Page 68 of Beyond the Cut
“You get her out and I’ll kill him.”
“Jesus, Cade.” Gunner exhaled an exasperated sigh. “He’s down and injured, and we’ve got a clear run to Dawn and out again. We won’t be able to spin this in a way that justifies taking him out. The Brethren election is only a week away. We’ll patch them over and then we’ll go after him together. We’ve come this far. Why risk it all now? If Wolf calls Jagger out for breaking his word, we’ll be done for.”
Sirens wailed in the distance. Maybe the neighbors were more vigilant than he thought. And although he wanted Mad Dog dead so badly he could taste it, Gunner had a good point. Could he put the club at risk over a matter of seven days? But how could he let Mad Dog live after what he’d done? Never had he been so conflicted about his duty to the club. Never had he questioned the creed.
Sensing his hesitation, Gunner checked the magazine in his semi-automatic and raised his weapon. “She’s your girl. I’ll cover. You rescue. And by the way, you’re gonna owe me big time if the twins ditch us tonight.”
“Get over it. You love shooting things.”
“This ain’t the weapon I was planning on shooting tonight, brother.”
Brother.
He couldn’t let his brothers down.I will follow the creed before I follow my heart.
Cade tensed, adrenaline pounding through his veins as he mentally prepared himself to go in, grab Dawn, and get out with succumbing to the almost overwhelming desire to get rid of Mad Dog for once and for all. “If your aim is a little off and you hit Mad Dog by mistake…”
“I don’t make mistakes.” Gunner stepped into the doorway and fired, his bullets thudding into the wall above Mad Dog’s head. Cade dived past him and landed behind the couch beside Dawn. Although pale, she appeared remarkably together given the circumstances.
“Rescue time. Stay low and head for the door.” He jumped up and fired a few random shots to keep Mad Dog occupied while Dawn crouched and ran. Mad Dog grunted and the gun fell from his grip.
“Fuck. I shot him.” Gunner slammed a hand on the doorframe.
“No, I shot him.” Cade half rose from behind the couch, his weapon still trained on Mad Dog.
“Are you fucking kidding?” Gunner raced across the room to kick the bastard’s gun away. “You didn’t have a clear shot.”
Cade knelt down beside Mad Dog and pressed two fingers to the pulse on his neck. “Damn. He’s still alive.”
“It’s our lucky day.” Gunner heaved a sigh. “We woulda started a war and been kicked out of the club.”
“Um… boys.” Dawn motioned them to the door, but Cade didn’t move.
“I would have been kicked out,” Cade said. “It was my bullet.”
“You can’t shoot for shit.” Gunner tugged at Mad Dog’s shirt to check the wound. “No way would I let you take the fall.”
Dawn raised her voice to a shout. “The police are almost here. I can see flashing lights. You have to go.”
“Fuck.” Gunner slapped the bullet-ridden wall. “He was wearing a vest. He’ll be bruised but not broken. Let’s go.”
“You can’t leave him here.” Dawn’s voice rose in pitch.
Cade frowned. “Why not? Break and enter, assault with a deadly weapon? Taking a hostage? Even our lawyer wouldn’t be able to get us off without some jail time.”
“We’ll do time together,” Mad Dog mumbled. “You bastards don’t get me outta here before the cops show, I’ll tell them I came to visit my wife to talk about our kids and Dawn stabbed me unprovoked. Then a buncha Sinners tried to off me. My bullets are near the door. Makes it look like I was defending myself. By the time the cops sort it out we’ll have spent months cooling our heels in jail.”
“I’m not your wife,” Dawn bit out. “We’re divorced.”
“And look what happened when you pulled that shit.” Mad Dog gave a bitter laugh. “Not that a civilian piece of paper means dick all. And that cut you’re wearing is a joke. You’re still my old lady until I’m dead or I let you go.”
“Your call, brother,” Gunner said.
Cade pointed his gun at Mad Dog’s head. “I wanna shoot the fucker dead.”
Dawn looked at Cade aghast. “We have to let him go. There’s not enough time to clean up and hide his body. I can’t go to jail, Cade. I can’t leave the girls with Shelly-Ann and no one to watch out for them.”
“Can you walk, fuck face?” Cade shoved Mad Dog’s head back with the gun barrel, his finger itching to pull the trigger.
