Page 62 of Doc
“It just happened.”
“Call them now!” I ordered just as I entered Mrs. Robbins’ bedroom. She was on her bed, unconscious and unmoving. I rushed over to her. “Mrs. Robbins!” I didn’t need to scan her body for injuries. It was her head that was bleeding. “Mrs. Robbins, can you hear me? It’s Harlow.” I got closer to examine her injury, and with a sick feeling I gradually recognized what I was looking at.
She’d been shot right behind her left ear.
I caught my breath and straightened away from her, my gaze darting toward Tamara in confusion and disbelief. She’d stopped right inside the doorway and was looking at something off to the side.
Or someone.
“I did what you wanted, now give it to me!”
My eyes moved to the man who’d been standing out of sight behind the bedroom door. His smirk sent chills over my body. Without a word, he tossed Tamara a baggie with white powder in it. So, she was a junkie. She snatched it to her breast, swung around, and left us alone. I swallowed hard, too afraid to take my eyes off Bronx.
“Are you going to shoot me now?” I glanced at Mrs. Robbins again, sad that she was gone but thankful that she’d likely died instantly.
Bronx’s gruff laugh sounded evil and victorious. “No, darlin’, I have bigger plans for you.” He walked toward me, and I could do nothing but stand frozen, barely breathing. “You’re a little older than what I like on my dick, so that might save you as long as I get what I want.”
I stared up at him when he came to a halt right in front of me. He was big and intimidating, and the aura surrounding him seemed a lot more threatening than it had in the hospital. “And what’s that?” I tried not to reveal my fear of him and what little I knew.
He reached forward and snatched a handful of hair, bringing my face close to his. “I want payback. Fucking Desert Rebels destroyed my club, but I don’t give a fuck about that. They sent my little brother to the hospital. Mybloodbrother. Almost killed him. Left him blind and without a leg.” His eyes locked onto mine, and I saw pure evil staring down at me. “Having one of their old ladies at my disposal gives me power.”
For what?
Suddenly, he was sniffing the side of my neck, running his nose along my skin and causing my heart to race with fear. “Saw you with Doc at the hospital. Know you belong to him. He’ll come for you, and I’ll have the advantage.”
I knew this man couldn’t be trusted. He’d killed a helpless eighty-year-old woman, and for what? To gain access to her house just to get to me? I jerked my head and pulled away, fear for Liam nearly crippling me. “Why Li—Doc?” I sensed that that he didn’t like that I’d pulled away from him, it was in his eyes. He wanted me frightened and subdued.
His expression turned hard. “No reason. You were just easier to get to than the others. Assholes keep their women guarded like they’re fucking special or something, but I knew once I had one of you bitches I’d have the upper hand.”
“You’re insane,” I cried. “And it’s your fault that your brother is blind and crippled—”
His slap when it came was so severe that I spun around and ended up half-lying across Mrs. Robbins’ body. With a cry, I pushed away from her and turned back around to face Bronx, shivering at the icy coldness in his eyes. I immediately realized my mistake in antagonizing him.
“You watch your fucking mouth, bitch.” He wrapped a hand around the fleshy part of my arm and roughly yanked me out of the room with him.
There was nothing I could do but let him drag me to the front of the house. My eyes landed on where Tamara sat at the kitchen table tying a tourniquet around her arm just above her elbow. The role that she had played in all of this filled me with disgust. Who was she? I had a feeling she’d been used to persuade Mrs. Robbins to open her door.
“Get done, bitch, we’re leaving,” Bronx growled at her when we passed by. He pulled me as far as the front door. “You’re gonna get that fucking prospect in here.”
I shook my head and tried to pull away. “No! I’m not going to lure him in here for you to kill.” I knew in my heart that that was exactly what Bronx had planned.
The hand around my upper arm squeezed until I cried out with pain. He pulled out a knife. “Do it or I’ll cut you,” he threatened between his teeth.
I could see the madness in his eyes, and the truth. He meant it. But I couldn’t do it. He’d already killed one person because of me. Tears filled my eyes at the helplessness I felt. “I can’t!” I sobbed.
He didn’t hesitate. A snarl of frustration rolled up his throat, and I felt the burning sting of the knife’s blade slide across my arm, cutting right through the sleeve of my blouse. I screamed in pain and grabbed my arm, but the sound was lost behind the hand he slapped across my mouth. He then pulled me sharply against him and stepped away from the door.
“Tamara, get over here!”
She did as Bronx demanded, sniffing and wiping at a dusting of white powder beneath her nose.
“Get that bastard in here. Tell him Harlow here needs his help with the old lady.”
I shook my head vigorously behind the brutal pressure of his hand, hating that I was too weak and helpless to do anything to warn Klutz. Bronx ignored the nails that I dug into his flesh, grunting as he easily subdued me while I twisted to try to get free.
Tamara opened the door and got Klutz’s attention by calling out to him. “Hey there, handsome! We need your help!”
“What’s the problem?” I heard Klutz ask, and I could tell that each word brought him closer to the house.