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  Drying her hands on some towel, she turned to look at Daniella. “Seriously, you want this to go down?”

  “You think you can get away with breaking my nose and hurting one of our own.”

  She looked at the four girls. Ryan’s arms were folded.

  “Wow, I should be happy that it takes you, three other girls, and a pussy to take me on,” Tabitha said. “You couldn’t come at me face-to-face.”

  She was going to get her ass kicked. There were five to one, and those odds were dangerous. She clenched her hands into fists, ready.

  “Oh, don’t worry, Tabby, we’re going to enjoy this.”

  Daniella struck first.

  Tabitha hit out, swinging for the second girl, followed by the third. Daniella got up first, pulling her hair. It was so hard she felt some actually rip out of her head. Kicking out to the third girl, she knocked her back. Daniella threw her back and she hit the door of a stall. She hit her head as she fell down, but stopped her fall.

  The fall was her undoing as she was pulled out.

  Hands punched, shoes kicked, and she felt a bone crack.

  Someone pulled her head back and smacked it against the floor. She didn’t beg them to stop. She didn’t do anything but take the beating.

  Daisy would come.

  “That’s it, girls,” Ryan said.

  Tabitha moaned and tried to get up. Someone stomped on her back and she collapsed. Stars played out in front of her eyes, the pain consuming her. She was going to pass out, she just knew it.

  Someone gripped her hair. “You know, I don’t see the attraction. Luke has had the hots for you from the first moment he saw you. I wonder if he’ll like you when you’re all broken and bloody. Until next time, beautiful,” he said.

  He hit her hard and everything went black.

  ****

  “Come on, Tabby, baby, open your eyes.”

  Simon’s voice sounded distant, as did the sound of hospital machines. Tabitha had spent way too much time on hospital machines.

  Pain.

  She felt it. Burning its way up and down her body.

  She needed to stop the pain. There was no way for her to.

  She gritted her teeth as she felt it.

  Finally, she opened her eyes. The attack, all of it came back to her, along with Ryan’s threat.

  Fuck. She hurt everywhere and she winced.

  “Oh, fuck, let me get a doctor,” Simon said. “Of course you’d wake up when your parents went to go and get a coffee.”

  “Don’t go,” she said. She went to sit up and winced. “Fuck, this hurts. What happened?”

  “Daisy found you. You were passed out, unresponsive. She called an ambulance. You’ve been beaten fucking bloody. You don’t remember it?”

  The four girls, Ryan.

  “Oh, I remember it. Don’t get the doctor. I don’t want to stay here.”

  “You have to. You’ve got a cut on your head, baby. It’s so deep. They need to keep you here for observation.”

  “Not happening.”

  “Don’t argue, please.”

  “I’m not arguing. I’m stating a fact. I’m not staying.” Fucking bitch was going to pay. “I’ve got to get out of here. I’m not letting those Dog bitches get away with this.”

  “I get that you’re fucking hot as shit when you’re angry, but I’m not going to let you go and hurt yourself. Besides, Daisy is taking care of it.”

  “What?” Tabitha asked, freezing up.

  “Daisy, she’s at the Quad right now. She’s going after Daniella. We got word they were bragging about what happened to you. Daisy’s pissed she didn’t follow you inside.”

  “Daisy’s going to fight?”

  “I know. I don’t think it’s going to go well.”

  Any pain she felt, she ignored it as she started to remove the machines that were hooked up to her.

  “Baby, seriously, stop this.”

  “I’ve got to go to Daisy. She can’t fight them.”

  “She wants to. I know she’s going to get her ass kicked.”

  “You don’t understand,” Tabitha said. “I promised Daisy she would never have to fight. I fight, not her.”

  “You’re in no position to fight.”

  “Simon, I swear to God, you act like my husband right now, and you get me to the Quad.”

  “I don’t see what the big deal is. Daisy’s going to need to fight.”

  “It’s not Daisy I’m worried about.” Tabitha groaned as she stepped off of the bed.

