This Hurts Like Hell - Mayans MC

Chapter Forty-Five

Angels POV

"Hey Pops" I call out as I walk into the house, kicking my boots off at the back door. I grab two beers out of the fridge and head into the lounge. Handing one to Ez as I take a seat.

"You left before talking to me"

"Yeah well, I'm not really in a talking mood" Ez says, taking a swing of his beer.

"What happened with Charlie today?" I ask, picking at the label on the bottle.

Ez purses his lips, his jaw set in a hard line "she's fine" he growls.

"What happened?" Pop asks, his voice dripping with concern.

"Nothing" Ez retorts, leaning back in the chair, glaring at me.

"Didn't look like nothin, she was barely conscious when you dragged her inside"

Pop studies his face fixing him with a glare "what is going on at the clubhouse?" Do I need to be worried?"

"Everything is fine, Pops," Ez says.

"Don't worry about it. Charlie is fine. Everything's gonna be okay" I tell Pops while taking a swing of my beer. Ez gives me a death stare over his bottle.

Silence fills the room as Ez changes the conversation to Pops asking about his day. Their voices fade out as my thoughts drift to Charlie. Watching Ez bring her in today, half conscious, I haven't seen her in months, she is starting to look healthy, finally looking better, but I can't help but feel guilty knowing that me and my choices are why she is like this. I'm the reason why she's stuck, why she's trapped in the clubhouse. I just want all of this to be over. I finish my beer mutter, a goodbye to Ez and Pops, barely noticing them as I leave my thoughts solely on Charlie the ride back to mine.

I feel the weight of the world upon my shoulders and the ache pushing down on my bones, crushing me. Pulling into my place, I head inside, stripping off the clothes as soon as the door is locked behind me. Heading into the bathroom I turn the shower on as hot as it will go.

Stepping under the spray, I feel the heat rising through my skin, my body broken, bruised, the hot water stings at the burns across my side and my back. The new skin is red and angry but the pain is what keeps me going, reminds me I am alive, and while I don't deserve it, I have things to live for. Resting my head on the cool tiles I let the hot water soothe the deep ache inside of me. Everything hurts all of the time and I don't know how to fix it.

I don't know how long I stay like that, time is irrelevant these days. I feel the heat dying out of the water, and the start of the cold water licking at the flames across my skin. I climb out of the shower, quickly drying off, my eyes automatically fall to where the mirror used to be, now there's just a blank spot on the wall. I rub the medical cream onto my burns, and head into the bedroom, climbing under the sheets. I press my face into the pillow and pray that sleep comes quickly and is peaceful but knowing I don't deserve it.

Smoke fills the room, burning my nostrils and my only thoughts are getting to you. My ears are ringing and my vision is blurred but I can make out Tranq calling my name, I pull out my .38 and stumble. Gunfire starts and Charlie is all I can think about, I turn around seeing flames, I push through the haze and start moving towards the stairs, to you.

"I have no idea how any of this happened Angel" Tranq says from behind me, I turn my head and see his bulky frame, in the smoke.

"Thank fuck you're okay" I say as he pulls me behind a bookcase, gunfire rampant around me.

"We have to go, there's an escape route through the woods" Tranq says trying to pull me towards the backdoors.

"I'm not leaving without Charlie" I tell him

"She'll be fine. Sabella will get her out, but we need to go" urgency fills his voice as the gunfire starts again "we have to tell Bishop what happened"

"I have to get Charlie" I say trying to push him off me.

but he rips me back, pushing me up against the wall. We hear voices coming towards us, Tranq and I both hold our guns and aim towards the voices. Once they become clear, we both take a shot. One of them hits the floor, the other starts firing back.

Tranq pulling me back, heading towards the back of the house, pushing open the back door fresh fills my lungs. I am so grateful for the fresh air. Tranq is still pulling me along, something feels wrong, the air isn't coming in fast enough and I'm so hot. I stumble, almost falling, and then I feel it.

The most intense heat I've ever felt in my life crawling at my skin. I turned my head backwards to realise that somehow my shirt and cut are on fire.

"Fuck" I scream Tranq spins around looking at me and notices the flames.

He pushes me to the ground, rolling me on my back trying to get them out. I can feel him hitting my legs.The heat is still crawling at my skin when Tranq starts dragging me across the ground.

"Come on Angel, I need you to get up, we gotta move brother" His voice is so far away, and I feel tired.

The sound of gunfire getting louder throughout the house pulls me back and I jump to my feet. Adrenaline coursing through me and we run.

Pain hits my shoulder, and I try not to scream. I grunt and I keep running once we are in the forest. I follow Tranq.

It's dark and I can barely see in front of me, but the sounds of gunfire have stopped but I can still smell the smoke. It's covered every inch of me, after about a mile Tranq pulls me off to the side, he kicks at a pile of leaves as I lean against a tree trying to catch my breath, pain in every part of my body. I feel death hovering around, ready to take me at any moment. Tranq has pulled open a metal door hidden from the world.

"It's a bunker" Tranq says "come on" I just nod as i feel him pulling me then pushing me down the bunker stairs. I don't know how my feet are moving, all I can feel is the pain. my eyes grow heavy. "I think I got shot" is the last thing I remember saying and then darkness

I wake in a cold sweat, rubbing my eyes. I try to sit up but the sheet has stuck to my side. I gently pull it off, wincing fresh skin peels off too.

Reaching for my phone, I see a text from an unknown number.

"I need you. Its time" it reads, sent three hours ago.

Shit I think to myself as I jump out of bed, racing to get dressed. My son is coming, it's time.