Page 18 of Unholy Cross

She pointed to an onion painted on the side of the truck and shook her head.

“No onions,” he said.“Got it.”

He kept her in his peripheral vision as he ordered their food.Lorelei looked around the assembled trucks, where all types of food were available.For a moment, Vivi Wence fluttered through his mind as he remembered how she was able to quiet the anger constantly streaming through his head.Like a television turning static, the noise sometimes grew too loud for him to ignore.It caused him to rage against everything, and that rage made him reckless.There were several factors that got him kicked out of the Heart of Darkness MC, and he regretted every one of them.He missed being part of an MC.Missed the comradery.The brotherhood.

Once he got their food, he nodded his head to an empty picnic type of table set far back from the rest.The night gave them a modicum of privacy, since there were only a couple of people lingering.Lorelei understood immediately and followed his direction, almost skipping to his side.She sat down as he placed the bag on the table.

“Stay here, I’ll get something to drink.”

She smiled up at him as she saluted.Warmth flooded his cold heart at her innocent gesture, and for a moment, the hissing in his brain ceased.Just looking at her eased the stress that usually blew up his mind.He headed toward the truck selling beverages and got himself a beer and a soda for Lorelei.As he turned to head back to her, he saw a man grabbing her arm, attempting to pull her away.Lorelei held onto the picnic table with a white-knuckle grip.

“Hey!”he shouted and rushed over, only to come to a stop as the man held up a gun aimed right at his heart.“Who are you?”

“You thought Dr.Birsha wouldn’t have tagged all his special people?”

Cross cursed at himself for not thinking Lorelei might have a tracker on her.Slowly, he set the beverages down and then held up his arms.

“Don’t hurt her,” he warned.

The man cocked his head.“I was told to bring her back, didn’t matter if she was knocked around a few times or not.”

“Birsha is demented and a sadist, and I won’t allow her to be abused anymore.So, get the fuck away from her.”

Lorelei kept struggling in the man’s grip, and all Cross wanted to do was scoop her up and cradle her in his arms.He’d been holding back his desire for her because she seemed too fragile, but she didn’t seem fragile at all as she yanked and pulled her arm from the dickwad’s grasp.

“Come here,” the man ordered.

Wanting to get closer to Lorelei, Cross obeyed, walking closer and away from the few people eating, who hadn’t caught on that a life-and-death matter was on their doorstep.It was late night, with no moon to illuminate the situation, and only a few cars drove by.Even Sin City had to rest sometimes.

“Good.”The man smiled malevolently.“Less people to worry about.”

Through his life, plenty of guns had been aimed in Cross’s direction, so he knew the exact moment the asshole decided to kill him.The intent was right there in that motherfucker’s stare.He braced for impact, hoping he could dodge the damn bullet.The gun suppressor was just another low-pitch pop as the man fired it.Cross tried to dive away, but he wasn’t fast enough.Blood spurted from his chest as he staggered back.Pain lanced through every cell in his body.

He didn’t fear death.It was the inevitable fate of man.However, he was pissed off he couldn’t protect Lorelei.That she was going to be trapped again in that place of torture.He fell to his knees, staring at her.Wanting her to be the last thing he saw on this earth.Maybe, with his death, his ghosts could finally rest as well.

Suddenly, she balled her hand in a fist and punched the man right in the dick.Apparently hard enough to have him doubling over in pain.Cross was proud of her.Rushing to him she cradled his head in her lap, even though he had no memory of how he reached the ground.She slid a hand under his shirt and placed her palm over the bloody wound.

Lorelei closed her eyes and a frown lined her forehead.Then, a bolt of heat filled him, rushing toward the hole in his chest.A tingling sensation eased the pain, and he could actually feel the bullet leave his body.Feel everything knitting back together.Blood vessels, bone, skin.Each breath easier than the one before.

When the healing power ended, Cross touched his chest.He could hardly believe what she did.Yes, he had known about her gift but it had been some sort of abstract thought instead of proof that she was pure magic.Metaphorically, and literally healing his heart.

All the wonder, however, evaporated in an instant as she fell across him.

“Lorelei,” he said, shaking her.

She was unresponsive.

“Lorelei.Hey, Sweetheart, look at me.”

He pushed at her shoulders and she flopped back, falling like a rag doll.She lay pale, sweating and shaking, and full-blown panic hit him.No.No, no, no.Nothing could happen to her.He forbade it.A noise caught his attention and he saw the man throwing up, no doubt from having his balls punched up through his rectum.No, this human shit stain wouldneverlay a hand on her again.Cross promised to protect her and he always kept his fucking promises.Rage guided him to leave her to grab the gun.The bounty hunter raised his hand, shaking his head, but Cross was beyond caring.He aimed the barrel at him and fired.Once again, the near-silent burst of the suppressor prevented the few people nearby from figuring out what was happening on the dark side of the picnic table.However, Cross suddenly realized he had a body with no way to hide it, as well as helping Lorelei.An ambulance would only bring attention, and he didn’t want that with Lorelei being hunted.

One name flashed through his mind, and although he didn’t want to, Cross didn’t even hesitate.Digging his phone out of his pocket, he called the last person he swore he’d ever call.

“I need help.”

---