  “Shit, what the fuck do you mean?”

  “Daisy can fight, Simon. She always has been able to, but it’s like a switch goes off in her brain. Once they trigger it, she can’t stop it. She just keeps fighting. She can kill someone.” And there was no way Anthony would stop her either. “Get me to the Quad. Please.”

  “But—”

  “Now!”

  “Shit, okay. Fine.”

  Simon helped her get into some clothes. It took a great deal of time, which she didn’t have if she was going to help her friend. Her parents hadn’t returned and Simon snuck her down the back stairs toward the parking lot.

  “I’ve got my car,” he said.

  “Oh, good.” She was breaking out of the hospital in so much pain.

  She slid into the passenger seat as Simon got behind the wheel. “I think this is a big mistake.”

  “I don’t care, Simon. Daisy isn’t going to fight.”

  “I’ve never seen her fight.”

  “And you don’t want to either. It’s not pretty. It’s not pretty at all.”

  She cried out when he drove over speed bumps. “How long ago were they at The Quad?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. An hour, but they have to drive there,” he said. “I don’t like this.”

  “I don’t care what you like right now,” she said. “What are you doing back?”

  “When I heard what happened, I was already on my way back. Daisy called me immediately after the ambulance. Why were you alone?” he asked.

  “I needed to use the toilet and I forgot.”

  “You forgot?”

  “Yeah, I guess I’ve been so happy lately, I didn’t even think of all the people that want to see me dead, you know?” She took a deep breath and winced. “Fuck. They beat the shit out of me. Kicking me when I was down. Fucking cowards.”

  Her heart raced. If she was too late, Daisy would never forgive herself.

  They arrived at the Quad, and of course, there was a shit load of cars around. She climbed out and Simon helped her. They headed toward the main gate and Simon paid their fees.

  “What the fuck happened to you?” the man asked.

  Ignoring him, they stumbled inside. The stadium was lit up and Tabitha froze. The crowd was huge. Daniella was in the ring and she’d just hit Daisy.

  “I don’t see the big deal,” Simon said. “She’s getting her ass kicked.”

  Tabitha’s heart raced as she watched her friend. Daisy could take a lot of hits, but it was the right one that finally pushed.

  She knew what she was looking for and saw it happen. Daniella hit Daisy, who stumbled back. Whatever Daniella had said, it turned Daisy. With her stumbling, Daniella thought she was the better opponent. Daisy always played fair, but the moment she pressed that button, this was like a completely different person.

  “Holy shit,” Simon said.

  With Daniella’s hands in the air, playing the crowd, Daisy had struck. She pulled Daniella back by the hair. The girl’s screams rang out. A fist to Daniella’s face had her going down but Daisy lifted her back up by her hair, hitting her again, and again. The punches rang down, and Daisy stomped on her as well.

  At some point, Daniella was able to break free, but Daisy wasn’t allowing her to escape. She wrapped her fingers around her throat and pinned her to the ground.

  “Get me to the ring.”

  Anthony was there, looking so fucking proud.

  “You’ve got to stop this,” Ta
bitha said.

  “No, Daniella deserves what’s coming to her.”

  She cried out as someone knocked into her. She looked toward Miles and the rest of the gang.

  None of them would stop it.

  Tabitha knew she had to break the rules. Once a fight started, no one intervened.

  “Get me in the ring,” she said.

  “Tabby, no.”

  “I don’t care. I promised Daisy and I’m not going to let her down.”

  Simon helped her into the ring and even as each step made her hurt, Daniella’s face was already a mess.

  If she wasn’t careful, Daisy would turn on her. Remembering the one and only time this had happened, their little secret, she rushed to her friend, and wrapped her arms around Daisy, trapping her arms at her sides.

  “Let me fucking go. That slut needs to die,” Daisy said.

  “I’ve got you.”

  “I mean it, Tabs. Let me the fuck go.”

