Antidote by LC Lehesaho

17

"Why are you crying? Did he hurt you?" I growl when I see the tears on Cobra's cheeks. I will kill him. I will fucking kill him. I jump up from the stairs and throw the end of the smoke into the ashtray.

"No, it's not him. I…" She swallows back a sob and wipes her face.

I clench my jaw, and my hands roll into fists at my sides. "Did you fuck him then?"

I swear to Satan if she did…

"No! Of course I didn't!" Cobra glances around to see if anyone is hearing us. "Tiger, please, you need to rein yourself in."

I ignore her comment. "Then why the fuck are you crying, worm?" I step closer and wrap my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. I want to keep her here, in my arms forever, and make her feel better. Cobra stays there, against my chest for a moment before she pulls away.

"I need to change my clothes," she says quietly, not looking at me. "See you in the garage."

Then she walks in, gathering herself. My chest is ready to explode when I see that she’s miserable. If we didn’t have to leave, I'd pull her against me and hold her the whole fucking night, whether she wanted it or not. I'm helpless when it comes to her tears. I can take literally everything else but not those.

I smoke another cig to calm my mind before going back in and heading to the garage. There's way too much going on right now and my head is all over the place. The fact that no one knows who is actually behind the coke cargo and who burned down the club is nerve-wracking. Someone is trying to sneak behind our backs and, currently, they’re succeeding. It's dangerous for all of us.

Knowledge is power, and without it, we're vulnerable.

On top of that, I will lose my last shred of sanity if I have to see her going out with other guys. This is shit I haven't had the privilege of experiencing before now. Cobra has never dated before, and now I know why. Me.

I still don't remember a thing about the week I found out that she had lost her virginity. She was sixteen at the time, so was I, and even back then, I was in love with her. It took me a good while, years truthfully, to be okay with the fact that she had sex. I wanted to be her first and her last.

Didn't fucking happen.

But now? Watching her going out with that loser? I'm going to need medication.

I step into the long hallway, which leads to the underground garage, and soon I hear someone jogging behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see Puma catching up with me. He's wearing all black like we all do in cases like this. A black hoodie and black jeans. His cap is placed front to back like always, and his skull bandana is hanging on his neck.

"Dude, wait a sec." He grabs my arm and stops me. I glance at the hand on my arm, and he immediately drops it. He takes a breath like he's been jogging for a while. Or just smoked weed, could be either one. "How are you doing?"

I cock an eyebrow. "You're asking me how I'm doing when you are the one that told her to go on a date with that piece of shit? I'm peachy, never better. Also, I want to kill you and the Aussie, but other than that, I'm feeling great."

Puma slowly nods. "Yeah, thought so. I should've warned you, but I didn't think she could actually pull it off. I don't even know where she found someone stupid enough to date her."

"Excuse me?" I turn to him, meeting him chest to chest.

"I didn't mean it like that. Christ, you're on edge. I meant someone who doesn't know who she is. The guy has no clue who we are," Puma says and takes a step back. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I'm here whenever you need to talk. After we come back, let's watch Tiger King. Or The Witcher? I bought weed, and packed my freezer full of ice cream. You're going to be fine, bro."

I don't even know what to say to him. Like everything would be okay if I smoke myself calm and eat some shit on the couch. But on the other hand… Puma is still alive and kicking, so it must work in some way.

"Fine, but it's a no for Tiger King. Anything else goes but that."

We went through the plan on our way to Wong's club. Technically it's not his club anymore because Bear made mash potatoes of his skull, but the name has stayed the same, and Wong's second-in-command doesn't make a fuss over himself. We need them talking, so we're not killing them, yet.

The Clean Kitty hasn't opened the doors for tonight yet, and probably won't after this. Bear stops the car out front, and every one of us pulls our skull bandanas on. It's not like they don't know who we are, but it's for the cops. As long as we keep our faces hidden, it's easier for the cops to look the other way and say that no one saw who was who. Leo pays them well, but for the feds, this is a must.

"Remember, we need every fucking name they know," Wolf says in a steady voice and takes his gun out. "Let's go, Beasts."

I glance at Cobra when she jumps out, her black jeans hugging her ass perfectly, and I feel the urge to give it a squeeze. Like always, there is no place where I don't want to do it. The blades strapped to her thighs stay in their holsters, and I notice that her gun does as well. I catch up to her with a couple of long strides and poke her shoulder.

"Take out your gun."

She turns her head to me, and her hazel eyes are two empty wells when she looks at me. "I'll take it out when I want to." At that, she opens the door and steps inside.

Two fucking seconds and I have no time to check out where she is. There are more guys than we expected, and they know exactly what's going to happen when they see us because they go all John Wick on us the second we step in. I take cover from the right behind the long, filthy couch, and Wolf is right beside me.

