cell free and noticed the damaged screen. I hoped it would still be able to make a call. I swiped across and heard the screech of tires, glancing up to see the black van was coming back, speeding down the road in my direction.
I hit Cindi’s number and it rang once before she picked up. “Sasha?”
“I’m hurt. Bodie and I were thrown from his bike. He’s not moving! Hurry, tell Grim!”
I tossed the phone into the grass so it was still on and they could hear what was happening. Two Scorpions MC members hopped from the side of the van as it stopped a few feet away.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed. “Bodie! Help me!”
He didn’t stir and I bit my lip, unable to stop the tears from filling my eyes and spilling over.
“Wake up!” I begged, scrambling backward to get away from the bikers who laughed and picked me up, tossing my body over one of their shoulders. My screams only seemed to amuse them as the roar of bikes grew closer. I was tossed in the back of the van and backed away from the men who sneered at me. One grabbed the front of his pants.
“I want her first.”
No. Fucking. Way.
The van swerved and pitched to the side and I was tossed like a rubber ball back and forth until the vehicle straightened out. Chugging along, it picked up speed as I heard the distant hum of a motor. The longer we drove, the louder the engine behind us
