Parker nodded and turned back to me.
“What do you want?” I repeated, trying to distract him from harming me. His knife looked sharp and I was scared shitless.
“Respect and fear,” he replied as though it were obvious. “But, mostly fear.”
“You’re signing your death warrant if you hurt me,” I hissed, yanking hard in his grasp.
“Let them try,” he scoffed before turning me forcefully so my back was to his front.
I thrashed for all I was worth; putting everything I had into fighting him. Connie was screaming her head off as I bit and clawed at him, determined to fend him off. Then I felt the blade dig into the flesh of my forearm with a searing pain. Two more deep slashes followed as I continued to scream, the sound so pained it was foreign in my ears.
“No time for the initials unfortunately,” he noted regretfully, letting me go as I gripped my arm, blood seeping through my fingers. “You tell your men,” he directed, looking at both Connie and me, “they should have taken me seriously when they had the chance. Now they’ve got to contend with me, and I’m not fucking around. You’re next,” he said, pointing his blade at Connie. “I waited for a reason with this one,” he said while pointing at me, “but this is too much fucking fun. I don’t need one anymore.” He tilted his chin at his partner and they threw the door open, blazing through it, and shoving the women who waited on the other side.
I looked at Connie, feeling dazed as women started shrieking and hollering. She looked okay, still standing at least. I swung my gaze to Jeb next who was now sitting in a puddle of blood. He’d somehow managed to pull his phone out and was talking to someone in a shallow tone. I took this all in as though it were a dream. All the sounds happening around me seemed to come through a tunnel, and I distantly realized I was losing a good amount of blood.
“Kat,” Connie said urgently, coming out of her haze to grip my shoulders. “Here, sit down, you’re okay,” she said, her voice shaking.
Then I heard Scarlet and Ettie screaming my name.
“I’m okay,” I tried to reassure them even though I felt like anything but. I slid down the wall to sit on the ground and stared dazedly at the scene unfolding in front of me. Women in cocktail dresses ran around in chaos as a few men in suits filled the small space. Ryker came barreling in, hauling Jeb up and over his shoulder in seconds.
Scarlet took my face in her hands, eyeing me intently. “This is nothing. You’ve got this,” she said, her calm tone juxtaposing the fear in her eyes.
She was right. In the scheme of things, what I’d been through, this was nothing. A little blood, a little pain. I could handle this.
I nodded resolutely and squeezed my eyes shut against the pain, determined not to be a baby about it. I’d take a blade from a stranger rather than a backhand from my mother any day.
Ry was suddenly back, dipping low to lift me in his arms.
“Sal?” I murmured as he carried me out, with my friends trailing behind. I needed Sal.
“Already talked to him, he’s right behind us, babe,” he answered, carrying me out through the club to the SUV the guys had brought us in.
“Oh, god, Jeb,” I said hoarsely as Ry placed me beside the bleeding prospect in the backseat. The girls all piled in alongside and in front as quickly as they could, and we sped off.
“Jeb,” I said again when he’d closed his eyes and had stopped responding. I grabbed his cold hand in mine and squeezed.
I leaned back on the headrest and shut my eyes, still holding tight to Jeb’s hand.
I could hear Ryker talking harshly to someone on the phone and Connie quietly crying, but I was starting to nod off.
The SUV came to a screeching halt and I was vaguely aware of being placed on a stretcher, of being rushed through bright lights and smooth corridors of the hospital.
I must have passed out because the next thing I heard was Sal’s voice. “Baby,” his voice came, sounding tortured and hoarse in my ear.
I opened my eyes, squinting through the bright light up at Sal’s gorgeous face. His face peered down into mine, his expression pained.
I managed a weak smile. “I’m okay,” I assured him. Whether that were true or not I wasn’t entirely sure, but I’d say just about anything to get that expression off his face.
His hand moved to my forehead, smoothly moving my hair from my face. “Yeah, you are,” he agreed forcefully. “They’ve already stopped the bleeding. A couple of stitches and you’ll be good as new.”
“And Jeb?” I asked quietly.
Sal’s expression darkened. “In emergency surgery. It doesn’t look good,” he admitted.
“Oh, no,” I croaked, tears blurring my vision.
The nurse came in then, checking my vitals and changing the bloody bandage on my arm.