"Fine! You all wanna see a show," he looks at Lucy and shoulders by her, "you'll get a d.a.m.n show."

28.

All I get is one kiss from Landon before he's through the doors and I'm unable to catch him. My heart feels like it's about to d.a.m.n near burst out of my chest. I can hardly hear from the commotion, from large bodies pulling Landon from me. I'm sucked into the crowd who are moving into the main area of the clubhouse. I look around, yelling out for Landon but my voice is raw.

This can't be happening. No, no, no!

I grab at my head. I can't be losing him, not again, not like this. I thought church was meant to be a vote, a VOTE! Not whatever's about to play out here. I barge through some figures to take hold of Garrett's arm.

"What's vengeance?" I ask tugging on his cut. "What is he going to do?" He tucks me in his arm.

"Let's get you out of here."

"No! I am not leaving. Not a chance in h.e.l.l. Just tell me what the f.u.c.k is happening?"

"Garrett, tell me what the f.u.c.k is happening!"

"You need to go. No ladies should see this."

I slap him hard across his face so he gets the d.a.m.n message. I'm not leaving.

"It's...Last one standing stays in the club, sweetheart."

"And the loser?"

Garrett swallows hard, considering if what he's about to say is worth saying.

"Garrett, what happens to the loser?"

"He'll...He'll be lucky to walk out of here."

Landon is bloodied and bruised. He's not even cleaned up from his fight and yet he's still going to do this. It will kill him. Kill him. He's been through enough.

"You have to stop him."

"I can't."

"You have to! He's hurt. He can't fight that monster."

"He can, baby. He's strong. He's d.a.m.n strong. Believe in him right now. This is happening. You can't call off a f.u.c.king vengeance."

The tears fall free but I push through to the front of the circle that's formed. I cup my hands over my mouth at what I see. Mac already has his knife drawn as Landon circles him. My head shakes. I encroach further towards my love. "No, Landon! What happened to telling me we'd be safe?!"

He looks at me and smiles, a smile so telling I half believed he might survive this... But I see a flicker of doubt cross his brow.

I weep, loudly, but no one can hear me. I grit my teeth, stand two feet strong on the carpet and pray to Christ Landon has something up his sleeve.

Turns out his something was in his boot... Landon reaches down and draws the knife free. It's not quite as long as the one Mac has been toying with tonight, but I can see the carefully honed edge is razor sharp. Landon is shouting something along with the club, but the deafening roar drowns out any meaning. He pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his battered and bruised body. Some of the damage I know from the accident... I'd traced those bruises with my fingertips... Others are new.

"Look, Lucy. The same knife that killed your daddy is about to kill your sweet Landon," Mac yells with a devilish grin as he walks beside me. I want to throw up but I don't let him see it affects me.

There is no referee and no official start. Mac sends a slice right across Landon's chest. He retreats, a line of blood blooming under the lights.

"Stop this!" I shout. Garrett is beside me again, with his arms wrapped behind me, holding my arms and myself steady.

"Believe in him," he whispers into me.

I don't know how I can watch this. Already, the two have lunged toward each other, their shiny blades missing skin by mere breaths.

Mac slices again over Landon's shoulder and he wails out again in pain. I can't watch. I shouldn't watch.

"It'll be okay. They're flesh wounds." Garrett keeps encouraging me. "Landon takes them all the time." I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse.

Landon lands a punch, another punch, then a knee to Mac's stomach. He wheezes but forces Landon back with a vicious lunge, taking both of them to the floor. I scream as they tumble, arms locked. I can see Landon's blade pressed into Mac's shoulder, but it doesn't seem to phase the man. He throws an elbow and connects hard with Landon's face. I flinch and look away, breathing so rapid I might pa.s.s out.

A deep boom of cheer resounds around the room.

Oh s.h.i.t.

I don't want to look.

I press my hands tighter to my face but Garrett pulls them away so I'll look again.

Landon's back on his feet. I can't believe it.

"Oh my G.o.d," I whisper.

Mac lunges again. It's clear he's not going for superficial cuts this time. The knife drives forward toward Landon's throat but he manages to dodge it at the last second. Mac lets out an unG.o.dly sound, and that's when I see it... Landon has driven his knife into Mac's abdomen. His mouth tenses as he twists with his fist. Mac coughs, his eyes going wide. He looks down to the endless torrent of blood seeping from his wound onto the grey carpet. I want to throw up. Flashbacks of seeing Daryl on the ground in that crimson pool flashes back in my mind.

