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Then without warning, pain flared through his shoulder as a gunshot rang out. Cross grunted in agony, stumbling but refusing to fall.
Cross scanned the area and he found Panther, frantically trying to mount his motorcycle. The Crow was determined to make a quick getaway, leaving his men behind and abandoning the fight. Cross silently shook his head in disapproval. It was unacceptable behavior for a member of an MC.
Cross leveled his gun at Panther, his eyes locked onto the target. The seconds stretched, and then, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The bullet found its mark and Panther toppled over in the dirt.
It was finally over. After checking Panther was dead, Cross returned to the scene of the standoff. He entered the roadhouse. There were only two lifeless bodies of Crows left behind.
He found the rest of his crew outside, where Priest was attending to Jeremy’s injured leg. Spike was in a conversation with Dana. The moment Dana caught sight of Cross, she abandoned her conversation with Spike and ran toward him. Without hesitation, Cross wrapped his arms around her, pulling him into a tight embrace. Cross held her close and he breathed in her familiar and comforting scent.
“Is Panther really dead?” Dana asked.
Cross cupped her face in his hands, his gaze locked onto hers. He leaned in and planted a reassuring kiss on her lips.
“Panther is never going to trouble you again, Dana,” he said.
“But what about Smoke and the rest of the Crows? Do you think they’ll retaliate?” Dana asked.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he said, “but I’m not worried. We’ve faced worse, and we’ve come out on top.”
Cross took a moment to assess the scene. He knew there was much to be done to clean up the mess, but for the time being, his priority was to get Dana to safety.
“I’ll get some prospects to clean up this mess,” Cross told her.
He stepped closer and gently took her hand, leading her toward his motorcycle.
“Priest will see to it that your dad gets to the hospital,” he added, glancing back at the roadhouse.
Chapter Eleven
Dana walked into Hanging Grove Medical, dreading this moment. As she approached her father’s room, Dana didn’t know the first thing she wanted to say to him. Of course, she was still pissed at him for meeting Panther on his own but she understood he didn’t just do it for himself, but also for her.
As she pushed open the door to his room, she found Jeremy lying in a hospital bed, pale and disoriented. At the very least, he seemed to recognize his daughter.
“I’m a terrible father, aren’t I?” he muttered. “I’ve let you down again.”
Taking a deep breath, Dana approached his bedside and gently took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Dad,” Dana began. “We’ve all made mistakes, just promise you won’t do anything that reckless again.”
Jeremy took a deep breath. “I promise, Dana,” he replied. For once, Dana believed him.
“So, what did Cross tell you? Are the Crows still after us?” he asked.
“Cross contacted Smoke directly,” she explained. “He said Smoke wanted to cut his losses and is unlikely to waste any resources coming after us. But...” Dana trailed off. She took a deep breath before continuing, “I don’t think we’ll ever get the shop back, Dad.”
“Dana,” Jeremy said, his hands gently squeezing hers. “When I entered that roadhouse to confront Panther, I realized what a fool I was. The shop, the past, it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is you.”
He continued, “I know I haven’t been the best father, and I never gave this town a fair chance. But I want you to know that I’m a new man now.”
Dana nodded, though she was still a little skeptical. She had seen the poor decisions he made over the years, and it was natural for her to remain cautious. However, she also recognized that he was trying his best.
As she opened her mouth to respond, a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, catching her completely off guard. She placed a hand on her stomach.. The room seemed to spin around her, and the queasiness became too much to bear. Dana quickly excused herself, barely making it to the nearest restroom in time. Her stomach revolted, and she leaned over the toilet, her body heaving as she emptied the contents of her stomach.
Dana returned to her father, her face still pale from the sudden bout of nausea.
Concern flickered in Jeremy’s eyes. “What’s wrong, Dana?” he asked.
She tried to downplay it, not wanting to cause any undue alarm. “Just a stomach flu, I think,” Dana said. She didn’t want to make a fuss when her father was already going through so much.
