Chapter 28

28

AMITY

B lind instinct and muscle memory kick in as I throw myself off the bike just before we go down. The moment I feel the ground, I fall into a roll, my shoulder and upper arm taking most of the impact. I roll a few times, trying to keep my body loose, before I come to a stop on my side instead of my back.

The air is knocked out of me, and for a moment, all I can do is lie there and try to remember how to breathe. The noise around me is drowned out by the pounding of my heart and the rush of air filling my lungs in deep gulps.

After I don't know how long, I finally get my breathing under control. Taking a deep breath, I roll onto my hands and knees and look around for G. I find him in the ditch across the road, with his bike close by, and a wave of fear crashes over me.

Pushing myself to my feet, I hurry over to him; my balance is a little wobbly, and I almost fall before catching myself. He's lying on his back, unconscious, with blood trickling from his nose and a gash on his forehead. I yank my helmet off and toss it aside as I drop to my knees beside him. Lifting my hand, I press my shaking fingers to his neck as I lean in close.

It takes a moment, but when I finally feel the steady thump of his pulse underneath my fingertips and his warm breath against my cheek, I let out a sob of relief.

"G, baby, can you hear me?" I cup his face, needing him to open his eyes and tell me he's okay.

He doesn't answer, and I have to fight back another sob to keep from panicking. I need to think. I need to get help. I look around for the truck that hit us, but it's long gone.

I slip my bag from my shoulders and fumble inside it for my phone, cursing when I pull it out and remember the only Ravens' number I have is G's. I hover my thumb over the nine. I should call for an ambulance at least, but then the cops will come too. A part of me knows that's not a good idea. After getting the rundown on MC's from both Nevaeh and G, I know that they play by their own rules, and bringing in the cops is a huge no-no. I don't have to like it, but I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to give this relationship with G a go. I can't bail on that now just because I'm scared.

Careful not to hurt him, I ease my hand into his cut and pull his phone out. There's a crack in the screen, but it seems fine otherwise.

I type the password, so grateful that my phone died the other day, and he let me borrow his to text Nevaeh, not hesitating to give me his password. I never thought I'd need it for something like this, though.

Opening his contacts, I go straight to Blade's name and hit call. It rings and rings, but he doesn't answer. I hang up and try again, but still nothing.

"God damn you, Blade," I curse, a tear slipping down my cheek. It's so fucking hard to hold it together when I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. Maybe I should just call an ambulance—consequences be damned. Nothing's more important than making sure he's okay.

He wouldn't be lying here like this if I hadn't made such a fuss about Monica riding on his bike. G wouldn't have insisted I wear his helmet, and he would've been protected, and the only thing hurt would've been my pride, not his skull.

I curse again and scroll until I find Havoc's name, remembering that G had a cell phone and plan ready for him when he got to the clubhouse. I hit call and hold my breath, praying he picks up. As the phone rings, I place my fingers back against G's neck to check his pulse. I have to make sure he's okay. I can't let him slip away and not notice because I was too busy freaking out.

"G?"

"Havoc!" I blurt when he answers.

"Who is this?"

"It's Amity. I need help."

"What happened?" I can hear him moving as I suck in a deep breath. "A truck hit us. We both got thrown off G's bike, but G wasn't wearing his helmet, Havoc. And now he's bleeding and won't wake up," I say, letting my fear bleed into my words as flashes from my past blur with reality.

For a moment, it's not G lying on the ground. It's my mom, and the heavy burden of failing threatens to choke me.

"Where are you?"

I look around, but I can't see any street signs. "I don't know. We're in the middle of fucking nowhere," I curse, seeing nothing but trees and fields on either side of us. I tell that to Havoc, trying not to laugh at the thought that he might actually recognize a goddamn field.

"Where were you heading? What did you pass? Think, Amity. I'm on my way, but I need an idea of the direction."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to focus. "We came from the movie set. We were heading to the Harley shop to get a new helmet. He made me wear his, Havoc. He's hurt because he's so fucking stubborn," I cry, opening my eyes.

