Beard Up(69)

With one well-placed punch, he knocked her right the hell out and then picked up the gun.

He did exactly what she should've done, which was to hold it like he wasn't scared of a little puke. Because if she had, she wouldn't be passed out cold on the floor, lying in the vomit.

"You okay?"

I nodded.

"She … fuck!"

I knew. He hadn't been aware that I was in danger, and I'd just come so close to the end that it was scary for both of us.

I turned at the sound of another thwack, and quickly turned away.

"Might want to take that away from her," I suggested. "And tie your step-mother up."

He nodded.

"The phone call get placed?"

I nodded. At least I thought it got placed.

"Good," he grunted. "Take her shirt off and tie her up with it. Hands behind her back, legs too. Then tie those two together."

I did as I was asked, but ran out of room using her shirt, so I had to improvise with her belt.

Once I had her trussed up well enough, I shoved her over to lay in front of the door.

She hit with a small thump, and I turned just as I found Tunnel's hand in mine.

I had vomit and other stuff on me, and I wanted nothing more than to go take a shower in the peace of my own home. To see my child and hug her. To make sure that Fender was all right, even though I wasn't sure that he would ever be okay again, especially since he'd taken a bullet to his freakin' neck.

It was highly likely that the man hadn't survived that, and I wanted to just cry out my sorrow over the loss.

A groan sounded from the woman in the corner, and I looked over my shoulder to see her eyes open.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

I wanted that more than anything in this world, but Candace was awake. Which I told him moments later. 

"I know," he grunted. "Fuckin' bitch."

I held my urge to bellow in laughter.



"You'll never get out of here alive. I have men all over."

Tunnel didn't bother to turn to Candace, who'd obviously woken up.

"You're lying," Tunnel said as he tugged me toward the small bathroom area that was set up in the corner of the stone cell we were in. "The house is already at half-capacity to make it look like you were truly ‘moving.'"

I loved it when my man called her bluff. He was a fucking superstar.

I loved it even more when she had nothing to say to that.

"Here."

With the utmost care, he pushed me toward the sink, and started to wash my hair. He urged me to bend over the porcelain bowl, without words, guided my mass of hair under the faucet, and turned it onto high.

He didn't wait for it to heat up to a more bearable temperature.

I was sure he could sense my unease, because he wasted no time washing it with the pump Dial soap that was on the ledge next to the sink.

"Here," Audrey said, holding out a towel.

I wasn't sure where she'd gotten it from, but I didn't care.

I was just glad she'd have something for me to dry my mass of hair off with, otherwise it'd be dripping down into my face and down my back when Tunnel was done.

"That's good, Tun," I whispered when he started to work the soap through my hair for a third time.

He didn't stop.

In fact, he did it a full seven times, and I let him.

"We should go," Audrey said once Tunnel finally let my hair go. "I can hear voices."

Tunnel grunted.

It was only when the door opened that I realized why he was so lax.

It wasn't anybody bad that was on the other side of the door. It was The Dixie Wardens. Both the Mooresville chapter and the Benton chapter.

I could've fucking cried the moment that Silas' familiar face popped into view.

I sagged, and Tunnel scooped me up around the waist and pulled me in tight to his body.

Which I immediately started to protest.

"No," I pushed away. "You're hurt. I'm not allowing you to hold me until you get this seen to."

I'd allowed him to do my hair, but only because I knew that he needed to do it. Now that he'd done that, I wasn't going to let him do another thing until he was seen by a doctor, or at the very least, a paramedic.

"You!" I pointed at Cleo. "And you!" I pointed at Sean since he was closest. "Y'all come look at him and make sure he's not about to die on me."

Sebastian, who was standing in the hallway, but had his eyes pointed down the opposite direction of where we were standing, started to laugh.

"Sebastian, you need to come and look at Audrey."

"What about you?"

That came from Torren.

"I'm okay," I promised. "I was … "

"She's pregnant and needs to be checked out," Tunnel grunted. "Don't accept arguments."

Tunnel grinned at me.

"Good news," he said, holding out his arm. "Your paramedic awaits."