Page 62 of The Devil's Pair

“No kidding.”

“Yeah. No.” She tilted her head at him. “Maybe you want to come in for a beer or a Coke? Juice or ginger ale? Coffee, tea? Sparkling strawberry-flavored water? The least I can do is offer you a beverage for running this over to me, and like I said, Dux and Drake stocked the pantry as if they thought the zombie apocalypse was imminent.”

Rebel had just opened his mouth to thank her very much, but he didn’t want to trouble her, when he felt an odd jolt in the middle of his back, as if someone had planted a hand there, and given him a firm push. He lurched forward, almost ramming straight into Briley, but rebounding off the door frame instead. He staggered back a few feet, stunned at how much it hadhurtto hit the solid wood.

“Shit,” he said, putting a hand to his chest and wondering why it was suddenly so hard to take a breath. “What the hell?”

Briley was staring at him open-mouthed, and the look of pure terror on her face gave him pause.

“Hon?” The word came out thick and slow. “What?”

“Rebel –” She reached for him, and her urgency was palpable. “Come inside –”

A second hand pushed him now, harder and stronger, and this time he heard the shot. Rebel looked down, and was mildly surprised to see a splash of bright red blooming across his chest.

“Rebel,” Briley said again, but that was all she had time to say before the two men were on them.

The third shot was the one that finally took Rebel down: he landed heavily, half-in the house, his whole body already numb. Briley bent down next to him, grabbed his huge arm, tried to drag him the last few feet to safety. But it was no use – he was too heavy, he was dead weight, and anyway, the men were so close that Rebel could hear their breaths.

He looked up at Briley. “Run, baby.Run.”

It was no use, of course. They had their hands on her already, they were all over her; one held her from behind, pinning her flailing arms and legs, while the other jammed a cloth over her mouth. Briley slumped and that’s when the men looked down at Rebel.

“Hey, dickhead,” the blond one said in a friendly tone, even as he cocked his gun. “Crusher sends his greetings.”

The last shot hit Rebel right at the base of the spine, leaving him alive, but not able to move even one inch. The men contemplated him, prone and helpless on the ground, his golden eyes huge in his face, then they shrugged and turned around.

“I’m not risking another shot being heard,” the blond one said to his friend, then glanced down at Rebel. “See you in hell, asshole.”

“That’ll bewaysooner than you think,” Rebel slurred. “When my boys find out what you’ve done here, they’ll come for you, motherfuckers. They’ll come forallof you.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” The dark-haired man shrugged, tossed Briley over his shoulder. “Don’t you know that Crusherwantsyou to come? He’s already waiting.”

Chapter Seventeen

Almost three hours later, Dux and Drake pulled up in front of their house with simultaneous sighs. It had been one hell of a hassle to go find this part the day after Briley had shown up with her astonishing news, but it had to be done. The custom job was going to net The Garage close to ten thousand dollars free and clear, and that was great for the bottom line. Still, it had been hell leaving her alone and pregnant, and that was why they’d decided to come back the same day, despite the long drive.

They were going to dowhateverit took to show her that they were all-in.

Dux sighed again, glanced over at his brother, and he instantly tensed up at the focused, intent look on Drake’s face. The man was practicallyvibrating, and Dux knew that whatever had put that expression on his twin’s face, their day was about to get significantly longer.

“What, man?” Dux asked, following Drake’s gaze; that was when he saw the front door of their house hanging wide open. “Oh, shit.”

Without a word, the men swung the truck doors open, grabbed their guns from the glovebox.As one, in a single practiced approach, they made their way to the top of the path, and ducked behind the shrubs. Cursing the greenery now – it didn’t allow for a clear view to the house anymore, and they resolved to rip it the fuck out with their bare hands the first second that they could – they risked a quick peek around the corner. What they saw froze their blood in their veins, smashed their breath clean out of their chests.

Rebel was lying there on the path, most of his huge upper body in the house. He was silent and unmoving, and even fromfifteen feet away, Dux and Drake could see the blood covering his back, soaking through his cut.

“Fuck,” Drake muttered, looking around them. “I’ll go, you keep watch.”

“Got it,” Dux whispered back. “Be careful, man.”

Drake nodded, then ran down the path to the house; he trusted Dux to have his back, so he didn’t take his eyes off Rebel for even one second. He knew that if his brother saw anything moveanywhere, he’d eliminate it, so Drake could just concentrate on the man in front of him, and hope hard that he’d get to Rebel in time.

He skidded to a stop, fell to his knees next to his MC brother. It was with relief and disbelief that he saw Rebel’s broad back rising and falling, shallow and slow, but still… he was alive.

“Fuck,” he said again, this time as a plea, a prayer. “Come on, man. Stay with us.”

Carefully, so carefully, he turned Rebel over, saw the blood spread across the whole of his chest. Before he’d so much as drawn a shocked hiss of air, Dux was right next to him. The men stared at each other, then said as one:

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