Get Me Off: A Dark Bad Boy Romance Page 15

  “What am I supposed to do, then?” Wendell asked quietly as he turned back to us. His expression was that of a lost child’s. I felt pulled toward a false sense of security before I remembered that this man had blindly shot one of his own only minutes ago. Our plan was going a little too well, and suspicious thoughts were growing in the back of my mind.

  “Put the gun down,” Emmett said, “And show some mercy.”

  Wendell started to lower the weapon with a shaking hand and Knox started to walk toward him. Thought it was unbelievable, our plan had worked! Everyone’s gaze was trained on Knox, but I let my eyes wander toward Wendell. When I saw his expression, I realized something was very wrong. He still looked the part of a lost child, but his eyes now held a cold determination in them. He was still crouched on the ground, having not removed his hands fully from the gun. Knox was now only a foot from Wendell and was about to reach out for the gun.

  “Knox! Stop he’s…” I yelled, but it was too late.

  Wendell suddenly whipped himself back up to a standing position and pointed the gun directly at Knox’s chest. There was a loud bang and Knox suddenly crumpled to the ground.

  “You think you could fool me, demon?” Wendell screamed.

  He looked as if he was going to start on a long and winding speech while Knox bled out at his feet, but Emmett suddenly bolted forward and knocked Wendell into the dirt. His gun fell to the side from the force of the blow, and the two men wrestled ferociously, each unable to pin the other. In my opinion, Emmett should have easily bested the old president, but Wendell was proving to be a slippery opponent. The fight started to grow dirtier as Wendell started to bite Emmett at any opportunity. I looked around us to see the Martyrs silently watching the scuffle. No one seemed willing to lend a hand to either party. I thought about darting forward to grab the gun, but stayed put out of fear of getting drawn into the fray.

  “Someone stop this!” I yelled as I ran over to Knox’s side.

  “They’re not going to do anything,” Knox gasped as I ripped my jacket off and placed it on his chest. I used one hand to keep pressure on the wound and the other found Knox’s. His face already white as a sheet, and I doubted he was going to survive long enough for the paramedics if any came.

  “Shhh,” I said. “Don’t talk, save your energy.”

  “I’m already dead, Olivia,” Knox said with a rueful grin. A cough racked his body and little bubbles of blood started forming at the corners of his mouth. “Be good to my brother.”

  “Of course,” I said softly.

  I turned my head to gaze back at the scuffle still happening behind me. Both men looked bloody and beaten and were starting to slow down. After a couple of well-timed punches, it seemed that Emmett was finally starting to get the upper hand. With one final twist of his body, he pulled Wendell into a headlock before slamming him to the earth face down and pinning him. Wendell fought for a moment, but it was no use. Emmett was sitting on his leader’s legs and using his substantial strength to keep Wendell’s chest flat on the ground. Wendell’s head was twisted to the side, and I could see every vein standing prominently on his face as he struggled to free himself.

  “End this madness,” Emmett said.

  “I will never back down!” Wendell roared. “If you release me, I won't rest until every trace of you and those you love is wiped from the earth! You’ll have to kill me!”

  Without releasing his hold, Emmett reached out and grabbed the abandoned gun. He brought it up and placed the barrel against the back of Wendell’s skull. As much as I wanted to see Wendell dead, Emmett couldn’t do this. Not after all we had been through and fought for. With every passing second, I saw our dream of living by the ocean fading away.

  “Emmett, don't,” I said softly.

  “I have to, Liv,” he said. With a click he cocked the gun, the sound echoing in the dead silence around us.

  “Think of Lizzy,” I said. I prayed that the thought of losing his daughter once and for all would help him see reason.

  Emmett's face twisted into a grimace of pain and I watched the battle rage within him. His hand began to shake and I saw his trigger finger clench indecisively. I held my breath and waited for that final bang.

  Chapter 35

  Finally, with a large sigh, he lowered the gun from Wendell’s head. I let out my held breath, and I heard Charles do the same.

  “I knew you couldn’t do it,” Wendell leered. “You’re just a weak man, unfit to wear the Martyrs’s colors.”

  “I’ll show you that I’m a better many you ever were,” Emmett said as he brought the butt of the gun crashing down on the back of Wendell’s head, knocking him out cold.

  Emmett stepped away from Wendell and walked over to Knox and me. I placed Emmett’s hand on his brother’s chest to replace mine and stepped away to allow the two privacy. I caught Charles’ eye as he strode over to Wendell, and he gave me a grim nod as he picked up Wendell’s gun.

  “I don’t want to shoot him,” he said when he saw the panic on my face. “It’s just in case he stirs before the police get here.”

  “What police?” I asked.

  He said nothing, only tapping his ear with his finger. I finally heard sirens wailing in the distance and looked out to where the highway met the horizon to see a dozen police cars driving toward us. The rest of the bikers noticed the sirens as well, and I saw as most of them tried to scramble to their bikes to make a getaway before the cops showed up. I didn’t blame them. Most of them were innocent of any actual harm, though I doubted the cops would see it the same way.

