This wasn’t going to be awkward; I told myself as I walked out the front door, closing it gently behind me. I was prepared to face Jax.

I hadn’t seen Jax or any of my brothers for the rest of the weekend. I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard their bikes kick off, and they didn’t return all weekend.

“Sup Sis?” Tyler smiled, and I was pulled from my thoughts.

“Morning Tyler.” My eyes glanced over the other four empty bikes. Where were the rest of them? “Where are the others?”

Tyler straddled his black motorbike “Sleeping. We didn’t get in until late.”

“Then why aren’t you sleeping?” Now taking in his slightly bloodshot eyes and pale face. It was clear he hadn’t slept much.

“Got the shortest straw.” Tyler grinned. “Come on; let’s get your butt to school.”

He didn’t look like he was up to riding that thing. “Go to bed Tyler. I can take myself to school.”

“Nope, no way. Troy will kill me, right after Cole bashes me.”

“Tyler, I think my life is more in danger if I get behind you on that death trap. Go to bed. I can get myself to school.”

“Not happening.”

“Tyler, GO TO BED! Have you even slept at all?” Now that I thought about it, I didn’t hear the bikes come back last night which meant they must have got in early this morning. “Wait, you don’t have to tell anyone. Just go back in and go to bed.”

I opened my handbag and began looking for the car keys.

Tyler frowned but I could see he was caving. “The guys will kill me.”

“Tyler, I managed to get myself to school before you, believe me, I can do it now.”

I turned my back on him and began to walk up the porch in the direction of the garage, still looking through my bag.

“Um, Amber?”

Turning around I saw Tyler leaning his bike back down. “Yeah Ty?”

I saw his lips twitch slightly; I couldn’t believe I had just called him that. I used to when I was little, and it just slipped out now.

“Cole. He had a run in with someone last night. Nothing too serious, but when you get home, could you have a look at him? I know he’s too proud to ask you himself.”

“Sure, when I get home.” I smiled slightly and turned back on my heel. Today I would go to school and I would stay there, not because I wanted to. Hell no. But I didn’t want to get Tyler into trouble and I couldn’t believe that I was willing to stay at school all day, just for him.

I was going soft.

***

I had to park my Hummer four blocks away from school. So, not only did I go to school, but I also walked to get there.

I shook my head at my own softness; I was getting pathetic. I was on my way home, heading down the highway, perhaps a little over the speed limit. Today only reminded me of how much I really hated school. The teachers were smelly and the students were ruled with hormones and were full of useless information.

Like today, when I was sitting behind Amy in math, she was telling her friend all about how Josh, one of Jax’s little school friends, had taken her to the movies, and then they even did dinner! Oh the excitement!

Glancing in the reverse mirror, I noticed how the same gray sedan was on my tail. The mirrors were tinted a deep black, making it impossible to make out the driver. That was what caused me to put my foot down harder on the accelerator. That tint wasn’t legal; which gave me a bit of insight into the driver. This was no soccer mom tailing me.

The car automatically matched my speed, keeping pace with me. I didn’t recognize the car. The highway was close to dead, and we ended up flying down the road.

I was still a while from home, and I knew I couldn’t go home now, not with a tail on me. I glanced at the fuel gauge; three quarters of a tank.

The car suddenly swung around, and slammed on the brakes, sending me off the road and into the dirt on the side. I was grateful our highway had endless dirt on each side and the trees were a few distance away; or this might have been the end of me.

I slammed my foot down on the accelerator first chance I got, and shot off in the direction of the city. I looked behind me, and noticed that my tail had also spun around to chase me.

I pushed the pedal to the metal, and was grateful for the magnificent machine I’d been handed to drive.

I saw a reflection against my mirror. Shit. I saw the large silver gun now being pushed out a side window. My reflexes kicked in; my back arched and my ears rung as a bullet shattered my back window.

I flung open my glove box. No gun. Shit, I was unprotected.

Swinging my car down the first street as we turned off the highway, my tires squealed and the Hummer had a slight body roll. I attempted to keep it under control, although I lost all control when the bullet flew through my back window.

