My world stops.

It fucking stops.

I see Nicole falling towards me and she’s covered in blood. She doesn’t have a shirt on, there are scratches all over her body and her face is red and swollen. She’s saying my name, but it’s garbled and I try to catch her before she falls. She’s in my arms, but before my heart can calm....

Two shots, two fucking shots, as an explosion of gunfire rings out, as if in slow motion. Bang...bang...and with each horrendous noise my woman’s body jerks. I scream out in agony because it feels as if my fucking heart is being ripped from my chest.

I hear more gun shots but they are coming from behind me. My men are here, but I can’t feel relief. I fall to the ground holding my woman. I look up to see Irish, my fucking brother, holding the gun that just shot Nicole. He’s on his knees now, bleeding himself, since one of Crusher’s shots hit him in the arm. Bull has him down and slams his fist into the side of his head.

I look back at Nicole afraid to move. I can feel the blood on my hands where I’m holding her. I lean back to look at her face and her blue eyes are watching me. They’re dazed and dilated, but she’s staring at me with a smile. She has a fucking smile on her lips. I bring my hand up and hold the side of her face. My hands are shaking so hard that it takes all my will to control them enough to hold her. The blood instantly smears on her hair and I hate it. It looks wrong. An obscenity on the only beautiful thing I’ve ever known.

“I knew you’d come,” she whispers weakly, and it’s all I can do to keep from screaming out at the pain gathering inside of me.

“I’m here Mama. You have to hold on for me,” I say, petting her hair gently. I look over at Crusher. “Get the ATV here, now! Use the two-way and have Poncho meet us at the bottom.”

“Dragon... I love you.”

“Mama, stop that shit. You’re going to be fine. Just hold on and I’ll have you fixed up in no time.”

“Love you...”

“If you do, then you promise me you’ll fight to stay with me. Do you hear me Nicole? You fight that shit and hold on. You got me?”

She grimaces and it guts me all over again to know she’s hurting. I wish I could take it away. I wish I could take her place.

“I… don’t think… I…”

“Fuck that shit! You listen to me, Mama. I told you that you were mine. You aren’t getting away this easily. You asked for me and you got me. Now you have to stick around for the ride. Promise me Mama, we got a fucking life together to live. If you love me, you don’t give up on that.”

“Okay, Dragon,” she says, and I reach down and kiss her on the forehead.

“Shit, hurry!” I look up at Bull and the pity in his eyes almost does me in. Nicole’s head falls to the side at a weird angle. Her eyes are closed and for a second my heart stops. She’s slipping away from me. Tears fall from my own eyes and I’ve never fucking cried in my life. Before Nicole, I had nothing I really gave a fuck about, and if she’s gone I don’t want to keep going either. She made the world bearable. I didn’t know how damn miserable I was until she came into my life.

“Oh God, Mama, don’t leave me. Don’t leave me here without you,” I say into her ear, holding her closer.

I hear Crusher and he somehow has both of the ATV’s up here. I don’t fucking know how he did it, but I’m damn glad. Somehow Frog and I make it to the bottom of the hill. Crusher took a separate vehicle and collected Dani. I couldn’t worry about any of that. Nicole is still breathing, but there is so much blood. I used my shirt to hold pressure on her wound, but it was soaked by the time we made it to the bottom. When we got there, Doc took over and I’m not sure what he did, but somehow he slowed the bleeding down.

He puts a portable oxygen mask on her to help her breathing, but my heart won’t stop jumping. I watch as Doc works on her and she looks so pale and lifeless. Her words replay in my head.

I love you Dragon. I love you Dragon.

It’s like some fucked up song I have to keep listening to. I can’t turn it off. I’m holding her hand and kissing the top of her head. My coat is covering her as best it can, while still allowing Poncho room to work. There’s so much blood, on her, me and Poncho.

I’m losing her. I had her and I didn’t take care of her. I didn’t keep her safe. She was precious and I let her be torn away from me. I should have known there were traitors in my club and I should have protected her more.

The ambulance pulls up and the medics come over to put her on the gurney. They put her in the ambulance and I’m just about to get in when the monitor they’ve hooked her up to flat lines.

It fucking flat lines.

I try to get into the ambulance and my men grab me to hold me back. The medics are working furiously on her and one is holding paddles above her heart.

“Mama, you hold the fuck on! You promised me! Don’t you leave me woman or I swear to fucking Christ, I will find a way to follow you and drag your fucking ass back here! Nicole!!!”

My body is shaking, I know I’m crying and I don’t give one good fuck. If that makes me a pussy to my men, then so be it. I don’t even fucking want them around right now. It’s because of my motherfucking club, that my woman...

Jesus Christ, she can’t die.

I reach up and grab my head, pulling my neck down so I’m staring at the ground and the tears fall and hit my muddy boots. How the fuck did this happen? How did I not know Irish was involved? How could I trust him with my woman?