Chapter Twenty-One
Mitchell
Evie is in a medically induced coma to help her body heal. The doctors are cautiously optimistic about her recovery, but we won’t know if the prolonged lack of oxygen caused any damage to her brain until she wakes up. The uncertainty gnaws at me every second I sit here.
I’m in her hospital room, surrounded by the steady hum of machines and the rhythmic beep of her heart monitor. King, Ghost, Venom, and Reynolds are here with me. I haven’t left Evie’s side in the three days she’s been here, and I don’t plan to until I can walk out of this place with her.
King breaks the silence. “Knox has news,” he says, his tone serious. “Steel and Blaze are bringing him here so we can talk.”
“Did he find out who did this?” I ask, my voice rough with exhaustion. Every part of me feels worn down, but the rage burning inside keeps me upright.
“Yeah,” King answers, his jaw tight. “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“You need some rest, brother,” Ghost says, his tone firm but edged with concern.
“I’ll rest when I get my woman home and tucked into bed beside me,” I reply, the same answer I’ve given him every time he’s brought it up.
Ghost doesn’t let up. “I can have a cot brought in. Maybe a more comfortable chair.”
“Ghost,” I warn, my patience hanging by a thread.
“How are you going to take care of her when you get home if you’re too tired to function?” King cuts in, his voice calm but pointed.
“I’ll manage,” I snap, refusing to back down.
“After this meeting, you will get some sleep,” Ghost orders, his tone hardening. “I’m not asking as your friend. I’m telling you as your President.”
My glare could cut steel, but I know better than to push him on this. He’s right, and we both know it. “As my friend,” I say through gritted teeth, “fuck you. And as my President… fucking fine.”
Regardless of my situation, Ghost is the Obsidians’ President, and I respect that. Even if I hate it right now.
“How’s Ollie?” I ask.
“He’s fine,” Ghost answers. “He’s awake and can go home tomorrow. His left arm is broken, and he has a few cracked ribs.”
“He’s also bruised all to hell, but some of that happened before the building fell,” Steel says as he, Blaze, and Knox walk through the door. “I’ll be finding out why as soon as we’re done here.”
“He came to the clubhouse looking for help,” Knox says, his eyes filled with sadness. “Steel said it looked as if he was abused.”
As a bodyguard/bouncer, I spend a lot of my working hours at Blaze and Steel’s BDSM club, Oasis. I’ve gotten to know Ollie over the past two years as he’s a member of the Little/Middle/Baby Club. He’s a sweet boy but hasn’t had the best life.
“We’ll find out what happened,” Blaze says. “We’re going to have to wrap that Baby in bubble wrap and place him somewhere safe.”
Ollie isn’t a Little like Knox is. He’s a Baby. Being a Little is hard enough on your own, I can’t image what things must be like for him.
“What did you find out, Knox?” Ghost asks. “Who the fuck destroyed my club and injured two of my people?”
“A man by the name of Doodle,” Knox answers. “He works for Viktor.”
Fuck.
“But apparently, he did it to save the person he loves.”
“Explain,” Ghost says.
“Okay, Doodle is the father of Sandra’s baby,” he says. “Sara and Mitchell’s niece.”
“Viktor’s daughter?” King asks.
“The very same,” Knox confirms. “Sara lost all contact with Sandra, which is why she did what she did. She turned herself over to Viktor, thinking it would save Sandra. But it didn’t work. Viktor never planned to sell his daughter off to the highest bidder like Sara believed. Instead, he locked Sandra up and gave Doodle an ultimatum. Complete the task he assigned, or Sandra would pay the price.”
“Seraphina never mentioned Doodle,” I say, my thumb brushing softly over the back of Evie’s hand. “All she ever said was that Sandra had a daughter that Viktor sold.”