Conflicting emotions roll over me. This man had a role in saving me from my father... But he was also the man who kept me apart from Landon. This is the man who would've raped me if I hadn't gotten away.

Mac falls to his knees and reaches out for someone. He's looking for anyone who'll stand by him...

n.o.body reaches back.

Landon walks toward me from the other side of the ring.

Out of my peripherals, I see Mac arch his arm back. Then his blade catches the light. I leap past Landon with every intention of knocking Mac's arm away before he can throw the blade.

I feel something ice-cold pierce through my chest.

There's a sharp hiss of air from somewhere that isn't my throat.

I panic and pat at myself. Then the wheezing starts. Every breath becomes a ch.o.r.e.

In...

Out...

Out...

In...

Wheezing...

Hissing...

I'm scaling the Mount Everest of finding air, finding oxygen to keep me awake. Things vignette. My fingertips reach for Landon. Things get darker. He catches my body before I topple to the floor.

"Call an ambulance!"

The pain hits me, every nerve standing on painful end. It burns, seers within me. I look down to the leather handle hanging from my chest. It's alien, strange...

I've lost Landon again.

We were so close.

Darkness consumes me before I can even mouth our last goodbye.

29.

Blink, blink, blink.

"Oh my G.o.d," says a whisper.

I feel numb all over. There's a pressure, something weird in the back of my throat. I open my eyes into a dimly lit room. Where am I? What happened? Where have I been?

My head flops over to my left and there's a warm hand on the side of my face.

"Landon," I croak. "Oh my G.o.d."

He leans into me gently but I only hug him tighter. Then I wince at the sharp pain on my left breast. "Careful, Lucy... Careful. The st.i.tches are new."

St.i.tches...

The fight...

The knife...

"I-I'm not dead yet."

Landon gives a warm laugh and strokes my hair. "Looks like we're gonna have a bit more time together, if that's okay."

I half laugh, half cough as this thing...this...unfamiliarity washes over me. I touch Landon's warm skill some more. I let the knowledge wash over me, the security of the hospital relax me. It's soothing, cold, rippling through me as I come to a realization: I'm okay. I feel good, calm because I'm with him and there's nothing in our way anymore.

I take his face in my hands and the tears fall again. I see his own eyes are gla.s.sy but Landon doesn't dare cry in front of me. So he turns his head away for a moment and clears his throat. I grab at his hair, trying to drive it into me that this all real. Him, me, together, safe - It's all real.

"I owe you my life, Luce..."

"I know," I say casually.

He kisses me again all over my face. "It's all over, Luce. It's finished."

"What happened? What happened to Mac?" I see it all over Landon's face that he wants to hold it back from me. "Please tell me. I'll feel better."

"He's in a hospital on the other side of town. Some of the boys are checkin' in on him, making sure he's gonna stay away from us."

I nod. "He's alive... Is he ever coming back?"

"Old Mac had warrants out for some of the s.h.i.t he's pulled. With good behavior he'll be cooling his heels in jail for the next twenty years..."

We link hands tightly. "Who's replacing him?"

"Rev, probably. He's wanted that spot for years. We're all just exhausted by all the bulls.h.i.t. It's time to start cleaning up the pieces Mac left behind. Besides, him and Mia are becoming a thing so maybe something good can come from that little s.h.i.t show."

"But that means the club is involved with the mafia and the cartels."

"I know..."

Landon sees me struggling on the bed and he helps me sit up.

"When can I leave here?"

"Not for a few weeks. But I'll be here with you..."

"I love you, Landon..."

He pulls me into him and we kiss deeply. I inhale his masculine scent and hold my hands to his face, running my hands over a thin line of st.i.tches on his cheek. It's just more evidence of how close I came to losing him...

"I love you too. And... I have a surprise for you."

I spend the next few hours with Landon. I can't speak without giggling and I also can't stop smiling like an idiot. I'm too distracted by how handsome Landon looks, how happy I feel that the pain's almost over. I want to cry more than anything, but it's not tears of sadness welling up inside me.