SIX (31 page)

My face impacts with the door, causing the room to dip and spin.

A warm crimson trail drips rapidly into my eyes and before I gain my sense of gravity, my body is being pulled and thrashed until I’m falling backwards.

Cold, wet liquid hits against my flesh, stealing my breath. Heavy hands wrap around my throat as I’m pushed under.

The cold depths of his insanity swallow me beneath, plummeting me into despair as I try to fight for my life. He’s killing me…I’m drowning.

Lungs burning like I’m drinking bleach, my body convulses and my ribs are going to burst. I can’t breathe…I’m dying.

Parker’s voice is annoying, and since when did she think she became my voice of reason?

“Stop it! Oh my God. Lucky, tell him to stop pulling the wires out!”

Fuck that.

Like I’d listen to him anyway.

I can’t believe I’ve been lying in this bed while she’s been out there packing or halfway out of town by now.

She can’t leave.

I won’t allow it.

I fucked up and I know that, but she has to forgive me because I will no doubt do a lot of fucking up in our lifetime, and that’s what I want: a lifetime with her.

I know how precious time is. Shit can be ripped away from you in a heartbeat and misery and pain are part of life, but that’s not all it is.

Love can crash into you and knock the wind from your lungs and that’s what she did to me.

It was scary as hell and I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, but not deserving someone as pure of heart as Misty didn’t mean I wasn’t going to get her all the same.

Who am I to tell her who she can love?

I must have been out of my mind to push away the only thing that’s ever made me feel truly content and loved.

My reasons were just at the time, but once you nearly die, it can throw your whole life into perspective.

“Six, seriously, dude, you shouldn’t do that.

You’re pissing blood from the needle you’ve pulled out of your hand.”

Like I give a shit about a tiny hole leaking a small amount of blood.

Grabbing Parker’s scarf, much to her dismay, I wrap it around the hand that’s bleeding and stand from the bed.

“You’re wearing a gown and I can see your junk,” Lucky announces, pretending to cover his eyes but still peeking through the fingers.

Parker turns around and mumbles something I don’t quite catch.

“Six!” they both shout after me as I exit the room and march down the corridor. Nurses and other visitors stop to gape at me, but nothing is stopping me from getting to Misty.

When I exit the hospital, rain, instant and cold, drenches the gown to my skin and it makes me aware of the fact that I’m flashing my junk to a lot of people right now and could end up in jail.

I didn’t think leaving through.

I have no idea how I got here or if anyone brought me some wheels.

“You are insane,” Parker barks, coming out to stand next to me.

She wearing a jacket and putting up an umbrella, which she uses to cover the front of my body.

“I’m parked over there.” She points and pushes against my back for me to follow her.

“She’s more than likely already gone, you know that, right? And you have no one to blame but yourself,” she babbles on, but all I can hear is the rain pelting the car while I fixate on the irony that a rainstorm washed her into my life and a rainstorm could potentially wash her out of it.

Pulling up to the bar, I don’t wait for Parker to come to a complete stop before jumping from the cab.

I nearly end up under the wheel but catch myself and race to the bar door.

It’s fucking locked. Looking back at Parker for help with a key, she just shrugs at me and I run around the back, finding the door ajar.

She must still be here.

Taking three steps at a time, I push into her apartment.

It smells of death and I hate that she’s still been staying here after Haley took her life.

The sound of running water and splashing has my feet moving toward the bathroom.

I don’t want to go inside this room, but a humming in my gut tells me I need to.

The sound of thrashing assaults the bathroom door and my skin crawls with nervous energy when I see water pouring through from under the gap of the door. Kicking the door open without even calling out just happens, my mind and body working on instinct.

Almost losing my footing as anger so fierce explodes in my chest and coils every muscle at what my eyes can’t fathom they’re seeing.

I stagger forward in shock.

Max, disheveled and wild, is holding Misty under the water by her throat.

Reality screams at me that this is really happening and a roar rips from my chest as my body races forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and dragging him backwards off her.

He tumbles to the floor and I wrap my arms under Misty’s back, lifting her from the freezing water.

Her body is heavy and limp and fear punches through my chest, squeezing my heart in its fist.

Before I get her to the bed, she begins coughing and spluttering water all over me and I want to cry in relief.

Her mouth sucks at the air, making a hoarse sound from her chest.

