Slow Ride (29 page)

Marla grinned down at her from a few feet away. “Ready to play?”

“Fuck you,” Kyla spit through clenched teeth.

“Not nice!” Marla screamed and raised her arm.

• • •

“Jesus,” Saybrook muttered as he entered the strip joint. “Could you be any louder,
Marla? Shut your fuckin’ mouth.” He headed for the stage where Marla stood over Kyla,
ready to strike. He took out his gun and trained it on Cooper’s woman, smiling as
she stilled.

He glanced around and saw blood on the stage, along with Morris’s big, greasy body.
“Damnit all to hell.”

Marla moved toward him. “Martin, I did what you said. You told me to get rid of my
problem, so, I am.” She waved her hand at the scene in front of her.

“You made a mess is what you did. How do you expect to clean this up? There’s blood
everywhere and that bitch isn’t even dead yet.”

“I want to play with her first,” Marla begged. “She needs to suffer for taking Cooper,
for distracting him.”

Saybrook took two steps and grabbed hold of her arm hard. “Are you kidding me? You
really are crazy. Only psychopaths play with their kill. You need to kill her and
move on. Have you not paid attention to what I’ve been telling you?”

“But Cheryl was beat up, before she was drowned. So you had to have played with her
first . . .”

“This isn’t about what I did to Cheryl!” he roared, his words echoing off the walls.
Marla’s body shook in his arms as he yelled. He didn’t want Cheryl’s name mentioned
again, especially by the likes of Marla. Marla couldn’t compare to Cheryl. If only
she hadn’t betrayed him. If only she’d wanted him the way she wanted Roger. Then none
of this would have happened.

He shook Marla, hard. “Don’t mention her name again. Ever. Now finish the job so I
can clean up your mess. I’m going to the truck to get some plastic. She better be
dead when I get back.”

• • •

“Fuck!” Cooper growled out. “Drive faster, Phil!” They were only two blocks away,
but that felt like a fucking lifetime. He tried to call up her smile in his mind,
the way she looked when he made her come, the soft look she got when he told her he
loved her, but they were gone. All he could see were images of Kyla, beaten, battered
and bloody. He physically hurt from it and wanted to hit something, anything, to make
it stop.

“We go in half-cocked, we could get her killed,” Tommy broke into his nightmare as
Phil squealed the tires wheeling into the parking lot. “Just keep your motherfuckin’
head, Cooper.”

“Yeah, I got you.” He was already out of the car before Phil came to a full stop,
then racing across the parking lot, Tommy and Phil on his heels. He could hear the
sirens getting closer and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam’s Charger pulling
into the lot.

Cooper glared at Tommy, who was punching something in his smartphone. “What the fuck
are you doing?”

“I’m calling Jackson to let him know we’re here so AFPD doesn’t shoot us,” he muttered
and was already running for the back of the building with Sam.

• • •

Kyla turned her head as the chief of police walked out the door. He was going to help
Marla cover this crime. He was going to help this woman kill her. She had to get out
of here.

“Now, let’s finish what I started, shall we?” Marla moved fast, stabbing downward
with the knife.

Kyla jerked her head to the side and rolled just out of reach. She heard it slam into
the floor of the stage but she didn’t look back. She was in full-on scramble mode
to get some distance between her and the maniac. She pushed up with a grunt, the pain
in her shoulder worse than before, but she ignored it. When she heard Marla’s breathing
get closer, she swung around and kicked out hard at the woman’s knee. Marla grunted
and her forward progress was stalled as she wobbled and stumbled.

A quick glance revealed Marla no longer had the knife in her hand. This was at least
progress. Kyla took a step back, about to turn tail and run like hell when Marla lunged.
She felt the fist connect with her cheek, her head snapping to the side.

That was enough. With pain radiating in her face, she ran at Marla and tackled her
around the waist. Marla hit the hard floor of the stage with a thump and cushioned
some of the impact for Kyla. Kyla raised up and brought her hand back before landing
a blow to Marla’s jaw. Somewhere in the background she heard yelling and a ruckus
at the door, but it didn’t register. She reared up and hit Marla again, ignoring the
pain of the woman’s kicks and scratching.

“Kyla!”

Kyla recognized Cooper’s voice, but it was muffled. And she couldn’t afford to back
down. She had to keep fighting. If she gave Marla even a second, her life could be
over. And that was
not
going to happen.

