Page 184 of Burning Ember

“No.” I smack his face. “NO!” I smack him again and then swing my fists wilding at any part of him I can hit. He tries and fails to stop my assault. “Tell me you didn’t touch her!”

In the background, I hear what sounds like a helicopter, but I’m too focused on the look covering his face. He won’t even meet my eyes now. And I know that he did to Sunny what he’s done to me.

He fucking raped my sister.

I hiss and mean each word. “You’re disgusting. Fucking sick! You should be locked away. Or better yet, turn that gun on yourself. You don’t deserve the air you breathe.”

The answering backhand across my face sends me to my knees. I hear Will and Sundown screaming inside the SUV. I hear the helicopter getting closer. I hear the pounding of my heartbeat thumping in my ears, and then a kick to my side cuts out all sound, except that of my cries of pain. The agony steals my breath and my vision goes black then white and then black again.

For the second time, I breathe in dirt, and my whole body is engulfed in an inferno of pain.

Warner bends down and the gun rests between his legs, pointed at the ground.

“I told you, it didn’t have to be this way. You’re the one who left me. You’re the one who wouldn’t come back home. Your sister was asking for it, Em. She practically begged me to do it. And I knew it was the only way I could put her in her place, and let her knew who was in charge.”

He palms the side of my head and then pets my hair.

“Oh, God. I hate you. Don’t touch me,” I rasp as I push his hand away.

Then the trunk is smashing into his face and sends him falling back. The gun drops from his fingers. Adrenaline roars through me, as I watch Sundown leap from the SUV. She and Warner reach for the gun at the same time, grappling for control of it. She’s sitting on top of him and they swing it from side to side, as they try to pry it from each other’s hands.

The sound of it discharging sparks terror through me. Then Sunny stands, staggers back. I grip the bumper, and use it to help me get to my feet. I hear Will crying, but I can’t go to her. Not now. Sunny needs me. I search between her and Warner. He has the gun, and no blood blooms on his front, so dreading the worst, I turn to Sunny.

Blood spills down the left side of her face. Down her cheek, her neck, and moves over her chest. It’s flowing too fast and a shocked expression is frozen on her face.

“Sunny!” I cry. “Don’t move. It’s okay. Just . . . just . . . sit down. It’s okay. You’re going be fine.” I help her to the back of the SUV. As I do, she blinks and her knees buckle. I sit her down, and she begins to fall back. So I lay her gently on the carpet. She stares at the ceiling of the SUV. I peek at the wound. I see chucks of skin and things that shouldn’t be in her hair. Only a portion of her ear remains.

Trying not to panic, I look her in the eyes and touch the side of her face that’s unharmed by the new wound. “You’re okay. I promise you’ll be okay.” I pick up her legs dangling over the side, and push them up into the trunk. “Don’t move. I’m going to get you to a hospital, all right?”

When the sound of a helicopter begins to sound more like an army of motorcycles, I lift my head to see Will with her little hands over her mouth, crying as she stares at my sister. And through the front windshield, I see exactly what I thought I heard.

An army of bikes and bikers. Ones I recognize.

The relief I experience is unexplainable. Like the warmest and softest of blankets. It wraps around me and calls me home. It doesn’t matter that Warner’s behind me and still holding the gun. All that matters is Mav is here.

Warner pulls me back into him, and sticks the barrel of the gun into my neck. The calm that I felt a moment ago tries to fade away, but I won’t let it. I find Mav in the sea of bikers and lock my eyes on him.

He’s in front with Edge and Dozer, and he’s wearing his helmet, a black bandana over the bottom half of his face, and black sunglasses. I know it’s Mav by the look of his bike, and the way he moves as he shuts it down and gets off of it. He harshly kicks the stand down, and leaps off his motorcycle. Then he drops his helmet and rips the fabric away from his mouth. His sunglasses come off and he strides toward me with purpose.

He doesn’t stop coming, and the HOCs behind him rush to pull their weapons. Edge tries to stop him twice, but Mav pushes him off and keeps marching toward me straight into danger.

Warner jerks me in his arms and growls, “Take another step and I will kill her.”

Mav stops eight or so feet away. So close, but so far.

Edge walks up and whispers something in Mav’s ear. They argue, but not loud enough to be heard among the other bikes arriving behind them.

Finally, Edge huffs and leaves him. Mav turns the full weight of his dark stare on me.

“Doll, just hold on for me, okay?” I nod and the side of his mouth lifts just enough that my heart soars.

To Warner, when his eyes shift to him, he gives him only Luce, the darkest version he has inside him and I love them both equally in that moment. Because I know, I need them both to save me, and I need them both in my life.

“You won’t leave the spot you’re standin’ in alive. That I’ll promise you. But if you let her go now, it’ll be over quick.”

“You can have the other two, but I’m taking her with me.”

Mav takes another step, and then another. Warner takes his gun off me and points it at Mav. Edge fires one shot from the only rifle while everyone else holds a handgun.