Running back into the kitchen, I jerk open the door I know leads to the basement. The squeak of the stairs no doubt alerting whoever is down
here to my arrival, but I don’t have it in me to give a shit, I’m on a mission. With my pistol raised, I round the corner, and I’m met with the worst sight I’ve ever witnessed. My angel is hanging from the ceiling, covered in lacerations and with a pool of blood at her feet. It takes me all of two seconds to notice the motherfucker sitting in the chair to my left with his gun trained on me. He’s spewing some shit about how our club killed his father and now he wants me to watch the woman I love die right in front of me.
“Your father was a coward who was caught trying to run and leave his men behind.” I tell him, keeping my gun trained on him.
Catching the small red light coming through the window, I sneer at him, “Let me fill you in on something, motherfucker. The barrel of the gun that was pressed between his eyes, as he stared death in the face—it’s the same one that your sorry ass is staring down right now. The only one dying here today is you.” By this point, we both have our guns trained on each other, but before he has a chance to react to my statement, Reid’s single shot hits Jorge right between the eyes, and I’m at Bella’s side before his body reaches the floor.
Taking a knife from my pocket, Bella’s limp body falls into my arms as I quickly cut her down. She’s still conscious but doesn’t have the ability to hold herself up. Her lips are turning blue and her skin is pale. Laying her on the basement floor, I slip my cut off and cover her exposed body as she slurs, “I love you, Logan.”
“I love you too, Angel. Stay with me.” I say in return.
With shaky hands, I take my belt and tie it above the puncture wound on the inside of her thigh. Scooping her up in my arms, I wince. With the number of cuts on her body, there is no way of moving her that’s going to be painless. Behind me, I hear pounding feet making their way down the stairs. When I turn I see Jake and Quinn.
“Oh shit, brother.” Quinn mutters when he sees the state Bella is in, “and who the hell is that?” he curses pointing to the small shadowy figure lying on the floor in the corner of the room. Quinn swiftly strides over to the unmoving person. “It’s a fuckin’ kid,” he announces, “and she’s beaten all to hell.”
“We got to move now so bring her with,” I exclaim.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I practically run out of the house with Bella in my arms. By the time we load up into the truck, she has passed out. “Go! Go! Go!” I shout at Victor.
“Hospital is ten minutes out,” he clips.
“Baby, please,” I chant as I rock her limp body in my arms. “You’ve got to stay with me, okay? Babe, please. You can’t leave me now. Come on, what the fuck is taking so long?” I bellow. I look around at my brothers, I hate seeing the look of pity on their faces—like it’s over, like she’s already gone. Fuck that shit, I’m not giving up on her.
With the screeching of tires, we pull up to the emergency room. I jump out, still holding Bella in my arms, jogging through the sliding doors while Quinn carries in the other girl we found down in the basement with her. “We need a fucking doctor now!” I yell, drawing the attention of several patients in the waiting room, along with a few staff members milling around. A tall scrawny man wearing scrubs comes running towards me with a short, black haired girl wearing a white coat. No way is she a fuckin’ doctor. She doesn’t look like she’s old enough to be out of high school yet. “I said I wanted a goddamn doctor!” I growl at the woman who is attempting to assist the nurse in getting me to let go of Bella and lay her down on a gurney.
“I am the doctor,” she hisses back at me. “Now, you need to let her go so I can assess her.” She calmly insists, cutting her eyes to Bella whom I still have a death grip on. “What’s your name?” she questions me.
“Logan,” I snap at her.
“I’m Dr. Evans, and I promise I’m going to do everything I can to help...” she pauses.
“Bella, her name is Bella,” I inform her.
“I’m going to help Bella, but first we need you to let her go.” Relenting, I place Bella on the gurney and watch as they rush her away.
I can’t move. I’m frozen to this spot watching as more nurses surround her, poking and prodding as they hook her up to machines. Dr. Evans is giving out instructions left and right. I watch as one nurse runs over carrying units of blood. My brothers stand silently behind me. There’s nothing to be said at this point. A second later the shrill sound of monitors going off fills the emergency room.
“She’s crashing!” The skinny male nurse calls out. My heart feels like it’s stuck in my throat as my legs begin to move on their own accord toward the chaos. I’m halfway across the room when two security guards stop me.
“I’m sorry sir, but you can’t be here.” They inform me.
“I need to get to my woman,” I snap.
“Sir, you’re not allowed, but if you go to the waiting room someone will be with you shortly.” Seeing me about to protest again, the other guard cuts in.
“Look man, I got a wife, I understand. I promise someone will be with you as soon as possible. Let them do their job. Dr. Evans is one of the best. Your girl is in good hands.” Giving in, I allow Jake to lead me back to the waiting area.
Two hours later a nurse approaches us, “Excuse me, sir, Dr. Evans ask that I bring you all to a private family room.”
“What the hell for? Why can’t she come talk to us here?”
“Sir, please.”
“Fuck no! I know why doctors take people in the family rooms, I’m not havin’ that shit. She’s not telling me my girl is dead, you hear me?”
“Logan, come on son, let’s go.” My father urges me.
“No, they’re not going to tell me she fuckin’ gone!”