CHAPTER FIVE

RITCHIE

THE AWAKENING

I ignored the searing pain shooting through my bones and muscles as I released my woman’s lifeless body. Teeth clenched, I grabbed the AR-fifteen off the floor and unleashed a hail of bullets on the approaching truck at my rear, trying to intercept Catch.

“Brock and Catch, lock them in,” I ordered.

Brock held steady as Catch pushed their vehicle forward.

“You took everything from me. You’ll all die today,” I roared as one of my bullets shattered the windshield, penetrating the skull of the driver.

The passenger’s head hung awkwardly out the window, blood oozing from his mouth. One soldier in the back seat ducked behind the driver.

That move wouldn’t save him. I filled the driver’s dead corpse full of holes. At least one bullet hit the rear passenger. His body slumped back onto the seat as he aimed an AK-forty-seven in my direction. Leaning to the left, I peered through the scope and pulled the trigger. The bullet smacked his skull, causing it to whip back. His body collapsed on the seat next to the other dead guy, me or Catch, killed during the shootout.

“We’re in the clear, Ritchie,” Brock stated as he pulled off the exit ramp.

“Catch, how are we looking back there?” I asked as I pulled Tori’s unconscious body against my chest.

Anger racked my body. I wanted to reach behind the second row of seats and shoot that motherfucker Rosco in the head until there was nothing left of his face.

“We’re good. Let’s just get the fuck out of this state,” he sighed.

I tapped the earbud turning it off before my eyes moved over my woman’s battered face. She had to survive. There was no way I could be in this world without her. My lips brushed the faint pulse in her neck.

“Brock, Tori’s bleeding out. Get us to the jet fast.”

I placed a hand over the chest wound. Blood seeped through my fingers. “Baby, stay with me. Don’t fucking leave me,” I muttered.

“We’re pulling up now.” Brock hit the corner hard. I placed my hand on the driver’s headrest to keep from sliding across the seat.

Brock barely brought the truck to a stop as I pushed the door open, clutching my woman in my arms. I ran up the jet steps.

“Ritchie, what do you need?” Opal, the flight attendant, asked.

She worked for my cousin Nick for a long time. She experienced shit a regular flight attendant would’ve tried to run away from.

“She was shot.” My jaw twitched at the statement.

My woman shouldn’t have gotten shot. If she wasn’t afraid to get down on the floor because of that asshole, I’d be bathing her instead of worrying about the bullet wound.

Opal examined Tori’s chest wound. “Take her to the bedroom. I’ll grab my medical bag. We’ll get the bullet out.”

The stabbing pain was only getting worse. I felt my body shutting down, but I had to push through for Tori.

“We’re going to get you fixed up,” I said as I placed her body on the bed.

“On our way back to Chicago, you and I will sleep. I miss holding you in my arms while we slept,” I whispered in her ear.

Opal rushed into the room, snapping on a pair of blue surgical gloves.

“You know I double as a nurse for Nick. That’s why he sent me to assist with your wounded.”

“Nick thinks of everything, doesn’t he?” I released a weak chuckle.

“I noticed there were quite a few. Ezra instructed the wounded soldiers to board this plane instead of the other one.”

“It was to be expected. It was one hell of a gun battle,” I stated as I sat up on the other side of the bed, running my bloody fingers through Tori’s blonde hair.

“I see how much she means to you. It makes sense why you did all you could to rescue her.”

“Opal, I had to get her back. Alive,” I uttered, staring at my woman.

“Ritchie, Brock said Tori was shot,” Catch yelled as he rushed into the room.

Bianca, Asia, and Simone were on his heels. They halted at the foot of the bed.

“Catch, at the time, all I could think about was getting my woman help.”

“Tori, your sisters are here,” Simone said.

Their bond was rock solid. I loved how close the girls were.

Opal cut Tori’s shirt down the middle, then clipped the straps of the sports bra. She focused on removing the bullet before stitching up the wound.

Twenty minutes later, Opal exhaled. “She’s going to be ok, Ritchie.”

A genuine smile tugged at my lips. “Thank you, Opal.”

I leaned against the headboard.

Opal’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t look so good.”

Ezra stalked over and placed two pills in my hand. “Opal, he’ll be ok as long as he sleeps.”

He stretched out his hand for Simone’s. She grabbed it and fell against his chest.

Opal’s porcelain face morphed into confusion as she watched Ezra.

I noticed how she fawned all over him on our flight to Utah. It was clear she liked Ezra.

