Red Hot ~Nikki Sixx

Part 59: Predator and Prey

A/N

My wonderful readers—
Sincere apologies for taking so long to update. Thank you for hanging in. Long chapter to help make up for it.😘

It was quiet.

Painfully quiet.

Nikki took in his surroundings while crouched behind a cluster of large California oak trees.

"Damn, I need to quit smoking," he thought, his breathing taking a bit longer to even out.

Regardless, he was quite proud of himself.

He'd gotten away. Found a place to hide where he wouldn't be easily found by the gun-wielding psychos waiting to prey on any moving target.

Still, he waited a few more moments before getting comfortable with the notion that he was out of harm's way.

The afternoon had been nothing short of a bloodbath. Tommy barely lasted more than one minute once the shooting began. One would have speculated his lanky, long legs could have carried him to instant safety but in the end, they were his ultimate downfall. The drummer's tall frame made him an easy target for annihilation.

It didn't take long for the others to meet a similar fate and leave Nikki to fend for himself trying to balance the fine line between offense and defense to keep himself alive.

He'd been successful in finding his little nook between the closely placed trees. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay there forever. Any hope of survival depended on his getting out of the wooded area and back to home base without being caught.

Taking in and releasing a deep breath, Nikki took one final look around, and once satisfied that he appeared to be isolated, he cautiously stood and decided it was fine to proceed.

He made the wrong decision.

He hadn't taken two steps before he felt hands wrap around his shins and within microseconds, the earth was pulled out from underneath his feet. Luckily, contrary to the song claiming it never happens, there was rain in Southern California early in the week which left the ground soft, cushioning his fall.

While he had the presence of mind to put his hands out and avoid a total face plant or broken limbs, he still sighed in frustration as a booted foot rested on the small of his back to hold him to the ground.

Then he heard the distinct sound of a rifle cocking.

Defeated, he let out a deep sigh. He couldn't believe it had come to this.

"You don't have to do this."

Nikki propped himself up on his elbows and craned his neck to get a peripheral glimpse of the predator.

"Oh, I think I do." He could hear the nearly sinister amusement roll off her tongue.

"Put the gun down."

"Nope." She popped the P for effect. "Now roll over like a good boy so I can see your pretty face."

He did as told and couldn't help but smile up at his blonde bombshell girlfriend smirking back at him in camouflage coveralls with a black baseball cap covering her braided hair and a rifle pointed straight at him.

"Uh....uncle?" Nikki held his hands up in surrender.

Ashten pursed her lips and briefly hummed consideration for a beat before her smirk returned.

"Nope."

"Olly Olly oxen free?"

"Olly Olly..." Ashten scowled then simultaneously laughed and snorted. "I can't with you."