AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knew he was talking money, but I didn’t give a shit about it. Money and greed were why Will was here in the first place.
Will was Simone’s brother. She loved him, and I’d make sure she didn’t lose him tonight.
“Now!” York yelled.
I was on the move, running at top speed, shooting at dozens of gang members while keeping my eyes on Will. “Get down!” I yelled. I saw bullets hitting the dirt around Will’s body.
I threw myself onto him and kept firing. These shoot-outs never lasted long. Hell seemed to rain down as bullets flew through the air. Then it was over just as fast as it started.
York yelled, “Hold your fire!”
I scanned the surrounding area and only saw the Bratva we came with. The Lords were waiting for the Mexicans as they tried to run back the way they came. York and Scout came into view.
I exhaled as relief washed over me, and I rolled off Will’s body.
“It’s over.” I nudged him, but he didn’t move. “Will?” I rolled him over onto his back. “Son of a bitch! Man down, man down,” I yelled as I took in the pool of blood that had been under him. I searched for where it was coming from. When I found the spot on the side of his chest, I covered it with my hand. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Will?” I shook him as panic seized my heart. “Open your eyes.”
The ambulance we had waiting down the road pulled up beside me, and EMTs rushed to Will’s side, moving me out of the way. I watched them work fast, calling out what they needed, none of which I understood. The only things that made sense to me were “he’s lost a lot of blood” and “possible collapsed lung.”
Will was put on a stretcher and whisked away. Miranda instantly popped into my head.
I whipped out my phone and texted Norris.
Axel: She ok?
I waited for his reply. As I took in the scene, it looked like we got everyone.
Wait. Where in the fuck was Jason? I started turning over bodies. One after another, my blood turned colder. No fucking Jason!
I checked my phone and nothing from Norris. In my line of work, if a reply didn’t come immediately, it meant trouble.
Fuck!
31 Axel
THE EMERGENCY WAITING room smelled funny and suffocated me as deafening whispers blared around me. White walls and industrial tile floors. Ammonia and death. I didn’t want to be here, but I needed to know if Will would be okay. I still hadn’t heard from Norris. Mack was on it, trying to get in touch with the guys.
Horrible thoughts thrashed my mind relentlessly. If someone didn’t update us on Will’s condition soon, I might start demanding answers and breaking shit.
I kept telling myself Miranda was fine. Norris had probably set his phone down to help Miranda pack up her things. Will had said she wanted to come home as soon as possible. That had to be it. She could be bossy when she wanted to be, and I hoped she had been dictating orders to Norris.
Christ, she better be okay.
“Have you heard from Norris?” York asked, his eyes bloodshot. The creases in his forehead were more pronounced than I’d ever seen them.
“No.”
“Prepare to get your ass up there. If Will wakes up and something has happened to her, there will be hell to pay.”
“If he wakes up?”
York shrugged with a “shit happens” expression on his ugly mug. “When.”
“Dad!” Simone ran into the waiting room, and her red, blotchy face and wet eyes made me choke on my own breath. Jones trotted in behind her. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in surgery. We don’t know anything else.” Mr. St. James hugged her as she sniffled with her head against his chest.
It killed me to see Simone so upset. I felt responsible for Will getting injured, but it had all happened so fast. We’d only been assembled ten minutes, and the shoot-out had only lasted a few more. I’d done my best to shield him with my body, but I wasn’t fast enough.
