Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

A s Skippy rode out, Nash rode in. He was a good choice for a bodyguard. Casper wasn't scared of him, and he was likeable. But most of all, he could be ruthless when he needed to be, and he was better with a gun than most. If anyone showed up who shouldn’t be there, Nash would kill first and ask questions later.

Skippy nodded at him as he turned toward the club. From Skippy's house, the club was a straight shot there but on the other side of Wingspan, so he had to drive through town.

Forests surrounded Wingspan. That was part of the reason Skippy had settled there. At the time, he had wanted to live off the grid, away from people. Especially after Daruss and Izzy rescued him. He hadn't made it all the way to the fighting ring. His kidnapper had drugged him and started him out small. But it was traumatic enough for Skippy to need to wean himself off the drugs and for him to be angry about the entire experience. He never wanted to learn how strong he was through that method, but it had taught him a lot. Mostly, he'd learned that isolating himself wasn't the right solution to most of his problems. He'd found a family in Daruss and Izzy, and he planned on relying on them again to help his mate and catch a killer.

Skippy grinned as he thought about ways to trap Andre. Short of using Yael and Eryn as bait, which he wouldn't do, he had a few ideas. Knowing Andre was a dragon shifter could benefit them. They might be able to lure him out into the forest somewhere and then fight it out. It had been a while since Skippy had a good fight. Not since he stopped those guys in Draco's bar. He was overdue.

There weren’t a lot of options anymore with the club in transition. They had decisions to make. The sooner the better, as far as Skippy was concerned. Skippy would like to bring Yael there and convince him to make out against the back wall. Getting Yael to dance with him was probably wishful thinking, though. Yael didn't strike him as the dancing type.

Gavin fell in behind him halfway through town. For once, he didn't have Easton, his mate, with him. Probably because of the reason for the meeting. And then the sheriff's truck followed behind them. It seemed Andre Joseph was so dangerous even the sheriff was becoming a Dragon Skull. He should have been an honorary member a long time ago, with as much as he'd arrested the Skulls, Skippy especially.

Skippy couldn't help but flip the sheriff off. It would confuse him and piss him off all at the same time.

The sheriff honked at him in his SUV, which made Skippy chuckle.

At some point, antagonizing the sheriff would get old. But it hadn’t yet. Skippy grinned.

His good mood died when he saw the cat shifters from the bar parked on a side road. They were a suitable distance away, but Skippy could still tell it was them. One wore the same denim jacket. And the other one had the same greasy brown hair.

Skippy heard the gunshot before it registered the cat shifter even held a gun. And then he lost control of his bike. He wasn't going at breakneck speed, but it was enough to slide across the pavement on his side. His leg burned from the road rash. He smelled his own blood.

He didn't have a helmet on. He regretted the choice when his head felt as though it exploded all over the road.

And just like that, it was lights out. But he didn't stay out for long. Gavin's wide chest came into view as though through a cloud. And then he saw nothing but blackness. But he heard more gun fire.

"…guys from Draco's…Skippy fought with them." The sheriff spoke. His voice was close. As if he said it to Skippy, but somehow he knew the sheriff spoke to Gavin.

"When it's safe, I'll call Enzo." Gavin spoke. His hand rested on Skippy's chest.

Skippy tried to blink away the darkness, but couldn't. He tried to shift into his dragon, but he couldn't make his body work.

His heart beat harder. It was so loud, he heard it in his head.

His lungs tightened, restricting his breathing.

Gunshots drowned out every sound. His ears rang, making it impossible to hear everything else after it quieted down.

Losing two out of five senses made his fight-or-flight instincts kick in. Skippy had never run from anything in his entire life, so he lashed out, clocking the closest person to him.

Shifting had never been a problem, even when shifting for the first time as a young dragon. His body heated. Sweat broke out the more he tried to shift. He thought he might have screamed, but it was in frustration. When his head hurt, he stopped moving or making noise.

He panted needing oxygen, but for some reason his lungs didn't work.

"Calm down, Skippy. You'll be okay." Gavin whispered in his ear. Despite his words, he felt Gavin's panting breaths against his face as though he were scared. "You have to be okay. Yael won't survive the grief."

It was then that he understood how severe his injuries were. At least from Gavin's perspective.

Skippy tried to speak, but he couldn't make his mouth form words.

"Those two guys from Draco's bar. Do you remember fighting with them? They brought guns to the fight this time. Not your style, but the sheriff took them out." Gavin was talking as if making conversation. Any words would do it seemed, because the next thing he said, it was clear he didn't think Skippy could hear him. Maybe Skippy hadn't moved at all the way he'd thought. "Yael is going to lose his fucking mind, man. Just seeing your blood will freak him out. I don't know if I should call him right away or not. He'll come to you, and that might put him in jeopardy. I don't know what to do, man. Tell me what I should do?”

Skippy definitely didn't want Yael to leave the safety of the property. He tried to tell Gavin that, but he knew he didn't succeed.

It frustrated him that he couldn't communicate.

The darkness faded into a cloudy brightness. He thought he saw fingers snapping, but he couldn't be sure. And then something touched his head. Pain exploded through his skull.

He faded into the darkness again.