Page 47 of Hero: Claimed

I see Blaze’s feet lift from the floor as Blue orders, “Shut the fuck up. You go against your brothers? Your club, man?”

As they’re dealing with Blaze, Crush finds his feet, his boots charge toward Levi, but Levi’s so fast and strong, Crush doesn’t stand a chance of taking him down. I hear Crush, his heavy, juicy breaths. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of a Glock.

Levi’s feet cease moving and he says, “You can kill me, but you aren’t getting out of here alive. The brothers are right behind us.”

That’s when I pull, from the depths of my soul, the fortitude to push myself up off the floor. I brought this on them. Crush wouldn’t be here if not for me. I’ll die before I let anything happen to Levi or Blue. If feels like forever before I’m standing against the wall. I shove my hair out of my face.

“Brin!” Levi shouts when he sees me and Crush uses the lapse in guard to raise his gun, aimed at my man.

I scream his name at the same time Crush fires. Blue knocks Levi out of the way, and he falls against the wall. The cell phone’s flashlight illuminates the room enough to show the bullet wound in Blue’s shoulder.

Oh, no… Oh, god…

More shots ring through the air. I use what’s left of my strength to lunge for Crush but peter out before even making my hit. “Bird, baby,” says Levi and despite having a maniac firing a gun at him, he rushes to catch me before I fall.

“Two for one,” Crush growls the words as he opens fire again. We’re dead for sure—there’s no way to outmaneuver the bullets flying. The sound of a bullet ripping through skin, muscle, and bone is as unmistakable as fist hitting flesh. I feel no new pain, which means it wasn’t me who got hit.

“Levi?” I cry.

“I’m okay, baby… I’m okay.”

“Then who?” I ask, but I get my answer when Blaze stumbles, falling to his knees. Red spiderwebs over his shirt just like in the movies. Instead of leaving, Blaze jumped in front of those bullets meant for Levi and me. He took bullets for us and I don’t know what think.

Blue picked up the broken rocker from the chair and uses his good arm to swing, knocking Crush in the back of the head, who falls face-first as both Levi and I drop down to hold Blaze.

He opens his mouth and only blood gurgles out.

“Oh, no… Oh, god,” I cry. “He needs help. We have to get him help.”

Blue drops down next to me, taking Blaze’s hand in his. “Brother,” he says. More lights fill the living room from headlights and a battalion of men rush inside with us. Blaze’s chest struggles to expand one more time, stuttering, and then he just dies. Right in front of us, the man ends.

I’ve known a lot of men who’ve died, given the life my dad lives, but I’veneverwitnessed a man die, especially so violently.

That’s all I can take.

20.

Levi

While Duke and Scotch help walk Blue, who needs that shoulder wound closed, out to a truck in order to get him to the ER, I pick up Brinley to carry her. She’s passed out completely. My guess, from the shock of seeing Blaze die. That’s not a sight I’ll ever forget. Now, I just want her home.

Brin shivers the whole way to my truck. I wrap her up in the blanket I keep in there for emergencies and turn the heat up to hellfire. She still never stops shivering, so I drive like a bat out of hell to get her back to the compound and Caity. I trust Caity. Brinley trusts Caity.

She keeps her eyes shut the whole way home, but my hand never leaves her. I have to touch her, to remind myself that the woman is still breathing. When we finally turn onto the compound, Griff opens the gate for us. The lights are on in my trailer. I park, then run around to lift Brinley from the seat. I carry her inside. Caity is waiting for us in the living room in full Dr. Brennan-Ellis mode.

“Take her to the bed,” Caity orders.

I don’t argue, taking Brin to the bed and laying her down gently.

“Go on,” she says. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“No,” I protest. “I’m staying. I need to be here for her.”

“That’s gallant of you, Hero. But I have to check to see how bad her injuries are.”

“So check,” I say, getting annoyed.

“Hero.” The way she says my name snaps my attention. “There are certain checks I have to make. Ones you might not want to see. Onesshemight not want you to see.”

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