Knox exhales sharply. “She did mention that the baby’s father had disappeared after the birth. Anyway, Doodle has loved Sandra for years, but he pushed her away to keep Viktor from using her against him. It didn’t work. Viktor found ways to manipulate him anyway, threatening Sandra’s life every time he needed Doodle to get his hands dirty.”
From the doorway, Seraphina’s voice cuts through. “Sandra never knew,” she says softly, her eyes shadowed with pain. Beside her stands a man mid-thirties with messy red hair. This must be her husband. “She thought Doodle hated her. She told me that after the baby was taken from her, she never saw him again.”
“So his task was to blow up my fucking building?” Ghost demands, his voice tight with fury.
Knox shakes his head. “Not exactly. His task was to destroy Mitchell and everyone he cares about. Viktor wanted to send a message. Total annihilation. Doodle said he waited until most of us were in the building before making his move. But something stopped him. He couldn’t go through with the full plan. Instead, he waited until he saw the first group leave the building. That must have been when we left to confront Viktor. Then, he entered during the storm to cover his tracks and planted the charges. After waiting a couple more hours, he saw another group leave. That’s when he acted. He thought the building was empty when he hit the switch.”
“Thought,” Ghost repeats, his tone seething.
Knox nods grimly. “He swears he had no idea Evie and Ollie were still inside.”
“Don’t have sympathy for that bastard,” I say. “He nearly killed your friends. Regardless of his reasons, my woman is lying here near death because of him. I want him to fucking pay.”
“And he is,” Knox said. “The reason I know all of this is because he turned himself in. We just left the police station before we came here. He’s going to spend the rest of his life behind bars because of everything he’s done for Viktor.”
It’s not enough. Rage overflows, and I feel as if I’m about to fucking explode.
“Hey, brother,” Venom says softly. “You’re about to lose your shit. Let me help you.”
“How the fuck are you going to do that?” I ask.
“There’s a fight tonight at the Cage,” he says. “The man entering is a woman abuser. How about you tag in and release some of that pent-up frustration?”
“I’m not leaving this room,” I tell him.
“She’s not going to wake up,” Ghost says. “Not until the doctors do it themselves. I’ll sit here the whole time. If she so much as moans, I’ll call Venom and have him bring you back.”
I look down at Evie and take a deep breath. I don’t want to have these feelings running through me when she wakes up.
“Fine,” I concede. “But I’m angry enough that I’ll probably kill the bastard.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s died in the cage,” Ghost says. “I’ll have someone on standby to clean up the mess if that’s the case.”
“Let’s go, brother,” Venom says, standing. “You might even make a few grand.”
“Don’t leave her side,” I tell Ghost.
Leaning down, I kiss Evie’s forehead, lingering for a few seconds before following Venom out of the room.
“Leander,” Seraphina says before I get too far. “Mikhail and I are going home. We’re leaving here in an hour. I just came to say goodbye.”
Somehow, I push the rage back enough to pull my sister into my arms.
“You don’t have to go,” I tell her. “My home is always open to you and your husband.”
“I know,” she sniffs. Is my baby sister crying? In public?
“You’ll come visit?” I ask roughly.
“We’ll be back in a few months,” her husband, Mikhail, says from behind her. “Thank you for saving my wife, Your Highness.”
I sigh as he bows his head.
“Mitchell,” I correct. “Or, Leander, if you prefer.”
Releasing my sister, I shake the man’s hand.
“Don’t let this Princess get into any more trouble,” I say.
“I’m not really sure I can make that promise,” he says, resignation on his face. “She doesn’t do well with following orders.”
Brows raised, I look down at my sister.
“Do I need to pull rank, little sister?” I ask, causing her to giggle. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too, Your Highness,” she smirks. “I’m sorry that we can’t stay until Evie wakes up. Please have her call me when she’s ready. I would love to get to know her more.”
“I will. Love you, Sara.”
“And I, you, Mitchell,” she laughs.
I watch as Mikhail guides my sister from my sight before turning to Venom.