  “Not happening.” She held on even as pain exploded in her body. “If you don’t stop, you’re going to hurt me,” she said. “Please, Daisy, stop. You don’t need to fight. You shouldn’t fight.”

  Daniella whimpered and moved as far away from Daisy as she could get.

  Daisy laughed. “You fucking coward. How many of you were there?” she asked. “I know it wasn’t just you.”

  Tabitha looked past Daisy’s shoulder and saw Luke staring back at her. He didn’t know. She saw that in the way he looked at her.

  Daisy took several deep breaths.

  “You shouldn’t be in the ring,” Ryan said, climbing on in.

  One by one, Anthony, Miles, Simon, her crew climbed into the ring. She still held on to Daisy, not letting her go.

  The Dogs joined him, Luke staring at her.

  “You should look for a better crew,” she said. “This one likes to hit a woman when she’s down. Did you feel like a big tough man, huh? Is that it? You feel all hot.”

  “I’m fine,” Daisy said.

  Tabitha felt the change in her friend and slowly let her go.

  The crowd was getting nervous, but she didn’t care. Staring at their enemies, she did something she thought she would never do.

  “Is this what the Dogs are capable of?” she asked, lifting her shirt up over her head, letting them see the bruises, the cuts. Her ribs had been bound up. “I don’t even know all the damage but this is what your people do. You’re nothing but weak and as for you”—she looked at Ryan—“you shouldn’t wear a leather cut, you piece of shit.”

  Simon charged forward, landing a blow to Ryan.

  “Stop,” Tabitha said, moving forward. Simon went crazy, hitting, punching, and this time, Anthony intervened, dragging Simon off him.

  She looked toward Luke. “Happy?”

  “I had no idea.”

  “Yeah, and that proves you have no fucking control,” she yelled at him.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan. He flicked open a knife and went for Simon. She couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to her man.

  She acted on instinct, stepping in the way, and as she did, the knife slid right into her stomach.

  Everything went slow.

  Ryan let go of the knife as he was tackled to the ground and Tabitha stepped back. The noise seemed to be silent. The knife stuck out of her stomach.

  She grabbed the handle and pulled it out. Blood covered her hands. Her blood. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Simon caught her before she went down.

  ****

  Dried blood covered his hands.

  Devil was there beside him.

  Lash, Tiny, Nash, Stink, and Whizz sat, waiting for news. Daisy’s face had broken out in the bruises. She looked a mess.

  Simon couldn’t believe what had happened. Tabby had passed out in the car. Blood soaking through her clothes, dripping onto the seat.

  She’d been in so much pain.

  Sandy, Stink’s old lady who was a doctor, had arrived and gone to work on Tabby.

  Tiny stood and Eva let out a gasp. Miles hadn’t spoken since they arrived at the hospital.

  “What the fuck? She was supposed to be in her room.” Tiny moved toward him. Devil stood.

  “Be careful.”

  “Be careful? My daughter is in surgery. You think I don’t know what this all means? Sandy’s in there and she hasn’t come back out. I know it means my little girl could be dying on the table.”

  “Tiny, please, no one needs this,” Eva said, moving to his side.

  “It’s my fault,” Daisy said. Tears streamed down her face. “She didn’t want me to do something I’d regret.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Tiny said.

  Daisy tensed up and this time, Anthony got up. “You don’t get to talk to her that way.”

  “Son, sit down.”

  “Of all the stupid fucking things you kids could do—”

  “No!” Anthony’s yell was clear and carried across the entire hospital.

  “Who the fuck do you think you’re speaking to?”

  “Someone who doesn’t know all the facts.”

  “The facts I know is that my daughter got stabbed tonight.”

  “She stopped Daisy from killing the girl who beat her up. Tabitha stopped Simon from getting stabbed. One of the Dogs had a knife. She saw it, so did I. I was further away. I should be the one in the operating room.”

  Angel sobbed. “What your daughter did was protect the man she loves. That’s all.”

  “I suggest you sit down.”

