He was right. We needed to save those we could and get the hell out of here fast, but I couldn’t just leave my aunt. Not her. My eyes landed on Max again. The mother fucker behind all of this. Fuck, I wanted to put a bullet in his head right now. But I couldn’t. Now was not the time. His time would come. I couldn’t wait for that day.
When that day arrived, I would end him.
Then I could finally rest.
Laying my aunt back on the ground, I said, “How many dead so far?”
“At least ten that I counted. Also, Giovanni found Luciano and Massacre. It wasn’t pretty, man.”
“Fuck. What about Phantom?”
“Haven’t found her. You need to find her fast. If she’s still alive, scatter. Meet us at the rendezvous point.”
Standing, I looked all around me and wanted to scream.
All this death because of one man hell-bent on retribution for something that happened so many years ago. I guess the saying was true. The sins of the father will be reaped upon the son.
Well, Goldman achieved his goal.
He wanted to hurt us, he did so in spectacular fashion.
I hoped he burned in hell.
“I last saw her by the shed.”
“Find her. I’ve got to help get the survivors to the rendezvous point. Be safe brother.” Ink said, taking off, checking bodies along the way.
Making my way over to the shed, I found Billy, one of the club’s prospects, with a bullet in his head. Bringing up my gun, I stepped over the kid, my senses on alert when I rounded the shed to find her laying against the cement building, blood soaking into the ground around her head.
I knew she was alive.
She had to be.
She had endured more shit than one woman should ever have to just to die in some fucking explosion.
No fucking way that explosion was going to take her out.
She may be hurt, but she was still alive and that was all that mattered. Checking for a pulse, I shook my head and whispered. “Fuck woman. You are like a damned Timex watch. Come on. We have to get out of here.”
When she moaned, I felt a trickle of relief wash through me.
Gathering her in my arms, I stood, saying, “Hang on, darlin’. I’ve got you.”
Holding her tighter against me, her head dropped to my shoulder as I heard her whisper, “My Marine.”
Closing my eyes, I tried not to let her words affect me.
It had been so long.
Too long.
A lifetime ago.
I knew she was out of it. She didn’t know what she was saying. I held onto that when I heard the sounds of emergency vehicles off in the distance.
It was time to go.
Shifting her weight in my arms, I ensured I had a good hold on her as I made my way towards the tree line. I didn’t bother looking back as I disappeared into the dense forest.