Page 118 of Outcast

Matías' phone blared like an alarm. He reached for his pocket, and when he pulled his phone out, his face drained of blood. His gaze collided with mine and I wanted to fucking cry.

It was true. They were under attack.

And I had a fucking knife to my throat.

Esteban tried to move closer but one of the guys fired a shot at his feet and he stopped.

"None of that. We're friends. I don't want to hurt you. I'd rather you join my side." Due turned to Esteban. For the first time since Due walked in, he looked like the man I knew. A serious expression carved into his face as he watched Esteban.

I glanced back at Matías. Matías’ body vibrated and his face twisted up into something ugly.

My heart sank, knowing what he had to do. It was fine. We’d get out of this. He had to save his brothers.

As tears filled my eyes, I nodded as much as I could. Trig had loosened his grip a fraction of an inch. Just enough for me to let Matías off the hook.

"It's okay," I mouthed.

He shook his head. He wanted to go to them. It was written all over him.

That was how it always was with Matías. His brothers came first. Now his niece would come first. There was never a time that I didn't understand that.

Nothing had changed. The only thing I wanted was for him tocome backto me. Tokeepcoming back to me.

"Eat shit," Esteban snapped, raising his gun to aim directly at Due's head.

Sighing as if this was exactly what he expected, Due nodded. "I figured as much. But you won't shoot me, because as soon as you do, Rita is dead." He glanced back at Matías. "You're still here? I thought you would be gone already, just like you always do when your brothers need you."

Matías shivered and shrugged his shoulders like he was shaking off whatever indecision hung over him.

Around us, Dirty Dogs continued to fight against eachother. I had no idea who was on whose side. Only that we were ripping each other apart from the inside out.

"I know where my place is."

My gaze snapped back to Matías. His face was calm and he implored me with his eyes. To what? To believe him? To understand? I did!

I understood too fucking well.

"And it's here with the love of my life." Too quick to process, he fired his gun. The bullet whizzed by my ear, hitting Trig in the face. The knife slipped across my throat as I leaned back, trying to minimize the impact.

Fuck, it stung, but it was barely a scratch. I wiped my throat and came away with only a few drops of blood.Just a scratch,I chanted over and over to myself.

Matías gave us the distraction we needed.

As I fell on my ass, Esteban dropped and kicked Due's feet out from under him. The three men holding their weapons on Esteban were now engaged in their own fights with other Dirty Dogs, their guns forgotten.

Matías lifted me from the floor with one arm, holding me to him.

"You should go." My voice shook as I curled my fingers against his chest.

"Fuck that," he spewed, firing his gun, taking out every man he deemed a threat. His aim was impeccable and the Dirty Dogs started giving us a wide berth.

"Waste of space. Waste of a goddamn Dirty Dog," Esteban screamed as he grunted.

I peered over my shoulder to see Esteban was beating the literal shit out of Due. Slamming his fist into his nose until blood sprayed. Dropping elbows on his neck, and raining hell over his chest. Due gasped and jerked with each hit until his motions slowed.

Esteban kept attacking and screaming at him. He did this long after Matías stopped shooting. The fights around us stopped and a crowd formed around us.

Matías tipped my chin up, checking my neck, swearing as he moved his thumb gently just under where the knife nicked me.

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