Rock Me Deeper (Licks of Leather #5) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,45

man.

Tears streamed down Mia’s cheeks as Ozzy wrapped his arms around her and whispered something in her ear. I wanted to break down alongside her, but the demand to keep Syd alive thwarted my weak, fragile feelings.

“Scoot out of the way, Caris,” Brad ordered in a low, calm tone. How anyone could be so collected at a time like this defied all comprehension. “I need you to move, now, Caris. I have to see if the bullet’s still inside and pack Syd’s wound. He’s losing too much blood.”

“I-is he going to die?” My voice cracked as a tear slid down my cheek.

“Not today,” Brad assured, jerking his chin.

Cole gently cupped my shoulders and eased me away from Syd’s body as Brad unzipped the duffle bag and started extracting bandages, tape, and scissors.

“Come here, Caris.” Ozzy reached out, offering me comfort.

I was too shaken, too scared, too lost to do anything but climb onto the seat beside him and huddle in. Silently, we watched Brad and Cole roll Syd to his side. His groan of discomfort coupled with the large puddle of blood staining the carpet made me tremble even more.

“In and out, thank God.” Brad exhaled heavily.

“Yeah, but he’s lost a lot of blood.” Though Cole whispered his concern, I heard him even over the road noise humming through the limo.

“Hey Ozzy, I need you to find me the nearest level-one trauma hospital,” Brad instructed.

“On it.” As the keyboard player lifted his arm from my shoulder, I eased off the seat and knelt down on the floor again.

Dismissing the blood staining my hands, I combed my fingers through Syd’s dark hair and leaned in close to his ear.

“Wake up, baby. Wake up and sing to me again,” I whispered as my tears dripped onto his forehead. “You know the song I want to hear. Wake up and sing it to me…just one more time. Please.”

He didn’t open his eyes, simply groaned again.

“We got a vehicle coming up fast on our ass,” the driver called over his shoulder.

“Son of a bitch,” Cole bit out.

Anger surged with the amalgam of fear and panic swirling inside. “Zattman’s not going to stop until we’re all dead.”

“He’s not taking any of us out today, Caris.” A nasty smile curled Cole’s lips as he turned toward the driver. “I need to go topside, Elliot.”

The sunroof started sliding open as Cole planted a foot on the edge of the seat, then gripped the rim of the opening above his head. Hoisting himself up, he placed his other foot on the edge of the shimmering wet bar, then lifted the gun from the holster and gripped it with both hands.

“Ease off the gas and keep ’er steady, Elliot. I just need three smooth seconds.”

“You got it,” the driver replied as the limo’s speed began to plummet.

“Three…two…” Brad counted down while wrapping more gauze around Syd’s shoulder. “One.”

The report of the shot ricocheted through the limo as I watched the expelled shell casing catch in the breeze and sail away.

“You can punch the gas now, Elliot. Thanks,” Cole called, still staring behind us.

“Lemme guess…tire?” Brad asked.

“Nope,” Cole replied with a slow shake of his head.

“Radiator?”

“Yeah, but damn, if I had my fifty-cal sniper rifle, I could have taken out the engine block, too.”

“They can’t all be winners, kid,” Brad countered. “As long as the threat is neutralized, that’s all that matters.”

“Neutralized nothin’. I cut the bastard’s balls off. I…neuteredized him. He’s limping off to the side of the road now.” Cole jumped off his improvised shooting perch.

“Nice. You definitely bought us precious time needed to get Syd to the hospital. Speaking of which…you find anything yet, Ozzy?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, don’t lose it. We’ll need to tell the pilot where we’re going.”

Glancing down at Syd, Cole sobered. “Shouldn’t he be awake by now?”

Brad shrugged. “Sometimes the shock is too much for the mind to process and it shuts down.”

“Come on, Syd, wake up.” Fear glimmered in Ozzy’s dark eyes.

I suddenly realized his were the same color and intensity of Syd’s. As I continued threading my fingers through his hair, the ache to gaze into his beautiful brown pools shredded my heart.

“Come back to me, baby. Open those eyes and look at me again,” I pleaded in Syd’s ear.

His black lashes fluttered but remained closed.

“Yes. That’s it. Open your eyes and look at me, dammit.”

“Come on,” Ozzy urged again. “Your girl’s right there, in front of your face, so close you can touch her. Don’t believe me? Open your damn eyes and see