Liliana stifled her sobs, holding her breath to muffle her cries. Daminger's fingers stabbed into her scalp to keep her in place.

The crazed officer mumbled under his breath to himself, Lily's mind was so hectic and dazed that she could barely register what he was saying.

"Could've used the leverage your girl would've given-" he panted wildly.

Liliana bared her teeth, yanking away from his as she seethed. Tightening his fist, he kept her in place. "You'll have to do," he hissed into her ear. Flinching away at the feeling of his lips on her skin, Liliana squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"What-what'd you do t-to Taz?" Liliana's voice trembled. Daminger scoffed, keeping his strong hold on her as he dragged her through the busted down bedroom door. She stumbled, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Y'know I thought we could work this out, between us two. Waste of a pretty face. And poor Taz, he was the least of my problems-"

With wild, wide eyes Liliana frantically looked for the biker. Her knees weakened and it felt as if she would never stop crying, she wept when she caught sight of Taz lying up against her kitchen wall. Instinctively, she lept for him but was unsurprisingly jerked back into Daminger's arms. Through her blearly eyes and hiccuped coughs, Liliana could see shallow raises of Taz's chest.

He was breathing, Liliana heaved in relief. But she doesn't know for how long. She could see blood pooling from his shirt around his chest.

"Please let me help him, please, please," Lily begged.

"Nah..." Daminger grunted as he lifted his gun underneath her chin. "I told ya I needed you. Didn't have enough time to get far enough outta town... not without him tracking me down..."

Fisting her shirt in realization, Lily shook her head stiffly. "Please don't take me anywhere- I- this makes no sense! Gunner wants me- he wants me and he wants you gone! Now that- that you've done this do you think he's ever going to stop?" Her bottom lip shook as she tried to look back at Daminger.

The officer bared his teeth, he tried to ignore what she was telling him.

Liliana continued, "You told me... you told me Gunner isn't a good man. Gunner hasn't ever done this to me," her throat closed up as she thought about Gunner. Her Gunner. "He hasn't ever hurt me," Lily's voice thickened with emotion. "And he never would. Prove to me your the better man... please let me go. Let me help Taz, let me go back to my baby please."

Liliana was trying with everything she could come up with to appeal to his humanity. He acted as if he was better than all of the bikers, maybe that could be her ticket out?

She thought it was working when Daminger didn't respond. The only sounds echoing in the house was her own panting and Daminger's labored breaths. It looks like Taz had gotten a few shots off at him as well, his body was torn to pieces and he looked to be running off pure adrenaline.

Maybe... Maybe she could actually work something out? Could she wear him down or change his mind in his delirious state?

"If you leave right now- I'll- I would be a distraction for long enough. He wouldn't want to leave me, you'd have enough time to get far enough away. You know that. He's- He's changed all he wants is me and Rowan safe- the club safe. You're already hurt bad...Please just leave!" The desperation in her tone made her voice pitch. Her dark, bloodshot eyes darted back to Taz anxiously. Her lip quivered, her thoughts racing on about how if she takes too long Taz might die all because of her.

Still, the man holding her uncomfortably tight wouldn't budge. If anything, he pushed the gun under her chin even harder. Slowly, he began shaking his head, "I can't. I can't, we need to get out of here if this shit is going to work. I'll dump you somewhere when I'm far enough. I'll leave you somewhere you can use the phone to call after I'm long gone- but I am not leaving without you. So shut your fuckin' mouth." Lily winced as he prodded the barrel of the gun against her jaw.

Swallowing hard, once again all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut to try and keep herself as calm as possible.

But her eyes shot open at the loud roar of a motorcycle, then the following roars of more approaching. A sob of relief forced its way from her mouth even though Daminger was cursing up a storm pressed up against her. She could only imagine the scene outside of the house, she knew it was Gunner pulling up.

Outside, Gunner barely turned off his bike before he was off of it. He could see a police cruiser parked haphazardly in their yard. In his quick, frantic scan of the area he saw bullets riddling the closed front door. A wave of nausea slammed into him. He nearly toppled over, his knees buckling as he couldn't quite seem to get a handle over himself.

This is what Lily had been afraid of this entire time.

His throat was closing up with fear, he'd never felt this much pressure even in the most dangerous situations. Gunner felt a hand on his shoulder, knowing it was Butcher he blindly reached back at him.

Gripping his friends shirt, Gunner couldn't breathe as he heaved.

"I don't know what to do," it was the first time he'd ever said that and meant it. Butcher's own hardened eyes were rife with worry as he watched the biker president.

Gunner's voice sounded foreign to his own ears, raspy and croaky, he sounded near death. His world was spinning.

"They're in there," Gunner wiped his rough hand over his eyes as he pointed towards the house. "They're in there with that sick fuck! Fuck!" Gunner bellowed as he turned and kicked over the trashcans nearest to him.

"Gunner!"

Whipping around, a low noise ripped from his chest as he saw the neighbor that Liliana was close with. Her entire face was red, flush with how much crying she seemed to be doing. But Gunner couldn't be fucked to care about that when in the older woman's grasp was little Rowan who screamed loudly. The only thing she repeated over and over again was her pleas for her mother.

"Holy shit," Gunner exhaled in a rush as his legs carried him towards Esme faster than he could register. Rowan screeched and wailed, her squinted eyes landing on him and without hesitation she reached for him.

And he was doing the same before they were even in arms reach. Practically crushing the baby to his chest, Esme gasped as Gunner immediately knelt down with Rowan cradled into him. "Fuck," he couldn't help but chant as he couldn't put into words how happy he was to see the little girl. He glassy green eyes frantically searched her little body for injuries. She was still crying, clawing at his neck and shirt for a semblance of the safety she feels with Lily.

"I'm so sorry," Gunner kissed the side of her head. Her curls were all over the place as he repeated the apology. "All my fuckin' fault, I'm so sorry." Rowan whined, stuffing her face into his neck.

Panting lightly, he peered up at Esme who held her mouth while looking with anguish at Lily's house. "Where is she?" Gunner husked.

Esme stuttered over herself, "I-I heard gunshots... I saw her window shatter, I came rushing over to get them-them out." Covering her mouth again, Esme tried to muffle her cries. "Lily just kept asking me to take her," her voice cracked.

"Tried to pull her out too- I swear to god. He dr-dragged her back inside, oh god. She sc-screamed so loud," Esme covered her ears as if remembering the sound of her friend right at the moment.

Any relief he felt with Rowan in his care was squashed as he paled, pressing his nose to Rowan's head he closed his eyes for a moment. Breathing in deeply once, then twice, Gunner finally stood up.

Rowan's cries softened with his hand rubbed his back but she still shook even in his warm hold, pulling away a little the two looked at one another. "Gotta go get mama, okay princess? I'm gonna get her, I'm so fuckin' sorry baby," with a stray kiss to her forehead Gunner passed the baby back to Esme. And as if understanding him, Rowan held in her cries with only a trembling lip and teary eyes.

"Esme go in the house with her, Hollywood go with her. Take a few of the bikers with her," his voice had gained back it's usual confidence as his face flooded with determination. "Here's what we're doing. I need Butcher and Jude. We've got three entryways to use, the rest of ya'll are posting outside to meet this asshole with gunfire if he manages to weasel his way out again. We have Taz and Lily inside as far as we know so when you pull the trigger make sure you know who the fuck yer aimin' at!" Gunner practically spat as he gripped his gun, checking the ammo. Butcher and Jude stood at his side, waiting for the rough plan the president managed to concoct.