Page 100 of Beyond the Cut
The vehicle rocked again and the rear passenger door opened. Feet scuffed the concrete floor beside her. But she didn’t have time to worry about what was going on. Jimmy was down, unarmed, injured, and for the first time vulnerable. She steadied the gun between her breasts and slid her finger over the trigger. This was it. The moment she had dreamed about for ten years. The end of Jimmy. She would finally be free.
***
Cade heard the SUV door open. This was it. Gunner was out. Sparky and Zane would be right behind him. It was the end of Mad Dog. And he was going to be the one to pull the trigger. He threw himself forward and grabbed Mad Dog’s weapon. Then in one swift move, he rolled, aimed, and fired.
In that moment three things happened.
First, two more shots were fired, each from a different gun. Mad Dog fell backward, his hand to his chest.
Second, as Mad Dog fell, a bullet from a fourth gun hit Mad Dog from behind, a clean hit through the neck that slowed only when it pinged off the hood of the SUV.
Third, four people yelled, “I got him.”
Gun at the ready, Cade surveyed the scene. Curiously none of the Brethren ran to Mad Dog’s aid. Even the two dogs that had so obediently heeled at his command left him to lick the face of an old geezer lying on the floor with a gun pointed where Mad Dog’s neck used to be.
“I got him.” Dawn slid out from under the SUV.
“I got him,” the old geezer yelled. “Right through the fucking neck.”
“No fucking way.” Gunner lowered his weapon. “I got him.”
“No, I got him,” Cade said. “Hit him in the leg.”
“That’s just the old injury from when I hit him in the leg.” Dawn glared and then sucked in a sharp breath. “Why are you lowering your weapons? We’re still outnumbered.”
“Not for long.”
As the last word left Cade’s lips, the Brethren dropped their weapons. He turned and smiled at the Sinners pouring through the wrecked wall on either side of the SUV.
His brothers.
His club.
And…What the fuck? Benson?
Talk about ruining the moment.
“Dawn!” Benson stared at Dawn aghast as he walked over the rubble. “What are you doing with that… weapon?”
“Shooting people.” One hand on her hip, she held up her gun. Cade snorted a laugh. Damn, she was a sight in that tight red dress, dirty and torn, her hair tangled, scratches and bruises on her arms and legs. But with that weapon in her hand and the triumphant smile on her face she was beyond beautiful to him.
“Actually she was shooting toes, not people, but she did a good job. She’s better at shooting toes than tires.” He looked over at Benson and lifted an eyebrow. “We got business together, Benson. A little matter of locking me up in jail and trying to steal my girl. You got anyone you want to call before you die?”
Benson’s mouth tightened. “Your girl.”
“Mine.”
Benson’s gaze swept over Dawn, lingering, and then his shoulders slumped. “She’s definitely a Sinner.”
Dawn put her arm around Cade and leaned her head against his chest. “Cade’s Sinner. I am sorry, Doug, but this is where I want to be.”
“I wanted so badly to save you,” Benson said wistfully. “My sister was taken by a biker gang when she was fourteen. We never got her back. I joined the police thinking I would make a difference and something like that would never happen on my watch. I think I lost perspective, and I might have gotten a little carried away.”
“You went to fucking crazy town and back.” Cade shoved his weapon in its holster. “Even coming out here alone… all kinds of stupid. You always gotta have someone at your back.”
“I get it. I’m sorry, Dawn. I won’t bother you or the Sinners again.” He turned to go and Cade gestured to Tank to cut off Benson’s retreat.
“You don’t get off that easy. Locking up a Sinner is serious offense, but ’cause you were looking out for my girl, I’ll give you a choice. I beat the shit out of you, break your fucking arms and legs, and dump you in a ditch outside of town, or you can be the Sinners’ eyes and ears inside the police station. Sheriff Morton did a fine job for us, and was paid well for his trouble until he got greedy, so now there’s a vacancy that needs to be filled.”
