Hearts the Last Beat (Angel Fire #6) - Ellie Masters Page 0,80
right now.”
“The hell I don’t. I’ve got to stop this.”
“You need to let this play out.”
“By having Bash beat the hell out of Spike?”
“If you care anything about Spike or Bash, you’ll let them sort this out the best way they know how. The future of the band is at stake. This could very well be the last beat of Angel Fire happening out there. Are you sure you want to interfere?”
“I can’t stand here and do nothing.”
“You can, and you will.” He refuses to let me pass.
I crane my neck to see where the men went, but I can’t see them from where I’m standing.
“Forest, if you don’t let me go right now…”
“Not doing it.” He moves to stand in the middle of the doorway. There’s no way I’m getting past him.
I turn to Mitzy and Skye. “Aren’t either of you going to help out?”
Skye corrals little Zach, who is overly interested in the commotion around him. “I’ve seen this before.”
“You have?”
“Bash went after Ash, beat him up pretty good until I intervened.”
“What?”
Skye proceeds to tell me the story of when she and Ash met and accidentally got married; accidental for her, not for Ash. He arranged for the band to meet them at an airport, and evidently, Bash wasn’t thrilled Ash got married after knowing Skye for less than three days.
“They threw a few punches—it’s what they do.”
“But you intervened. What did you have to do?”
“Oh,” Skye smiles with the memory. “I pinched off his carotid until he passed out.”
“You did, what?”
“It was a move Forest taught me. Nothing much. But Bash was beating on Ash, and Ash wasn’t defending himself...”
“Skye, don’t you think that’s what’s happening right now? We need to get out there and stop this. It makes no sense.”
“I need to take care of little Zach. I don’t want him exposed to that much violence.”
“Skye!” I turn to Mitzy. “What about you? Can you get Forest to move out of the way?”
“I could, but he’s obnoxious when he’s trying to make a point.”
“That’s not true.” Forest shifts in the doorway. He looks out and I wonder if he can see the men.
“Damn straight, it’s true.” Mitzy crosses her arms and shakes her head. “Forest is obstinate, stubborn, and…”
“Those mean the same thing.” He argues with her from his post guarding the way out.
“Doesn’t mean they’re not true.”
Keenly aware Spike is out there getting his ass kicked, I rush Forest and try to slip through the small gap between him and the doorframe. He blocks and pushes me back.
“Not getting by me.”
“You are a royal pain in the ass.” I practically hiss at him.
“Angel…” Mitzy says.
“Yeah.”
“That’s not the only way out back.” She gives a jerk of her chin down the hall leading out of the kitchen.
It’s a much longer trek, navigating the long hallways of Insanity, but Mitzy’s right. I glance at Forest and launch down the hallway before he can react. He lunges at me, trying to grab me, but I’m faster than Forest.
Not knowing if he chases after me, I race through the halls, winding my way around Insanity until I pop out one of the side doors. I sprint around the exterior of the building, leaping over the landscaping, as I run around to the pool where I see my dad kicking the crap out of Spike.
“Stop!”
Thirty
Spike
Bash’s fist slams into me. “You fucking pig!” My head snaps back with a fist to the jaw. “You touched my daughter.”
I tense, protecting my gut. He slams his fist into my gut, bending me forward at the waist. Bent over, my jaw presents another great target, and Bash isn’t shy about taking advantage.
Stars fill my vision with an uppercut to my jaw. I stumble back, blinking against the pain, and fall into Ash’s arms. The fucker steadies me on my feet, then shoves me back into the fray.
It’s a one-sided fight. I’m not here to trade punches with Bash. My only role is to accept judgment. My arms hang by my side. I don’t block. I don’t punch back. I simply take the beating.
“How long?” He roars as he comes at me. Hands on my shoulders, he steadies me so that he can ram his knee into my midsection over and over again.
I huff against the pain and clench my abs. It’s the only thing protecting me. He shoves me away from him, and I land on my ass.
Blinding pain is my universe. Hands reach under my arms and lift me to my feet. I’m