Page 39 of Lulu

Fuck!I dropped to the ground a second before the shot rang out. The bullet ripped into my shoulder, throwing me back against the door. I hit it with a grunt and the realization that if I hadn’t moved when I had, it would have been a kill shot to the head. I left my bag and half crawled, half-crouched my way quickly to the end of the house. Another shot rang out, striking me in the side just as I rounded the corner of the house.

Sonofabitchthat hurt!

I sat with my back resting against the house and gasped for breath, ignoring the pain as adrenaline raced through my blood. I leaned forward enough to dig my gun out of the back of my pants, listening carefully for any sound that would indicate that the shooter was on the move. With a twist of my head, I looked toward the backyard to make sure there were no surprises coming from that direction.

The blood was pouring from my wounds, but I knew I had to move. It wasn’t in me to sit and wait for some fucker to come and kill me. Using the house for support against my back, I worked my way up to my feet, grimacing in pain with every jar of my body. It was pitch dark except for the smattering of stars in the sky, but I knew I couldn’t count on the darkness for help.

Finally I was at the edge of the house. Without looking I aimed my weapon around the corner and blindly fired off a few rounds, and then pulled my arm back quickly. I clutched my side with the movement and grunted in pain. I could feel the warm flow of blood running down my side through my fingers. There was no answering gunfire, and I knew that meant one of two things--either the shooter was gone, or he was waiting for me to come out into the open so he could pick me off.

All I knew was that I couldn’t remain where I was. It wouldn’t be long before I would begin to feel the symptoms of blood loss. Rapid heart rate, clammy skin, lightheadedness. I’d been there before. I struggled to remain on my feet. Fuck, there was only one way to find out if he was still out there. I rounded the corner and hugged the house close, trying to remain in the shadows, stopping every couple of feet to listen. My gun was still clutched in my hand as I reached my bag and picked it up.

With the exception of my own labored breathing, the sounds that I heard weren’t human.

I dashed for my bike.

Even as I kicked up the stand and started it up, I knew I was in serious trouble.

Chapter 16

Lulu

“Quiet Buttercup!” I grumbled irritably for the third or fourth time. I’d been deep in sleep when her persistent barking had gradually roused me enough to give me cause for concern. She had to be barking for a reason because normally she was a quiet dog. I lay there for a minute and blinked the sleep from my eyes, willing the cobwebs to clear from my mind. As I listened to her racket, I picked up another noise that revealed someone was at my front door.

I frowned, pulled back the covers, and reached for my gun in the nightstand drawer. As I walked through my house and into my living room, I squinted to see the clock on the TV. It was three in the morning. I halted before reaching the door. A phone call at three in the morning usually meant bad news, but someone showing up at your door was fear-provoking. I normally loved living so far away from other people, but at the moment I was questioning the wisdom of it.

“Buttercup!” I whisper hissed to gain her attention. She looked back at me from where she had her nose pressed against the door, but she didn’t move away from it. “Quiet!” If I hadn’t known any better, I would have said that there was worry in her eyes. I walked the rest of the way to the door, not even sure yet if I was going to open it, chewing on my bottom lip.

And then I heard a muffled, “Open…the door…Hellcat.”

“Brody?”

I could tell instantly that something was wrong. I set my gun down on the table next to the door and then pulled the security chain aside and flipped the locks. The door practically flew open with the weight of Brody’s body leaning against it. He crashed into me, nearly taking us both to the floor. “Brody!” I wrapped my arms around him for support, and immediately felt something wet against me.

I barely got him to the couch before he collapsed onto it. It was then that I noticed the gun in his hand and that he was covered in blood. Fear coursed through me. “Brody! What happened?”

He shook his head. “Door,” he muttered.

I looked back to see that it was still open. I rushed to it and was about to close it when I noticed the bag on the ground. I snatched it up and then closed and locked it. When I got back to where Brody lay, I took in his condition, realizing it didn’t look good. He was pale and clammy, and from what I could tell he was bleeding from two places. His breathing was shallow.

And I was scared.

“Brody, you need to go to the hospital! I’m calling for an ambulance—”

“No!” He reached up and grabbed me around the wrist. “No hospital.” God, how many times had I heard that exact exclamation over the years? “…Hellcat. I mean it.” He paused to take a breath. “You, you…do it.”

I swallowed hard.

“Got a…bullet in the…shoulder…one in my side.”

I could see that he was fighting to stay conscious. The hand holding the gun fell to his side, and I took it from him to place it out of the way. I was very familiar with gunshot wounds and had even helped treat a few in my lifetime, but I couldn’t recall any of them looking this bad. In the past, the patients had already been cleaned up and treated by a doctor before I’d gotten to them.

Doc! Of course! “Let me get something to use as bandages.” I broke away from Brody and went to my phone in my bedroom. I didn’t hesitate to call Doc, and wasn’t surprised with how quickly he picked up.

“Lulu, sweetheart? What’s wrong?” There was concern in his throaty tone.

“Doc, I need you here at my house!” I rushed out. My heart was racing. “Brody Savage showed up at my door, and he’s in bad shape.” I had to stop and gain control of my unraveling emotions. “He’s been shot twice.” I could hear Doc moving as I spoke, and I knew that he was getting dressed.

“I’m on my way, sweetheart. Do what you can until I get there. You’ve got this.”