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“Once I get these fluids started, we’ll move her to the Expedition.Take her to my clinic in the compound so I can assess what needs to happen next.”He continued to work with the IV, taping it down before spiking a bag and connecting it to the port in her arm.“She’s talking and seems aware of her surroundings.Must have found her seconds after this happened.”He didn’t specify that she’d hanged herself or what exactly the “this” was, but we all knew.My guess was that Stitches was trying to push all that aside and get us all to focus on the immediate problem: Scarlet’s physical well-being.The mental damage we could worry about later.Right now, though, we needed to get her out of here.
“Honey, do you know where Hammer went?”Breaker knelt on the other side of her, stroking her hair back.I growled at him, heedless of Rage’s hold on my neck or that I might terrify the young woman on the ground.
“Get away from her!”I yelled at the Breaker, trying to lunge out of Rage’s hold but the other man held fast.
“Calm the fuck down, Mars.”Rage was at my ear, not raising his voice.The logical part of my mind knew they were right.I needed to get a fucking grip.But I also needed to get to Scarlet.Only then would I be able to get control of my baser instincts.“You’re gonna scare the bejesus outta her.”
“I said get away from her!”I was beyond caring.I needed the other man away from Scarlet and I needed to be the man at her side.I’d already failed her by not pushing my way inside that fucking house when I’d followed them after that fucking party.I wasn’t ever leaving her side again.Not as long as I was able.
Scarlet’s head turned toward the sound of my voice and our eyes met.I felt my breath catch in my chest as I looked into her clear hazel eyes, so full of fear and pain.I knew that look well.I had seen it in the eyes of so many women before her.Women who had been beaten, abused, used and discarded by men who had no right to touch them.Men I’d happily killed with a fucking smile on my face.It was those women who haunted me.I knew in the pit of my soul, Scarlet would be imprinted on me more than any of the ones before her.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking.“Let… me…” She took a shuddering breath and a small sob broke free.“… die…”
“Like bloody hell!”I finally shrugged off Rage and moved to kneel beside Scarlet, stroking the hair off her forehead.“You’re ain’t fuckin’ dyin’.”
A tear streaked from her eye down her temple to her hairline.That one single tear felt like a dagger to my heart and I had to focus all my concentration on those glassy green and gold eyes.
She took a shuddering breath, then a sob escaped.“I don’t want to die.”That little hopeless confession was all I could take.
I pulled Scarlet into my arms and held her tightly against me.“You ain’t gonna die.I won’t let you.Never let you die.You’re safe.I’ve got you.”My words all ran together.
“Please don’t make me go back to him.I can’t.Can’t keep going…” Her voice was so thin and full of pain I clutched her to me and threw my head back and roared.She was weak and had to be in pain, but she bunched her fists in my colors and hung on like her life depended on it.
“Let me have her, Mars.”Stitches tried to pull her from me, but Scarlet whimpered and pulled herself closer, burying her face in my chest and clinging tightly.
“Get your Goddamned hands off her!”In my mind, Scarlet was Scarlet but… not.She was one of dozens of women I’d come across over the years and couldn’t save.Only this one wasn’t dead.Almost, but we’d saved her.
“Please… no…” Scarlet whimpered and drew in another shuddering breath.
“Is he with us?”That was Rage.He, more than anyone, might know what I was going through.And I knew he wasn’t talking to me.Even if he was, I wasn’t sure I could answer him.I was caught between the present and past.I knew it, but couldn’t seem to do anything about it.
“Maybe?I don’t know.She wants him and he’s protecting her, so I’m not sure how much it matters.But we gotta get her some medical care.”
I shook my head, trying to clear it.I could feel sweat trickle down my face.The night breeze chilled my skin and I tucked Scarlet tighter against me, closing my arms around her as much as I could to protect her from the cold.She whimpered, but burrowed closer and clutched me even tighter.
“Fuck,” I gasped, shaking my head again.I had to pull myself out of this if I was going to help Scarlet.She needed me back in the here and now.So did my brothers.“Fuck.”
“Here we go.”Rage moved in front of me, gripping my shoulder.“You back with us, buddy?”
I nodded though I wasn’t altogether certain I’d shaken off the pain this panic attack had brought back.It had been a cross between the present and the past, and I still wasn’t sure if I’d completely fought my way free.
“Good.Can you stand?”Stitches had a syringe in his hand he injected into the tubing of the IV he’d started.
“We need to get her to the hospital.”Breaker stood above me and I tilted my face up to him.
“No hospital,” she whimpered.“Please.”
“But--”
“If we take her to a hospital, they’re gonna ask questions.”Stitches finished and helped me to my feet.I was able to let him, though my instinct was screaming at me to make him leave us the fuck alone.“They’ll want to put her on a psych ward if she’s medically clear and I’m sure she doesn’t want to have to explain anything.Let’s get her back to the clubhouse and I’ll check her over.I’m not going to let hernotget the care she needs if she’s physically injured beyond what I can take care of.”
“Get her in the Expedition.”Rage urged me back inside the house and through the front door.I carried Scarlet, not even considering giving her off to someone else.Breaker and took the lead, scanning the area before Rage stepped out the door ahead of me.I had no idea where Hammer was, but it was a good fucking thing he wasn’t here.Because I needed to kill, and I didn’t want to do it in front of Scarlet.It would only terrify her, and she absolutely could not be afraid of me.
“All clear.”Rage hurried to the cage and opened the backdoor.He protected Scarlet’s head as I climbed in with her still in my arms.My bike was upright in front of the SUV, but I barely noticed.Clutch must have righted it.In fact, he conferred with Stitches, then climbed on my bike and took off with Breaker and Rage.Stitches slid behind the wheel and turned to look at me.
“You guys OK?”
I grunted but didn’t say anything else.I was still struggling but holding the moment.I rested my chin on top of Scarlet’s head as Stitches nodded once, then started up the truck and took off.Back toward the Iron Tzars clubhouse and home.
