Page 82 of Tusk's Fury

Tusk sees that I am in danger and roars like a beast, charging straight for Harper. His big body slams into Harper, sending the smaller man sprawling onto the pavement. Tusk pulls me behind him. Having his big body shielding me makes me feel safe. He’s a giant, solid, immovable wall of muscle.

I glance down to see that he has a gun in his hand. That sends shivers down my spine. I remember what Jasper said about there being a gunshot or two, so it seems like there was a real fight. However, seeing the tension coiled tight in Tusk’s body makes me think he’s not on the same page.

Harper staggers to his feet, his expression pissed. He pulls a weapon of his own.

A loud shot rings out. We all look in the direction it came from to see Tex striding into view, a shotgun in hand, his expression is angry and he’s staring straight at Harper.

Harper’s men scatter, forming a tighter ring around him. He yells, “Stay back. You have no right to be here!”

Then, before anyone can react, someone grabs me from behind, yanking me away. A few of Harper’s followers somehow worked themselves around behind and caught us by surprise.

I try to jerk away but when he twists my arm behind my back pain vibrates up my arm.

My scream rings out, shrill and terrified. Then I feel the nuzzle of a gun digging into the side of my throat. “Time to shut that mouth, ma’am,” an ugly voice whispers in my ear.

Tusk’s voice speaks, clear and crisp. “Let my old lady go. You’re not fuckin’ leaving here with her.”

Harper moves closer to the man holding me hostage. I’m too afraid of him pulling the trigger to say or do anything. I’m vaguely aware that all his followers are crowding around us, putting men between Tusk and myself.

That’s when all the Sons of Rage turn on Harper. Standing shoulder to shoulder, Jasper is the one who speaks.

“Take your fucking hands off my niece, right now.”

There’s a moment of confusion and then understanding flashes across Harper’s face when he glances in my direction.

“No. She’s better off with a God-fearing husband than outlaw bikers.”

Tusk flat-out threatens my least favorite holy roller. “Look, you are not leaving here with my old lady. If you even try it, my first bullet has your name on it.”

Jasper tells him, “The powers that be asked me to spare your life if it was at all possible. My vote was to drop you where you stand with all your dumbass followers right behind you.”

Tex leans his shotgun on one shoulder. “Give her up, asshole. I don’t wanna spend the whole damn night digging a mass grave for y’all. I got better things to do with my time.”

Tusk takes a step forward. “You’ve got eyes,” he says, gesturing around at the fifty or so bikers circling him and his men. “We’ve got you outgunned and outmanned. You’ve already taken losses. And you gotta know that we’ve got no problem dropping every single one of you. Shit, I’d do it anyway if Jasper wasn’t so set on sending the lot of you home with your tails tucked between your fucking legs.”

The man holding me whispers, “Give her up. We can always grab her later. We’ve got time.”

I don’t know what he means by ‘time.’ It makes me feel like they see me as a woman with an expiration date. And it pisses me off.

Silas Harper stands there. He’s clearly running through all his options. He apparently can’t come up with any scenario where he leaves with me in tow. “Fine. We walk to our vehicles with her. You can have her once we’re all safely inside.”

Tusk points his gun at Harper’s head. “Get moving. If you try to double-cross me, I’ll put a bullet in your head.”

The man holding me jerks me to the side and follows Harper as he walks towards the vehicles. He’s holding both hands up, including the one with the gun. I’m worried that Harper isn’t giving up that gun, but at least he’s pointing it straight up in the air rather than at Tusk or one of the others.

The walk across the parking lot seems to take forever. Of course, Harper gets in first. Then the rest of his followers clamor into their vehicles. The man holding me at gunpoint backs up to the front passenger door and literally shoves me forward before stepping back and sliding into the vehicle.

Tusk steps forward to catch me with one hand and squeezes off a shot with the other. I glance back just in time to see the man who held me hostage groping for his door handle while bringing up his other hand to press against a gunshot wound on his shoulder. He quickly slams the door shut.

I’m surprised when none of the SUVs move. Suddenly, Siege and Rigs are on either side of us. Siege points out, “Their vehicles are armored. They want us to leave so they can clear up their dead and wounded.”

Jasper grumbles halfheartedly, “There wasn’t supposed to be any dead.”

Tex shrugs. “Shit happens.”

“Well, you’re explaining that shit to Queenie.”

Siege’s voice cuts through their argument. “Enough fucking arguing. Let’s get the fuck outta here. We got what we came for.” His eyes never leave the vehicle Harper got into, even for a second.

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