"If you had been hurt instead of him, it would've been worse. Trust me. He knew the risks, and he'd do it again, even knowing what would happen. I don't know you, but I don't need to. The way he looks at you says it all. I doubt there's much he wouldn't do for you, and that means risking his life to keep you safe."

"Okay," I whisper, struggling to process all of this. G wasn't supposed to be forever. He was supposed to be a wild and exciting memory, one I could pull out when I'm sitting on my porch in fifty years, looking back at my life.

"We're on our way. I have a rough idea where you are, but I want you to stay on the line with me, okay? I have Bluetooth in my helmet, so you can just keep talking, and I'll keep riding until I find you."

"Okay, Havoc. Should I have called an ambulance or the police? I didn't know what to do." I feel myself slipping back in time to the helpless teen who screamed for help until her throat bled.

"Is he breathing?"

"Yeah, I… I've got my fingers on his pulse. It's strong and steady. I'm scared to let go in case it stops."

"You're doing good, Amity, really good. Are you hurt?"

I shake my head, forgetting he can't see me. "No, I'm fine."

"Alright, you just keep your fingers on his pulse. If anything changes—if he stops breathing or the bleeding gets worse—I'll call an ambulance for you. You just focus on our boy, okay?"

"I can do that," I say.

I hear the sound of an engine and look up, feeling relieved—until I see a familiar truck slowly heading toward us. "Oh, God…"

"Amity, what's going on?"

"They're back." I put the phone on speaker and lay it on G's stomach before sliding my hand back into his cut.

"Who's they? Fucking talk to me, Amity!" Havoc yells.

"The truck that ran us off the road. It's heading our way and driving slower than I can walk."

"Shit. Fuck. Okay, listen to me, Amity. I need you to hide."

"What? No, I'm not leaving G."

"I don't think they're coming back to check on you, honey. I hope to fuck I'm wrong, but?—"

"You think they've come back to finish the job," I cut him off, finally realizing that this wasn't an accident. They hit us on purpose.

"Please, Amity. Hide. Do it for G," he says softly.

But instead of giving in, it just pisses me off. "No. Fuck you, Havoc. I'm not leaving him, and you can't make me."

I pull out G's gun and check to make sure it's loaded. Taking a moment to center myself, I watch as the truck stops a few feet away.

"They've stopped," I whisper.

Havoc curses, and I hear the sound of his engine revving louder as he races to get to me.

"If G doesn't put you over his knee for this, I will," he snaps as the truck doors open and two men get out.

I aim the gun, staying low. I don't think they can see G and me clearly, thanks to the ditch we're in and the way the bike's angled.

"Two of them are coming my way."

"Amity, are you armed?"

"Yes, I have G's gun. You don't think he'd mind me using it, do you?" My words come out childlike as I struggle to stay in the here and now.

I need to focus on G, not on my mom, on saving him, not on saving her.

"He'd want you to do whatever it takes to keep yourself safe. You hear me, darling? Whatever it takes."

I understand what he's saying. If it comes to it, I need to pull the trigger without hesitation because they won't hesitate. When they shoot, they'll shoot to kill, or they wouldn't have come back.

As they get closer, I spot the cuts they're wearing and feel my body relax. "Oh, thank God, it's Raven Souls." Relief washes over me, and I know everything's gonna be okay. The blood rushing through my head blocks out whatever Havoc's trying to say.

It was just an accident—it had to be—a freak accident that I blew out of proportion after today's events.

But then why didn't they stop when they hit us? And why are they driving a truck instead of their bikes? I thought they couldn't wear their cuts inside a vehicle.

I focus on them. They're only a few feet away now. They don't look worried or shocked. They look like this is an everyday thing for them.

"I don't recognize them," I whisper, realizing they're brothers I haven't seen.

"Amity," Havoc's voice sounds off, like there's a thread of panic running through it.

"What's wrong? They're your brothers, right?"

His breathing is ragged as he answers. "If you don't recognize them, they're not from the mother chapter. The only new arrival is me. There are no nomads or brothers who have been on runs or helping out at other clubs."

