Halting my advance, I keep my gun aimed but don’t intend to fire unless I get a clear shot and Harlow is out of harm’s way. I won’t risk hitting her with my bullet.
Shifting my focus to her for a second, I notice that she’s gone ghostly pale and she looks to be on the cusp of passing out. Blood gushes out of her head from a cut on her forehead and out of her nose. She seems to be having trouble breathing and both legs are bleeding from an unknown trauma. She’s not going to last much longer. I need to hurry the fuck up and get this over with so I can get her to a hospital. She can’t die on me.
“Now I can see you noticing she’s in bad shape. If I had to guess, she only has a few minutes longer before the blood loss is too much and she passes out. But the question is; will she wake up again?” he speaks behind her, pulling her back toward a workbench.
Grabbing a gasoline can, he dumps a little on her which makes her scream out as it mixes into her wounds, then starts dumping it on the ground as he makes his way toward a back door.
“Now since we’re in this little standoff, I’ll give you two choices. I can tell you want to kill me for what I’ve done to little sunshine here, but you also want to save her. So you can either come after me and exact your revenge or you can be her hero. But choose fast,” he says before shoving her to the ground a few feet where he’s standing, while striking a match and throwing it down on the ground.
As soon as the match was thrown, he takes off out the door, too quick for me to take a shot.
Flames start to take root and spread toward Harlow lying limply on the floor. With no time to go after him, I sprint to Harlow. There was never really a choice of who I would go after. The monster may have taken over my body, but I’m not about to let Harlow burn just so I can kill that fucker. There will be time for that later; after I get her out of here and out of immediate danger.
“Harlow! Wake up, babe,” I yell as I crouch down beside her. She’s not moving and her eyes are closed. I don’t know if she’s dead or just passed out, but with the flames making their way closer to us, I don’t have time to check. I can only pray that she’s just passed out from the blood loss and the pain of her injuries.
Picking her up, I head toward the same door her tormentor fled out of, but it won’t open. He must have locked it before he fled.
By now the fire has spread throughout the building, all the way up to the ceiling. We’re running out of time to get out of here. If we don’t make it out fast, we’ll both burn to death.
Running carefully with her in my arms, I try not to jar her, but my first step causes her eyes to fly open and a scream tears past her lips.
“I’m sorry, babe. But we have to get out of here quick.” I continue running but as we make it to the middle of the warehouse, the smoke is so thick she starts coughing, which causes her to cry out in pain.
“We’re almost there. Stay with me. I’ve got you.” I try to comfort her, but I don’t even think she’s hearing me, the pain too much for her to concentrate on anything else.
I’m a few feet from the door when shots start to ring out outside the warehouse. My brothers must be here and are gunning that motherfucker down. I’m pissed because I wanted to be the one to kill him, but I’m thankful my brothers are here to help. As long as that sonofabitch is dead, that’s all that really matters, I guess.
Almost to the door, I hear a big bang and the ground shakes, knocking me off balance. I start to fall with Harlow in my arms, and the building starts to fall down around us.
Landing on my side as to not crush her, I try to get back up again to make it out when something big and heavy falls down on my legs.
“Fuck!” I roar, pain shooting up my legs. Trying to move, I realize that I’m pinned.
Looking over to Harlow, I see her open her eyes and take in the scene around us.
“Harlow! You need to get out of here. The place is falling apart. You need to go!” I yell, trying to get her to save herself. Once I know she’s safe, I’ll be able to focus solely on freeing myself.
She looks at me with fear in her eyes, but it’s not for herself. “No. I’m not leaving you!” she says with pain in her voice, though I think it’s more from her injuries than thinking I won’t make it.
“I’ll be fine. I promise, but you have to get yourself to safety. I’ll be right behind you,” I tell her, though I’m starting to doubt that, but I’ll say anything to get her to leave me so she’s safe. I need her to be safe.