“Let’s go,” I say, letting all the anger rush back in.
“This is going to be epic,” he smiles.
***
The roar of the crowd is deafening, the air thick with sweat, smoke, and anticipation. My knuckles itch as I wrap my hands in the worn tape, the rough material biting into my skin. The bastard I’m about to face stands in the center of the ring, rolling his shoulders and bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s taller than me by a few inches, heavier too, with arms like tree trunks. But I don’t give a damn.
Venom claps me on the back. “You ready to teach this fucker a lesson?”
“Ready to tear him apart,” I growl, stepping into the ring.
The man sneers as I approach. “You think you can take me?” he taunts, his voice grating. “I’ll make you wish you stayed home, boy.”
I don’t respond. Words are wasted on men like him. Instead, I let my glare speak for me as I roll my shoulders, loosening up. The referee steps between us, giving the usual spiel about rules. Rules I have no intention of following. I don’t need the fucking money.
The bell rings, and I lunge, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
He’s fast for his size, dodging my first jab and throwing a hook aimed at my ribs. It connects, and pain blossoms along my side, but I don’t falter. I counter with an uppercut that clips his jaw, snapping his head back.
The crowd explodes, but I tune them out, focusing solely on the man in front of me.
He swings again, this time aiming for my face. I duck, his fist whistling past my ear, and drive a hard punch into his gut. He grunts, doubling over slightly, and I take the opening to land a brutal knee to his ribs. The satisfying crack tells me at least one of them is broken.
But he’s not done.
He shoves me back with a snarl, blood dripping from his split lip. “That all you got?”
I smirk, wiping sweat from my brow. “Not even close.”
He charges, his body a freight train of muscle and fury as he slams into me, driving me into the ropes. My back protests, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me wince. Instead, I bring my elbow down on the back of his neck, forcing him to release me.
We trade blows, hard, punishing hits that leave both of us battered. His fists are like sledgehammers, each strike sending shockwaves through my body, but I absorb them, channeling the pain into fuel for my rage.
Evie’s face flashes in my mind. Pale and still in that hospital bed. The image ignites something feral inside me.
I lash out, my fists a blur, as I hammer him with everything I’ve got. A right hook sends him staggering, and I follow with a left jab that splits his eyebrow open. Blood pours down his face, but he doesn’t fall.
The crowd is on its feet now, their shouts a chaotic symphony urging me on.
He swings wildly, desperation in his movements, and I sidestep, letting his momentum carry him into the ropes. Before he can recover, I grab him by the back of the neck and drive my knee into his stomach with enough force to make him retch.
He drops to one knee, gasping for air, but I’m not done. Not yet.
“Get up,” I snarl, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him to his feet. “You’re not finished until I say you’re finished.”
His swollen eyes meet mine, fear flickering in their depths. For a moment, he tries to swing again, a weak, sluggish attempt that I easily block. I deliver a brutal right hook to his jaw, the impact sending him crumpling to the mat.
The ref rushes in, but I push past him, grabbing the man by his shirt and lifting him just enough to look him in the eye. “If you ever lay a hand on a woman again,” I growl, my voice low and lethal, “I’ll make sure you don’t get back up next time.”
I let him drop, his body hitting the mat with a thud. He’s still breathing, but just barely.
The bell rings, signaling the end of the fight, and the crowd erupts in deafening applause. My knuckles are raw and bloody, my body aching, but I feel a grim satisfaction as I step out of the ring.
Venom is waiting for me, a proud grin on his face. “Hell of a show, brother,” he says, handing me a bottle of water. “I don’t think he even touched your face. Which, I guess, is a good thing considering you wouldn’t wear the damn mouth guard.”
I glance back at the man sprawled on the mat, then turn to Venom. “I’m going to shower then we need to get back to the hospital.”
I need to be with Evie. My rage is spent, and now all that’s left is the bone-deep need to hold her hand and wait for her to wake up.