"There's too many, we can't keep all of them alive without killing ourselves!" I yell at him over the gunfire. I know better than shooting anyone before he agrees.

Wolf nods quickly. "Fire away but try not to make lethal wounds."

"Copy that."

Even though I know I’m risking hepatitis, I throw myself horizontal to the floor and aim from behind the couch. Hands are the best place to hit; they stay alive but can't fight back, so that's where I aim. The bad thing is that the fuckers move quickly, so at least two ended up with an accidental headshot because they moved into the line of fire right at that critical moment. What a shame.

Bear and Falcon are already using their weapons, Bear making a home run worthy shot with his baseball bat and Falcon slicing dudes like sushi rolls with her knife. We all have our issues, but those two… they make killing people an art form.

Puma is on the other side, using his gun because he doesn’t do close contact. At all—or at least if he can avoid it.

My spine shoots alarming spikes all over me when I realize there's no sign of Cobra anywhere. Where the fuck is she?

"Can you see her?" I yell at Wolf, who knows exactly who I'm talking about because he knows I see Falcon from where I am.

He looks around, trying to find her just like I am. "No! Where the hell is she?"

Then I see her.

"Motherfucker!" I try to aim at the guy she’s having a straight one-on-one with. Cobra hasn't pulled out a gun or her blades, and in fact, she's not doing anything. The guy is massive compared to her, and he swings his fist toward her, but she doesn't dodge it, doesn't even raise her hands for cover. Cobra takes the hit straight to her face and spins around from its weight like a fucking carousel. The guy is instantly on her, grabbing her by the collar of her hoodie. She doesn't do anything. Her hands are resting at her sides like she’s waiting for the hit.

What the fuck is wrong with her?

My anger is mixed with fear because I know that one powerful punch from a meat sack like that could kill her. Why isn't she fighting back?

"Left corner! Can you take the shot?" I kick Wolf in the leg while trying to get a straight shot at the guy. Before I can, he hits her. Cobra goes limp, and at the same time, the guy's head takes the shot from Wolf's bullet. They both go down into one pile.

"Get her out!" he yells at me, and I jump up like lighting. "I'll cover, GO!"

I don't give a shit that I run straight into the line of fire. My heart thunders from the panic storming inside me, and I pray to every fucking god that she's not dead.

It feels like forever trying to get to her.

Almost there.

A tearing pain explodes in my side, most likely it's a bullet, but I can't stop now. I'll get her out or die fucking trying.

The meat sack is partly on top of her, and I jerk him off with all the power I can gather. Holy motherfucker. There is a lot of blood, but I hope it's from the guy. Dropping to my knees, I place my fingers to her neck, trying to—

She winces, and her other eye opens a little. The other one has no chance of opening because her face looks worse than an MMA fighter’s. And she didn't fucking cover it even a bit.

"I will fucking kill you, baby," I growl at her and jerk her up, straight to my shoulder. "You stupid, piece of shit, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

It's no surprise that she doesn't answer me, but it still makes my heart pound in my throat because I wish she would say something. That she won't die on me now. I glance around and see that Wolf has moved closer, and he waves his hand to get my attention. Trying to keep her steady, I carry her to Wolf, who doesn't say a word, just hands me the car keys and shoots someone behind me. I know what he wants me to do.

So, I leave them behind and carry her to the Expedition, placing her in the back seat. Cobra has passed out, or that's what I tell myself rather than the other option, and run around the car to the driver's seat.

When I press the gas pedal down, I adjust the rearview mirror so I can see her. She is still, lifeless.

"Worm, don't die, please." I beg her and hope she hears me. "I need you to stay with me, don't die, baby girl."

At the same time, I'm batshit mad at her and worried to the edge of hyperventilation about her state. My brain still works though, so I get my phone out to call Leo. He answers in a second.

"We need the doctor, it's Cobra," I say, my voice cracking. "She's out."

Leo curses at the other end of the line, and I hear him making another call with his work phone before he gets back to me. "Bullet?"

"No, beaten." I look at her from the mirror, still no change in her condition. Please, don't be dead, baby girl.

"What?" he growls. "How is that possible?"

"I…" I swallow the truth down. If Leo knows she didn't even cover herself… "I didn't see it properly. We will be there in five."

"Where are the others?"

"I left them behind, Wolf's orders. They'll manage."

"I'll send a car there," he says before the line goes dead. My eyes go from the road to Cobra and back, again and again. I can't imagine life without her. A world without her. If she dies now, I will put a bullet in my brain. That's for fucking sure.

I'm not going to live even for a second in a world she doesn't exist in.