Harlow starts to get up onto her elbows and I think she’s going to listen and crawl out of here and leave me behind, but she doesn’t. She army crawls toward me. “Harlow! Go! Leave me!”
I frantically try to unpin myself. I need to get her out of here. She’s not listening to me.
“No! I can’t leave you, Louie. I love you. I won’t leave you,” she cries and I know we are both doomed. I can’t get free and she won’t listen to me. She won’t leave me behind, even to save herself.
I reach out my hand, determined to touch her one last time before it’s over for us. “I love you, Harlow,” I tell her, hoping she can hear more than just the words, but know what she means to me.
“I love you too,” she says around her coughing from the smoke, then her eyes close and I fear she’s dead.
“Harlow! Open your eyes, babe!” I yell, not ready to let her leave me yet.
Just then, the door a few feet from us opens and I see Toby and Blaze rush in, searching the area for us.
“Over here,” I yell, starting to cough from the smoke too.
Finally finding us, they run to us; Blaze immediately starting to move the debris off my legs and Toby going to Harlow’s side.
“Is she okay?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer me. “Tell me, dammit! Is she alive?” I demand again.
This time, he looks up at me with sadness in her eyes. “No!” I scream, fighting with Blaze to get free so I can get closer to her.
“She’s alive, brother. But barely. I need to get her out of here and get her to the hospital,” he says in a rush, then he picks her up and runs out of the building.
Blaze continues to work on me while I just lay there, watching the door where Toby disappeared with my girl.
“She’ll be all right, man. You have to believe that. But you need to help me. The building is still coming down and if we don’t get you out of here soon, we’ll both be a pile of charred bones,” Blaze says, his words snapping me out of my grief.
Seconds later, I’m finally free. I try to stand up on my own, with a little help from my brother, but I fall right back down.
“Put your arm around me,” Blaze yells over the noise of the building falling down around us.
He crouches down so I’m able to wrap my arm around his shoulders and he starts to drag me out of the building.
Once outside, I take in deep gulps of fresh air but end up choking on it. “Easy, brother,” Blaze says as we make our way to a van parked a few feet away, not even sparing a second glance at the burning building behind us.
I don’t see Toby with Harlow or even Mack and Jax. “Where is everyone? Did they take her to the hospital?” I ask, but one look at Blaze’s face and I know I’m missing something. “What am I missing?” I demand, needing to know what’s going on.
“Let’s get you to the hospital, man. We need to get you checked out and we have to see how Harlow and Mack are doing,” he says as he helps me into the front seat of the van, then slams the door before making his way around to the driver’s side.
When he’s inside and peeling out, I ask, “What do you mean see how Harlow and Mack are doing? What the fucked happened to Mack?” I ask, getting more frustrated without having any answers to what happened. Mack is in the hospital? Why?
“He was shot, Louie.”
I don’t know what to say to that. I heard shots ring out when I was trying to get Harlow out, but I assumed it was them shooting the fucker that escaped out of the warehouse after leaving me and Harlow to burn. But now he’s telli
ng me Mack was the one shot?
“What the fuck happened?” I yell, needing to know exactly what transpired outside.
“When we got to the warehouse, you were already inside. We figured you’d be able to get Harlow out and take care of any problems, but we surrounded the building in case he tried getting away while you were saving Harlow,” he explains as he speeds down the road toward the hospital.
“He came out the back door and when we didn’t see you behind him, we knew we had to take care of him for you. But he spotted us right away and started shooting at us. We were able to take cover, but Mack was hit. It’s bad, Louie. He was hit in the back as he was dodging behind a dumpster. He lost a lot of blood and wasn’t conscious when Jax was able to get him out of here while Toby and I took care of the sonofabitch that started all of this.”
I assume by taking care of him, he means they killed him, but I need confirmation. I have to know he’s dead and paid for his sins.
