45. Meredith

45

MEREDITH

M y body protests as the virtual stranger carries me through the basement of the house that was supposed to be our safe haven. Whoever the mole is, they know we're here and they let these assholes know where to find me. This is all about me, I know it, and just as much as I know it, I hate it.

Trap might die because of me.

I can hear the moment the house is hit with gunfire. I just hope Trap hasn't fallen victim. I wince as I wiggle down to my own feet and attempt to move through the dark as quickly as possible. I'm in front of the prospect and he keeps looking behind us to be sure we haven't been followed. In no time, we come out into the cool of the afternoon. It felt much warmer on our ride to the house, but now, either due to my panic or feeling like I'm going to pass out, all the heat has left my body.

We come out on top of a small hill in a clearing in the woods. To our left is a small road that looks like it was put there specifically for bikes. I wonder how long the road has been there.

"I need to go help," the prospect who brought me out here says as he grabs my arm and looks at me, panicked. "Stay back here and you'll be safe…I hope." Before I can protest, he takes off toward the house, and not back through the basement passage.

I whisper a little prayer to whatever god might be listening as I duck down behind some bushes. I feel exposed out here and sort of like I might pass out, but I have no other option than to stay out here and hope for the best.

I see few motorcycles in the distance, coming around from the front of the property, and I sigh in relief as I recognize a few of the guys. Grizzly and Dart are not among them, but I'm happy Trap won't be alone in this fight…well, him and the prospect who brought me here.

All I can do is wait until something happens…what, I'm not sure. Even as I see the smoke rise from the house and assume it's on fire, I'm still clueless about what big thing needs to happen before this will all be over.

More guns ring out as I hold my breath, wondering how long I need to wait before I try to help them. I know I'm in no condition to do that, but something has to be done. I can't just sit here and let them all get hurt like this. I take a step toward the house when I hear a sound coming from my left in the direction of the exit from the basement. I crawl behind the bush as I feel my heartbeat in my head. The pain meds haven't had time to kick in.

I watch as I see a shadowed figure coming out from the door hidden in the side of the hill. I hold my breath to wait to see if this is friend or foe. I don't know what I'll do if this is one of the guys trying to get me as some sort of payback for whatever hell my father has committed.

I sit a moment longer, looking between leaves, letting out a sigh of relief when I see that it's Trap running out of the hole in the hill. He's looking everywhere for me.

"Trap," I say with a raspy voice as I stand to my feet.

"Get down," is all he can say as he quickly slides in behind me. "My bike has been compromised. That kid who brought you here is dead, but he took a bullet for me. I got out, but I know they saw me come this way…we have to get out of here," he says breathlessly.

I nod as I gather the bag with my medication and belongings in it. Trap throws it over his shoulder and helps me up off the ground the moment we hear shouting coming from down the hall toward the basement escape. I fight the urge to scream when we hear more and more shouting as Trap and I begin to run through the woods.

"There's a backup bike back here, but we have to drive it through the property to get out to the main road," Trap says in a whisper as he takes my hand and we run through the trees.

My eyes are blurry and I hold his hand tightly in mine. He attempts to pick me up, but I know I'll just be a burden on him, so I shake my head as I continue to move as quickly as I can.

My body aches as I run, and my head spins, but I keep upright as I hear shouting behind us.

"They're catching up to us," I say as we push our bodies even more. "The baby isn't liking this," I add as nausea floods my system.

"It's just up here," Trap says as we round another tree, and I can see blood trickling from his arm.

"You're hurt," I say, trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

"It's a knife wound to my upper arm, I'm fine," he grunts, and I see him flex his fingers on the hand of the arm that is hurt.

I don't say anything else to him as we make our way to a small shed in the clearing at the back of what I assume is the property line. I stand for a few seconds as Trap breaks down the door, runs in, and comes out on a now running motorcycle. With my body protesting each second, I hold tight to my bag and slide myself behind him. It's all done so quickly that the bike barely pauses for a second.

As we buzz down the small man-made road I was right to assume was put here for a motorcycle, the shouts of the men coming through the woods draw our attention. There are easily thirty or more guys storming through the trees now that we're leaving the clearing.

I flip them off as we go by, the same moment they open fire.

