Lake’s Legacy (Demon Dawgs MC: New Orleans #3)

Chapter Eighteen Olivia

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: OLIVIA

Pain sears through me as I clutch at my scalp. I don’t have to see the blood to know I’m bleeding. My fingers are sticky with it. The bullet must have grazed me. The thing about head wounds is they bleed—a lot.

“Annette,” I call out as I follow her through the swamp. “That bullet grazed me. I’m bleeding.”

“Shit. Can you continue?”

“Yes, but I need to stop the bleeding.” Ripping my shirt, I press the fabric against the wound. It won’t be enough to staunch the blood completely, but hopefully, it will stop it from dripping and leaving a trail.

“Lean against this tree. I’m going to look for some moss.”

Did she say moss? Before I can ask, she’s gone.

A few minutes later, she returns with her hands full of plants.

“What are you going to do with that?” I ask her.

“It’s Spanish Moss. Put it over the wound. It won’t stop the bleeding completely, but it will soak up some of the blood. It will also keep the wound clean.”

As she suggests, I press the moss to the wound and nod for her to keep going.

“We have to keep to the ground and stay away from the water,” Annette instructs me. “Also, watch the trees. That’s where the snakes hide. They’ll drop on you if you’re not paying attention.”

I stumble as she describes all the various animals out here that want to kill us. Maybe we’d be better off going back to the cabin. But remembering the looks in their eyes, I’m sure that I’d prefer to be killed quickly by something out here than face the nightmare of what they had in store for us. As I follow Annette, I realize that if I were out here alone, I’d be a goner. But with her, I have a chance.

We stay on solid ground, but the occasional splash of water reminds me we aren’t alone. I expect an alligator to leap out of the water and grab me. Of course, I also expect the men to catch up to us. I’m getting dizzy with my head on a constant swivel. Every so often, Annette snags more moss and hands it to me. She takes the used moss and drops it into the water. I guess so we don’t leave a trail.

“Won’t that bring the alligators?” I ask Annette.

“They aren’t sharks,” Annette tells me, which makes me feel better until she continues. “They can scent blood out of the water.”

The sky continues to darken. I don’t know how Annette finds her way through the swamp with so little light. I want to ask, but I’m afraid to do so. So far, none of her explanations have brought me comfort.

I’m exhausted. The hauling of the logs, the blood loss, and the humidity combine to make me want to curl up and sleep. But I know we can’t stop until we get out of this blasted swamp.

When Annette stops walking, I’m so lost in my thoughts that I almost bump into her. I’m about to question her, but then I hear a noise that stops my heart. Something, or someone, is crashing through the foliage and coming straight at us. My first thought is that the assholes found us, but then I hear loud snorts and know whatever we’re facing isn’t human.

“Shit, boars, climb the tree,” Annette orders, pushing me toward the nearest cypress tree. She pushes me up onto the trunk before scrambling up behind me. We’re only three feet off the ground when two enormous beasts burst through the undergrowth and run toward us. I can’t stop myself from screaming as they circle the tree trunk. Annette doesn’t have to push me to climb higher. I swear they grow larger as they get closer. Annette’s foot is only inches away from their snouts.

“Can you reach the next limb?” Annette asks.

I glance up and measure the distance. I can’t reach it from where I’m sitting. But if I can get on my knees or stand, I might be able to close the distance. Not wanting to fail Annette, I shift until my knees are under me. Glancing down, I see the boar make a jump that brings him much too close to her. The limb I’m on is on the thin side, but I get my foot planted in front of my knee. Using my arms to maintain my balance, I slowly rise and grab hold of the limb above me. Pulling myself up, I wrap my entire body around it. Relief pours through me when Annette takes the spot I vacated. We’re both out of reach of the frustrated boars. I don’t know how long we can hold on with the pair circle below us. Our strength will give it out long before they tire of waiting.

“How are you doing?” Annette asks. “How is your head?”

“I’m okay enough for now.” I lean my cheek against the limb while I use my right hand to check the wound. I feel the stickiness of congealing blood. “I think I stopped bleeding.”

