Page 97 of Pulse

Spec sagged against the transformer box in a half-conscious slump. Sweat poured down his ashen face, and he couldn’t speak above a whisper, but he was alive and not losing much blood anymore.

“W-what do we do now?” Talia asked. “We can’t call the police.”

No, they couldn’t. The pretend DEA agent on the other side of that parking lot would spin this entire disaster his way and land everyone’s ass in jail.

“We need to draw him out.” Pulse froze. He turned his head, straining to catch the distant sound. “You hear that?”

Talia tilted her head. “What? No. What do you hear?”

“Cavalry’s coming.” Spec’s dazed grin held the same glee it always did when the club kicked ass.

“What?” Talia blinked once then gasped. “Motorcycles. Oh my God, I hear them. I told Liv to call Curly.”

“And he sent the cavalry. Don’t ease up on the pressure, Tal.” Pulse would have offered to take over, but he couldn’t release the tension on the belt, or fresh blood would resume gushing out of Spec.

The rumble grew louder and louder until it reached a deafening roar. The whole goddamn club had come to save their asses.

Talia closed her eyes and mouthed,Thank God.

God had nothing to do with it. This was all Curly and his loyal family of outlaws.

Bikes poured into the parking lot. Curly shouted orders to be on guard and search for the shooter.

Pulse held a finger to his lips. As soon as it was safe, he’d announce their presence, but he wasn’t going to risk popping up to have his head blown off. It felt like forever before Tracker shouted. “All clear. Betty found where he was shooting from, but he must have split. There’s no sign of anyone here now.”

Betty White was Tracker’s dog, trained in search and rescue. However, she also came in handy at times like this. The intelligent pup could sniff out gun residue, and it sounded like that was precisely what she did.

“Pulse? Spec?” Curly shouted. “Shooter fled the scene.”

“We’re here,” Pulse called back as he raised his hand above the transformer.

Liv burst from behind the car with an impressive explosion of speed. The sound of pounding boots alerted him to the rest of the crew heading their way.

“Fuck, Livy!” Jinx shouted. He grabbed her before she could reach Spec. “What happened to you?”

Of course, Spec picked up on that. “Liv? What happened?” He grabbed Pulse’s arm with a scary-weak grip. “Is she okay?”

Pulse looked at Talia, who nodded. “She just has a gash on her head, Spec. You know, head wounds bleed a lot. It must have freaked Jinx out, but she’s all right.”

A gash on her head. Jesus, had a bullet grazed her? Talia must have read the question in his eyes because she nodded. Spec didn’t need to know that. It was bad enough that he was about to see his woman looking like someone tried to scalp her.

“She’s good, brother,” he added. “But we’ll get her checked out at the hospital while you’re there.”

“I don’t need a fucking hospital.”

Talia laughed a hysterical, high-pitched sound. “Yeah, you do, macho man. No one has ever needed a hospital more than you do right now.”

Liv escaped Jinx’s concerned grasp and dropped to her knees by Spec’s head. “Baby,” she said with a choked sob.

“Jesus, fuck, Livy.” Spec tried to sit up, but Liv put her hands on his shoulder when he groaned. No one could tame the beast quite like that woman. “I’m okay, Scott. I promise. I’m much more worried about you. You almost died.”

He grunted. “Please, it’s a damn scratch. Put a Band-Aid on me, and I’ll be good to go.”

No one had ever spoken a stupider statement.

She shook her head. “You crazy idiot,” she said while kissing all over his face. “If you don’t go to the hospital, I don’t either.”

What a ridiculous conversation. If Spec didn’t get to a hospital and into surgery to repair his artery, he’d die. But if Livcould get him to go without a fight, everyone involved would be much better off.

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