Standing bravely, holding my sister close, I lifted my chin. “You won’t shoot us. We’re too valuable. You and I both know that. We’ll follow you willingly. There’s no need to shoot.”
The Russian laughed. “Follow. Car is waiting.”
Naomi was trembling so hard that I knew she wasn’t just terrified of the past. She knew this man and he was someone important. His rich looking clothes and confident stance proved he wouldn’t hesitate to kill us.
I had to do everything I could to make sure we both survived. Nothing else would harm my sister. I’d fight to the death to protect her. Naomi had been through enough. Whatever this Russian wanted, he was in for a hell of a surprise.
This little nurse was fierce. I’d fuck him up if he tried to harm either of us. I would go down fighting and never regret it. Screw this Russian asshole. Nylah Peters wasn’t a victim.
I was a goddamn badass!
Chapter 28 – Azrael
The plane landed in Tonopah and Grim and I followed Papa down the ramp. Spook had arrived with a cage and all three of our bikes in tow. We greeted him and began the ride back to the Crossroads. Along the way, my stomach began to clench, and my head spun. I pulled over, followed by Papa and Grim.
“Rael?”
Papa spoke up first. “Got a funny feelin’ in my bones.”
“Something is wrong. We need to hurry!” I rode off fast, speeding toward home.
The Crossroads was utter chaos. Grim, Papa, and I pulled up to anarchy. Several of my brothers were laying on the ground, sporting gunshot wounds. Ol’ ladies and club whores were rushing around, offering help. The prospects were trying to follow the multiple orders shouted in their direction.
I was off my bike fast, searching for the familiar blonde hair and blue eyes that belonged to my woman. She was nowhere in sight. I didn’t see Patriot or Trixie either.
Maybe he’d taken them both to safety.
My name was shouted as I heard Grim roar, his anguished cry so loud that everyone stopped to stare in his direction. He was yelling for me and Mammoth. The two of us met at the entrance to the garage and rushed inside. My brother was laying on the ground, a bullet wound in the chest. Patriot’s shallow breathing scared the shit out of me.
Where the fuck was Nylah and her sister!?
I whipped out my phone, noticing that I had left it in airplane mode. Frustrated, I dialed her number. There was no answer. Straight to voice mail.
No. No. No!
“Fuck!” I snarled, dropping to my knees at Grim’s side. He was shaking his head, looking at the wound.
“I don’t know if he’s gonna make it to a hospital. It’s too fuckin’ far. He’s lost so much blood.”
“Then we take care of him here.” I had to swallow hard, nearly gagging on the emotion that threatened to choke the air from my lungs. “Let’s get him inside. He needs blood. Any of us can donate. His body will accept it since he’s had the change.”
This was one of those times when I wished our frail bodies weren’t so vulnerable. In the form of our Reapers, we were nearly indestructible. As men, we could die as easily as any other human.
Grim nodded. “Right. Mammoth, you get his shoulders. Rael, help me keep his body as still as possible.”
Wraith was sporting a bullet in his right arm, but he didn’t hesitate to help. Exorcist and Bodie each supported a different part of his body and we managed to get Patriot into the clubhouse. Shit went flying to the ground as we placed him on one of the nearest tables in the common room and I marched to the bar, picking up a bottle of whiskey.
Returning to Patriot, I moved the wad of blood-soaked fabric on his chest, noticing it was Nylah’s sweatshirt. I’d seen her wearing it at her house once. I knew then that my worst fears had been realized. She’d been taken. Both her and Trixie.
I squared my shoulders and poured the whiskey on Patriot’s wound as he regained consciousness, cursing and yelling.
“Mimi!”
He was calling for Trixie, half delirious.
“Where are they? What happened?” I asked as we pressed a clean cloth to his chest.
“Nylah. Mimi.” He grabbed my arm. “The Russian.”