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I spotted Rose, crumpled on the floor with a man at her back—Edge. The one she’d met at the strip club, the guy who’d brought her into this mess. His head was bleeding and he seemed dazed, but it was the knife he held to her throat that made me still.
“Let her go, Edge,” I told him sternly, attempting to keep my voice from cracking. I couldn’t tell if she was conscious or not. Her eyes were shut and her head hung limp, the only thing holding it up was his palm on her forehead as he used his other hand to press a large hunting knife against her neck.
“Fuck you, bastards. This is just the beginning!” The man Leo held captive spewed profanities.
Optimus stomped through the front door, stepping over the man he’d taken down. He eyed the situation, assessing his options.
“Kill him,” Op said, nodding to Leo.
“Wait!” he screamed.Not so tough now.“We won’t come back.”Ah, the bargaining of a dead man.It was still strange to see, no matter how many times you had to deal with it. The things a person will say or do in hopes that they would live was simply mind blowing.
Edge still hadn’t said anything, watching the whole interaction with his eyes as Rose’s limp body lay on top of him. My trigger finger itched, I had my gun poised on him, just waiting for a moment when he was distracted enough to let the pressure off his knife. At this point, I could shoot him, but still risk her throat being sliced open with the jolt.
“She breathing?” Op asked, turning his attention to Edge.
He flicked his head in confirmation. I could see blood on her, some hers, some maybe not. There was swelling on her face and her shirt was torn. Her arm hung, blood dripping from her fingertips.
Anger started to flare.
I’d let her get hurt again and his time I could have stopped it.
“Time,” Leo warned us sternly, the awkward stand-off was taking too long.
“Do it,” Op ordered. The gunshot rang out in the small room. Edge’s head whipped toward his club brother as he fell to the ground with a spray of blood covering the wall beside him.
I used that second to fire my gun, hitting Edge in the arm. He roared in pain and the knife fell from his hand, knicking Rose’s collarbone on the way down.
Op moved quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her from his grasp as he fell to the side.
“Out the back and over the fence,” Leo ordered, tucking his gun away.
I hurried to do the same, leaping over the sofa and wrapping my arms around Rose, throwing her over my shoulder.
“What about him?” Wrench asked, nodding to Edge. He was the only one of these men who was still alive, even if barely.
Edge groaned as he pulled himself to a sitting position again, his back against the wall and a hand now covering the bullet wound in his arm. “She’s a good liar. I'll give her that.”
Raising my gun, I directed it at his head. “She did what she had to do.”
“You think you can trust her?” He laughed darkly, his temper clearly rising as he eyed Rose’s limp body. “It comes naturally to her. It's who she fucking is.”
Taking a step forward, I forced myself to stay calm as I glared down at him. “You don't know fucking shit about her.”
“I know how much she hates it. I know how much her conscience is gonna eat at her. I hope it fucking haunts her!”
I fought to keep my composure as he smirked up at me, blood seeping between his fingers.
“You really wanted her didn't you?” I growled. He tried to hide it but I saw on his face that my words hit their target. “Remember this as you bleed out in this room with your so called brothers. Eventually she will forgive herself for what she did here. Because I'll be at her side, reminding her that it was the right choice. And soon, your face will be a blur, a distant fucking memory.”
I took one last look at the bloodbath that we’d left in our wake.
That was when I realized I’d do fucking anything for this woman. I would walk straight into the depths of hell with a hail of fire, not knowing whether I would return.
And I knew now, that she’d do the same fucking thing for me.
That’s got to be fucking love.