I was in trouble; I reached over and tipped out my handbag, desperately looking for my phone and I was doing all of this while speeding down a residential street, with parked cars lining each side.

Unlocking the phone, I scrolled down the list until I reached Cole’s number. Cole would answer; he always did. The others I wasn’t too sure; Troy was a heavy sleeper.

I swung the car sideways as another bullet shot into the car. Any minute now, the guys would target the tires, and that’s when the shit would hit the fan for me.

“Hello?” His voice was husky and full of sleep.

“Cole, I’m being shot at.”

Another bullet sailed through a side window, shattering it.

“Amber, what the hell was that?” Cole now sounded awake as he screamed in alarm.

“I just said someone was shooting at ME!”

As soon as I said that, the car jerked as the back tire caught a bullet. “SHIT! They just got my back tire.”

“Where are you?”

I frantically looked for a street sign; I was going to be rolling to a stop anytime now. “Grant Street, half way up. Cole, they just got my other back tire.”

I heard the dull stomping of his feet as he ran down the stairs “How many are their?”

“Can’t see, the car is heavily tinted.” The Hummer was slowing down.

“What color?”

“Gray. They’re shooting Shotguns spa 12’s, from what I can tell.”

“How much speed have you lost?” I heard the dull throwing of something from his end.

“I will be coming to a halt in a few seconds.” I glanced at the gray car; they were happy crawling alongside. I spoke seriously into the phone. “Cole, I have a feeling I’m not going to be here long once I stop.”

I gulped slightly, not liking the idea of facing off with whoever it was, with no gun or back up. I was still a girl after all; it’s not like I could overpower a guy. Sure, I could give him a few good punches, but that was about it.

“We’re coming.”

“What, how did you get the others up?”

Cole ignored my question “As soon as the car stops, run.”

I knew that was what I’d have to do; I wasn’t going to sit here and wait for them to come and get me out of the car. But I wasn’t exactly in top shape at the moment; I mean my body was great but my fitness level, not so much.

“Cole!” I exclaimed.

I heard the roar of a motorbike. “We’re coming Amber.” His voice was stern and I heard how pissed off he was. I didn’t envy these guys when my brothers found them. They would be ticked off enough just for being dragged out of bed.

The phone died, and nerves began to bubble in my stomach. I exhaled sharply; it was time to focus. The boys would still be a bit off, even with their crazy riding.

The Hummer was squealing as there was no rubber left on the tire. Time to run like there was no tomorrow. I forced the steering wheel to turn as I went in the direction of a footpath, a park just behind it. The Hummer was barely rolling as I pushed open my door and launched myself out of it.

I heard the Hummer crash into a tree that lined the footpath, but I didn’t look back as my feet hit the pavement, jumping over a bench and darting into the park. I was already out of breath.

Cole

The motorbikes roared as we sped down the highway. Our usual formation lost as I took lead next to Troy. Our formation, rules and politics of riding forgotten, we all fled down the highway.

The street was now in view. My grip tightened around the bars; Amber was in deep shit.

Jax took off in front of us, and he turned sharply down Grant Street. We swung around everything in our way, as we all ripped up Grant Street.

Our fatigue now forgotten, our bodies clicked into overdrive; we had rage fueling us.

Spotting Amber’s Hummer, we slowed down. Slammed into a tree, the motor was still running when we pulled up to it.

“Where is she?” Adam yelled over the roar of the bikes. The driver’s door was hanging open and the car was riddled with bullets.

A gray car was parked behind it, all four doors hanging open. Four doors, four people, which meant four blokes, were chasing Amber.

Grinding my teeth, I stated matter of factly, “We need to find her.”

Troy’s eyes were narrow as he looked the car over. “You know whose this is?” he snapped in our direction, half in rage, half disgust.

My lips tightened in a firm line; of course I knew who was responsible.

Jax ripped up the curb with his bike and took off through the park, not waiting for us to confirm a plan of action. We all knew that Amber was in deep trouble and it was our fault; we were responsible for this.

