Page 181 of Straight to Me

“I’m here.” My shaking hands cup his face. “I’m here,” I sob, kissing his dry lips over and over. His head slumps in relief. “We need to get you out.”

I move behind him, desperately trying to unknot the rope as Mop drags the first of the two Saviours' bodies into the garage. “I can’t do it! I need a knife!” I tell him.

Mop swiftly pulls a shiny object from the inside of his leather pocket, holding it out for me to take. I grasp it then bend down, frantically cutting at the thick rope.

“Where’s Rocco?” VP’s dry voice asks.

“He and the rest of them went to find you, but while they were gone, we figured out you weren’t where they were headed. So, we came before anything could happen,” I say as the last few strands of rope start to fray.

“How?” Dean asks, lifting his head slightly.

I look at Mop as he drags the second body inside. “We’ll explain everything later. Right now, we need to go,” Mop says on a quick breath.

Wearily, Dean stands. The rope drops to his feet as his bruised, purple hands pull me into his arms. I sob against his chest as he holds me, shackling me to his embrace.

My reason for living. My home. Back in my space. “I thought,” I try to say between sobs, “I thought I’d lost you.” My hands grip his leather cut taut.

He strokes my hair, kissing my head as he speaks. “I told you nothing would happen to me.” Even in his state he talks like nothing’s happened to him. “I’m never leaving you again,” he adds.

A fresh wave of tears stings my eyes. He leans down, pulling my head back to kiss me and I so desperately want to tell him our news.

“Guys we have to go,” Mop says, sounding hurried. He moves to the other side of VP to help him walk, but we can’t go yet I realise.

“We need to find my mum.”

At that moment, mum appears at the garage door. She’s walking stiffly as a man holds her arm behind her back at an awkward angle.

I freeze, my body unable to react.

“Alex, let her go!” I shout. My eyes narrow as he smiles at me. His hand moves to cover her mouth from behind.

“Now why would I do that?” he says. He’s cocky, an arrogant glimmer widening his eyes. “I’ve got something you want, and you’ve got something I need.”

“You’re pathetic,” I say.

The smile wipes off his face turning my muscles to stone. “Is that so?” He pulls out a gun and pushes it against mum’s head.

“NO!” I scream as Mop moves towards my mum and I jolt catching the full weight of VP in my arms.

Alex swings the gun and points it at him.

Mop stops in his tracks, holding up his hands.

“Toss the gun,” Alex orders on an anxious breath. “Come on, I watched you drop those two,” he nods to the two dead Saviours, “and don’t do anything stupid.”

Before moving, Mop briefly looks to VP, who nods his head signalling that Mop do as Alex says. Alex’s finger twitches over the trigger of his gun. Should Mop try anything else other than placing his gun on the floor, Alex is ready to fire.

Mop moves slowly, pulling the pistol from under his cut. Once in his hand, every part of me wishes he’d quickly aim and shoot Alex dead. But what if he missed? What if Alex was faster?

Mop isn’t prepared to take that risk. He slowly places the gun on the concrete, then straightens. Alex flicks his gun in a gesture for Mop to move back to where VP and I stand. Mop does. He slowly slides his feet until he’s at VP’s side.

Alex moves the tip of his gun back to my mum.

“Stop!” VP attempts to stand up straight. The echo of his shout bounces off the walls. “Let her go, I’ll go with you.”

“How very heroic of you,” Alex whips. “It’s not you I want though—it’s her.” Alex looks at me and VP’s eyes widen.

Moving me behind him, VP blocks me from Alex’s view. With one hand still on me, he presses the other hand to his ribs as he speaks, clearly in pain. “You’re not taking her anywhere, it’s me the club wants.”

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