Page 77 of Never Wed an Outlaw

The others took off, running as quick as their polished little feet would carry 'em. “Don't shoot! Don't shoot!” they screamed back at us, dropping their guns along the way, all but surrendering.

Sixty, Crawl, and Skin were on their bikes in ten seconds flat, revving them up, ready to give chase down the highway.

“No!” I screamed, putting my foot on the asshole's shattered back, making Dom squirm harder as he bled. “There's too many cops tooling around. They'll be all over the fuckin' place if we don't get out of here. We'll take the vans, too, if we can find their keys.”

My boys gave me a sharp look. “You really want to let those cowards go, Prez?” Skin raised an eyebrow.

“No, no, he's right,” Joker said weakly, struggling to pull himself up with the trunk of somebody's car. “Tried to talk to that owner before the asshole ambushed me. He lookedpretty spooked, like the type who'll call 9-11, if he hasn't already. That shithead from their crew ambushed me, hiding behind his desk, but there's nobody watching him now.”

Fuck.We had something else to worry about, and we had to move fast.

“You heard the Veep! Let's find the damned keys, get them out of that room, and haul some ass.”

Nobody second guessed me. We burst into the room a moment later, and the rest was a blur.

I ran to the bed as soon as I saw her passed out, severing her handcuffs with one blow, pulling her up into my arms. Firefly walked out holding a bawling infant, the most beautiful fuckin' sound I ever heard in my life.

One second. That's all I gave myself to savor the moment, holding Hannah tight in my arms, thinking about how I'd finish the fuckface out front if his blood didn't run out first for keeping her in this dirty gown.

The boys were running in and out, finding the keys, loading up everything they could. Vans and bikes started out front, their engines rumbling together in a steady growl.

“Dusty?” she said, her eyes barely open, as if it took all her strength just to do that.

“Sleep, darlin'. We're bringing you home, and our kid, too. It's over, babe. It's all –“

We heard the sirens blaring in the distance about a second before Sixty came racing up and kicked open the door. “We need to gonow,Prez! Hurry!”

Never ran so fast in my life. My heartbeat roared in myears, harder than any bastard slamming my head into the floor.

We were too fuckin' close to give up now.

I pulled Hannah into the back of the waiting van and held her tight. Firefly sat across from me, the baby carrier next to him, his big hands keeping it from moving too much while the vehicle jerked forward. We got about half a mile down the road before it rolled to a stop.

Then I saw the cherry lights blinking through the tinted windows, and I knew we were fucked.

A minute later there were voices outside. Men talking, cops shouting, probably negotiating our goddamned surrender.

Hannah was burning up in my arms. Still slipped my hand into her fingers, let them clench, and dipped my face to hers.

It wasn't a perfect kiss by any stretch. Her with a fever. Me and my boys about to be arrested for trashing several savage killers the law should've put away long ago.

Firefly's tense, frightened eyes were on me when I finally broke the kiss. Nothing like seeing a big, strong man who'd already been through hell several times crack to make you come undone.

“Prez, I can't go to jail for this shit. Cora, Lucy...” He drew a deep breath, the words he wouldn't say choking him.

“Forget it, brother,” I said, grabbing his hand. “I'm stepping outside as soon as they give the word. Won't put up a fight. When they take me into custody, and start asking questions, it's on me. Everything.”

His eyes flew open. Wide with disbelief, he looked at me while I turned my attention to my son, the fragile little infant I'd never get a chance to raise proper. He shifted in his blankets, somewhere between sleep and consciousness.

“Take care of my boy, whatever the fuck happens.”

“Prez, he's my nephew. I'll back him up with my life, just like my Lucy.”

“Yeah, fuck yeah,” I said, giving his hand one more squeeze while I stood. “I know you will.”

Every second ticked by, more precious than the last, because they were my last as a free man with my family and my brothers.

I kept counting in my head, expecting those doors to swing open any time, clearance for a dozen cops to pull me out and throw me on the ground with my hands behind my back.

---