Page 56 of Rascal

“Okay. Let’s change direction,” Hawthorne said, looking worried. We didn’t get a chance. The crowd broke, and Kira rushed towards me. She froze on seeing me, and a snarl crossed her face. She raised a knife and darted forward. I was stunned at facing a mirror image of myself. Kira and I could have been cloned.

Hawthorne pulled his weapon and aimed as King moved in front of me. A hard body slammed into me as Jane reached me and slashed. The dagger whistled through the air and caught Hawthorne’s hand. He dropped the gun, and Kira lunged for it. As I fell in slow motion, King changed direction and twisted for it. Seeing that, Kira fled. Whoever was holding me hit the ground with a thump, and the air was driven from his lungs.

The force of landing on a chest also emptied my own lungs, and I gasped for breath. A large hand cradled my head gently, and an arm banded around me as my saviour rolled and placed his body over mine. A scream of sheer frustration came from somewhere, and then stomping boots approached at speed.

“Go! Go! I’ve got Hallie!” a man yelled, although he sounded like he was struggling to breathe.

“Hallie!” King shouted, and through the small gap I saw his worried face. “Get off her!”

“You got a car? Great, I’ll bring her. You start it up. As soon as we’re in, go!” King was ordered.

Moments later, someone picked me up, and began jogging with me in his arms. I looked up and gritted my teeth. Bear. I wasn’t sure whether I’d been attacked or saved. We ran through the crowd, and King jumped into his SUV. Bear slung the back door open and climbed, still holding me.

“Go!” he roared at King. The SUV was moving before the door shut.

“What the hell just happened?” I demanded as Bear shifted me onto the seat and checked me for injuries.

“Stop touching me up, I’m okay!” I yelled.

“You’d be lucky, I’m married,” Bear muttered. Satisfied I wasn’t harmed, he sat back and yanked a phone out.

“I’ve got Hallie,” Bear said. “How bad did the prospect get hurt?”

Rascal had been injured?

“That’s good. No, Jane had Chance and Lio chasing her. I stayed with the woman. Yup, that was bad shit. The women okay? Thalia? My kids?… Typical, Thalia won’t stop spending if there’s something left to buy…No, let them stay and enjoy it. That bitch is long gone…Yeah, make sure the club stays on the old ladies; none are allowed to go anywhere alone. Same with the Holy Terrors. Cheers, brother.” Bear hung up.

“What the hell is happening?” I demanded.

“Prospect was talking to you, but it wasn’t you. At the same time, Phil Gold sent an alert out in our group text. I went to back Hawthorne up while Chance and Pyro headed for Rascal. The bitch attacked Rascal and sliced his gut; nothing major, don’t even need stitches. Jane ran into you by total accident. I saw her face; she’d not expected to see you. But Jane acted quickly and took the opportunity. I grabbed you; Chance, Hawthorne and Gold chased after her.”

That was a lot to unpack. I sat there in silence as King sped through the streets. Shit, Kira had been there and had nearly injured Rascal and me together.

“Her name is Kira,” I muttered.

Bear turned to me. “You know who she is?”

“King identified her today. She’s a lunatic.”

“Is Rascal aware?” Bear asked.

“I doubt it, as we only put it together about half an hour ago,” I snapped, feeling frayed.

“Are you going to share the info?”

“Look. I’m not the asshole, okay? You broke into my hotel room, slammed me around, made threats, and waltzed off. Don’t treat me like the fuckin’ enemy because from where I’m sitting, you’re nothing but a woman abuser!”

Bear flinched and cringed back at that. “I wouldn’t hurt a woman.”

“No? The bruises that hung around my throat for a week say differently.”

“I’m sorry, I acted to protect…”

“I don’t want to hear it. You showed me everything I needed to know. Your club is made up of women beating thugs, and don’t deny it. There were five men with you, and none of you stepped forward to defend me. You knew I was injured from nearly being run over, and you added to that. Thanks for saving me today, if that’s what you did, but you, Rascal, and that club can stay the fuck away from me,” I ground out.

“Rascal is a good man,” Bear argued.

“Rascal is an asshole, end of story,” I snapped.