  I looked back to Emmett, now cradling his brother in his arms, and walked toward the pair. Emmett looked like he was about to break in half but his brother had a weak smile on his face. Since Charles obviously didn’t need my help, I thought I might be able to comfort Emmett.

  “Cheer up, brother,” I heard Knox say as I approached them. “It’s not like you’re the one who’s dying.”

  “Hold on, Knox,” Emmett said huskily. “Help’s coming.”

  “There’s no help for me, Emmett,” Knox said with a cough. “You know that. Look, I don’t have much time left, so I want to tell you something.”

  Knox paused as another wave of coughs racked his body. I could tell by the distant look in his eyes that he was struggling to hold on. I went to Emmett’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “Do right by Lizzy,” he said after his breathing calmed slightly, “for her uncle. You know what it’s like to have a shitty father and she deserves so much more than that.”

  “I will, brother,” Emmett said, his voice shaky.

  “And for the love of God,” Knox continued. “Marry this woman. Anyone willing to go through this hell for you is worth keeping.”

  Emmett said nothing, and the brothers smiled at each other before Knox grew limp in his brother’s body. Unable to hold back any longer, Emmett started sobbing, his whole body shaking as fat tears fell from his cheeks. He laid his brother down onto the ground in front of him and brought both of his hands to his face as he cried. I felt tears spring to my eyes as well. I knelt down beside Emmett and embraced him. He threw his arms around my shoulders and drew me in tightly. We stayed locked together, both crying, for what seemed like ages before a felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see Charles with an apologetic look on his face.

  “Sorry to break this up, but the cops need to speak to both of you,” he said grimly. “I’ll warn you, Olivia, you’re going to need a silver tongue if you’re going to get us out of this mess.”

  I stood and wiped my eyes, trying my best to put a confident expression on my face. I tried to mentally prepare myself, but it was useless. My thoughts were too jumbled right now with pain and grief, and it would certainly be a wonder if I could talk the cops out of arresting all of us. With a sigh, I squared my shoulders and strode over to the officer who was now standing over Wendell. As I walked, I glanced around and saw a dozen other officers and paramedics swarming around the Marty
rs. One officer walked over to Emmett and immediately placed him in handcuffs. Emmett made no move to fight it and his eyes stayed locked on his brother as the paramedics swooped in.

  “Excuse, officer,” I said when I reached him. I looked down at Wendell and saw that though he was still unconscious, someone had slapped a pair of cuffs on him. “You wanted to speak to me?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” he said. “I’m Officer Barnes and I’d like to get an account of what happened here this afternoon. This gentleman here, Charles, said he won’t speak to me without his lawyer.”

  “Well, as luck would have it, I’m a lawyer,” I said.

  I gave my account of what happened, starting with what had just happened and, upon Officer Barnes’ probing, expanded the story to what had occurred over the past week. I picked my words very carefully, doing my best to remain truthful but also make it clear that Charles, Emmett and I were either innocent or acting in self-defense. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally finished my tale and Officer Barnes stared at me silently while he processed the information.

  “That’s quite a story,” he said. “Of course, you’ll need to repeat it for our official records down at the station later. I’m inclined to believe you, but is there anyone who can corroborate this information?”

  “I can,” Charles said confidently. “The gentleman you have cuffed over there can too, though I think it’d be polite to give him time to grieve.”

  “I think I can too,” another gruff voice said.

  I turned only to find Tex standing behind me and Buster close to his heels. I stared at them in shock. Were the two bikers sent to kill Emmett and me really about to help us?

  “I know we weren’t exactly innocent in all this,” Tex continued. He trailed off as if suddenly reconsidering his impulse.

  “I’m certain we can work some sort of deal out,” I said confidently, glancing toward Officer Barnes. “There are certainly precedents for lowering or removing sentences in exchange for testimony.”

  “Of course,” Officer Barnes said. “Let’s round up who’s willing to help, and we’ll all head down to the station for official statements. You! Officer! Un-cuff that man.”

  The other policeman knelt down and removed the cuffs from Emmett’s wrist. I walked over to him and used my hands to tilt his face up toward mine.

  “It’s alright, Emmett,” I said as I wiped a tear away with my thumb. “It’s all over now.”

  Unable to speak, he nodded and rose to his feet. After barking orders to a couple other officers, Officer Barnes strode toward us.

  “We’re heading back to the station now,” he said. As I listened to him, I watched as two policemen dragged Wendell to his feet and began walking him toward the highway. “I think we have plenty of information to start forming a case, and, so far, we’re only arresting Wendell Johnson.”

  “What about Tex and Buster?” I asked.

  “They’ll be held for questioning, but won’t be formally charged with anything until you and I work out the terms of our deal. You two and Charles over there are free to go as well, but I strongly urge you to come in and give your statements if you feel up to it.”

