Page 52 of Finn (Dirty Misfits MC 6)
But, the smells didn’t matter once I saw Chops scramble to his feet.
“Oh, no you don’t,” I hissed.
Every time he took a step, I shot. And every time he jumped to get out of the trajectory of my bullet, I grinned. When I emptied my first magazine, it didn’t take me but about three seconds to reload the damned thing. But, when he made his way around the back of the tree trunk, my heart seized in my chest with fear.
Where the hell was Sloane?
“Think you can shoot her before you shoot me, Finn!?” Chops exclaimed.
I watched those two shadows come from around the trunk of the tree as I slowly stood up in the dumpster. He had Sloane in a tight grip by her arm, which was unfortunately connected to the hand with which she held her gun. He dragged her out of the darkness and into the light of the full moon hanging above us and I saw the determination in her eyes.
She was willing to die for her cause.
But, I wasn’t willing to let her.
“I asked you a question!” Chops roared.
So, I made sure to answer as best as I knew how.
I took the knife in my hand and chucked it off to the side, causing enough of a commotion to turn Chops’ eyesight away from me. And the second I had him distracted, I aimed for both of his knees. Two shots, two kneecaps, two blown-out legs; and the second he released Sloane from his grip she whipped around and slammed the butt of her own gun against his temple.
Which sent the man plummeting to the ground completely unconscious while sirens wailed in the distance.
“Finn!” she exclaimed.
I leapt out of the dumpster and sprinted toward her. “Sloane!”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face against my shoulder. “He shot her. She jumped in front of me to protect me and he killed her, Finn. Why did he kill her?”
I held her closely and kissed her repeatedly against the side of her face. “I’ve got you. It’s over. You hear that? The police are on their way.”
She cried against my shoulder. “He shot her. He just… he just shot her like she was nothing.”
I pressed a warm, tender kiss against her temple. “I’m so glad you’re alive. I’m so, so fucking glad you’re okay.”
She choked out her next words. “Where’s--where’s everyone? The--the guys? Tanner!? Summer’s gonna kill me if--.”
I gripped her hair and picked her face up off my shoulder long enough to gaze deeply into her eyes. “Everyone’s okay. We’re all just fine.”
Tears dripped down her face. “Except for Beth. Beth isn’t okay?”
I shook my head softly. “No. But, because of you, she’ll get a proper burial with her family at her side instead of being tossed into a shallow grave without a headstone.”
“Where is he!?” Porter exclaimed.
I pulled Sloane back against my body before I pointed to the unconscious body near the tree. Porter rushed to pick him up just as Brooks came around the corner, and his eyes immediately fell to Beth’s both.
“I’ve got her,” Brooks murmured.
I nodded as I listened to the sound of Porter intentionally dragging Chops’ unconscious body over every rock he could find. I scooped a sobbing Sloane into my arms as we all walked around to the front of the building just as ambulances and fire trucks poured into the parking lot.
And the sirens seemed to snap Sloane out of her trance. At least, for now.
“Medic?” she asked.
The E.M.T. who had taken Chops from Porter looked over at her. “Yeah?”
Sloane left my side and walked over to him. “Detective Sloane, Santa Barbara P.D. I’m working in tandem with your local police department to take down this crew. I need you to make sure this man stays alive, no matter the cost. He’s the only link we’ve got to any of his crimes after he gunned down my only witness.”
The E.M.T. nodded. “Consider it done, Detective.”
And when she turned back toward me, I smiled.
“She’s a hell of a woman,” Archer said as he patted my shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said as Sloane held my gaze, “she sure is.”
Archer patted my back. “Make sure she stays that way after tonight.”
And as Sloane started walking back toward me, I nodded. “Trust me, you don’t have to tell me twice.”
Twenty-Two
Sloane
As I gazed around the parking lot, I took a headcount. I counted every man from the crew that had backed me up, I counted all of the people being escorted out of the diner, and I even counted the members of the Black Flags that were being put in handcuffs and hauled away two and three at a time.
Everyone I cared about was alive.
But, this area wouldn’t ever forget what happened this evening.
“What in the hell is all this!?”
The chief’s voice caught my attention and ripped me from my trance. “Chief Lundson!”
