Cross stumbled backwards, already off balance from lifting his foot in the air. His hand went to his throat pulling the depressed syringe from his skin. “What did you do?!” he shouted, fighting to regain his balance. Horror, confusion, disbelief all passed over his face like a changing slideshow.
In his periphery, Ranger registered Toni turning around on the floor and looking up at the scene above her.
“What did youdo!” Cross cried out, betrayal lacing his voice. His eyes started to contract into pinpoints. That precious syringe tumbled from his fingers.
Cross tried to rush forward, but he was so off balance he fell to the carpeting before he even reached Ranger. Struggling to regain his footing, Cross blindly reached for something, anything, he could lean on. When this brought him closer toToni on the floor, Ranger quickly stomped his boot down on the man’s hand, feeling bones crush beneath his sole.
Crying out, Cross ripped his hand away, falling over onto his back. His mouth hung open, the skin sagging unnaturally. His lips developed a bluish tint, and several seconds later, he started gasping for breath. Wet gurgling sounds filled the room as white-pinkish frothy foam spewed from his mouth.
Ranger didn’t know how long he stood there. Didn’t know how long he watched those sightless eyes staring back at him from a limp, silent body. He was a statue, his mind not processing what he’d done, what he’d given up. Was there more? Cross had to have more. There was some on the table. Not enough for another dose, but it was better than nothing. It would take the edge off and then he’d find more. If Cross was Pike’s partner and supplier, he had to have more. They didn’t find drugs at Pike’s house, so they had to be here. It was all here. Ranger just had to find it.
“Easy, brother. Can you look at me? Can you see me?”
“What’s wrong with him? Is he high?”
“Ranger! Ranger! Can you hear me?”
His body was shaking, or maybe it was being shaken. He couldn’t tell. But it wasn’t until the sharp pain of the slap across his face that Ranger gasped out. His lungs screamed at him like this was the first breath he’d taken in minutes.
Ginger hair caught his attention, and Ranger’s vision cleared. Sounds, smells, tastes, all came rushing back to him as his eyes landed on Ghost’s pale face.
His knees buckled, no longer able to hold up his weight. Ghost caught him, slinging his arm around his shoulder to steady Ranger.
“Ghost,” Ranger managed to get out. What was he doing here? How did he get here? Vaguely recalling pressing his panicbutton like it had been an act inside a dream, Ranger shifted his head, looking around.
Bear was on the floor with Toni. Bulldog and Lucky stood over Cross’ asphyxiated form. On the coffee table, untouched and still calling to him like a siren’s song, was that off-white powder.
Ranger couldn’t look away as he begged his best friend, “Get me out of here.” He didn’t know what he wanted to be away from more, the heroin or Toni. Shame filled him, rising like bile through every cell of his body, at the knowledge of what he’d almost done. If the club hadn’t come…
Toni was better off without him.
* * *
“Wait!Where is he going? Where are they taking him?” Toni demanded, not caring who answered. The club had stormed the house, entering from the front and the back. Hell, Scar came down the stairs like he’d been lounging up in one of the bedrooms.
Bear immediately went to her on the floor while Ghost went to Ranger. But Bear was a nurse, wasn’t he? She was fine! Why was he paying attention to her? Why hadn’t he gone to Ranger? Lucky and Bulldog checked over Cross’ body, even though she was very certain he was extremely dead. The heroin must have been laced with something for it to have that sort of effect on him and so quickly. Maybe she was wrong, too shocked to judge time appropriately, but she’d swear on the Bible that it hadn’t taken longer than three minutes for him to die.
She wished it had taken longer.
The furious looks on Bulldog’s and Lucky’s faces worried her. Were they upset Ranger had killed Cross? They didn’t understand! They hadn’t been here. They had no right to judgewhat he’d done. What it must have cost Ranger to inject Cross with the heroin instead of himself.
“It’s okay,” Bear answered her, having already knelt on the floor next to her. “Ghost is getting him out of here. I need to check you over. There’s blood on your throat. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Toni’s hand went to her neck. Feeling like she was covering a vampire bite, she shook her head. “No, no, I’m fine.” Her palms stung something awful, but rug burn had never killed anyone. “Where’s Ranger?”
A pair of latex gloves on his hands, Bear reached for her wrist. “Let me see. Were you injected with anything I should know about?”
“Cross jabbed the needle into me, but he didn’t inject me. I’m fine,” she insisted again. Toni tried to get to her feet, but Bear stopped her by stretching his large arms out. He never actually touched her, but it was no less a block.
“This will go a lot faster and a lot smoother if you would stop fighting me and let me examine you. I promise I will get you to Ranger as soon as I can.” Bear’s voice was gentle, but in that moment, Toni hated the giant teddy bear for keeping her from Ranger. Did he not understand what they’d just survived? And now the club was trying to separate them? “Is that the needle?” Bear asked, pointing to the syringe on the floor.
Toni nodded. “He barely poked me. I’m not high or anything.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not my current concern,” Bear said, frowning at the items on the table next to her. “We don’t know where that needle has been. I need to clean your wound and get you an antibiotic. Do you know when your last tetanus booster was?”
“I don’t know. Maybe eight years ago.” Fuck. Toni hadn’t even thought of that. But it was just a prick. Was that enough to transmit anything?
“Easy,” Bear encouraged, likely seeing the panic on her face. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Eight years is good, but we’re still going to need to get you to Tessa. She’ll get your bloodwork done and ensure that you’re good.” He started cleaning her neck. “It can wait until the morning. I need to warn you, though. It’s not a simple one-and-done. You’ll need to go back a few times to confirm you didn’t contract anything. It’s precautionary,” he informed her. While his voice was gentle, it was also steady, confirming the seriousness of her situation.