  “It’s been a rough day,” I said, looking up at Emmett. “He just lost his brother, and I think we’re all in shock. Is it alright if we stop by later after we’ve had some time to rest?”

  “Take the time you need, ma’am,” Officer Barnes said with a nod.

  He strode away from us and began assisting the other officers in rounding up what remained of the Devil’s Martyrs. I stood there between Charles and Emmett and took a moment to catch my breath. I couldn’t believe it; It was all over. Well, almost.

  “I’m going to head down to the station and get my part of this over with,” Charles said. “After that, I’ll be at the hole drinking beer. A lot of beer. Feel free to join if you’re up to it.”

  “Thanks, Charles, we’ll think about it,” I said.

  Charles gave us a small salute before striding across the Field toward his bike. I turned to Emmett to see he had barely moved. The paramedics had removed his brother a long time ago, but Emmett’s eyes were still trained on the spot where Knox had been.

  “Let's go home,” I said quietly. “We don’t have to talk to anyone else today, or the next day, if you don’t want to.”

  “Yeah, that sounds good,” he said numbly before a confused look flashed across his face. “Wait. Where is home?”

  “I figured my place, for now at least,” I said as I gently steered him toward the road. “Are you okay to ride your bike or should we ask someone for a lift?”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said. “It’ll be good for me, to have something else to focus on, other than, well…”

  “Gotcha,” I said.

  We walked to his bike silently and quickly hit the road. The wind whipped through our hair and I felt myself relax as the mile markers flew by. I could tell Emmett was relaxing too. By the time we reached my thankfully unscathed apartment, he was almost himself again. We went through the motions of the day as normally as we could and when it came time to go to bed, I fell instantly into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  Chapter 36

  I woke to the feeling of something softly nudging against my arm. I groaned slightly as I opened my eyes to find Emmett sitting next to me in bed with two cups of coffee in his hand. I stretched as I sat up, noticing that it was still quite dark.

  “Good morning,” Emmett said as he handed me my cup. I gave him a kiss on the cheek in reply before taking a long sip on my coffee. The smell was heavenly, and it seemed to mix perfectly with the fresh air that wafted in through the slightly opened window.

  “Why don’t we go sit on the porch?” I asked.

  “Sounds like a great idea,” Emmett said as he stood.

  I followed him through the quiet house and sat down next to him in one of our slightly weathered deck chairs. Emmett sipped his coffee contentedly and I slipped my free hand into his. I could see the first rays of sunlight just breaking over the horizon which turned the lingering clouds a cotton candy pink. The sun rose slowly and though it wasn’t the first time I’d watched the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, I couldn’t help but wonder at the beauty of it all. As I listened to the waves breaking below us, I thought to my time in Black Rock, marvelling over how much had changed.

  Almost a year had passed since Emmett and I had walked away from that bloody meeting with Wendell, and of course we had started planning our move to the beach almost immediately. There was business to take care of before that could happen, though, and it took a lot longer to tie up all of our loose ends than either of us had expected. In addition to the usual moving responsibilities, like house hunting and subletting my apartment, we also had to deal with multiple court hearings. Thankfully, there was enough conflict of interest that I wasn’t assigned as the lead defender for the cases involving Wendell and the Devil’s Martyrs, but I did lend my advice and support here and there.

  Wendell was hit with multiple lawsuits, including several charges of murder, fraud, and assault. The results were varied, but he did end up with a lengthy prison sentence that was commuted to a psychiatric ward when his attorney proved that Wendell was too insane to be conscious of what he was doing. Though I’d prefer if he rotted in prison, I was content with the decision since it kept him from causing any more harm. It was also probably for the best that Wendell was committed for life; between legal fees and fines resulting from various lawsuits, he was bankrupt. There were a couple of other, smaller lawsuits among the rest of the Martyrs, but most of them ended in acquittal due to the fact that everyone was willing to testify against their former leader.

  While I dealt with the legal side of everything, Emmett had the unfortunate task of preparing funeral arrangements for his brother and dealing with Knox’s belongings. Much to everyone’s surprise, Emmett found a will tucked away in a desk drawer while he was cleaning out Knox’s house. He had left everything to Emmett, including a very valuable collec
tion of baseball cards. After selling it and the house, he ended up with a nice little sum of money that was more than enough to cover Knox’s cremation. As specified in his will, Emmett and I spread Knox’s ashes in the Arizona desert and we both wept like babies as we watched Knox’s remains drift away on the warm, evening breeze.

  After all of that, we finally started planning our move in earnest. It’d seemed like a relatively simple plan in the beginning, but there were a lot of options to talk through. It took a week of arguing, but we finally both settled on a location; the California coast near San Diego. Between both of our savings, the money we received from Knox, and the fines paid to us through court settlements, we had more than enough to make the move. The only remaining issue was Lizzy, and Emmett and I wracked our brains trying to come up with a solution. There was no doubt we wanted out of Black Rock, but doing so would mean missing out on a lot of Lizzy's childhood.