"Fuck!" I scream.

"Are you hit?" he bellows over the wind whipping past us, threatening to pull me off with it. "I swear to god if they shoot you?—"

"No," I cut him off, in a breath that sounds like a gasp.

Gunfire is still swooshing around us. I don't know where it's coming from exactly, some behind us and some ahead off to the side where the house now stands, completely on fire. The roof is being licked in flames and all I can think about is how we were just asleep on the couch inside.

Then, a shot rings out. My heart stops as the bike sways to the side a little. Then a second shot.

"Shit, they got the bike," he says at the exact moment a bullet enters his upper arm, cutting clear through, narrowly missing my arms and his other arm as it flies past. "Holy fuck," he screams as the bike lurches once again, but he rights it before we can get out of control again.

He screams out in agony as I think about what I can do to help him. There's nothing, absolutely nothing…but I have to think of something.

Blood spurts from his arm where the bullet has pierced through his leather. Bullets are still narrowly missing us both, but all I can think about is helping him. His arm hangs limp as he uses one arm to drive us out of this place. I don't know how he's staying upright, let alone on the road.

Even as we break through the crowd of fighting, both our guys and theirs, and long after we pull onto the main road, he keeps moving forward. I fish in the bag at my side for anything I might find to stop the bleeding as the bike comes to a sputtering stop.

"It hit the tank, we're out of gas," he groans as he moves us to the side of the road by the house and we jump off.

The best I can do is a crop top of mine from the bag. Noting the others coming our way now that we're not in motion any longer, I throw the shirt around his arm, knotting it as I do.

He flinches at my touch but allows me to work as he continues to use one arm to fish his knife out of his pocket. Once I'm done, he hands it to me, and I nod as I see the fight coming to us.

Knowing Trap is in no shape to fight, I flip the knife open and run into the mix as fast as I can. I know my body can't handle the pressure of it all—I'm pregnant and still recovering from being attacked, but the Bratva is killing my people, and hurting my family, and I'll be damned if I'm going down without a fight.

Most of the gunshots are thankfully in the distance as a team of Bratva come our way. The first guy runs toward Trap, but I spin around and slice through his shoulder as he runs past me. He wasn't expecting me to be armed. I don't know if I can do any good or not, but I'm going to try like hell.

"You bitch!" the guy screams as he swings his own knife, narrowly missing my stomach.

"This is for my baby you almost stabbed!" I scream as I kick my leg and send it into his face.

I can hear his nose crunch as he bends down and holds it. I take this opportunity to knee him in the face. I grab his shoulders and bring my knee up as hard as I can, sending him flailing backward until he falls to the ground.

For good measure, I kick him where it counts before turning to where the next guy has already engaged with Trap. Their bodies are locked together, struggling for dominance, and Trap can barely hold his own with his injured arm.

I grab Trap's knife in my palm firmly, allowing the hilt to rest evenly as I plunge the blade into the guy's back. I don't know that I meant to do that, but now that I have, I pull it out and kick this guy too. I watch in horror as he falls to the ground, blood spilling from his body.

I feel a strong arm wrap across my midsection, pulling me back. My ears are ringing but I can still hear Trap's voice in my ear. "I am so in love with you right now," he says gruffly as he throws me into a car and piles inside behind me.

He's still bleeding, but not as bad as he was. He's shot and stabbed and looks far better than I think he should. We're being driven away from the fight by someone…I don't know.

"Clubhouse," Trap bellows, and the car keeps going with us tangled in the back seat together.

"What were you saying about being in love with me?" I ask with a wink.

"Oh, nothing," he groans as he shifts in his seat.

"No, seriously," I say, as I adjust the tie I put on his arm. "I want to know."

"Listen—" He frowns as he puts his finger to my lip. "I am not the guy who falls in love. I don't fall at all. I don't catch feelings all spur of the moment, and I sure as hell don't tell just any woman that I love them…but you, Meredith, you are someone I can see myself being invested in forever. Even if I have to share you with Grizzly and Dart." He smiles, and kisses me deeply.

It feels strange after what just happened, but I let it happen—in fact, I melt into it, welcome it.

I don't know what we'll find when we get back to the club, but there's one thing I do know. In these moments in between…I'm in love.