Her arms tighten to an almost deadly grip around my neck and she burrows her head into my shoulder.

I place her on the bed as a form from behind me catches my eye.

Max is moving, coming closer, and that’s not how he should be.

Is he also a Viper?

He’s on his feet, snarling at me.

Where is the scared asshole from a few days ago, blubbering like a bitch? Maybe it’s only women he feels tough hurting.

“You can watch her die in the same room Haley did,” he screeches, coming at me with what looks like a pair of scissors

I grab his hand as he tries to plunge the scissors into my chest and twist it.

He calls out in pain, dropping the scissors, and I pull at his arm.

Forcing his own weight to plummet forward into me, I spin him as he reaches my chest and wrap my arm around his chest and shoulders, urging him toward the bathroom.

His feet try to stall, but his strength is no match for mine.

Nothing is going to save him from his death.

I launch him forward once we’re inside and slam the door closed so Misty doesn’t have to see as I dunk the little cunt into the water and hold him there until his eyes bulge and his body jerks its last breath.

It was an easy, quick death, which he didn’t deserve, but he went out the same way he tried to take Misty out and I didn’t have time to draw it out.

Grabbing towels, I rush back to Misty, who’s sobbing into a pillow.

“I’m so sorry. It’s okay.

He will never hurt you again, I promise you this.” Her body shakes and trembles and I’m lost.

All I want to do is hold her, but I’m not sure she wants that.

Nothing has been discussed or settled.

“I should take you to the hospital. You have a huge gash on your head and damage to your lungs,” I try telling her, but she shakes her head.

“I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ll be okay,” she sniffles, moving out of my hold.

I’m not convinced, but I don’t know if forcing her is the best option.

I go to the kitchen to grab up some warm water and paper towels.

When I crouch down next to her on the bed, she lifts her head to look at me.

The cut across her forehead looks worse than it is.

I dab it down with warm water while she stares at me, her eyes red and bloodshot.

“He was like a different person,” she whispers, her eyes moving over my head to focus on the bathroom door.

“He can’t hurt you anymore,” I vow to her.

“It’s so scary how unstable he was…how screwed up someone can be over love.”

“He didn’t love anyone, Misty.”

“He thinks he did, but it couldn’t be real. Love wouldn’t make you that ugly, that crazy, that you’d kill a woman just to punish someone else.

I told him you didn’t love me and wouldn’t care.”

Taking her hand in mine, I kiss at her soft, cold skin and thank the lord I got here in time to stop him.

How did I ever let her think not loving her was even a possibility for me—for us?

“Misty, I know I hurt you, but it was the only way I could do what I needed to. We would have never been safe with them out there.

Risking you was never a choice, Mist.

It would destroy me if I let them hurt you.

It was my responsibility.

This was unfinished business from my life before you.

I didn’t know I could feel love like ours, I didn’t believe anyone could love me the way you do—did…please don’t take your love away from me.

Love me, Mist.”

How can I obliterate her heart in one moment, only to beg her to love me with it in another?

If she leaves, I’ll follow her.

I’ll hang around her like a bad fucking smell until she becomes so frustrated, she decides to just be with me.

She crawls into my lap and wraps her tiny frame around me as she sobs into my neck.

I rub her back and tell her it’s all going to be okay, because I have no idea what else to do.

Sniffing up snot and wiping at her bloodshot eyes, she looks into mine and asks, “Why is your ass hanging out the back of a hospital gown?”

She’s a keeper
.

Two years later

Lucky is a true artist.

I’ve never seen anyone who can draw on skin like he can.

I’ve been lying on his table for two hours and I’m getting sleepy.

“You’re done,” he beams, showing me his creation with a mirror hovering over my abdomen.

His work spans my entire stomach.

“I love it! Holy hell, Lucky.” A tear pricks my eye and an embarrassed laugh hiccups out of me.

He helps me sit up and swipes at my tear. “No thanks necessary.”

I got up early to get this surprise done for Six and he’ll be here any minute now to tattoo me.

Lucky drops a kiss to my head and takes my hands so I can jump down from his table.

He starts cleaning up his station.

When the door opens and Six walks in, Lucky announces he’s going for doughnuts.

“Beautiful lady of mine, I missed you in bed this morning. I had the beast ready to wake you, but you already left.” He grins.