Page 79 of Savage Guardian

Use her head.

Mind growing ever foggier, her heart aching with unrequited love, she did the only thing she could—an attempt, one last one, at the life she wanted more than anything.

Throwing her head sideways, she slammed her skull into Tyler’s unguarded face. She crumpled in black and silence and numbness, but not before she heard a gunshot.

Hawk didn’t hesitate to take the shot, planting a bullet between the man’s eyes. The man fell back, his body slamming into the floor beside Fae’s chair.

He rushed to her, kneeling before her, and immediately looked for a pulse. It was fast but steady, and her breathing was shallow.

Shit.

Her face was covered in blood and bruises. There was a ring of bruises around her neck as well, where the fucker choked her. Watching the video, there was a level of detachment, a protective layer of numbness. But now, there was nothing stopping the rise of gorge and rage.

Behind him, the shuffling and pounding of boots running sounded.

Grimm, Hound, Dragon, and Odin hurried into the room, immediately taking in the scene.

“Fuck, brother,” Grimm spat, hurrying over to check the dead man’s body. “Shit. That’s the FBI agent from the head in a box crime scene.”

Dammit! That’s why the asshole looking familiar; he’d seen him at Junkbox. He’d been so caught up in watching Fae as she began to fade that he hadn’t been completely focused on the man with the gun. Which could have been disastrous.

Sliding to the side, Hawk cut the zip ties with his pocket knife and carefully gathered his precious Fae into his arms.

“Tessa’s outside, and Liz is on her way,” Grimm announced, his thumbs typing furiously on his phone. He was probably texting AFK to get info on the FBI agent, because they were going to need some help dealing with a dead Federal agent.

“This is a goddamn mess,” Odin grumbled, thrusting his hands through his overlong, nearly white blond hair. He looked at Hawk. “Get her out of here. We’ll deal with this fucker.”

“And the body outside,” Dragon added. The brother was soft-spoken but as big and solid as a brick wall, which was why he was the head of security for the brothel.

Hawk didn’t hesitate, lifting Fae into his arms and cradling her smaller, softer body against his. She felt good in his arms. Rushing from the room, he headed outside to the weed-choked parking lot with the broken-down chain-link fence around it. The building used to be a restaurant food supply business, but it had gone out of business years before, and the Los Noches had swarmed in and claimed it.

Apparently, Tyler thought it was a good place to hole up, where the Raiders wouldn’t think to look. Too bad the fucker was an idiot, because that video he’d sent to taunt Hawk had given him away.

Tessa rushed up to him, her limp pronounced, and immediately began cataloguing Fae’s injuries.

“Bring her to the van, lay her inside—gently. I need to take a look,” Tessa ordered, and Hawk followed her lead. Climbing into the back of the black van the club often used for…disposal…he carefully laid Fae on some blankets Tessa had placed down on the cold metal floor.

“How long has she been out?” she asked, using a pin light to check Fae’s eyes.

“She was awake when I got in there, but she started fading pretty quickly. She’s only been out about five minutes.”

Tessa didn’t remark, continuing to check Fae’s vitals. Slowly turning Fae’s head, Tessa hissed when she saw the open gash along Fae’s right temple. The blood was dry, but the gash itself was still bright, ugly red. The flesh around the wound was turning a sickening purple, and the bruises along her jaw where Tyler had punched her were darkening as well.

His heart in his throat, Hawk couldn’t draw in a full breath.

“He…he hit her in the belly, too,” Hawk said, the words like acid on his tongue. When Tessa looked at him, confused, he added, “The fucker sent a video of him beating her. That was how I could figure out where he was keeping her.”

Tessa sucked in a breath and carefully pulled Fae’s shirt up her torso. Big purple bruises, like splats of devil paint, colored her right side.

He cursed, remembering the sounds of Tyler’s fist hitting Fae, over and over, and the sounds of her cries, her whimpering…and the “no” that kept falling from her lips.

His woman was so fucking strong. So brave. And he was going to claim the shit out of her…once she recovered…and he groveled.

Using deft fingers, Tessa touched Fae’s side, and Hawk was thankful that Fae was out of it for the examination.

“Shit. I got the call from Grimm and raced right here. I didn’t even think to grab supplies,” Tessa exclaimed.

Pulling her cell out, Tessa began texting. “I’m telling Liz to meet us at the clubhouse. Fae is stable for now, but she’s going to need stitches and a more thorough exam, including x-rays. That asshole hit her liver, and I don’t know if her ribs are broken.”

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