Landing another punch, Kyla didn’t see Marla’s fingers reach up and grab the shoulder
with the knife wound and press her fingers into it. The pain radiated through Kyla’s
body and it took a second for her to realize the cry she was hearing was her own.
It threw her off balance and that gave Marla an in.

“They won’t be in time,” Marla cackled—actually cackled—and struck out with her fist,
snapping Kyla’s head back and rolling Kyla onto her back.

Marla grabbed Kyla’s hair, then scrambled to a half-standing stance as she tried to
drag her. Seeing Marla bent over with her legs and vulnerable, Kyla pushed up with
her hips and kicked out and up with her feet.

Marla howled as Kyla’s foot connected with her pelvis and she crumpled to the floor,
writhing in pain. Apparently getting kicked in the vag hurt like hell, something Kyla
hoped she would never have to remember for the future.

“I’m in here!” Marla was struggling to get up and even as Kyla limped backward, unable
to run as the pain and exhaustion started to overwhelm her, Marla’s unabashed hatred
and rage radiated throughout the room.

“Stay down, bitch!” Kyla screamed. Marla’s mouth twisted into a murderous grin and
she continued her advance, trapping Kyla at the edge of the stage. If Marla rushed
her, she’d topple over. It was only a few feet, but in her condition it was not something
she wanted to endure. Kyla’s eyes flicked around the room; she saw light entering
the bar from the doorway and could just make out the shadows running toward them.

Using the adrenaline pumping through her system Kyla took a breath and rushed Marla,
spinning her around in the process.

She heard Cooper’s voice scream her name, but Kyla was hell bent on finishing this.

She grunted as her shoulder connected with Marla’s chest but ignored the pain and
pushed through. Marla’s arms wheeled back as the woman crashed over the side of the
stage. Kyla heard a sickening crack, her eyes registering that Marla was on the ground,
her head at a strange angle and blood pooling underneath her.

Kyla didn’t have time to celebrate as the pain she’d tried to ignore shot through
her. She groaned and crumpled to the stage.

• • •

Cooper ran toward Kyla and didn’t stop, not even when Marla’s head hit the floor,
the audible crack hard to miss. His sole attention was on Kyla. He jumped on the stage
and his arms caught her just as she lost consciousness.

“Holy fuck,” Tommy breathed, rushing to Kyla.

Sam headed over to Marla to check her pulse. “Marla’s dead. Guys, give me your guns,”
he commanded. “Whether Jackson is on our side or not, I still don’t trust AFPD. And
if Saybrook is here and sees ‘em, we’re fucked. I’m going to run them to the truck
before the cops get here.”

The guys handed over their firearms and Sam was gone in a flash.

Cooper held Kyla in his lap, the palm of his hand resting gently on her cheek. His
thumb caressed the bruise already starting to form where Marla had hit her. “Come
on, baby, you can’t leave me. You can’t shake up my world and then leave. You hear
me? Please.”

Kyla groaned in response. “All right, already. Why is everyone being so loud?” Her
voice was barely a whisper, but it was something. He couldn’t help but laugh, relief
flowing through him. It only increased when Kyla squeezed his hand.

“Keep her talking, Cooper,” Tommy instructed. Cooper nodded but never took his eyes
off the woman he didn’t ever want to go a day without seeing. “You have to stay awake,
Ky. Let Tommy do his thing, but keep those gorgeous eyes open for me.”

“I got it. Stay awake, I think I can do that,” she murmured. He felt her body shudder
against him.

“You’re just going to do what I asked? Without argument? Must have been quite the
blow to head for you not to argue.”

“You know you love it when I argue with you. It keeps you on your toes.” Kyla gave
in to a little laugh but her body tightened in response.

Mike crouched nearby. “Kyla, seriously, don’t ever fuckin’ do that again. Ever.”

She struggled to open her eyes and turned her head toward her brother, who looked
as white as a ghost. “Hey, you know me. I got a hard head. It’s going to be fine.”

Phil stood at the edge of the bar. He shook his head slowly and muttered, “Fuck me.
The woman is bleeding on the floor of a titty bar, and she is the one reassuring you
guys everything is fine.”

“What can I say, Phil, a woman’s work is never done.” Kyla coughed and closed her
eyes. “I’m cold.” She shivered in Cooper’s arms as Tommy barked for a blanket. When
it settled over her, she snuggled against Cooper and her eyes closed again.

