Page 70 of Rebel

“I don’t think so.” Thrash reached down and grabbed me by the hair, lifting me to my feet. “You stay right here.” He pushed me in front of him and hooked his right arm around my neck, pretty much using me as a human shield. “Eyes open. Guns up,” he instructed.

More shots sounded, but every round was louder as the scuffle drew closer. My entire body shook and vibrated with fear, my mind flashed with images of me being riddled with bullets before I fell to the ground, a literal dead heap.

One of Thrash’s men opened the door, and three shots hit his body, sending him stumbling back just like on television, except the sound of the shots was deafening.

I watched, frozen in place as Thrash’s grip tightened around my neck. “Don’t. Fuckin’. Move.”

Gio stepped through the doorway first and scanned the room, killing the last man before he fixed his gaze on Thrash. “Using a woman to keep you safe? Good fuckin’ luck. Clear,” he called out.

Logan stepped inside followed by Maverick and Rocky. His gaze met mine first and then tracked down my naked body, anger reddened his face and clenched his jaw when he saw the marks all over me. “Hand her over, Thrash.”

“Fuck that. So you can pump me full of bullets?”

Logan laughed. “That’s going to happen either way.”

“Then I’ll make this really simple for you.” He cocked his weapon and pressed the barrel against my temple. “Me and the bitch leave here and when I’m free and clear, I’ll let her go.”

Tears streamed down my face, but I managed to swallow down the sob. Naked in front of all these people was bad enough, adding in the tears just made me feel more vulnerable. “Just shoot him,” I told Logan. “Shoot him and take care of Livvy, yeah?” I closed my eyes and ducked my head, hoping against hope that the bullets would bypass me. My body shook with fear as reality crashed around me. I was going to die. There was no way around it. Best case scenario was that Thrash put one in my head, and I died quickly but I doubted I’d be so lucky.

“Nikki,” Logan called me. “Look at me Nikki.”

My eyelids fluttered open, and my gaze locked on him.

He smiled. “I’m sorry. Sorry for being angry when I had no right to be. Hell, I’m sorry about everything, honestly.” He shook his head, anguish darkened his beautiful eyes even as he kept his gun trained on Thrash. “I love you Nikki and I trust you. Always.”

What?Had I heard right? Logan loved me? Or was he just saying those words to make what happened next easier? Did it even matter? No. This was my last chance to tell him the truth—if I was going to die, I wanted him to know. “I love you too,” I blurted out. “This was never about not trusting you, it was always about protecting Livvy.”

“I know.”

“I trust you,” I told him on a shaky whisper.

“Good, because I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

It wasn’t a promise he could keep but I nodded all the same. “Okay.”

“What a nice fuckin’ moment,” Thrash sneered and held me tighter, getting his arm right under my chin. “Now make room for us and I won’t splatter her brains all over these walls.”

God, he was such an asshole. He tugged me forward until I was unsteady on my toes.

“Move,” he shouted, but none of the Steel Demons budged. Thrash adjusted his grip on the gun and applied more pressure to my temple.

His grip loosened around my neck, and I bent over, sinking my teeth into the flesh of his forearm with as much force as I could. The metal taste of blood touched my tongue before I released him.

“Bitch!” He released me completely and raised his hand to smack me, but before he could Logan shot him four times and I watched as he stumbled back several steps and collapsed onto the bed. The red dots on his shirt grew so fast I couldn’t look away. It was the only movement, the red darkening the white t-shirt.

His eyes were lifeless. His body still.

Hands touched me and I screamed. “No!”

“It’s just me, Nikki.” Logan’s soft whispers soothed me almost instantly. “It’s me. You’re all right, babe. You’re safe.” His soothing words warmed me. “Shit,” he growled and took off his t-shirt, sliding it over my head to cover me. “Nikki.”

“I-I-I’m okay,” I assured him, my voice was shaky. My whole body shook, and I wasn’t sure if it was shock or reliefor something else altogether. “Logan.” I stepped into him and buried my face in his chest.

“I’m here, babe. Right here.” He held me while I cried but only for a second. “Let’s get you out of here and back home.”

Home. I had no clue where that was anymore, but I nodded and let Logan lead me out of the prison I’d been held in and into a waiting van where Hawk sat behind the wheel.

“Welcome back.” Hawk offered up a friendly smile before he put the van in drive and carried me away from that hell.

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