Page 62 of Imbalanced Minds
My unease from earlier returns. Something just doesn’t sit right with me. I need to get in there, get my woman and destroy anyone who gets in my way. Fuck them and the air they breathe. They will die, one way or another.
Justin nudges my arm, sensing my ferocity, and indicates we’re almost ready. The next thing I know, he’s screaming at the phone Iris is supposed to be connected to.
“IRIS? IRIS! Fuck! Guys, the line went dead! We have to get her!”
The other voice in my ear is relaying instructions at the same time. “Shots fired! Get the fuck in there, now! They have the bird.”
“WHAT THE FUCK!” I rage. Fuck this. I take off over the back fences, not giving a shit who’s with me. I get to the back door, unlock it and keep against the wall for cover. I hear another door being kicked in, then heavy gunfire. Whoever came through the front door knew where the targets were and are acting as our distraction.
The voice in my ear is back just as I round the corner toward the staircase. “He’s in the master bedroom with her, get the fuck in there now, Ace!” I presume he’s talking to me, but even if he’s not, I start powering up the stairs; aiming for our closed bedroom door, knowing they’d have internally locked it, I shoulder barge the fucker like it’s nothing more than a sheet and it smashes open against the wall.
What I see next has me morbid, yet I act on instinct and adrenaline.
I see he’s got a gunshot wound on his arm already and, for a split second, I praise Iris for being so brave. I pick up where she left off before he has the chance to move. Aiming my gun at the cocksucker’s bare leg, I shoot. I then aim for his uninjured arm and take another. Then, like the sadistic fucker I am right now, I aim for his exposed dick next. Every grunt, every word and every scream from this fucker are soaking into my veins. Every time I pull the trigger, a sense of need washes through me.
I have the devil sitting on my shoulder tonight.
If this was any other situation, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger so easily, but tonight, I’ve let the animal out for a taste of blood for what Tyrell has done and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to tame him again.
“Cory! Shit, get the bird covered up and let’s get her in the van.” I hear through the pumping pulse in my ears. “We need to get out of here. The cops are coming, and we can’t be here when they arrive. Your old lady needs a doc, and we have one meeting us at the clubhouse now. Move your arse, asshole.” Gunner calling me an asshole pulls me from the darkness. I turn to see Tucker starting to wrap a blanket around Iris’ unconscious body and I almost fall to my knees at her pale and almost lifeless form.
How the fuck did this happen again? I should have gone straight to her. Instead, I focused all my rage on revenge.
I don’t know how I’m functioning right now, but I am. Right now, I’m on the outside of my own body looking in; being controlled by some insane outer life force.
Snapping out of it, I leave the others to deal with the mongrel bleeding out on the floor and go to help Tucker. My poor battered and beaten Angel.
Tyrell is lucky I didn’t shoot him in the head, but he needs to suffer. He deserves to bleed painfully slow. He thought coming after what’s mine would be okay, but he was wrong.
As we finish tending to Iris before we take her downstairs, I internally cringe at the sight of her, before we cover the last of her fragile body. Dark bruising is already forming on her delicate skin that has not long healed, bandages stained in deep red on her thigh and arm where she’s been sliced and marked a second time like an unwanted possession.
He’s done his damnedest to mark her so no one else will ever want her; that piece of shit has no idea how beautiful this woman is in my eyes. Even now, staring blankly while everything and everyone around me run rampant.
She is and always will be the petal of my eye.
Carefully preparing ourselves, we lift Iris’ limp body carefully from the bed—our bed, which will be tainted forever—and take her to the awaiting van out front.
Bikes roar off ahead, and what seems like hours disappear as I jump in the back, then cradle Iris in my arms. Everything around me is blocked out as I ever so subtly rock back and forth, holding her tight.
In my zoned-out daze, I completely miss pulling up to the compound gates. They’re tall and solid. This place looks like a bloody prison block from the outside, but as soon as you’re through them gates, its vast and well kept. Several buildings are spread out over a large section, which spans as far as the eye can see. Parked beside us are rows of bikes and other vehicles, as even more enter after our arrival. Taking a moment to appreciate all the chrome will have to wait.
Looking down at Iris, my heart breaks.
It breaks remembering her scared voice.
It breaks knowing I couldn’t protect her.
It breaks for the future I once thought we’d share, and it breaks knowing my love for her might not be enough to save her from herself.