“Good. I’m hoping they give up soon. Shit. Do you hear that?”

Fuck! What now? I listen hard but only hear the boars huffing and puffing below us. But then I hear large bodies crashing through the foliage, preceded by shouting. Shots scare the boars off before two dark shapes pass below us. Seeing Lake and Toff almost causes me to lose my grip on the limb.

Toff helps Annette climb down, and Lake comes to assist me. I cling to him as he holds me.

“Are you alright?” Lake hoarsely whispers as I lose myself in the safety of his arms.

“I am now.”

“Which one of you is bleeding?” Lake asks.

“Me. But I think it’s stopped.”

“Let me see,” Lake says. He shines the flashlight on my wound. “Still oozing a little blood. I need to examine it, but somewhere else. How did it happen?”

“Those bastards shot at us when they saw us escaping. The bullet grazed me. I don’t think they meant to hit either of us. They were probably just trying to scare us.”

Lake’s jaw clenches as he fists and unfists his hands.

“They might be looking for us,” Annette says. “We should get out of here before they come or the boars return.”

“The fuckers who grabbed you took off. But, yeah, we should get out of here,” Toff agrees.

Lake takes my hand while Toff takes Annette’s.

Toff takes the lead, and soon, we’re out of the swamp and standing next to a road. A short distance away sits a truck with a man standing beside it.

“You found them? Good,” he says, moving to open the door to the backseat.

“Baptiste?” Lake greets him. “How did you know where to find us?”

“Joseph said you were going to Running Bear’s cabin. I went there, but couldn’t find you. I saw your SUV and the tracks leading into the bayou. So, I figured you were coming through this way. Glad to see I was right. Hop in, and I’ll take you to your car.”

Lake squishes his bulky frame into the back with Annette and me. Toff stands outside with the phone pressed to his ear. When he ends the call, he climbs into the passenger seat and turns to face Lake.

“I told Joseph we found them and to call off the search. He’s sending a couple of guys over to watch Running Bear’s place to see if they return.”

“How is Celeste? Did she have her baby?” Annette asks.

“She did. Lake helped her deliver her son. It was fucking awesome to watch him work.” Toff grins at his brother. But I feel Lake tense up next to me.

I lean against Lake and stroke my thumb against his hand. “You did the right thing. Helping Celeste before coming after us.”

Lake kisses the top of my head. “I know, but it doesn’t change how wrong it felt.”

“We need to update the chief,” Toff interrupts us.

“Update him about what?” Baptiste asks.

“The men who kidnapped Olivia and Annette. They’re part of a neo-Nazi club,” Lake explains.

“I saw the back of their kuttes,” I chime in. “They had the words ‘Third Reich’ over the emblem of an eagle holding two flags.”

“Like this?” Lake asks, pulling something out of his kutte and handing it to me. I recognize the emblem immediately.

“Yes. But this says their base is in Nevada. Why are they here?”

“I don’t know. Also, I don’t know why they’re harassing our tribe and a bunch of business owners in New Orleans. I’m hoping Abra and Pirate can gather more information about them.”

“Abra and Pirate?” Baptiste asks.

“My brothers in the Demon Dawgs. I sent them the information I found, and they’re out looking for the bastards who took Annette and Olivia.”

“They’re coming here?” Baptiste asks.

“They’re headed this way.”

“Olivia needs to go to the hospital,” Lake states.

“What about updating the chief? Don’t you need to go there first?” I ask Lake. “I’m not showing any signs of a concussion, only a slight headache. Let’s go back to the chief’s house. I’d like to shower and change my clothes before we go to the hospital. I have a pretty good idea of how long we’ll be sitting in the waiting room, and I’d rather do it in clean clothes.”

Lake smirks at me. “Okay, we’ll update the chief first. Besides, I can clean and bandage the wound before we go.”

Baptiste pulls up next to Toff’s SUV. We pile out of his truck and climb into the roomier vehicle. Rather than sitting up front with Toff, Lake climbs in behind me.

When we pull up to Coyote’s house, I glance at the door and frown. “Does your dad always leave his door open?”