Dangerous

Chapter Twenty Three

The next morning I stretched my arms and jumped when my hand bumped into him.

"Shit." I sat up and then plopped back down when I realized who it was.

"Well good morning to you too." He smirked.

"You scared the crap outta me." I whined and pulled the comforter up under my chin.

"Sorry." He smiled and kissed my temple.

We made our way downstairs where my mom was cooking breakfast again. My dad was sitting at the bar with paperwork strewn all over the counter. He was probably going over a deal. That man always worked. He never truly had a day off.

"Good morning princess." My dad pulled his glasses off and smiled.

"No wonder she's spoiled rotten." Braxton laughed.

"You don't even know the half of it kiddo." My mom shook her head.

"You're ten times worse than I am." My dad pointed his pen at my mom and wrapped an around me for a hug.

"Yeah right." My mom rolled her eyes. "Her first car was a Range Rover, mine was a Tahoe."

"That's because we were dirt poor." My dad smiled.

"Very true." She winked.

"Anyways." I interrupted. "Enough about how spoiled I am. What's the plan for the day?"

Braxton's phone rang. He pulled it out of his back pocket and then left the room to answer it. If I had to bet on it, I'd put my money on the club. Even when we weren't in the same state it still sucked him in. I glanced over at my mom who gave me a knowing look.

Why couldn't he just be normal. Why couldn't he be a cop, or a doctor, or a mechanic. Why did he have to be the vice president of a motorcycle gang?

"What time is your flight?" My mom put a glass of strawberry milk in front of me.

"7 pm." I took a long drink and smiled. I missed the little things with my parents. The breakfast, the small talk, and the safety.

"I could use a day in the sun." My mom smiled.

"I could too." I agreed. Braxton walked back into the room looking pissed off. "Let's go get changed while my mom finishes breakfast." I suggested. He nodded and followed me upstairs.

"What's wrong?" I closed the door behind me.

"Our last load was compromised. It was a retaliation against us for what we did to Derek." He ran his hands through his hair looking frustrated.

"What does that mean?" I pulled out one of my bikinis and started to change.

"We just started a war." He looked up into my eyes. I could see the worry and concern all over his face.

"In other words things are about to get really bad aren't they?" I crossed my arms after I pulled on my bottoms.

"Ainsley I meant what I told you yesterday. I will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe." He wrapped his arms around me.

"But who's going to keep you safe?" I buried my face in his chest.

I had this bad feeling that shit was about to hit the fan.

That next week I was swamped with work. I was pulling doubles and staying the night at the hospital. My mind hadn't had much time to dwell on Braxton or what he was doing; which I was thankful for. By Friday I was beyond exhausted. I felt like I was going to need a week to recover. When I got home I fed Hendricks and then sunk into a hot bath. I let the hot water ease the stress away. I had planned on staying up so I could see Braxton, but I was starting to doubt I'd even be able to get out of the bath.

"Ainsley!" Braxton yelled. My body was jerked awake. I jumped out of bed and ran towards the foyer where he and Sam were holding a bloody body. I spun around and ran to my closet and got my bag.

"What happened?!" I yelled. "I need you to go to the kitchen and bring me that bottle of vodka in the freezer, I also need you to bring me water and lots of it." They laid him on the tile of my foyer. Sam ran to get the stuff I needed.

"An AR-15." Braxton gulped. I opened my bag and pulled out a vile of antibiotics. and drew up a shot. Sam came running back into the foyer.

"Pour the water on him so I can assess his wounds." I ordered as I gave him the injection. As Sam poured the water over his chest the blood washed away but started to run even thicker. There were gunshot wounds all over his chest. Shit. "Who is this?" I couldn't recognize the face because of all the blood.

"Lance." Sam said with sad eyes. Lance was the prospect. He wasn't even officially part of the club. My heart broke as I tried to find his pulse. He was a kid. Only 21.

"I need you to soak that gauze in the vodka."

Lance's eyes flickered open and he choked up blood.

"Lance you're going to be okay." I reassured him. I started plugging up the gunshot wounds, trying to keep him from losing anymore blood. His eyes flickered and his breathing got even more shallow. His lung must have been hit. I panicked. There was nothing I could do for that. Suddenly his eyes rolled back and his breathing stopped. "Don't you give up on me." I moved so I was straddling him and started pumping his chest. "Come on Lance." I pumped his chest and then gave him a couple of breaths. "Come on!" I yelled. Compressing his chest even harder. As my arms started to give out I couldn't stop the tears from streaming.

He was gone.

Within minutes everyone was running through the door. Warren sunk to the ground next to his brother.

"Oh god!" Warren started to sob. My heart broke even more. I had failed. I had failed Lance. I failed Warren. I failed. I stood up and looked down at my tank top and sleep shorts. I was completely covered in his blood. My foyer looked like I swimming pool of red.

"I..." My voice gave out. "I'm sorry."

Nina busted through the door with Vince. She grabbed me and pulled me back to my room. She stripped me out of my blood soaked clothes and turned on the shower. "Come on baby. Get in." She threw my clothes in the bin. I sunk down to the floor of my shower and sobbed while the water rained over me. The water when from running red, to pink, to finally clear, and even though there was no more blood. I still felt the guilt all over my skin. I sat there unable to move. Unable to do anything but cry.

I couldn't live this way.

I couldn't have people dying in my foyer.

I couldn't be apart of this club.

I couldn't be with Braxton.

I just couldn't.