Doc (The Kings of Mayhem MC Tennessee 2)

“Stay right where you are,” I warn Otto.

He laughs. “You really think you have a say in what happens next?”

I open my mouth to reply. I won’t go down without a fight. I will kick and scream and gouge at his eyes.

But I don’t have to because at that moment, my father walks into the room.

“Is this a private reunion, or is everyone invited?” he asks, glaring at Otto.

Otto looks at him and then back to me before he reluctantly backs down.

The moment stretches out.

Tension tightens in the air.

“Update me on Odin,” my father finally says. “Is he going to make it?”

I’m still shaky but somehow compose myself.

“I told you, he needs a hospital. We can’t give him the care he needs.”

“And like I told you… you need to find a way.”

“He’s probably not going to make it through the day.”

“But there’s still a chance?”

“The world’s smallest.”

I lie. Odin is going to die.

That is a certainty.

But I need to stall my father, so the doc and I can come up with some kind of plan to get out of this place alive.

And that means my father needs to believe that Odin might just make it.

DOC

“If he touches you again, I’ll kill him.”

Lily just told me what happened with Otto this morning, and I can barely breathe through the rage.

“Max won’t let him.” She tries to soothe me. “But we’re running out of time, Doc.”

“What are you saying?”

“Odin is going to die tonight, and when Max comes back in the morning, he’ll tell you he wants you to join the Inferno. If you say no, then you’ll die too.” She looks at me gravely. “You have to leave, and you have to leave tonight.”

There’s been no time to action my plan to take Max hostage. Since they returned early this morning, I’ve been waiting for my chance to get Max alone. I figured his offer to join the Inferno was coming and decided it could be the perfect time to take his weapon from him then. But as the hours drifted on, the offer never came, and getting him alone was near impossible. It was like he knew what I was thinking, so he made sure Otto was always with him. Separately, I could take them down, but together, there’s no way.

Now it’s too late because they’re gone again. It seems there’s some unrest at the Inferno camp, and it has something to do with Otto’s difficult brother again. We don’t know when they’ll be back. It could be tonight, or it could be in the morning. Max likes it that way. Keeping us on edge is like some sort of sick game he plays.

It’s late. The sun has disappeared, and the stars are out. According to the news on the old radio, a cold front is bearing down on the mountain tonight.

Odin is still alive. Somehow, he’s clung to life throughout the day, and we were able to keep him comfortable, but it’s only delaying the inevitable. It will be a miracle if he makes it to dawn.

“With Max and Otto gone, this could be your last chance to escape,” Lily says.

“Then come with me.”

“I can’t. My knee will slow us down. You need to go, get help, and bring them back. I’ll keep Max and Otto distracted—”

“I told you, I’m not leaving without you.”

The thought kills me.

But Lily isn’t listening. She moves toward the bedroom door. “Max won’t let anything happen to me, but he won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“I’m not leaving you here, no way in hell.”

“You have to. We have a better chance of getting out of this alive if I stay behind and keep them preoccupied long enough for you to get back to your clubhouse. Then you come back and get me, okay?”

“Lily—

“It’s the only chance we have,” she cries.

In two large strides, I cross the room. I can barely keep the panic from my voice. “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving here without you. If I go, you’re coming with me.”

“I’m not worth it, Doc.”

Her words take me by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not worth dying for. You have a family waiting for you. You need to get back to them. Forget about taking me with you and focus on saving your own ass.”

Overcome with emotion, I take her by the arms and press her against the door, then kiss the words from her lips because the thought of leaving her behind is something I won’t consider. I kiss her hard. I don’t care if Max or Otto surprise us by turning up now. Hell, bring it on. After what Lily told me, I have enough rage in me to take him out with my bare hands.

If he even looks at Lily that way again…

“Don’t say that,” I beg against her lips, desperate for her to forget what she’s said. “I go, you go. Remember?” I drop my forehead to hers. “I’m not leaving you here, and that’s the end of it.”