Page 117 of Kings Against the World

She’s barely conscious, eyelids half shut. I haul her into my arms, clutching her close to my chest.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper. “I’ve got you.”

The gunfire is fading now. The fight is almost over. It couldn’t matter less to me.

I’m only focused on her.

I take off toward the nearest van, my boots kicking up dirt, my pulse roaring in my ears. One of Boone’s guys tries to blockmy path, but I swing my rifle off my shoulder and let the butt of it connect with his jaw.

Silver and Mace sprint toward me as I reach the van.

“Where the hell—what happened to her?” Mace stares at the blood coating my hands, my clothes, Zoe’s whole fucking body.

“Boone,” I growl. “I’m getting her to the ER.”

I throw open the passenger’s side door, lay Zoe down as gently as I can, then rush around to the other side.

The tires screech as I slam on the gas, speeding through the wooded area and spilling out onto the highway.

I glance at a motionless Zoe, slumped in the seat. Her chest rises and falls in shallow breaths.

“Hang on, babe.” My grip tightens on the wheel. “Fucking hang on.”

32

OZZIE

“Excuse me,sir… this area is for family only.”

The voice barely registers at first. My head jerks up, eyes unfocused, and I realize I’ve been staring at the same crack in the floor tile for who knows how long.

When I finally meet the nurse’s gaze, I try to answer, but my throat locks up. “I… she’s…”

The words get stuck, tangled in the mess of my thoughts, in the gnawing anxiety that’s been clawing at my insides since we got here.

A firm hand clamps down on my shoulder, grounding me.

“We’re here for Zoe Strauss,” Mace says out of nowhere, his tone steady. “She’s receiving emergency treatment.”

The nurse doesn’t look convinced. Her eyes scan over the both of us, taking in our many tattoos and my mohawk. “Are either of you next of kin?”

I don’t even think. The words fly out before I can stop them. “She’s my fiancée.”

The nurse blinks then softens, giving me a small nod. “Alright, then. You’re allowed to wait here. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s an update.”

The nod I give is slight as she walks off, my brain still playing catch up. I’m so damn out of it, I just called Zoe my fiancée like it was second nature. My heart pounds as I exhale and run a hand down my face.

“Didn’t even notice you got here,” I murmur, glancing sideways at Mace.

He watches me carefully, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Figured you might need some backup. The rest of the club’s worried. Cash is here too. He was circling the lot trying to find parking.”

I drop into one of the rigid-ass waiting room chairs, scrubbing my hands over my face some more. The antiseptic smell of the hospital burns my nose, the fluorescent lights too bright, the whole place feeling too sterile, too unnatural. It freaks me out and makes me wish I could somehow fix this. Undo what’s happened.

“I need her to make it, Mace. If she doesn’t… I might seriously lose it.”

Mace sinks into the chair beside me, his presence appreciated. “She’s gonna pull through, Oz. I don’t know much about Zoe, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that she’s pretty damn tough. You know that. She’s not going down like this.”

I want to believe him. I really do. But all I can see in my head is the moment Boone ran her through with the knife and how her face had gone slack from the impact. All the blood that quickly spread.

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