For the second time, I breathe in dirt, and my whole body is engulfed in an inferno of pain.

Warner bends down and the gun rests between his legs, pointed at the ground.

“I told you, it didn’t have to be this way. You’re the one who left me. You’re the one who wouldn’t come back home. Your sister was asking for it, Em. She practically begged me to do it. And I knew it was the only way I could put her in her place, and let her knew who was in charge.”

He palms the side of my head and then pets my hair.

“Oh, God. I hate you. Don’t touch me,” I rasp as I push his hand away.

Then the trunk is smashing into his face and sends him falling back. The gun drops from his fingers. Adrenaline roars through me, as I watch Sundown leap from the SUV. She and Warner reach for the gun at the same time, grappling for control of it. She’s sitting on top of him and they swing it from side to side, as they try to pry it from each other’s hands.

The sound of it discharging sparks terror through me. Then Sunny stands, staggers back. I grip the bumper, and use it to help me get to my feet. I hear Will crying, but I can’t go to her. Not now. Sunny needs me. I search between her and Warner. He has the gun, and no blood blooms on his front, so dreading the worst, I turn to Sunny.

Blood spills down the left side of her face. Down her cheek, her neck, and moves over her chest. It’s flowing too fast and a shocked expression is frozen on her face.

“Sunny!” I cry. “Don’t move. It’s okay. Just . . . just . . . sit down. It’s okay. You’re going be fine.” I help her to the back of the SUV. As I do, she blinks and her knees buckle. I sit her down, and she begins to fall back. So I lay her gently on the carpet. She stares at the ceiling of the SUV. I peek at the wound. I see chucks of skin and things that shouldn’t be in her hair. Only a portion of her ear remains.

Trying not to panic, I look her in the eyes and touch the side of her face that’s unharmed by the new wound. “You’re okay. I promise you’ll be okay.” I pick up her legs dangling over the side, and push them up into the trunk. “Don’t move. I’m going to get you to a hospital, all right?”

When the sound of a helicopter begins to sound more like an army of motorcycles, I lift my head to see Will with her little hands over her mouth, crying as she stares at my sister. And through the front windshield, I see exactly what I thought I heard.

An army of bikes and bikers. Ones I recognize.

The relief I experience is unexplainable. Like the warmest and softest of blankets. It wraps around me and calls me home. It doesn’t matter that Warner’s behind me and still holding the gun. All that matters is Mav is here.

Warner pulls me back into him, and sticks the barrel of the gun into my neck. The calm that I felt a moment ago tries to fade away, but I won’t let it. I find Mav in the sea of bikers and lock my eyes on him.

He’s in front with Edge and Dozer, and he’s wearing his helmet, a black bandana over the bottom half of his face, and black sunglasses. I know it’s Mav by the look of his bike, and the way he moves as he shuts it down and gets off of it. He harshly kicks the stand down, and leaps off his motorcycle. Then he drops his helmet and rips the fabric away from his mouth. His sunglasses come off and he strides toward me with purpose.

He doesn’t stop coming, and the HOCs behind him rush to pull their weapons. Edge tries to stop him twice, but Mav pushes him off and keeps marching toward me straight into danger.

Warner jerks me in his arms and growls, “Take another step and I will kill her.”

Mav stops eight or so feet away. So close, but so far.

Edge walks up and whispers something in Mav’s ear. They argue, but not loud enough to be heard among the other bikes arriving behind them.

Finally, Edge huffs and leaves him. Mav turns the full weight of his dark stare on me.

“Doll, just hold on for me, okay?” I nod and the side of his mouth lifts just enough that my heart soars.

To Warner, when his eyes shift to him, he gives him only Luce, the darkest version he has inside him and I love them both equally in that moment. Because I know, I need them both to save me, and I need them both in my life.

“You won’t leave the spot you’re standin’ in alive. That I’ll promise you. But if you let her go now, it’ll be over quick.”

“You can have the other two, but I’m taking her with me.”

Mav takes another step, and then another. Warner takes his gun off me and points it at Mav. Edge fires one shot from the only rifle while everyone else holds a handgun.

Warner’s hold on me disappears and I turn barely in time to see him fall to his back. He blinks five times but keeps his eyes on the sky. Then his gaze moves to land on my face. Blood blooms from the shot he took to the right side of his chest. I only notice the gun he starts to aim at me, when Mav rips it from his hand.

“Doll.” My eyes lock with Mav’s, which are pools of gold. “Look away, Baby.”

I think about his command for seconds though it feels like hours. I look to Warner. I want it to be over. I’m sick of having this fear teeming inside me. I’m tired of running and not being able to go home. And above all, I need to know he can’t ever get to Sunny or Will again.

Shaking my head, I rasp, “I can’t. I need to see it. I need to know he’s really gone.”

It seems like forever before he nods once. He shifts his gaze to Warner, kneels down and growls low, “If she wasn’t watchin’ I’d make you suffer. Suffer until you were beggin’ for death.” He forces Warner’s arms out to his side, stands over him and aims. In a voice laced with promise, he says, “We’ll meet again in Hell, motherfucker. You can bet your ass you’ll pay then.” He pumps five holes into Warner. A shot in each of his hands, two in his chest, and one in his forehead.

A star.

The sign of both heaven and hell.

Warner’s body jolts with each bullet and blood blooms from each wound, and only when it’s finished, do I know I’m rid of him. That he’ll never again hurt me or the people I love.

A door opens and I hear shouts. A few seconds later, a small body slams into mine stealing the last of my strength. As I fall to my knees, I wrap my arms around Will who’s shaking and sobbing.

Then Mav’s there palming my face and whispering, “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t know. I didn’t know she was in there.” He kisses my temple and wraps his arms around both Will and me. In that moment, the blanket of comfort and safety comes back. Or at least it does until I remember why I can’t close my eyes just yet.

I gasp, “Oh, God. Sunny!” I raise my head and meet Mav’s eyes.

“Where?”

“In the SUV.” Mav stands and rushes to the SUV. He searches the back seat and then moves to the back of the vehicle. He leaves my sight and a few moments later, he reappears carrying my sister in his arms.

Smoke steps in front of him. He stares at my sister. “That’s my daughter,” he says gruffly. “My Sun. Isn’t that right, baby girl?” He holds his arms out and Mav gently slides her into his waiting arms.

“Y-you . . . didn’t c-come back . . . back for me.”

Hearing Sunny speak fills me with both hope and fear. Hope because she’s alive. But fear, because she’s struggling to speak simple words.

“I know, and I’ll regret it. Regret it every goddamn day of my life. But I’m here now, Sun. And I ain’t ever leavin’ you. You hear me?”

The warm blanket returns. Mav holds me once more. My saint and my sinner. My dark angel.

I close my eyes and I feel him softly brush my hair from my face and kiss the corner of my mouth. “Doll, open your eyes, baby. Open those pretty eyes and look at me.” His voice has an echo quality to it. “Ember. Please, baby.”

But no matter how hard I try, I can’t. I can’t meet his stare this time. The weight of the pain is too much, and my eyelids are just too heavy.