Ruthless Banshees Book one: Chaos

Getting shot hurts a hell of a lot more than the movies make it look. I'm running for my life through an abandoned warehouse with one bullet lodged in my lower stomach and another somewhere in my ribs. Every breath feels like someone's shoving a knife between my ribs, but stopping isn't exactly on today's agenda. If I stop, I die. It's really that simple. I left my Ducati parked outside. If I can just make it to her, I might actually survive long enough to b***h about this later. The informant had exactly what I came for. He handed me the flash drive with one hand and pulled a gun with the other. Guess he figured a couple of bullets and a handful of hired guns would be enough to take me out. Cute. I'll give the bastard this—he came closer than most ever have. I put him down before he could squeeze off another round, but not before two bullets found their mark. One tore through my lower abdomen, the other clipped my ribs. Judging by the amount of blood currently soaking my shirt, they weren't just warning shots. Boots echo through the warehouse behind me. "There! She went that way!" Well... s**t. I shove through a rusted metal door and nearly stumble into the parking lot. My vision blurs for half a second before I blink it away. Not now. Come on, Lyla. My Ducati comes into view. "There you are, gorgeous." Relief washes over me. I throw my leg over the bike, thumb the ignition, and she roars to life beneath me like she's been waiting for this moment. God, I love this bike. Gunfire erupts behind me. Too late, boys. I twist the throttle, and the Ducati launches forward. Gravel sprays behind me as I peel out of the lot. In my mirrors, I catch the men pouring out of the warehouse, weapons drawn and yelling at each other. They can yell all they want. They're not catching me. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, then immediately regretted it as pain rips through my side. "Son of a bitch..." My left hand comes off the handlebars long enough to press against my stomach. Warm blood coats my palm. "Ah, fuck." That's... a lot of blood. Definitely more than I'm comfortable losing. The edges of my vision begin to darken. Nope. Not today. "Hey, Siri," I manage through clenched teeth. "Call Favorites One." The phone rings twice before someone answers. "What happened, Lyla?" I let out a laugh that hurts like hell. "The informant decided to betray me." Silence. "Lyla..." "Yeah." "How bad?" I glance down at my blood-soaked shirt. "I've had better days." "Lyla." "Fine. I got shot." "...How many times?" "Twice." "Oh, for f**k's sake." "I know. It was incredibly rude of him." A frustrated sigh comes through the speaker. "Did you at least get what we needed?" A grin tugs at my lips despite the pain. Yes, I got it. Another brief silence settles between us before I speak again. "I know where I have to go." "...Where?" "Redwood." The voice on the other end goes quiet. "Lyla I dont..." "He has the answers I need" "Yeah." "Are you sure about this?" "No." "Then why go?" "Because I'm done chasing ghosts. If the answers I've spent my whole life looking for are in Redwood, then that's where I'm going." Another long pause. "What do you need?" "Initiate Protocol Black Bridge." "...Understood." The line disconnects. The adrenaline that's kept me moving starts wearing off, and it's replaced by a crushing wave of exhaustion and nausea. Black spots dance across my vision, and I tighten my grip on the handlebars before I end up eating asphalt. Come on. Stay focused Lyla. Redwood is still an hour away. One hour. One man. One chance to finally get the answers I've been searching for, I just have to stay alive long enough to get there. Somehow, I made it. Hell if I know how, considering I'm literally bleeding out, I should've passed out somewhere along the highway. Instead, I'm still riding, still breathing, and somehow still too damn stubborn to die. The road narrows as I turn onto the long driveway leading to the compound where the one man who has all the answers I've been searching for has been hiding. Redwood. After all these years, this is where my journey ends. Back to the one place I was told to stay away from I ride another mile before a massive wrought-iron gate comes into view. It's open. Well... that was easier than expected. I don't question my luck. I simply ride through before it has a chance to change its mind. The house comes into view, and I immediately realize they're having one hell of a party. Harleys are parked everywhere, lined up so close together and I love it. Country music blares from somewhere inside the clubhouse. Laughter spills out onto the porch, mixing with the rumble of motorcycles still rolling in. Half-naked women wander between groups of bikers carrying beers like they own the place. I grin despite the pain tearing through my side. Harleys. Half-naked women. Yeah... this is my kind of place. I kill the engine and just sit there for a second, my forehead resting against the handlebars. Everything hurts. The adrenaline that's carried me this far is disappearing fast, leaving behind nothing but pain and exhaustion. "Come on, Lyla," I mutter. "You didn't survive getting shot just to die in a damn parking lot." With more determination than strength, I swing my leg over the bike. The second my boots hit the gravel, my knees threaten to buckle. Easy... I catch myself before I completely eat s**t in front of a bunch of strangers. That would've been embarrassing. My vision blurs again, forcing me to blink several times before the world comes back into focus. Blood continues to drip from beneath my shirt, landing on the gravel below. I really need to stop leaking. One shaky breath. Then another. I force one foot in front of the other and slowly make my way toward the clubhouse. The laughter grows louder with every step. The music inside is loud and the voices inside are louder,like a normal biker club. Everyone in there is having the time of their lives... ...while I'm trying not to bleed to death on the front lawn. I climb the wooden steps, gripping the railing tighter than I'd like to admit. My legs feel like concrete. I reach the front door and knock. Nothing. I knock again. Still nothing. I let out a tired sigh. "Guess I'm just going to walk in, the handle turns easily beneath my hand. The door swings open easily, should have done this first instead of knocking. The first thing that hits me is the smell. Cigarette smoke. Stale beer. Leather. Sex. Yep. Definitely my kind of party. I step inside. The clubhouse is packed. Bikers crowd the bar while others gather around pool tables and card games. Women laugh from the laps of men, and somewhere in the back someone is arguing over whose bike is faster. For a second, I almost forget why I'm here. Then the pain reminds me why, so I scan the room. There, at the far end of the bar stand the two people I've been searching for. Relief crashes into me so hard my knees nearly give out. I found them. I take one step. Then another. Each one feels heavier than the last. Warm blood runs down my stomach and into my jeans. Shit... That's not good. I try to keep walking. My boot catches the edge of a floorboard, and I stumble. Not enough to fall. Just enough to get everyone's attention. The music suddenly lowers. The conversations begin to fade. One by one, heads turn toward me. By the time I straighten up, every set of eyes in the clubhouse is locked on the bleeding woman standing just inside the front door. Silence. The kind that settles over a room right before something big happens. A chair scrapes loudly across the wooden floor. Then another. Heavy boots. Two men start walking toward me. Even through the haze clouding my vision, I'd know those faces anywhere. Relief floods through me. I made it. Barely. The room begins to spin. Black spots dance across my vision. No... Not yet. I force myself to stay on my feet just a few seconds longer. A weak smile tugs at my lips. "Hello... Dad." My gaze shifted to the man standing beside him. "Hello... big brother." Stone stared at me like he'd seen a ghost. "Sloane?" A weak smile tugged at my lips. "You know I hate that name." The room tilted. Darkness swallowed me whole. "SOMEBODY HELP HER!"