  “Actually, Tiny, I suggest you do. We don’t know enough, and I’m not willing to start a war right now in our hospital.”

  “If she dies, I will kill your son,” Tiny said, looking Devil in the eye.

  “You think you’ll get a chance?” Simon asked, standing up. He was broken inside. He didn’t know if his wife was dead or not.

  “What did you say?”

  “If she dies, Ryan dies. He killed her. I’ll make sure he never sees another day, and then, I will follow her because there’s no point in living without her.”

  Sandy cleared her throat, drawing their attention. “Am I interrupting, or do you want to keep measuring your dicks between young and old?” she asked.

  “Is Tabby…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

  “She is fine. Stable. There were a few complications because of her other injuries but she’s going to make a full recovery. I don’t even see her being in the hospital all that long. I would advise she not step in front of a knife again. It’s not good for her.”

  Simon stepped back, collapsing into his chair. He didn’t care who saw as he wept tears of happiness.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tabitha sat up in bed as Darcy took a seat.

  “I’ve been a horrible friend,” she said.

  “Oh, please, you’ve been an awesome friend.”

  “I don’t even know what’s going on in your life anymore.”

  Tabitha smiled and touched the ring around her neck, and then she glanced at her friend. She and Darcy had always been close, not as close as she was to Daisy. The other woman was older than her, but they were able to share secrets.

  She lifted the ring out of her nightgown. She hated being in the hospital, but her parents had somehow been able to wrangle her to stay until she was fully recovered. No doubt talking to Sandy and a nice big donation to the hospital to get what they wanted. They always had been able to get away with that.

  “I’m married,” she said.

  “Holy shit. No one else knows?”

  “Daisy, Anthony, Miles, my sister.”

  Darcy looked at the ring. “To Simon?”

  “Yep.” She chuckled. “Who else could you possibly think?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Anyway. We’re married.” Simon had been able to visit her sparingly and her dad was always around.

  “I don’t know if I want to be anywhere near that revelation.”

  They both smiled. �
��I don’t mind. After the summer, I’m heading to Piston County to be with him. It is going to be a permanent feature.”

  “You’ve made your decision?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I have. I decided to pick love.”

  “That’s good.” Darcy sat on the edge of the bed.

  She enjoyed her friend’s company, but Tiny was there to take over and Darcy hugged her tight, leaving her alone and promising to visit again real soon.

  Her dad entered the room and took a seat. This time, he didn’t have a book and she stared right at him, waiting.

  He ran a hand down his face. “We could have lost you.”

  “You didn’t lose me.”

  “What were you thinking?” he asked.

  “I wasn’t thinking anything other than not to get stabbed.” She offered him a smile.

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I’m not trying to be funny. You want an explanation for why I tried to protect the love of my life.”

  “We can’t lose you.”

  “Dad, you’re not going to lose me.”

  “Do you think I don’t know what has been going on?” he asked. “I see the way you look at Simon. I always hoped that this infatuation you had with him would fade.”

  “Dad, please.”

  “I … when you’re in Piston County, I can’t protect you and right now, I don’t think he can.”

  “Do you believe that? I know Simon, and he’s already dying inside that I got stabbed. Believe me, he can take care of me and protect me. I love him. Don’t ruin that. Don’t destroy what we have.”

  “I always promised I’d keep you safe.”

  “I’m sure Grandpa Ned felt the same way about Mom.”

  Tiny chuckled. “Damn, one moment you’re this sweet little girl. The next, you’re getting into fights and taking a knife. Getting beat up. Where did the time go? Did I miss it all?”

  She shook her head. “You didn’t miss a moment. You were always there.”

  Tiny moved to the bed and sat close to her.

  She put her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. “I love you, Dad.”

  “Oh, honey, I love you too. I can’t stand the thought of anything bad happening to you. It kills me.”

  “Nothing bad will happen. I’m fine. I’m safe.”

  She took comfort in her father’s arms. She would always be his little girl.