“Jeff. Please. Don’t do this.” She stood in front of Jagger, protecting him with her body. Jagger muttered a protest and then dropped to one knee with a groan.
“Out of the way, girl,” Viper bellowed, coming up behind Jeff. “Let your brother show me he has what it takes to be a Jack, or I will be the last fucking thing you ever see.”
“Never.” She leveled her gaze at Viper and a calm settled over her body as she raised her weapon.
“Then die like your betraying mother did.” The barrel of his gun gleamed in the darkness.
“Don’t do it.” Jeff spun and pointed his weapon at Viper. “You’re the reason our family has no honor. You killed mom. You drove Arianne away. You destroyed our family. I was never good enough for you. No matter how hard I tried, I was never as good as Arianne. You beat me until I couldn’t take it anymore, until the drugs were the only thing that made life worth living. This is all your fault.”
“Don’t be a fool.” Viper growled. “Lower the gun and look to the real enemy. Your betraying sister and the bastard who dishonored our club.” His eyes lifted to Arianne. Cold. Black. Soulless. “It’s over, girl.”
“Not Arianne.” Jeff threw himself in front of Viper’s gun. The bullet hit his chest with a sickening thud, and his momentum carried him to the ground.
“Jeff!” Arianne screamed and dropped to her knees beside his body.
Viper roared in anguish and aimed his weapon at her head. “This is because of you, girl. You killed my son.”
Two shots rang out in the darkness. Viper stumbled back and fell. She glanced over and saw Jagger half sprawled on the floor, his gun still pointed where Viper had stood only moments ago.
The door burst open, flooding the warehouse with light. Zane raced to Jagger’s side, and Arianne bent over Jeff and checked for a pulse. But from the blood pooling on the floor beneath him, she knew she wouldn’t find one.
“I’m sorry.” A sob ripped from her throat and she smoothed his hair back from his pale, still face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry I left you behind, but he said he would kill you before letting you. I didn’t know he loved you. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you for saving me, and for being there when I ran away. I tried to be a good sister to you. I’m sorry I failed. But I hope you finally have peace.”
Zane knelt beside her and pressed his finger to Jeff’s throat. “He’s gone,” he said softly. “Viper’s unconscious, but still alive. I don’t know if he’ll make it. And we got a problem.” His voice tightened. “Jagger wasn’t wearing a vest. The bullet hit close to his heart—”
Her breath left her in a rush. “The shrapnel. We need an ambulance.”
“Stay with him. My phone’s outside.”
She made her way over to Jagger, trying not to look at the hulking form of Viper lying still on the floor. Her father. But she felt nothing for him. No urge to help him. No sadness. No regret. No urge to help him. No remorse. If he died, he deserved his fate, and the world would be better for his absence.
“Baby…” The hair lifted on her nape when she crouched beside Jagger and took in the blood-soaked bandanna pressed against his chest. “Zane’s calling an ambulance.”
“I’m okay. Just a flesh wound.” He reached out to stroke her hair. “I’m sorry about Jeff.”
“He died doing something good.” She wiped a tear off her cheek. “I never knew how much he’d been suffering. He’ll have peace now, but I’ll miss him so much.”
The rumble of motorcycles filled the air and the warehouse trembled. Jagger gave her a half smile. “Sinners are here.”
She covered his hand with her own, pressing the bandanna harder against his chest. “They’ll look after you. Maybe they brought a cage.”
“No cages.” He coughed, and her gut twisted. They didn’t have time to wait for an ambulance. He needed medical attention now.
“If your girl says you’re riding in a cage, then you’re riding in a cage.”
Jagger gave her a weak smile. “My old lady.”
“Yes, and she’s prepared to defy you to save your life.”
Gravel crunched outside the front door and Arianne’s head jerked up, but hope died in her heart when she saw Zane’s grim face. “We gotta move him. It’s the Jacks.”
Bracing himself on the floor, Jagger pushed himself to sitting. “My bike’s out the side door.”
Arianne looked at him aghast. “You can’t ride.”
“Gotta ride, sweetheart, or we’re gonna die.”
She and Zane helped Jagger to his feet. Weapon ready, Zane pushed open the door, holding Jagger and Arianne back with his hand.
“Clear. You two go. I’ll try to head them off. Sinners will be coming from the south, so we should have backup soon.”
Arianne staggered under Jagger’s weight as they crossed the gravel toward his bike, but when she slid onto the driver’s seat, Jagger waved her back. “My bike. My ride.”
“You’re shot. Bleeding. I’ll drive.”