Page 11 of Untamed Crow

"Emma," I say quietly, stepping in front of her. "When I move, you run to the bike. Don't stop, don't look back."

I can hear her quick, frightened breathing behind me, but her voice is steady when she whispers, "I'm not leaving you."

The Outlaws advance slowly, confident in their advantage. They have no idea what I'm capable of when someone I care about is threatened.

"Last chance," I warn the approaching Outlaws, my voice cold. "Walk away."

They laugh, swinging their iron bars. "Two against one, brother. And once we're done with you, maybe we'll show your girl what a real biker is like."

The rage that fills me at his words is ice-cold and familiar.

"Emma," I say without taking my eyes off them. "Cover your ears. Now."

I hear her quick intake of breath, but she does as I say. The moment her hands are over her ears, I draw my gun and fire. The shot echoes across the lookout point as the first Outlaw drops, screaming as blood gushes from his shattered kneecap.

"Fuck this!" The second Outlaw stumbles backward, dropping his iron bar. He turns and runs to their car, engine roaring to life as he peels out of the lookout point - leaving his brother behind.

Pathetic. No Iron & Blood member would ever abandon their brother like that. It's one of the first things we learn: we ride together, we die together.

The wounded Outlaw is still screaming, clutching his knee. Emma's shaking behind me - I can feel the tremors in the air between us. She's not made for this life, for this violence. She should be home with her books, safe and warm, not watching me cripple a man.

I walk over to the Outlaw, his eyes wide with fear as I approach.

"Please," he starts, but I cut him off with a kick to the face. Another kick and he's unconscious, blood trickling from his nose.

When I turn back to Emma, she's pale in the moonlight, her hands still halfway raised to her ears. Guilt twists in my gut - I never wanted her to see this side of me.

"I'm sorry," I say roughly, keeping my distance. My hands are still itching for violence, and I won't risk touching her until I'm calm. "You shouldn't have had to see that."

"Is he..." she swallows hard. "Is he dead?"

"No. Just unconscious. I'll call it in, have the club handle it." I pull out my phone, already dialing Butcher's number. "But first, I'm getting you home."

She nods, wrapping her arms around my jacket, "Okay."

"Emma," I wait until she meets my eyes. "I know this isn't... I know it's ugly. What I am, what I do. I understand if you want nothing to do with-"

"Stop," she cuts me off, her voice stronger than I expected. "You protected us. Protected me. Don't apologize for that."

I stare at her, trying to reconcile this woman - who just watched me shoot and beat a man - with the sweet bookstore owner who blushes at the sight of her own legs.

"Still," I say finally. "Let me get you home."

She walks to the bike on shaky legs, but her eyes are clear when she looks at me.

"Will you be okay? Dealing with..." she gestures at the unconscious Outlaw.

"Don't worry about me, doll." I hit send on the text to Butcher, then mount the bike. "Just hold on tight."

She wraps her arms around my waist again, pressing her face between my shoulder blades. As we pull away from the lookout point, leaving the Outlaw bleeding in our wake, I can't help but think this night has changed everything between us.

I just hope it hasn't ruined whatever chance I might have had with her.

Chapter 5 - Emma

The ride back into town is a blur. My hands are still shaking where they're gripped around Crow's waist, but I can't tell if it's from fear, adrenaline, or the lingering memory of how quickly and efficiently he moved to protect us.

I should be terrified. I just watched him shoot a man, beat him unconscious. But all I can think about is how he stepped in front of me, how his first instinct was to keep me safe. The violence was controlled, purposeful - so different from the drunken brawls I've seen outside bars.

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