Revving my bike, I took off after him, and I heard the boys follow. Amber would have to be close. Tearing through the park, I came to a stop next to Jax as we reached the corner. He nodded his head in the direction of an alley, and we tore off down the narrow path but the bikes were too bulky, so Jax screeched his to a sudden halt, yanked the key, and shot off down the path on foot.

I ran after Jax,

Jax was a good few feet ahead of me. Our feet echoed through the alley, and I could hear Jax curse out loud.

He came to a sudden halt, and I practically ran into his back. I looked around and my stomach dropped. There Amber was, on the ground, leaning against the wall, her head in her hands.

She was breathing heavily. Jax kneeled down beside her; I had never seen him so gentle towards a girl before. It’s not like he was violent or anything; he usually just didn’t care enough.

The rest of the boys came up shortly behind me. I moved back slightly so they could look around me.

“Amber,” Jax said, trying to get her to look up, but part of me didn’t want to see the damage they had done to her.

Slowly, she pulled her head up, and I was relieved when I saw her face clear of blood. Only tears streaked her cheeks.

Though the pain was clear in her eyes; what had they done?

I found myself grinding my teeth again; we should have been here sooner. I knelt down to face her, and pushed Jax slightly to the side. I ignored the daggers he shot me.

Amber was my sister.

“Can you walk?” I lowered my voice to her as I attempted to hide my rage. When we found these guys, they would be dead; and that wasn’t a figure of speech.

“Yes,” she muttered through broken tears. I had never seen Amber cry. Sure, we had seen her fake tears, but these tears were real. My blood boiled because I knew they were tears of pain. And it was our entire fault.

I pushed my gun into the band of my jeans and pulled my t-shirt over it. I wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her body up with mine.

She stumbled into my chest and a dull wave of sobs emanated from her. Her legs were weak under her, and I held her body up against mine.

I exchanged a look with Troy; what had happened here? Amber slowly pulled away from me. Looking down at her pale face, I saw it wince in pain.

My t-shirt clung to my body, slightly damp from her tears. I broke eye contact with her long enough to look down at my shirt, and I saw it covered in deep, crimson stains. Blood stains.

Worried, I glanced at Amber. Her black t-shirt didn’t show any signs of blood, but it did look damp up close.

Amber’s knees buckled, and she stumbled backwards, but, before I could reach her, Jax swept her up in his arms, lifting her off the floor.

“We should get her a hospital,” he said firmly, and I saw the desperation in his eyes. He was just as angry as me, and he truly cared for her.

“Has she been shot?” Tyler asked worried, staring at the blood that soaked my top.

“I don’t know,” I frowned, voice filled with concern.

“I can’t go to the hospital,” she whimpered. I had never heard pain in my sister’s voice and it took a knife through my heart. The bastards would be dead when we found them, and I knew the boys were thinking the same as me.

“You need to go to the hospital,” Jax snapped back, the anger clear in his voice. “You don’t have a choice.”

“Take me home, you guys will have to deal with this.” Her voice was wavering as she fought to stay awake. “The police will get involved, when they see all this. You… we can’t go…” her eyelids were fluttering closed.

“See what?” Adam frowned. “She’s about to pass out.”

But Adam was wrong. She had already passed out; her body limp in Jax’s arms.

“What should we do?” Tyler asked. “She looks bad.”

“We don’t even know what they have done. What if they rap…?”

“Don’t say it,” Jax snapped with venom in his voice.

“We take her home,” I spoke up, cutting into the conversation. “It’s what she asked us to do.”

Troy nodded his head, keeping his jaw clenched. “Fine. Tyler, go figure out a car. We can’t take her back on the bikes. Adam, you go with Tyler, and keep pressure on her stomach. We will work out the rest when we are home. I’ll call the club, get some of the guys to ride the other bikes home and clean up the Hummer.”

We all nodded our heads.

“I will stay with Amber. Adam you can ride back,” Jax said, Amber’s limp body in his arms.

Nobody questioned his wanting to stay with Amber; right now we had to get her home. I would bring it up with him later. I didn’t like the unhealthy attraction he seemed to have to my sister because, when it came down to it, Jax was more dangerous than all of us put together.