"What the f.u.c.k...?" I hit the pavement then looked up.
Crow was grinning down at me like a murderer. "What are the odds of running into you like this?"
I moved to my feet but one of his thugs pushed me back to the ground. My balance was off and the vertigo was making the ground spin underneath me. There were four guys with him, making it five to one. "You"re such a f.u.c.king coward. You"re bigger than me but you still can"t defeat me. So you have your friends help you corner me in a parking lot when I"m drunk because you"re such a d.a.m.n p.u.s.s.y."
The ferocity burned in his eyes. Quicker than my sluggish mine could process, he kicked me right in the face. My head jerked back and the blood dripped from my nose. I felt the pain but it was numbed due to the alcohol in my system. "You really shouldn"t talk like that when you are in this position."
I spit the blood out.
"Beg me to let you go and I will." He stared me down, waiting for me to say it. "Tell me you"re scared."
"I"m not."
He kicked me in the face again.
My body fell into the pavement, hitting me right in the shoulder.
"Say it or this will be extremely painful."
I was sick of this bulls.h.i.t. Drunk or not, I was kicking this guy"s a.s.s. I climbed to my feet then took my defensive stance. "You. Are. A. p.u.s.s.y."
His eyes popped in rage. "Hold him."
I prepared for them to move toward me.
One guy grabbed my arm but I twisted out of his grasp and punched him in the chin. My moves were slower than they usually were. My reflexes were almost non-existent. I was grabbed from behind and then an arm hooked around my throat. I kicked behind me, hitting the guy right in the nuts. He stumbled back and groaned.
The two other guys gripped me, and when the others recovered they yanked me down to my knees, holding me in place. I may have been able to take them if I was sober, but being drunk I couldn"t think straight. I tried to move from their hold but I couldn"t.
Crow gave me an evil smirk. "This is going to be fun." He gave me a savage kick to my stomach.
I groaned and leaned over, feeling a rib crack. Not only did I feel it, I heard it. "You"re pathetic." I looked back at him and gave him a fierce gaze. "You think this makes you stronger than me? You"re even weaker than I gave you credit for."
"Tell me you"re scared and I"ll stop this."
I looked him straight in the eye. "I"ll never be afraid of a weasel like you."
He clenched his jaw then slugged me in the face. He hit me repeatedly, his fist hitting me in the eye over and over. I felt it swell then shut. Blood poured down my face and my chest started to hurt. My lungs started to ache.
"You look like s.h.i.t." Crow spat in my face.
I felt it drip off of me.
"You"re ready to die in this alley?"
"You couldn"t kill me." I refused to be afraid. He could take my body but he could never take my mind.
"We"ll see about that." He kicked me in the stomach three times, digging hard into me.
I gasped but didn"t scream. I knew we were in the parking lot so someone was bound to see us eventually. The guys were still talking to those girls so they probably didn"t even notice my absence.
He hit me in the face again.
I was growing weak. My body was starting to fail me. I was going to black out and then I would have no idea what they were doing to me. Maybe I would die in this parking lot, loose so much blood that I couldn"t go on anymore.
"Beg me to let you go!" Crow stared me down.
I leaned forward, unable to hold myself up. "Go f.u.c.k yourself."
His body tensed in irritation. Then he prepared to kick me again.
But the kick never came.
"What the f.u.c.k?" Crow had an arm hooked around his neck and his knees were kicked out from under him. He fell to the pavement, still trying to breathe. He gasped and tried to scream.
Through my one eye I could see my savior.
Keira.
The anger was in her eyes while she choked him.
"Get her, you idiots," Crow barked.
I could deal with the pain. I could even die. But I couldn"t let Keira get hurt. "Run! Now!"
One of the guys advanced to her, ready to tackle her.
"No!" I tried to fight their hold but I was too weak.
Keira saw him then stepped back, her body facing him. Her fists were pulled to her chin, and she watched every move he made. Crow was on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Her opponent studied her then lunged in. Keira blocked his reach and jabbed him in the nose. While he was distracted, she kneed him in the groin then tripped his feet.
"f.u.c.k." He cupped his b.a.l.l.s while he whimpered on the ground.
All three of the guys released me, ready to move for her.
I was weaker than a child and I could barely stay conscious. With the remaining strength I had, I grabbed one of the guy"s legs and yanked it from under him, making him fall. Then I crawled on top of him. She might be able to take on two guys, but certainly not three. "Keira, run! Call the cops and run."
