Page 62

Rachel

“Drop your weapon,” the woman hissed at me. I did as she asked, slowly lowering my gun to the floor and raised my hands in the air, showing her they were empty. The woman kicked the gun away from me.

“Stand up and turn around. Slowly!” I did as she asked, keeping my arms up as I stood, and slowly turned around to face her.

She was a fucking stunning woman. Beyond stunning.

She had the most beautiful brown hair, cascading in waves down her back, her brown eyes huge and doe-like.

Except there was no innocence of the doe in there.

They were looking at me with a hatred I never could have imagined from a woman I didn’t even know.

And her gun was aimed right at my chest.

“Stop!” Vienna yelled, running over to us and putting his body between the two of us. “Gabriella… don’t.” He said, his breathing heavy.

No. Please don’t be her. Please don’t be that Gabriella.

“He killed my father, Vienna. It’s only right I take her as repayment. Move out of the way.”

It was her.

“I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that. We all know the risks of being part of the club life. Rachel hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“She’s his old lady! We’ve all heard about her! Move!”

“Gabriella…,” he said, his body low, his arms reaching towards her.

He approached slowly, carefully, like you would a wild animal.

“This isn’t you. This isn’t the woman I knew.

” Her eyes softened as she took them off me and glanced at him.

Just when I thought she would break, she shook her head and looked back at me with more hate than ever.

She cocked the gun; the sound sending another jolt of fear straight through me. “I’m not the woman you knew anymore. Last chance. If you felt anything at all for me, you’ll move. Now!”

“Gabby… that’s not fair. Put the gun down!”

“Fucking move!”

“Don’t make me choose between the two of you. I can't do it. I’m not going to allow you to kill her. You’ll have to shoot me first.” He straightened and stretched his arms, his body completely shielding mine.

“You would defend her like this? You would fight for her?” She breathed, her voice nothing but hurt and pain.

“She is my best friend's old lady. If I die keeping her safe, then I’ve done my job.”

I dared to risk a glance over his shoulder and saw a tear running down Gabriella’s face; the arm holding the gun beginning to shake. Vienna seized the opportunity, snatching her hand at the wrist and bent it backwards until she cried out in pain, the gun falling to the floor.

“You bastard!” She sobbed, slapping his chest. “You will fight for your vice president’s latest whore, but you could never fight for me!”

He grabbed her shoulders and brought her body close to his, resting his forehead against hers, his breathing laboured.

“It wasn’t like that. You know—”

“What did I tell you about being near her?” Snarled a voice from my back. I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed the gun off the floor and spun around, firing before I even saw who I was aiming at.

The body stumbled backwards, his eyes growing wide, the bullet having lodged straight in his neck. He fell to his knees, and then backwards, followed by Gabriella’s scream.

“No!” Vienna had her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her from behind as she flew at me.

“Stop it! Stop!” He yelled at her, wrestling her to the floor.

Once she felt the ground beneath her, the sobs came, taking over her small frame as she gulped in heaving breaths.

Vienna relaxed his hold on her a second too early, not noticing her hand snatch out to grab the gun she had dropped.

She aimed it at me, firing without hesitation.

I froze, expecting the pain to hit any second.

“You know I never miss my aim,” she said, her voice dull as she dropped her arm, her body slumped over. “As far as the Riders are concerned, I will have hit my target or died trying. You need to get her the fuck out of here before I change my mind.”

“Gabby…” Vienna began.

“Now!” she screamed, raising her head to shoot him a look filled with hatred. “Once they find out she killed my brother, they’ll never let her live.”

“And who is your brother?” I dared to ask.

“Since your precious Dante killed our father, Damien was the president of the Rough Riders,” she said with a fake, hollow laugh. “That’s two presidents in less than a day, and my last two living family members.” She pushed herself to her feet. Vienna stiffened, stepping closer to me.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said with that same laugh.

“Out of respect for what we had, I’m not going to harm her.

Yet. But rest assured, the last of my feelings for you died with my family.

After this one last act of kindness, I will be bringing the full wrath of the Rider's back here, and aimed at you,” she hissed, flicking her eyes to me, and then ran into the trees.

“Well…” I breathed, not knowing what else to say.

Vienna looked down at me and gave me a sad smile. “You still want to return her to me?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, which I was grateful for, because what could I possibly say?

He grabbed my arm and made a beeline for James, shoving me towards him. “Take her to Greasy. Get her the fuck out of here, and that’s an order!”

He left us both, walking back into the fight that was beginning to calm down now that the leadership had been killed and half the members were either dead or wounded.

There were yells, telling the other men to retreat, and the rest of the Devil’s gave chase, shooting at them as they sped off on their bikes.

I didn’t see any more. James dragged me over to a car and shoved me in, speeding me out of the back of the club grounds.