Page 112 of Straight to Me

Jack virtually ripped her away from me to take her someplace safe. He's one of the only people I trust, but letting her go was something I never want to do again.

Crouching behind a car, most of my brothers have dispersed the attacking cohort. A few left inside try to maintain their holding whilst the majority are either dead or shooting at me.

I have no choice but to make for the tree line.

I mentally count down then run like the clappers for cover. A few missed shots fire by my feet.

In the corner of my eye, a Sodom Saviour makes off down the track on his bike, heading after where Jack had taken Mads.

Fuck!

A woman’s cry comes from the main clubhouse, steering my attention back that way. Peering over a branch, she’s running across the patio, away from the building. Another Saviour exits from the same place with his gun raised to shoot her in the back.

The gutless prick.

I stand and aim my gun, pulling back the trigger before he even sees me. He drops like a sack of shit, but another shot comes my way.

Moving in a crouch, I skim along the hedgerow, managing to find a big enough gap to see through. By the side door entrance stands another one. He knows I’m out here. His eyes are searching for me. But he can’t see me. I’ll have to wait for the right moment to take him out. I focus on my breathing, calm my heartrate and keep my mind clear.

My moment finally comes.

Two Rippers run across the parking area near their bikes. My brothers can’t see the man I’ve been keeping an eye on as they make to enter the building. The Sodom Saviour turns his gun to the entrance waiting for them to appear.

He’s distracted. His back to me. Big mistake.

A second later he turns to check his six, but I’m already running full throttle at him, showering him with bullets. The Rippers see me and join in. Three against one. He stands no chance.

Back indoors, Ronnie stands with the majority of his members who made it. They’ve cleared the inside of the building. A couple more Rippers report that outside is clear too. “Give me the keys to your truck!” I tell Ronnie. He looks at me like I’m about to hightail it. “Jack and Mads took off in his ute. They’ve got a tail!”

Ronnie’s eyes widen slightly before he chucks me his keys. Harper comes with me seeing as he’s still got ammo left. “Bring them back, we’ll sort this,” Ronnie orders, but I’m already running outside.

Harper and I shred the road to pieces. My head’s a mess with fear. Fear and fucking anger.Not this again. Not Jack. Not my girl. I can’t go through that again. Not again. I can’t lose them.

No more than five miles down the road, my guts knot at the sight of Jack’s mangled vehicle. “Shit, Deano. This ain’t good.” I slam on the brakes, and we practically jump out mid-stop to check for survivors.

Blood stains what’s left of the dashboard, but there aren’t any bodies. “Check the area, Harper.” I crouch inside the crumpled utility truck as best I can, it’s clear that Jack’s come off worse. The blood on the driver’s side is serious. The thought of either of them being hurt, or worse, kills me.

Where the fuck have they gone? “There’s nothing here. Just blood trails, but they stop over there,” Harper says walking back to the truck.

“You sure they’re not close by, hiding or something?” My voice is breaking, desperation kicking in.

I clamber to the side of the road, checking for any sign of them. They have to fucking be here.

Last time a Saviour had their hands on one of ours, she lost her life. We vowed to never let anything like that happen again, but it has. This is all my fault.

“There’s fresh powder tracks heading north, four wheels. Best shot we got is to follow them,” Harper suggests.

“Okay, let’s move.” Tears well at the back of my eyes. Fuckingtears. I haven’t cried since my mum died. Didn’t think I could anymore.

I pull my phone out my inner jacket pocket and find there’s a message. “Fuck, it's Mads!” I open it up. “She’s shared her location, five minutes ago. Get in the truck, Harper. You drive and put your fucking foot down!”

That’s my girl. That intelligent, stubborn, beautiful woman will lead us right to her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

My head’s buzzing. A riotous ringing sensation brings me to the present as I blink my eyes open. Drop after slow drop hits the window below me. I lift my fingers to the pain that throbs at my head, warm blood congeals on the tips when I pull them away. Forcing myself to be more awake I focus on the blood-stained hair that hangs down around my heavy face. It’s only then I realise I’m upside down, held in place by the seatbelt that likely saved my life.

Jack’s sprawled out across the smashed windscreen, unmoving. My throat’s too dry to call out his name. I suck in a breath which breaks out into coughing, and my ribs painfully burn. I fumble for my seatbelt. Unbuckling it, my body splats to the truck’s ceiling which is now on the ground. The pain in my chest is unbearable, making me cry out on impact.

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