She ignored me, her body prepared for the fight.
Both guys circled her.
"Take her out and beat the s.h.i.t out of her." Crow stumbled to his feet.
Keira stayed calm and dodged one guy, hitting him in the back of the neck when he pa.s.sed. Then she punched the other guy in the throat.
"Baby, run!"
She held her ground.
Both guys stared at her hesitantly.
"She must have a black belt or something," one guy muttered.
"She"s still a girl," the other snapped. "We"ll take her down easily."
They both rushed her at the same time. Keira punched the first one, making his head snap back. But the other got a hold of her.
"Stop moving, b.i.t.c.h." He tried to hold her steady but she kept flailing.
Crow advanced to her, but I left my guy and tripped him.
"Don"t come near her," I threatened.
Crow growled then hit me in the face.
Keira head-b.u.t.ted her guy but she couldn"t get loose.
"She"s feisty...I like it."
I saw red. I was going to kill this guy and bury him.
"Keira!" Scotty sprinted around the corner, the same fire in his eyes that burned in my own.
Thank G.o.d.
Scotty ripped the guy off her then slammed him to the ground. He stomped on his stomach then wailed on him with his fists, making the guy moan and cover his face. "f.u.c.ker!" He didn"t let up.
Bran pulled Crow off of me then kicked him in the side. "s.h.i.t."
Tony stared at the guys on the ground, who were unconscious or too injured to move. "What the f.u.c.k happened?"
"Keira..." I tried to move to her but I couldn"t. I couldn"t breathe.
"Call the cops," Bran snapped. He looked at me. "And a f.u.c.king ambulance."
"I"m on it." Tony took out his phone.
Keira came to me, her face blurry in my vision. "Liam..."
"Baby, are you okay?" Every breath I took felt like I wasn"t getting enough air.
"I"m fine." I heard the tears in her voice. "Oh my G.o.d..."
"I"m okay," I lied.
She moved her body under mine, letting me lay my head on her leg. Her hands moved over my chest then down to my stomach. She breathed hard, the tears dripping from her face and onto my body.
"You did good, baby," I whispered.
"Don"t talk." She was holding back sobs.
How badly was I hurt?
She leaned down and pressed her forehead to mine. "You"re going to be okay."
I couldn"t think anymore. The blackness descended in my mind and all I saw was darkness. All sounds faded away. I was alone. I couldn"t distinguish what was happening. And then nothing. There was nothing.
I heard the distant beep of a monitor. It repeated itself every few seconds. I tried to ignore it and stay asleep but it kept going off.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
What was it? Where was I? What happened?
When I moved my fingers, I felt something in my palm. Warm fingers were interlocked with mine. They were small and smooth.
Keira.
I tried to open my eyes but I couldn"t. What was wrong with me? No matter how hard I tried they wouldn"t move.
Was I blind?
When I moved my lips, I felt the dryness of my mouth. It was full of cotton b.a.l.l.s like I hadn"t brushed my teeth in a week. "Keira...?"
"I"m here." Her quiet voice was accompanied by a gentle squeeze.
Knowing she was beside me made me relax. Then I remembered everything that happened. Most of it was a blur, but I remembered the way Keira saved me. She came out of nowhere and took out three guys by herself. Without her, I probably would have died. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Are you hurt?" I didn"t give s.h.i.t about myself. I only cared about her.
"No."
I breathed a sigh of relief and felt the ache in my lungs. "Good."
Her fingers caressed my knuckles. Silence ensued for a while. The beep of the monitor continued.
"I can"t open my eyes..."
"That"s normal," she whispered. "Don"t worry about it."
"I want to see you...I need to."
"Then let me help you." She sat at the edge of the bed, making it dip. Then I felt her warm mouth against mine. It was gentle and slow. She only moved her lips against mine, not using her tongue. I felt the emotion build inside me when I felt those lips. I knew them so well that I could pick them out in a police lineup. Like she donated her energy to me, I finally opened my eyes.
Her face was blurry for a moment but then it finally came into view. Her skin was flawless and unmarked. There were no scars or bruises. Her soft hair was over one shoulder, and her eyes were just as green as they were before. She was just as beautiful as I remembered her. And she was safe.
"Thank you," I whispered.