“Did you kill him?” I ask in a hard voice. I almost hope that they didn’t so I can hunt him down and kill him myself, but I know they wouldn’t have let him get away. They would have done anything necessary to end him.
“Yeah, he’s dead. Toby was able to get a headshot on the motherfucker,” he says with contempt, angry that he didn’t get to kill the fucker himself. Get in line. I’m pissed about that too.
Minutes later, we’re screeching to a stop outside the emergency doors of the local hospital. I don’t like that we aren’t in our town—I feel too exposed and vulnerable—but going off of what Blaze said about Mack’s condition and seeing firsthand the condition Harlow is in, I understand the urgency to just get them to the closest hospital. Doesn’t mean we won’t have them moved the first chance we get.
Rushing inside with the help of Blaze, we find all of our brothers huddled together in the waiting room.
“What’s going on? Where are they?” I ask, needing to know where they are and if we’ve heard anything yet.
“They took Mack in for surgery. The bullet grazed his spine. They won’t know what the outcome will be until they can stabilize him,” Tom Tom says first.
When no one says anything about Harlow, I start to get pissed. “And Harlow,” I seethe. Somebody better fill me in real quick or else I’m going to start dropping bodies and tearing this place apart looking for her.
“She’s in surgery too. She has so many injuries they weren’t able to update us before they took her away. The only thing we can do is wait.” Jax’s words don’t give me any comfort.
Needing to know more, I release Blaze and try to make my way toward the nurse’s station, but my legs give out. Fuck! I forgot about my own injuries. But those are just going to have to wait. I need to know what’s going on with my girl.
“Whoa, brother. We need to get you into a room to have you looked at,” Blaze says, trying to wrap my arm back around his shoulders, but I’m not having it.
“No! I need to find out about Harlow. They have to have more information than what they told you.” Trying once more to walk, Blaze releases my arm, but moves in front of me.
“Look, I know what you must be feeling. You forget, I’ve been here before. More than once. But you aren’t going to be any help to her like this. You need to take care of yourself first and let the doctors do their jobs. We should know more soon, and if not, I promise I will find a doctor that will tell us more.” I hate that he’s right. I don’t want to worry about myself and get checked out, but it’s the only option right now.
“Fine. I’ll give them ten minutes, but if we still don’t have anything, I’ll find out my own way.”
Knowing that’s as good as he’s gonna get from me, Blaze nods his head, then helps me over to a gurney in the hallway.
“I’ll go find you a doctor. Don’t you fucking move, or you’ll deal with me.” It’s a half threat, but I know he’ll follow through.
It won’t be easy, but I’ll stay put. For now. They just better hope a doctor finds us soon with news about Harlow and Mack.
Chapter 20
Harlow
Movement to my side brings me back from the numb darkness but I don’t want to open my eyes. I don’t want to see Titus beside me and wonder what new torture he’ll put me through.
I think I remember Louie showing up to save me, but that was probably my mind’s way of protecting me from the hell of Titus’s torment.
Someone grabs my hand. I try to pull out of their grasp, but it’s no use. I’m too weak and broken to get away.
My heart starts to beat faster and my breath comes in short, hard pants. He’s going to hurt me again. He’s going to kill me. I can’t go through this anymore. I can’t take any more pain.
“Harlow. It’s okay, calm down. It’s me, babe,” I hear, but it doesn’t register in my mind. I can see Titus in my mind’s eye and feel the gun pressed to my head. Every injury he inflicted on me starts to pound and pain shoots through my whole body.
“No! Don’t touch me!” I yell, still trying to get away from him, but my efforts are useless.
“Harlow. It’s Louie. Open your eyes, babe,” the voice says frantically, but it’s Titus’s voice I hear.
My heart is beating so fast, it feels like it’s going to pound right out of my chest. I know I need to calm down, but I can’t. The only thing I can think about is what Titus is going to do to me next.
“What’s going on in here?” I hear a different voice say, but I can’t focus on them.
