Chapter 18
Girth
The Marked Skulls arrived behind me just when one of the bullets grazed my arm and I felt a searing burning pain in my flesh. I staggered and lost control of my bike, falling sideways on the dusty ground.
While my face remained pressed to the ground and I could feel my limbs aching with fury, I sensed the Marked Skulls bikes rage around me and ride towards the four men who were still standing.
I jumped up off the ground, straightening my bike and still covered in dust, I ran through the bullets being fired towards the car where Lila was.
I could see the fear in her eyes and I knew she was screaming inside, but all I heard was her muffled voice. I tried some of the doors but they were all locked.
Using my elbow I shattered the window that was farthest from her in the front and I sensed some of the shards pierce through my jacket and shirt and lodge into my skin.
“Lila!” I screamed her name as she stumbled on to the front seat of the car.
“Girth! Oh my God! You’re okay!” she shrieked and I reached for the lock on the door.
She lunged at me, just when I managed to get the door open. Her hair was ruffled and matted to her face, while her clothes looked dirty and torn in places. I could see that they had handled her roughly and she had fought back.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered in her ear as she clung on to me, refusing to let go.
“Oh my God, Girth! You’ve been shot and you’re bruised,” she cried as her eyes roamed all over me, drinking in the spots I was bleeding from and the gash on my arm where the bullet had grazed me.
“I’m fine. I can still ride my bike. Let’s get you out of here,” I said, and using as much force I still had in my limbs, I pulled her out of the car.
“Girth,” she mumbled softly as I strung her over my arms and holding her tightly I swerved around the bullets as I ran towards my abandoned bike.
She was shivering and shuddering in my arms as I sat her down on it.
“Lila! Lila, look at me!” I said, and pressed her cheeks with both my hands, hoping that she wasn’t going to pass out. She was crying, her makeup was streaked on her face but when she heard my voice, she clamped her mouth shut and her blue eyes widened and she stared at me.
I was relieved that she was okay, that they hadn’t hurt her like I thought they would.
“Point to the man who touched you, who do you want me to kill?” I was hissing as I spoke. I knew that this wasn’t the time for vengeance but I needed to do it, for my own sanity.
Through the bullets that were being fired, Lila pointed at a man with a bald head and a long brown beard.
“Stay here,” I growled at her and then turning from her, I walked straight up to the guy. He was on the ground on his back. He’d been shot multiple times already by the Marked Skulls but he was still alive. He was bleeding from his arms and from the base of his groin.
“You should have fucking kept your hands off her you motherfucker!” I raged and with my eyes bloodshot and streaming with anger, I took my fist right to his jaw and his face was thrust sideways.
“This is how you die,” I growled and straightened up again, before I took my gun out.
“No. No!” he managed to slur just when I shot my bullet straight into his heart. His voice died down immediately and I turned from him. He was going to die anyway.
I caught Rodeo’s eye, who was now kicking one of the other guys on the ground and I tipped my head. He did the same and I ran back to the bike where Lila was sitting.
She was crying still. She’d seen me kill that man.
Even though I knew that I should have ridden her back to her house immediately, I wanted to hold her first.
I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair. The scent of her was familiar and comforting and she shuddered in my arms.
“I’m going to take you home now, you’re going to be fine,” I said and then releasing her, I slipped my leather jacket off of me and placed it around her shoulders. She sniffled and tugged it closer around herself and stared at me with her wide blue eyes and her tear-streaked cheeks.
“Are you fine, Girth? You don’t look fine,” she said, in a small voice. I hadn’t even begun to sense where I was hurting and aching. It was like none of the gunshots and the bruises mattered anymore, now that Lila was alive and she was in my arms again.
“We should get going,” I mumbled and sat down in front of her. I felt Lila wrap her arms around my waist and press her cheek to my back. My heart was racing again, to have her this close to me. I thought I was going to lose her. I thought I was going to die before I had the chance to bring her to safety.
We rode together towards her house, both of us bruised, bleeding and in pain. The cool breeze against my face was a relief but my body was burning up. She was touching me, she was sitting safely behind me on my bike and for a moment, I felt a desperate urge to just ride away from this place. To take her away from Orlando to New York or wherever it was that she wanted to go.
In that moment I knew that I would have done anything for her, but first she needed to clean up and rest.