Cathleen Cole - Bass & Trouble (The Vikings MC Book 5)

Tiffany

T he red light shone brightly, mocking me as time inched by. It felt like the world was working against me right now, conspiring so Id fail. My heart galloped in my chest. They were going to catch me too soon if I couldnt get this car moving. Making a quick, and likely dangerous, decision, I stomped on the gas pedal. The engine revved loudly as I blew through the light, barely missing the oncoming traffic that swerved around me. Horns blared, angry and frightened, as people tried to avoid crashing into each other.

I turned hard onto the freeway entrance, tires squealing with the effort. I knew the red light wouldnt slow them down, but maybe the traffic jam I caused would give me a few seconds lead. Those seconds gave Dario more precious time to carry out our plan. Nothing else mattered except that he succeedednothing.

I dared to glance at my phone. It was a burner that Dario had given me. There was only one number on it. No messages.

Damn.

Looking in my rearview mirror, I saw headlights in the distance as they swerved onto the freeway. They were getting closer, and we were running out of time.

Dario had tried to make arrangements for me. To get me out. To get us out. Me, him, and our babies. Our precious babies. He couldnt have known it would all go so wrong. Maybe itd been stupid to think we could outrun his old life, but we hadnt had any other options. Wed finally realized that The Texas Syndicate would never let us go. Darios former gang was ruthless and we were desperate.

I took the next exit, hoping that I could lose them on the back roads. Maybe there was a spot I could pull off and blend in. It was so desolate out here, away from the city, it gave me a moment of hope. Only a moment, as it was lost almost immediately.

They followed me off the exit. My back window shattered suddenly and the scream spilled from my lips involuntarily. They were shooting at me. I turned down another road. Where could I go? My eyes scanned the landscape, but there was nothing here. No hope. No escape.

Bullets pinged off the car and I cringed at the sound. I made another rapid right turn. This time there was a loud pop and the car started to swerve uncontrollably. They must have hit a tire. The steering wheel jerked in my hands so hard I couldnt control it and I ran right off the road into a ditch. I was lucky that we didnt roll over.

No time to consider my luck. I leaped out of my seat and opened the back door, quickly scooping up the little bundles in the back out of their car seats, before heading off into the desert. I was running hard for a grove of trees that could offer some protection. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw their car stop behind mine, they were getting out. It wouldnt be long now.

I felt a vibration in my pocket and my heart surged into my throat. Hope was threatening to suffocate me. The men were closing in. I couldnt spare a secondbut this messagethis message was worth it. I shifted the bundles to one arm and with my free hand checked the phone as I slowed a little so I wouldnt trip as I ran. No words. That would have been too risky. Just an emoji. A thumbs up. He did it. A relieved smile split my face.

BANG. The smile disappeared as my steps faltered to a stop. I looked down and saw the blood oozing out from a small hole in my stomach. Funny. Id always assumed being shot would hurt. Why couldnt I feel anything? I dropped the phone while my other arm tightened around the two bundles. Falling to my knees, I wrapped both arms around them and held them tight to my breast.

The men were closer now. Their footsteps were loud in my ears, not that it mattered. There was no escaping a stomach wound. It was only a matter of minutes, maybe seconds, before I would bleed out. Not that it mattered, theyd be right on top of me any moment.

The tears started flowing. My babies. My precious, innocent babies. I would never see them again. They would never see me. Theyre so youngwould they remember me? Would they know how much I loved them? Would they understand? Would they forgive me? Forgive us for what we had to do?

Everything was blurry, I couldnt seem to make my eyes focus and I was so cold. Each breath was like an icicle stabbing into my lungs. Texas was in the middle of winter and contrary to popular belief it did get cold here. Add to that my imminent death and fear had full body shudders wracking me.

They were upon me now, laughing at me. I remembered the text message. A thumbs up. My tears eased for a moment. One of the men grabbed the bundles out of my arms.

What the fuck is this! he screamed. Theyre fucking dolls! He cast them aside and kicked me square in the stomach.

I bent over, breath whooshing out of me, but there was no pain. Everything was fading out, but I managed a weak laugh. Fuck you, I choked out. I couldnt resist taunting them now that they knew what I had when this chase beganmy babies were safe. Id given my life to ensure that theyd be safe from these men. That was enough. I clung to that as the man snarled at me.

I wanted to sob, to cry out and scream. My babies would grow up without their mother. They would grow up, though. They were safe. Tommy would make sure of it. Hed always been such a good kid. His handsome smile flashed before my eyes. He was going to be so pissed at me for this. For dying and leaving him. For gifting him the only two things that had any meaning in this world to mebesides him. He probably wouldnt see it as a gift. A smirk lifted my lips even as the tears streamed down my face.

The gang member grabbed my foot and started dragging me toward the trees. Desperately, I reached out, clawing the ground. I wasnt trying to stop him from taking me, I was already too far gone to care. My frantic motions stopped when my hand wrapped around the blankets. The dolls rolled from them as he dragged me along.

Pressing the cotton to my face, I inhaled the warm scent of my babies. It comforted me, just as the knowledge that theyd grow, find love, get married, comforted me.

The man dragging me shoved my foot away as soon as he stopped. My gaze shifted to him, but black dots were dancing in front of my eyes. I was still able to make out the shining barrel of the gun as he pointed it at me. Apparently, waiting for me to bleed to death was too slow for him. Closing my eyes, I clutched their blankets to my heart, their scent surrounding me. The sound of the gunshot and the blackness collided together on my last thought.