“I don’t know. She won’t open her eyes but she’s freaking out. What’s wrong with her?”
I feel another set of hands on me, and I cry out, thinking it’s a painful touch. “No!” I scream and start to thrash, but I’m being held down. “Let me go!”
One set of hands leaves me only to be replaced by another set. Then, I feel warmth spread through my body and everything starts to go black. But I’m happy to go. I’ll do anything to get away from my tormentor.
***
I hear voices when I wake up again, but this time I recognize them as Dani and Sara. I don’t know who they’re talking to, but I’m just glad that they’re here and not hurt by Titus.
Opening my eyes, I take in the room. I was worried that when I woke up, I’d still be in the warehouse, but I’m in a hospital.
I see movement out of the corner of my eyes so I lay real still and hold my breath. It’s Titus, I know it is. I don’t want to draw attention to myself. But then I remember Dani and Sara. I need to get them out of here so he can’t hurt them.
Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth a scream. “Dani! Sara! Get out of here before he gets you!” My heart rate has started to pick up again but I don’t care if I have a heart attack. I just need to know that they’ll be safe from Titus.
Titus jumps up from his sitting position beside me and reaches out to me. He grabs a hold of my shoulders, but I try to fight him off. I feel the pain in my chest, legs, and fingers rip through me, but I don’t care. I won’t let him take Dani and Sara.
“Get out of here!” I yell again, hoping this time they’ll listen.
“Harlow! Harlow, stop fighting. It’s Louie!” Titus says. This must be a new form of punishment for not going with him, but I won’t fall for his tricks. It’s not Louie, it’s Titus.
“No!” I try to fight harder, but the pain is beginning to be too much. I start to shake all over and cry in devastation. I’m never going to get away from him.
“Nurse!” he yells and when a woman in blue scrubs rushes toward me, I start fighting harder again. He must have paid someone to drug me as a new way of hurting me.
“Stay away from me!” I scream at her, but she continues forward.
Seeing Dani and Sara crying behind her, I think for a moment that Titus has already hurt them, but I don’t see any injuries.
“Help me! Please!” I beg them, even though I tried to get them to flee a few moments ago, but I can’t take this anymore.
They start to cry harder and turn their heads
away from me, like they can’t bear to watch what is about to happen. I lose it. I’m officially alone, no one to help me, but I won’t go out without a fight.
Swinging one of my arms out, I’m able to hit the nurse in the face with my hand, knocking her back a step. “Harlow, stop!” Titus yells, but I won’t stop. I’m going to keep defying him, keep fighting him until my last breath.
Titus pins my arms to the bed and the nurse comes toward me again. I can see blood leaking out of her lip but that’s all the damage I was able to inflict on her. Then I feel the pinch of the needle into my neck and everything goes hazy again. I’m back into the darkness. I’m back to my safe haven.
***
Louie
As soon as I feel Harlow go limp under my arms, I release her.
Looking to the girls first, I see they’re both crying and holding onto each other.
Then I look to the nurse. She seems to be only a little frazzled and her lip is split a little, but other than that, she looks to be all right.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, hoping she doesn’t try to press charges on Harlow. She’s not in her right frame of mind. Everything that happened to her was too much and now her mind is the one tormenting her.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m all right,” she says as she disposes of the syringe that was able to calm Harlow down.
“What’s the matter with her?” Sara chokes out around her tears. They’re still holding onto each other, but they’ve moved closer.
“She has PTSD. Due to the nature of her injuries, I suspect she went through quite a lot of trauma. Something must have triggered the episode and she was transported back to what happened to her,” the nurse explains.
My bum leg finally gives out and I fall into the chair hard. That fucker is dead and he’s still tormenting her.
“Will she be okay?” Dani asks, though I’m not sure I want to hear the answer. What if she never gets past this? What if she’s having more than just a panic attack, but actually a psychotic breakdown? She may not be able to come back from this.
Defying Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC #3) Page 18
