Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“Okay, here’s what you’ve got to do.” She explained quickly, leaving me the tools necessary, and left the room.
With a deep breath, I stood on shaky legs, barely suppressing the desire to puke my guts up. The only thing that kept me from doing it was sheer force of will. I didn’t have time, and it’d hurt like a motherfucker if I did.
Pants and a shirt were left on the end of the bed. Slipping into them as best as I could without bending at the waist, I continued to ignore the ungodly pain I was in and slid my feet into my socks, but stopped before I got the boots on. There was just no way I was going to be able to do it myself.
“Cheyenne,” I called, however it didn’t come out to well, so I cleared my voice, and called again, more loudly this time. “Cheyenne!”
She came in quickly, took in the situation, and dropped down to her knees. “I seem to remember the opposite of this happening when we were kids.”
I smiled slightly at her attempt to lighten the mood, but didn’t go much further than that.
Once my boots were on, I raised my hand to her, and she grabbed on to my arm, lifting with me as I stood to my feet. Slowly.
Once I was out in the hall, Payton shoved two pills in my hand and I swallowed them dry. “What’d I just take as we walked towards the elevator?”
“A pain pill and an antibiotic. You didn’t finish it in your drip.” She explained as she pressed the button on the elevator.
A woman’s panicked voice from behind us made the girls turn around, trying to shield me with their bodies, but they’re luck wasn’t with them that day. I was a good foot taller than even the tallest one. They were shit out of luck from the get go.
However, when the elevator beeped and the doors open, I didn’t stop for the woman that was running towards us, yelling that I shouldn’t be out of bed. I just trudged forward, and leaned my elbow against the far wall, trying my hardest not to fall down.
“Where are we going?” I asked the wall.
“They’re holding her at a cabin out by Caddo Lake. You’ll have to climb a tree.” Sebastian’s voice sounded tired.
Easy Peasy. Climb a tree. Two days after being shot in the chest. No problem. Things could be worse, I could be missing a body part, I suppose.
“Okay,” I agreed readily.
I’d do anything when it came to Shiloh. As long as Janie was safe while I did it, I didn’t care what I had to do. I’d tear down entire cities to get to that woman.
I made it to the car before I passed out again.
It was when I was being physically lifted from the car like a child being lifted under his armpits that I came awake to find Sam staring me in the face. His eyes were cold and hard. Copper fucking fire.
“You awake?” He snapped.
“Yes,” I croaked.
“Good. We got you to about fifteen feet of the tree we expect you to climb. We’ve got you some gear, and we’ll help you as much as we can, but you’re going to have to strap yourself to a limb, because we’re leaving you there.” He informed me.
I nodded in understanding, looking around and noticing that all the men were there, Luke and Downy, as well as about thirty men dressed in their Dixie Wardens MC cuts. I was happy to find the women gone. Who they were with and where they were at fluttered through my exhausted brain, but I trusted the men to take care of them. Trusted them with everything that I possessed.
“What am I looking for, exactly?” I asked as I shuffled to the tree Sam had indicated.
“Anything that moves that isn’t Shiloh.” Sebastian answered as he slipped a bulletproof vest over his head.
I nodded in agreement, and stepped up to the tree, laying my foot over the loop that they were going to use to hoist me up there. Elliott bent down, looped it over my boot and nodded before stepping back with the other half of the rope that was over a branch at the very top.
Lucky for me this was a weeping willow. The dangling greenery provided good cover, and the thick, fat branches would hold my weight well. They’d chosen well, which didn’t surprise me. They were experts, just like me.
Jack came up behind me, slipped me into a jacket, being careful to watch my wounded side, and I laughed lightly. “Jesus, can y’all hold my dick so I can take a piss, too?”
Chuckles sounded, but I didn’t move much more. I couldn’t. I was so freaking tired I could barely breathe.
“Sorry man, I draw the line at putting makeup on you.” Jack quipped as he started rubbing in the camouflage paint that would hide the pale complexion of my face, as well as my arms. I noted that he himself was decked out in much the same attire, but didn’t put any further thought into it.
Sam handed me my rifle and an ear bud once Jack was done. I threw the strap over my shoulder, stuck the earpiece in my ear, and braced myself before giving Elliott a thumbs-up. Then I was moving.
I gritted my teeth against the jolt as I hit the trunk of the tree with my body, but never called out for a halt.
Maneuvering myself into the tree was another matter. By the time I’d managed to do so, I was clammy and nauseous, as well as seeing black spots.
A trickle of warmth leaked down my abs, and disappeared into my jeans, and I knew I was bleeding again.
Reaching into my pocket, I withdrew the pads that Cheyenne had stuffed in their as we left the room, and shoved them unceremoniously against my wound before tying it with the Ace Bandage.
“We’re moving in. It’ll take us about twenty minutes to get there. There’re a couple of marshes we have to cross before we’ll even make it on the grounds. Then there’re the trip wires and motion detector devices we have to counteract. How many men are outside?” Sam’s authoritative voice asked in my ear.