Herrin reaches over and slaps Eve across the face for whatever it is she said that I missed.
He hits her hard enough to snap her whole head to the side, and a bruise immediately starts forming on her cheek as she sags, trying to drop to the ground.
Dash holds her up, his own jaw grinding. “She’s fucking mine, Herrin. Don’t forget our deal.”
The laughter cuts out immediately.
“Keep a muzzle on your bitch. You’re no more important than my son. If her lips are doing anything other than sucking your dick, our deal is off,” Herrin threatens.
Drex’s hands curl into tight fists, but he’s not in any position to play a hero. He may as well give up. We’re not going anywhere without being zipped up in a body bag.
“Still picking on the weak to look strong, Pop?” I muse, gathering all of the sociopathic sperm donor’s attention my way.
“Some bitches just can’t learn their place,” Mack says, smirking over at me as he licks his lips. “It’d be my honor, Pres, if you’d let me teach your daughter how to behave.”
Pop’s eyes narrow, and he moves my way.
“Mack, I’ll let you have my daughter, after the more important members have had a turn,” Herrin decides, a slow smile creeping across his face. “Who wants to be the first to humble her?”
“The first one is going to be in the most pain,” I idly warn them in my dead tone.
“I’d wait until at least the fifth one has finished up, unless you’re brave and looking for a challenge,” I add, giving them all a cold smile.
No one seems hesitant in the least. I’ve lost my fear factor. Oh well.
I want it over.
I want it done.
I want it to end as soon as possible.
Just put the damn bullet in me so I can finally rest in peace.
“Rick’s dead in the hangar, and the girl is missing!” someone shouts, interrupting the eeny, meeny, miney, moe selection process Herrin has going on for who gets to rape his daughter first.
“I told him to make sure that son of a bitch was dead before taking his old lady for a spin,” Herrin states as though he’s put out. “Lock it down. It’s not like the cops are coming, and this place is impossible to break into once the codes are swapped.”
My startled cry of pain is ripped from my throat, but the pain dulls quickly. The bindings at my feet are cut loose, and I’m dragged to stand upright.
My eyes come up, catching motion from behind the bar, just as a body lands on top of it, and impossibly cold blue eyes collide with mine. My breath leaves like an expelled fog, disbelief coiling through me, as my mind sinks into delirium.
He can’t be alive.
There was too much blood.
How is Rush alive and seemingly healthy on top of that bar as he pulls out twin guns?
With a wink, he turns his attention to Herrin, just as Pop follows my wide-eyed, stunned stare toward the ghost of the man I just lost.
Without even looking, he fires the first shot, and through my peripheral, I see it pop Badger’s head, which has him quickly releasing me, even as we both tumble to the ground.
Pop’s eyes widen in Rush’s direction, as I struggle to free myself from the dead man pinning me down. Two more shots fire.
Because that horrible son of a bitch has nine damn lives, Pop manages to duck behind one of his guys at the last second, using him as a human shield.
How is Rush alive? Am I dreaming this? Have I gone into some state of hysterical delirium at the sight of his dead body?
Rush crashes to the ground, and booze sprays with glass into the air, as bullets crash all around the bar he’s tucked behind.
“You stupid son of a bitch! Too soon!” Sledge shouts.
Too soon?
Sledge knew Rush was alive? How is Rush alive? Dream or reality?
Hopefully Drex and the others are smart enough to get out of the line of fire. I can’t seem to pick myself up off the floor, because my eyes are trained in horror at the bar that is taking a beating. Is that real steel? Please be real steel. My brother is obnoxious enough to have a steel bar.
“Someone kill that son of a bitch for me! Alright? Thanks!” Rush shouts like this is a damn joke, reigniting the bullet-spray as though he’s taunting them.
If he’s really alive, I’m going to kill him…if he survives this. This day went from embarrassing to numbingly terrifying too abruptly for me to adjust.
My ears are ringing, so I have no idea what people are shouting now…
“How much fucking ammo did they bring?” I hear Rush shout, still sounding too freaking casual.
It’s like my mind snapped back to the scene when his voice cut in.