Page 51 of Dark As Coal

I thought getting that text from Adeline was the only thing that could make my heart drop out of my chest.

But not a fucking thing compared to watching the woman that held my entire soul in the palm of her hand, dive in front of me, and her face going pale.

Without conscious thought, I moved my body to catch her.

Then I growled down in her face as I pressed my hand into the gunshot wound in the middle of her back, “You fucking little fool. Why?”

And what did she do? She fucking smiled, “Because… because I love you.”

Leaning in close to her face, I whispered, “This is going to hurt you, and I’m so damned sorry.”

Carefully, I lifted her into my arms and then ran from the house.

As we sped away from the house, I didn’t think about the fuckers.

Nor did I think about the Pagan’s Soldiers MC that was speeding past us.

And I also missed a chin lift from Tomb to Asher.

No, what I cared about…

The only thing I cared about was losing too much blood.

Hell, one drop of her blood being shed was too much fucking blood.

Within twenty minutes we were at the hospital.

I was carrying Adeline into the emergency room with the last shirt any of us had left, slowly filling with blood pressed into her back.

Asher placed his hand on my shoulder, “Coal, brother, they can’t reach her to work on her.”

I didn’t care.

Rome cautioned, “Coal, brother, she’s going to bleed out.”

But it was her voice that had me responding, “Coal?”

I didn’t notice the tear that slid from the corner of my eye, “Yeah, Soulshine?”

“I love you. Let them work. I’m not done living yet. I want… I… your… babies.” And that was when I felt arms wrap around my body and pulled me back.

“She’s coding. Move!”

And I watched. Helpless. As she was wheeled away from me.

Whoever was above, they better protect that fucking light of hers.

Because if they didn’t, there would be rivers of blood.

In. A-Fucking-Bundance.

Seeing my reflection in the glass, seeing the blood on my shirt, my hands, my face, that was when I did the only thing that made any sense to me, I asked my brothers to guard the door to the operating room, and then I headed to the chapel.

Walked down to the altar, dropped to my knees… and I… fucking… prayed.

***

Seven hours later, after surgery, a blood transfusion, and a transvaginal ultrasound, everything should have been right in my world.

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