“Don’t you fall asleep, Kyla. You and I gotta have words about this mess. So don’t
be doing anything stupid like checking out on us. You understand me?” Jackson said
from nearby.

Her eyes fluttered again and she held his gaze a long moment before speaking softly,
“On one condition. You be nice from now on. Be the guy who has been helping to keep
me safe these last few months.” It was dirty, and a possible deathbed promise, so
how could Cooper feel like laughing at her gall?

Jackson nodded but muttered to Cooper, “Your woman’s fuckin’ crazy.”

Cooper grinned and Jackson stalked away.

“We have to get her to the hospital” Tommy said softly to Cooper. “She’s losing blood
fast.”

Cooper nodded and lifted Kyla in his arms. He set her down on the stretcher, leaning
down to brush his lips against her forehead. She grabbed his arm and he could tell
her grip was weak. “We’re going to get you fixed up, Kyla. And then this nightmare
will be over. It’ll finally be over.”

“Are you done yet?” Seriously, Kyla had never fussed so long on a pedicure in her
life.

“Stop your whining.”

She shot Sarah a glare, but the woman just grinned and went back to painting Kyla’s
toes.

“I’m not whining. But dinner is going to be done soon and I’m starved.”

Since the attack a week ago, Sarah, Mike, Rose, Maggie and Cooper—especially Cooper—had
made sure she rested. They accomplished this by hovering and not letting her do anything
for herself. Kyla wanted to work and she needed to get out of this house. She wanted
her normal.

When she’d arrived at the hospital, the doctors had blood at the ready, thanks to
Tommy. Her shoulder wound required 37 stitches, but other than that, there was no
lasting physical damage. Her body still ached, but the bruises were fading.

Cooper was wired the first couple days, not wanting to let Kyla out of his sight.
She’d wake up in the middle of the night and he’d be sitting up in bed, eyes wide
open and watching her.

“Cooper, it’s okay. Go to sleep.” She’d said this on the second night and Cooper had
settled next to her, his arms curled tight around her.

“It’s like if I blink, you’re going to be gone. I can’t get rid of that feeling, Ky.
I can’t get the images of you, of your blood, out of my head. I won’t ever forget
that or the fear that came along with it.” He had whispered in her ear and Kyla knew
it was her turn to comfort him. She had rested her cheek on his chest.

“Cooper, I don’t know how to get rid of those images. Sometimes I see scary things
too, and I can’t get those pictures out of my brain. But thinking about you, here,
wrapped up with me, that helps. We’re okay, Cooper. I’m okay. And I promise, I’m not
going anywhere.”

“Damn right you’re not.” His words had been muffled as he kissed her neck. “Let’s
get some sleep. I think we both need it.”

Kyla had stayed awake until she felt Cooper’s breathing ease and felt his body relax.
Only then did she close her own eyes.

Their talk seemed to settle Cooper’s mind a bit, but not by much. He was still overprotective
and bossy. But she was happy to deal with that part of him if it meant he would get
some sleep at night. She had to remember he had gone through an ordeal, too. Not only
had he seen her almost die at the hands of a psychopath, but he also had to deal with
the fact he hadn’t been there to protect her from it. For a guy like Cooper, this
was a blow. So she was going to give him time. And besides, sometimes being taken
care of was nice. How many times would she get the chance to have someone waiting
on her hand and foot?

Still, Kyla had convinced him to let her go to work starting Monday. She had lessons
to make up for, and according to Steve, the kids had been hanging around the bookstore,
constantly asking about how she was doing and giving him cards and flowers to pass
on to her. She had quite the collection she planned to take to the music store and
display on the counter.

“All done.” Sarah capped the polish and both women turned as Maggie came through the
door.

“So, you’re staying then.” Maggie declared. “I mean, if you’re running the store now
and staying with Cooper, you aren’t going home with Mike, right?”

She nodded. “Nope. I’m here to stay. This is my home now.” They turned their heads
toward the men in the next room: Cooper, Justin, Phil, Tommy, Sam, Derek, and another
friend Kyla had only recently met, Roger, sitting on the couch watching a game. Edith
and Sheena were fighting in the kitchen over whether the salad dressing had enough
spice to it. “Besides, even with Frank in jail, what do I have to go back to? Mike
likes it here, and my mom is going to come stay for the holidays. And anyway, my heart,
are here. I couldn’t even consider leaving.”