AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Oh God, she had willfully mowed a man down.
Once again, her body took control as her mind went into shock. Her foot pressed gently on the brake, easing her to a stop. Slowly, as though the world was made of crystal, she reached for the key and shut off the engine, then just sat where she was, staring out into the night.
She was a murderer.
Lights seemed to appear from everywhere, coming at her from in front. They spotlighted her in the bright white glare, pinning her in her seat. But she couldn't move, couldn't blink, could barely blink. An image reel of that face rolled over and over in her head. The what the fuck look that switched to oh fuckin a heartbeat, then that face smashing into the hood and the scream...
People running around. Were there people running around?
What the fuck. Oh fuck. Scream.
A rush of cool air over her already cold skin. Hot hands on her face, turning it toward the door and the man filling her vision. Did she know him? She felt as if she should know him, but there was no name to put to the bearded face with dark, worried green eyes.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Archie." A deep rumble like thunder filled her ears. "It's okay, little bit. I've got you, sweetheart. You can let go of the wheel now."
What the fuck. Oh fuck. Scream.
"Saul, I need a blanket over here. Anarchy, I'm going to lift you out now." The big man leaned over her and released the catch on her belt, then pried her fingers off the steering wheel with infinite care. The things on the end of her arms jittered and danced, unable to stay still. "Fuck, we might have to take you to the hospital. Here, sweetheart, nice and gentle now."
Archie floated up, suspended in mid-air. Things were happening around her, things she couldn't comprehend. One voice turned into two, two into three. More lights, more shadowy figures. It piled into her brain, overloaded it until she couldn't take anymore.
What the fuck.
Oh fuck.
Scream.
*
Something miraculous had happened, Jasper was sure. As pins and needles awakened in his lower extremities, he tried to make sense of what had just transpired. One minute he was laid flat on his back with Gerald looming over him, that damn knife in his hand, and the next...Gerald was gone.
Jasper's head was pounding from its hard introduction to the asphalt, but he couldn't deny he'd heard an ominous thud, followed by a scream. He thought he'd seen a black Navigator just like his speed past, but the way his thoughts were muddled, he couldn't be sure. He hadn't seen any headlights—Gerald had been standing there with the glow of his brother's car lighting him up, but that had been the only source Jasper could remember.
He hadn't heard an engine, he could swear on that. His ears had been too busy ringing from the crack of his skull on the road. But where there'd been a knife-wielding maniac ready to pounce on him was now nothing but empty space.
Groaning, he tried to move his feet, his hands. There was a twitch, as though his limbs wanted to do as he told them, but his system wasn't completely online just yet. He was willing to bet he had a concussion, maybe even some nominal damage to his spine. His own fault, he shouldn't have attempted a flying kick when he was out of practice.
The kick? Beautiful. The landing? Sucked big hairy balls.
Chuckling, Jasper groaned again. His chest felt tight, his lungs cursing his laughter as they wheezed under the strain of simply breathing. Fuck it. He was alive to see another day. All he could do now was wait for help, and hope to god, he'd be able to make love to Anarchy again.
As the stars swam in the inky sky, he made a promise he would do his utmost to make love to her. He'd find a way to do, without needing to hurt her to do it.
"You killed my brother, you fucking bastard!"
Hands were around his throat. Completely at Erik's mercy, Jasper could do nothing to stop calloused fingers clamping down on his windpipe and squeezing his airway shut. His half-brother's face was half in shadow, half lit up by the headlights. Pain was etched into the skin at the corners of his eyes, his mouth, but fury incinerated it from his gaze.
It crossed his mind that under different circumstances, the man throttling him to death could have been a friend. Hell, they might have had a tight relationship as brothers, once. But years of training and mistrust, decades of lies whispered in eager ears and promises of only the devil knew what, had turned a potential family into a nightmare.
Weight landed on his stomach as his vision flashed with red. His body was screaming for air, yet Jasper knew it wasn't moving. It was ridiculous for a man who'd fought all his life to be rendered helpless in his final moments. And yet...
And yet, he thought again as his brain slowed to a crawl and his vision lost focus, there was a tragic sense of peace in it. Not being able to fight meant sliding into death. No struggling, no fear. He couldn't concentrate on a single thought long enough to feel anything but the desperate beat of his heart as it faltered, the pressure of his lungs straining for one more breath.
Not until Anarchy's face swam into view behind closed eyelids and stayed there.
He barely felt his body rock on the hard ground. Shouting and the fierce sound of blows being exchanged were lost in the whoosh of blood suddenly pulsing in his ears. His throat burned, his lungs damn near exploded on the first frantic inhale, then he was nauseous and lightheaded with the flood of oxygen in his veins.
"Don't move, buddy. We've got everything under control." Loki's face hovered over him when he cracked his eyes open again. The young Master was stony-faced, his eyes intent on Jasper as he ran his hands lightly over Jasper's numb body. "All hell's broken loose tonight."