"Okay, but they're still Raven Souls, right?"

Silence.

"Havoc?"

Still nothing.

"Are they friend or foe, Havoc?"

They're closer, and now they can see me. They walk faster.

"Friend or foe?" I spit out between gritted teeth as I watch them pull their guns and aim them my way.

As if ripping the answer from him, Havoc replies with a growl, "Foe."

I don't hesitate. I lift my gun and fire.

The first one falls, but the second one ducks and fires back. I throw myself down over G, covering his body with mine. Despite my ears ringing, I can hear Havoc roaring my name through the phone, but I don't answer. All I can do is keep my head down.

When the shooting finally stops, a silence fills the air as each of us waits to see who'll make the next move. I twist my head and ready the gun, waiting for the right moment when I hear the sweetest sound.

Motorcycles.

I hear cursing before the gunman runs back to his truck. I fire at him and hear him bellow, but he doesn't fall. He hobbles the rest of the way; it looks like he's dragging his leg. He makes it to the truck and climbs in, peeling out and firing at me as he passes. One of the bullets hits the ground near my leg. It's so close I can feel the heat of it through my jeans, and then he's gone. G's safe for now.

I press my fingers to his neck, hating that he still hasn't woken up. His pulse is still strong and steady, and that's the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

I glance over at the guy I shot, but he's not moving. I don't know if I'm grateful or just too numb to feel anything. I'm sure the guilt will hit later. Just because I know how to shoot doesn't mean I wanted to take a life.

I swallow the bile that rushes up my throat, focusing on the feel of the thump, thump, thump under my fingertips and the roar of engines getting closer. When the first bike comes into view, I allow myself to breathe.

More bikes pull up, along with a truck, but my eyes are focused on the man running toward me, who left his bike in the middle of the road. Havoc slides to a stop beside us, then drops down to his stomach, his face inches from mine as he reaches for the gun.

"It's okay now, Amity. You kept him safe, and you kept both of you safe. Now, let me take over, okay? I won't let anything happen to either of you," he tells me in a voice softer than I've ever heard.

I hear the others surrounding us, but I keep my eyes on Havoc, my body still covering G's protectively.

"Don't. You'll get your prints on the gun. I don't want you to go back to prison."

"Shh, don't you worry about that."

"I… I think I killed him," I choke out, letting go of the gun.

He takes it and quickly passes it to someone else before taking my now empty hand in his. "We need to let Hannibal look at G."

I'm already shaking my head as Hannibal kneels beside us. He brushes my hair from my forehead and looks into my eyes. "I'll take real good care of him, Amity. I promise."

I swallow, scared to let him go. But I nod anyway, knowing I can't help him alone.

"Okay." I start to move, but Havoc's right there, lifting me into his lap and wrapping his arms around me.

"You did good, sweetheart."

With those words, I break, everything I'd been holding in shattering all at once. I bury my face in his neck and sob, soaking his shirt, but he doesn't say a word. The past and present clash in my head like two movies playing at once until I want to scream.

But then Havoc murmurs in my ear, and I realize that this time's different. This time, I'm not alone. I lift my head and look around. Mac and Toot are helping Hannibal with G. Midas and Probe are checking out the biker I shot, while Crane and Capone put G's bike in the back of the truck.

"Alright, his vitals are good. Let's get him to the clinic. Mac, Toot, I want to get him in the truck—nice and gentle. I'll ride in the back with him, just in case."

Hannibal looks at me. "You ride with Havoc. I need space just in case."

I nod again, even though I don't want to leave him.

"Good girl. Alright, boys, let's move," he yells as I stay in Havoc's lap and swallow another sob.

Crane and Midas come over. Crane helps carry G, while Midas squats down in front of me and Havoc.

"It's Acid—the guy she shot," Midas tells Havoc, who tenses. "He's alive, but he's bleeding a lot. We'll put him in the back of the truck with the bike." Then Midas turns his attention to me. "Let's get you up and back to the clubhouse. You gonna be okay riding?"

