Page 169 of Darling Psycho

He carried Angela through the dank brush in the dark with her wrapped around him, her tongue going nine to the dozen with a run-on conversation of how glad she was and how she was about to try to judo chop the guy if he’d opened the lid.

He pulled the truck door open to pour her in and came to a halt, seeing Benz inside on the back seat. A snapped growl powered up his throat.

“He’s bleeding,” Texas explained, “couldn’t leave him behind.”

The way Lawless was feeling, he would have.

“It’s a through and through,” Benz added. His face was void of color, ready to pass out.

“Oh, my God, you’re shot,” Angela exclaimed as Lawless handed her into the back.

“I’m fine, darling. It’s a scratch. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Lawless gurgled something inaudible low in his throat and slammed the door. Then, prowling to the other side, he climbed in and put Angela on his lap.

He would deal with Benz another time. But, for now, he gripped one arm around Angela. Never had he been this close to losing it. All the fucked up shit in his life and this slip of a girl nearly made Lawless lose his mind with fear of not getting to her in time.

Grinding his back teeth, his jaw ached.

He felt like an atom bomb on the countdown to detonation.

“Lawless, are you mad? You’re not talking. I feel like you’re mad.” Her hand touched the side of his neck over the spiders, and he jolted like she’d put life back into his body.

Their eyes clashed and held as the SUV started and took them away from his nightmare of finding her dead.

Spatially, he was aware of everything near him, even without looking around.

It was the way Lawless’ fucked up brain worked.

But right then, only a pair of mahogany brown eyes had his focus.

Angela rested her forehead on his, breathing slowly.

“Don’t be mad. I’d do it again.”

“You walked out with them,” he grated.

“They said the car next to your bike had a bomb in the trunk, and they’d set it off if I didn’t go quietly with them. I don’t regret it, Lawless.”

“They lied, and you got your ass locked in a box almost buried underground.”

Her lip trembled. “Yeah, well. I wasn’t to know that. They were Ruiz’s guys, the man you’ve been plaguing. Of course, he’d come after you. I told you he would. I wouldn’t riskyoufor anything.”

“If it’s between you and me, you fucking risk me. Do not fucking do that again.”

They fell silent; the truck ate up the miles as he held a hand on the back of her head.

“Did they touch you?”

“No,” she answered quietly, “just dinged a few bruises.”

“Snake, water.” He rasped, and a bottle of unopened water appeared from the front. He twisted off the cap and watched as she gulped until not a drop was left. Then, taking his thumb to her lips, he brushed away the wetness.

They grew closer to Armado Springs with Angela snuggled on his lap, still clutching his inked neck.

Lawless glanced sideways at Benz to ensure they weren’t sitting next to a corpse. He looked in pain, gray and sweating, but was still typing on his phone.

“Was it Lawless who shot you?” Angela asked him, and Benz chuckled. “If he had, I’d be dead.”