The question I hadn’t asked hung in my thoughts. Did he fuck her? If he did, this wouldn’t go over well with the girls.

“Ritchie, catch,” my cousin yelled.

Lifting my hand in the air, I caught the bottle of water. I winced at the sheer movement. Fuck, had I been shot again?

“Ritchie, she’ll wake up soon. There will be pain and discomfort. I’ll leave a bottle of aspirin in the drawer,” Opal stated.

“I’ll tell the pilot wheels up.” She peeked at her watch. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

Opal didn’t look at Ezra and Simone this time.

Maybe it was too painful to see him with another woman.

I curled my hand around Tori’s, holding her close. The softness of her skin under my lips as they brushed her forehead lit my soul on fire. I’d always look forward to that feeling.

Once in the air, my eyes moved over the red and blue bruises on my woman’s beautiful face. Her swollen lips sentanger coursing through my veins.

Ignoring the pain throbbing in my abdomen, I rose to my feet.

I removed my Glock from my waist holster as I stalked out of the room.

“Where’s the motherfucker?” I shouted.

Catch stood snickering. “Time for a little fun.” He jutted his chin to his right.

I stepped forward and glanced to my left.

Rosco sat on the floor, hands zip tied behind his back with a gag in his mouth. A scowl rested on his face. This motherfucker had the nerve to be pissed.

My fingers curled around the muzzle. “You hit my woman like she’s a fucking man,” I sneered, nostrils flaring.

He poked out his chest like he was ready for whatever I was dishing out.

“You just kidnap another man’s woman.” I brought the butt of the gun down on his head again and again.

I yanked the gag from his lips. “Tori is my woman. You will pay for all you’ve done to her.”

“She’s got a mouth on her. She needed to be put in her place,” Rosco bit out.

The heel of my boot pounded into his gut. If I could’ve stumped him into the floor, I would’ve.

Slipping my hand over my hair, I stepped back, chest heaving under my vest.

“Catch, gag this motherfucker.”

My cousin leaped at the chance to rough him up. The second I entered the room, I stumbled backward. Strong hands broke my fall.

“I got you, cousin. You didn’t look too good out there. So I stuck close. Ritchie, I get it you want to make the asshole suffer. But you have to get better first. No need to worry about him. We won’t kill that fucker before you heal.”

He released the Velcro strap. “Get out of the fucking vest.”

“I got it, Catch.”

“Stop being stubborn and let me help you,” he barked.

“You’re lucky your family, Catch.” My eyes remained on Tori.

“I’m happy you came for her, brother,” my cousin breathed.

“Me too,” my voice broke. “I love her, Catch.”

“Ritchie, I know you do. I knew you were in love with her when you found out she was in the hospital.”

“What are we doing, Catch? We’re on the front line. Our job is to take a bullet for our bosses.”

“Yeah, well, now we’re taking bullets for our women. And these women are into some very dangerous shit.”

“The women should return home with us,” I stated.

Catch chuckled. “Easier said than done, Ritchie. Tori won’t leave Chicago. And my woman was very adamant about not leaving her. They all were.”

Shit, how could I forget about Tori’s demons? We’d have to work through her issues together.

“I’ll talk to Tori.” I sat on the edge of the bed, kicking off my boots.

“Rest up, Ritchie. We’ll land in Chicago soon.”

I didn’t waste time moving next to Tori and gingerly pushing my nose into her hair. The new pain penetrating my side felt like it was trying to drill a hole into my stomach. Telling Opal about the wound would’ve been the intelligent thing to do, but earlier I had one person on my mind. Tori. This woman would literally be the death of me if I wasn’t careful. Maybe my actions proved just how much I loved Tori. I was willing to die for her.

Lying beside her, I realized just how much I needed to be in her presence. A life with her would be so much sweeter.

“Opal, I have a new injury,” I yelled throughout the plane.

Catch appeared before Opal.

“I fucking knew something wasn’t right,” my cousin roared, running his fingers through his blond hair.

“What made you speak up?” Catch gritted out.

His eyes darted to Tori. “Never mind. I know the answer.”

Opal burst into the room, medical kit in tow.

“Ritchie.” Tori’s eyes fluttered open.

“I’m here,” I whispered, trying to take my mind off the pain.

Opal inspected the wound.

Tori’s eyes opened wide. And her lower lip trembled. “Don’t leave me.”

My gaze locked on hers as I felt my heart lurch in my chest as the pain took me under.