Page 119 of Dash

“You fucking snake.” I don’t know how I get the words out, and they don’t sound right, but at least I deliver them.

“I’m the snake? I know you’re actively plotting some heroic move to save the chapter. And I know that involves taking me out, Dash, but you gotta understand, I’m not the guy who goes down with the ship.”

It feels like the blood is pumping out of me in time with my sluggish heartbeat. “The rats always run when the ship’s sinking.”

His lips pull into a snarl before he lifts his knife, examining the blade in front of me. My blood still stains it.

“I might be a rat, but at least I’ll still be here.”

I brace for the killing blow. Dayna flashes through my mind. The kid I never got to meet. The life I never got to have.

The gun discharging is so loud, it echoes around the concrete walls like an explosion.

Grub crumples. The side of his head is gone, just a mass of tissue and blood left.

Shouts, chaos… it moves around me, but all I can focus on is trying to get more air into too tight lungs.

Nic drops to his haunches in front of me.

I can smell the discharge from the gun he’s clutching. Even through the darkness closing in around me, I know what the fuck just happened.

Nic killed Grub.

He killed our VP without blinking.

Shit.

His eyes roam my face for a second before dropping to my stomach.

“Shit. Just hang on, yeah?”

He tears my hands away, tugging my shirt open and shoving up my undershirt. I see that flicker of panic in his eyes, even though he tries to mask it.

“We need to get him out of here quick.”

Riot’s pale, the look in his eyes telling me more than the false promises he’s spewing about how I’m going to be okay.

“Take care of them… Dayna… the baby.” I push the words through lips that feel too thick.

“Nope. You’ll be here to do that, brother.” He drags his kutte off, his T-shirt following. Then he balls it up and pushes it against my side.

My back bows, pain spreading to places I didn’t know I could feel it.

I’m fading fast. There’s darkness creeping into the edge of my vision, and my body feels numb.

And right before I pass out, the last thought I have is that I’m not ready to die.

THIRTY-FOUR

DAYNA

I jolt awake.Someone’s hammering on the door.

My heart pounds, fear sliding through my ribs as I slip out of bed. What the fuck?

I grab Dash’s T-shirt off the floor and slip into it before I snatch my phone, clutching it to my chest like it’s a weapon.

It beeps in my hand and I almost scream.

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