I'm not leaving G, so even if I weren't okay, I'd still say yes. "Let's go." He holds his hand out to me and helps me up.

Once Havoc's on his feet, he takes my hand and leads me over to his bike. He puts his helmet on as Capone walks over with G's helmet and slips it onto my head before tightening the strap.

"I know your head's all over the place. Just hang in there a little longer."

"I'm good." Capone gives my shoulder a squeeze and waits for me to climb onto the bike behind Havoc before he steps back.

I hold Havoc tightly and close my eyes as he releases the clutch, hoping that this is all just a bad dream I'll eventually wake up from.

As we speed back to the clubhouse, I completely lose track of time, replaying our stupid argument over and over in my head. G could die, and the last things I said to him were in anger, just like with my mom.

Why do the Fates hate me so much?

When the bike slows down, I open my eyes. We've made it back, but I don't know where exactly we are. I look around, and everything looks familiar, but it's not. It takes me a moment to realize why. We're at the clubhouse, but we've come in a different way.

We pull up outside an unfamiliar building. When we stop, I climb off and unstrap my helmet. Havoc does the same as the other bikes and the truck carrying G pull in behind us.

I start to head toward them, but Havoc stops me. "Give them space, sweetheart. While they get him settled, why don't you tell the rest of us what happened?"

"Okay, but I can do it here, though, right? I don't want to leave him."

"We'll find a quiet spot inside. Come on. Midas, Probe, Capone, you're with me. Hannibal, focus on G. Once he's good, stabilize Acid. I have questions for him," he orders and tugs me inside. He glances around before leading me into a small room.

It looks like a break room with a table and a few chairs around it. There's a counter against the far wall with a coffee machine and a bar fridge full of soda.

Havoc pulls out a chair for me, and Probe grabs a Coke from the fridge. He pops it open and slides it over to me. I lift it to my mouth and drink it down as the others sit, hoping the sugar will help with the jitters.

"Alright, I caught most of it. But for the benefit of the others, I'm going to fill them in a little. Then, once you've finished that,"—he nods to my soda—"you can tell us the rest, alright?"

"What about Blade?" Capone asks next to me.

"I tried to call him," I croak out before clearing my throat. "But he didn't answer."

"I called him too and left a message. Does anyone know where the fuck he is?" Havoc curses.

Probe shakes his head, but Midas answers. "Conan has chemo today. Inigo was taking him. King said something about taking Sunshine to visit Alex's grave, so maybe he has Junior."

Havoc lets out a frustrated breath but starts telling everyone what happened. He tells them about the truck hitting me and G, how I called him, and then the truck coming back. He turns to me to tell the rest.

"I thought we were safe when they got out of the truck because they were wearing Raven Souls cuts," I admit, seeing Probe stiffen. "But I didn't know them." I look at Havoc; his jaw's tight, and his hands are fisted on the table.

"She asked me if they were friend or foe. And I hesitated. I shouldn't have. My answer should've been instant; every instinct I had told me something was wrong," Havoc admits.

"He said ‘foe' just as they pulled guns and pointed them at us. I couldn't let them hurt G."

"Of course you couldn't," Capone says, reaching over to pat my hand briefly.

"I didn't think. I just aimed and fired. I watched him go down, but I missed the other guy. Then he started shooting, so I covered G with my body and waited to take my next shot. Then I heard your bikes, and I knew everything would be okay. The other guy heard them, too. He started running, so I shot him. I think I hit his leg because he started limping."

"Good job." Probe's angry voice rumbles.

I offer him a shaky smile before continuing. "He got in the truck and took off, but not before firing at me as he drove past. Asshole."

"You think you'd recognize him if I showed you some pictures?" Havoc asks.

"I think so."

Suddenly, the door swings open, slamming against the wall. I jump up, and the others follow suit. Hannibal's eyes find mine, his expression unreadable as I walk slowly toward him, preparing myself for the worst.

"He's awake, and he's asking for you."

"Oh. That's good," I say softly.

And then I pass out.