Give Me War - Kate McCarthy Page 0,12

comes down hard on his foot with so much force even I jerk backwards. “No one does. Rider’s orders.”

Kermit lets out an oof, his torso slackening and his hand slipping free from her pants. The reaction gives her room and while holding her right fist in her left hand, she elbows him hard in the gut, the move swift and practiced, as if she’s done it a thousand times before. Kermit curls in on himself as she turns. Putting her hands on his back for leverage, her knee comes up hard and his gut takes another hit.

He growls and seems to rise taller than himself as he lands a punch to her face that would fell an elephant. She slams slideways into the wall before crumpling to the floor like a little bird, broken and still.

Oh my God. Is she … ?

My gaze shifts to Kermit, expecting him to come at me next. Except he doesn’t. He’s breathing hard, his hands fisted by his sides, and he’s staring at the woman like a kid who just broke his favourite toy.

“Angel?” he croaks and takes a step forward.

Movement from behind him catches my eye and Renny appears in the doorway, his appearance rumpled as if he just woke up. His eyes drop to Angel on the floor. “Fuck’s sake, Kermit.” His sigh is heavy and exasperated, as if this has happened before. “Pick her up.”

Kermit’s brows snap together. “Told you before. I’m not Kermit.”

“Too late for that.” Renny slaps him on the back. “Knight is gone, man. You’re Kermit now.”

“She called me that once. Fucking once,” he complains. “And now I’m stuck with it for life? I’m not even green!”

Having been known as Sandwich for most of mine, I’d tell him I feel his pain, but the man can go suck a bag of dicks and then choke on them.

My eyes shift from Kermit to Renny, and then from Angel to the door. My heart is telling me I need to stay and make sure she’s okay, but my head is telling me to get the hell out of here while the two bikers are distracted.

My kidnapping is going to start a war.

A war.

If I don’t leave, people are going to die. Possibly people that I love and care for with everything I have. Jared would be leading the charge, alongside my brother Coby and my best friends Henry and Casey. Alongside them would be Travis and Mitch, and right beside my eldest brother-in-law would be Kelly. And behind him would be a whole posse of Sentinels along with the Australian Federal Police.

Then there’s Mac and Quinn, and Grace and Arcadia. Those four would definitely not be leading the charge because they would have a whole other charge of their own in the making, a plan within the plan, coming from an angle the Badass Brigade won’t have even anticipated because those are my girls, and that’s what they do. If you attack one of us, you attack all of us.

I can’t lose a single one of them. I will not watch another coffin lower into the ground.

With a silent apology to Angel for leaving her injured self behind, I start inching slowly to the door, trying to remain as unobtrusive as I can. I don’t know what kind of gauntlet I’ll be facing outside this room. I don’t even know where I am, but I can’t sit around and do nothing. I have to try.

Renny turns his back to me completely as Kermit crouches, checking on Angel as Kermit collects her from the floor. That’s when I see it. The gun. It’s wedged into the back of Renny’s jeans.

My heart begins to pound so hard in my chest it hurts.

Changing direction, I yank it from his pants in one swift move, praying to the Gods of Weaponry that it’s loaded. Renny turns, as does Kermit, Angel dangling unresponsive in his arms. I step out of reach, pointing the gun at all of them.

It’s then I find it. A settling calm. I welcome it like a soothing blanket, wrapping it around me. I’ve been here before and survived it. I can motherfucking do this.

Not carrying an unconscious woman in his arms makes Renny the biggest threat, so I look to him first. “You ever hear about Jimmy Farrell?”

“Yeah, I heard about that.” His expression is pissed as if he has a right to be. Freaking jerk. “He put two bullets in you.”

“That’s right. He got lucky with two quick shots.” My