Page 20 of Grizzly's Pride
Grizzly would die, going after the man her father screwed over. Piper couldn’t lose him. Not here in this dirty parking lot. Grizzly deserved to die old in his bed, preferably with her next to him. They should go together.
Desperation and fear for his life made Piper haul herself to her feet. She gripped the edges of Grizzly’s shirt. He seemed determined to continue the hunt and barely noticed her presence. She hugged him from behind, not sure what else she could do.
“Let him go. You’re too hurt to chase him. Please, Grayson,” she whispered. “I need you. Your club needs you.”
She had never called him by his birth name before, and that gave him pause. Finally, Grizzly seemed to come to his senses because he placed his hand over hers.
“All right. Did he hurt you?” Grizzly pulled away from her hug to eye her up and down.
“Just a few bruises, but I’ll be fine,” Piper said, flashing him a smile. “It’s you we need to get to a hospital.”
“It just looks bad, but it’s only a shoulder wound,” Grizzly said. “I’ve gotten worse.”
“I don’t think now’s the appropriate moment to brag about your old injures,” Piper pointed out.
“Only you can make jokes at a time like this,” he teased.
“Grizzly, get down!” Tank yelled as the door to the door swung open. One of Rage’s men emerged, gun in his hand. The biker pointed it at Grizzly. He wouldn’t survive another gunshot wound. Instinct took over. Piper shoved Grizzly to one side. Time passed at a sluggish pace. She felt the moment the bullet pierced her chest. Sharp pain burst inside her, and she crumbled to the dirty ground in a heap.
“No!” Grizzly yelled.
Her vision grew blurred. She started coughing violently, blood spurting from her mouth. She could see Grizzly hunched over her shooter. He began to beat the other biker to a pulp.
“Grizzly,” she whispered.
It hurt to reach out to him, but she did so anyway. Her voice must’ve carried because the next moment, Grizzly bent down over her, expression ashen.
“Stay still,” he murmured, voice anguished and unexpectedly tender. Piper heard the sound of ripping cloth.“Tank, call an ambulance!”
“Piper, baby. I need you to stay with me, you understand? You can’t leave this world yet,” Grizzly said. He tried to bind her wounds and cursed when she let out another cough full of blood.
Piper summoned all the remaining strength she had. She touched his cheek, leaving a bloody imprint of her hand there. “Grizzly, look at me,” she whispered.
“I’m here,” he said. Grizzly looked so miserable, in so much pain, she wished she could sit up and comfort him. Right now, that action would only worsen her injury.
“I wish we had more time,” she said, flashing him a sad smile. “But I’m glad I met you.”
“Don’t say those words. You’re not leaving me, you understand? Not now, not ever,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re stronger than you know, baby. You’ll recover. I’ll hunt Rage down. We’ll get our moment.”
“Tell me,” she pleaded. Piper wanted to hear about the future she would never be able to see.
“I’ll put on a ring on your finger, marry you in front of a priest and all my MC brothers,” he said, raising her bloody hand to his lips. He gave each finger a kiss. “Can you see the image in your head, baby?”
“I can,” she whispered.“Thank you.”
Her eyelids felt so heavy. The pain had mercifully receded to a dull throb now. Was it Piper’s imagination, or could she hear an animal howling in the background? Grizzly could take care of himself. That was her last thought. The darkness took her under.
Chapter Ten
“Careful with her,” Grizzly said to the pair of paramedics. The man gave him a fearful look, but the woman was more practical. He hovered, making sure they loaded up Piper in the back of the ambulance with utmost care.
“I’m getting in there with you,” he said. Grizzly didn’t care that he was still bleeding. He couldn’t believe Piper took a bullet for him. Rage had been aiming for his chest. If Piper hadn’t intervened, Grizzly wouldn’t be breathing right now. He owed her. The least he could do was make sure they kept her alive.
“Who is she to you, sir?” The female paramedic asked.
“My future wife,” Grizzly answered without hesitation.
“Come on in, but make sure you don’t get in the way,” the paramedic said.
