Maddog (Black Reign MC #10)

Chapter Thirteen

Jax

I could see panic had Holly deep in its clutches. She was looking for something to be royally pissed at so she could deflect her fear with anger. After Blade left, Wrath and Celeste stayed and the four of us sat on the couch in silence for a long while. Celeste gripped one of Wrath’s big hands in both of hers. Holly cuddled in my lap as miserable as I’d seen her since her last bout with leukemia.

“Jax,” she whispered, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion. “I’m scared.”

“I know, sweetheart,” I whispered back, squeezing her a little tighter. “But remember what Blade said. We don’t know anything yet. I’m gonna be right here with you regardless. You get me?”

She nodded miserably before tucking her face back against my chest and sitting passively. I could only imagine what was going on in her head. Scratch that. I knew at least part of what she was thinking because I was thinking it too. What if this was another relapse? How many could she have before the cancer became resistant to treatment? My reassurances didn’t seem to make much of a difference for either of us.

“Why don’t I make us a snack?” Celeste stood with a smile and headed to the kitchen. “Nothing fancy, just something to keep hunger at bay.” The attempt at normalcy was much appreciated. I was surprised when Holly agreed without protest. She even managed to nibble on some of her sandwich before pushing it aside.

“Nervous stomach?” I murmured the question in her ear. We hadn’t moved from the couch, Celeste having brought one plate with both our sandwiches and chips on it.

“I’m afraid I’ll be sick if I eat too much right now.”

I got it. I was tied up in knots too. I ate because I knew I’d need my strength if this didn’t break our way. Again, if Holly needed, I’d provide.

As the evening wore on, Holly grew increasingly restless. Her fears chased each other in circles around her mind and I did everything I could to distract her. I could see it happening and was powerless to stop it. We watched a movie in the living room, flipping through channels until we stumbled upon an old rom com that left Holly and Celeste giggling despite the worrying. Thankfully, it was hard to hang on to a fear not right in front of you. This respite was as much a blessing as an exercise in frustration.

It was nearly dark when Blade pulled back into the driveway. Wrath was on his feet while the truck was still moving, opening the door and beckoning Blade inside.

“She’s fine,” Blade said as he trotted from the Bronco to the door. Thank God the man appreciated the urgency of the situation. Not so much in an acute illness sense, but how Holly and everyone who loved her were currently in a kind of limbo, unsure if we needed to prepare for the worst or laugh at our own panic.

“What do you mean, she’s fine ?” Wrath snapped at the other man. “She’s anything but fine! Can’t you see how stressed she is? That can’t be good for her.”

“Calm down, Wrath. I mean she’s literally fine.” Blade smiled as he moved around the couch. “You have the flu, honey.” He grinned. “Influenza A, to be exact. Your white count is slightly elevated, but that can happen as a normal progression of flu. I’m still going to run several more tests on you, which will include a bone marrow aspiration.” Holly whimpered, but nodded her head in understanding. “I don’t want to do it because anything came back abnormal. I mean, it did, but nothing the flu wouldn’t easily explain. However, since you’ve had one recurrence and several recent stressing events, I think it’s better to be safe, and that’s the most accurate early detection method. I’m also going to do some scans. But your swab came back positive for Flu A. COVID was negative. We’ll know for sure if you start showing more common symptoms of the flu in the next twelve or so hours. Sore throat. Cough. Congestion. Sneezing. That sort of thing.”

As he spoke, Holly covered her mouth and coughed a couple of times as if to prove his point. I kissed the top of her head. Had I been standing up, I’d probably have fallen on my ass. I actually felt lightheaded with relief.

There was a loud THUMP, and I whipped my head around in the direction of the noise. Wrath lay in a heap on the floor.

“Oh, goodness!” Celeste hurried to her husband who was starting to come around now that he was no longer upright. Me and Blade took out our phones and started taking pictures. “Would the two of you quit clowning around and help me get his big ass on a chair?” Celeste was never angry. I thought she might be close now.

“I got this,” Blade said with a chuckle. “You keep your woman where she is.”

Blade knelt beside Wrath. Instead of helping him to his feet, he snapped a small capsule under his nose and waved it a couple of times.

“Motherfucker,” Wrath roared. “The fuck was that?”

“Ammonia capsule. Also known as a Howdy Cap. ‘Cause, you know, you sit up and say howdy.”

“You’re an asshole, Blade.”

“What? You were out cold!”

“I was not! Just stunned, that’s all.” Now Wrath looked more disgruntled than angry. “Anyway, I’m fine now.” He started to get up on his own, but Celeste stopped him.

“Right,” she drawled. “You’re pale as a sheet. If you fall again and break your fool neck, I’m not waiting on you hand and foot. Not over stubbornness.”

“Fine.” Wrath stuck out a hand to Blade who pulled him to his feet. Then he eased Wrath to a chair. Celeste got him a glass of water and what looked like a couple of over-the-counter painkillers. Big fucker’d probably need it after inhaling a big ol’ lung full of ammonia.

We all sat in silence for a while. Then I got the giggles. Once I started, so did Mom. Before I knew it, everyone but Dad was laughing. Blade actually wiped tears from his face.

“I don’t see anything so very Goddamned funny.” Of course, Dad was disgruntled.

“You fainted,” Blade supplied helpfully. “Like clutched your pearls and fuckin’ fainted .”

“You’re an asshole, Blade.”

“Yep.” He clapped Wrath on the shoulder. “Holly, I’ll let you know when we can do that aspiration. I know you ain’t exactly lookin’ forward to it, but given the recent stressors I still think it’s prudent.”

“I agree. Will you promise to give me some good medicine?”

Blade leaned in and kissed the top of Holly’s head. “Absolutely. Enough for a couple of days so you can stay as high as you want while you recover. Jax, you call me if she needs anything.”

“I will.”

“Now, Wrath. Let’s get you to the truck.”

“I’m fine now.” He shrugged Blade off and stood still for a couple seconds while he made sure he was going to stay on his feet. Or at least, that’s what I’d have been doing. Knowing Wrath, he could just as easily have been trying to figure out a way to get Holly to leave me. “Holly, come here.” He held out his arms, and Holly stood and rushed to her father. He enfolded her in his larger frame and stood there holding her for a long moment. Wrath was always the cool one. His responses were measured and always in control. Just not with his daughters. “I love you, kiddo. You decide this one ain’t worth the trouble and needs killin’ you come tell me.”

“I will, Daddy.” I could see her smile and thought I might be safe. At least for a while. When Wrath finally let her go, Holly covered her mouth and coughed several times before her eyes started watering, and she instinctively looked out the window into the bright light. Then she sneezed three times. “Ohhh,” she groaned.

Blade tossed me a couple of pill bottles. “Fever reducer and antivirals. May not help a lot, but it might keep her from getting really sick. Instructions are on the bottles.”

“Got it.”

“Fluids and rest, Holly. Fluids and rest.”

“Yes, sir.” She sighed and snuggled back against me while our guests let themselves out.

I wasn’t willing to break the silence. As far as I was concerned, if I could get her to sit like this and doze off, so much the better.

“I’m sorry I panicked.” Her voice was small, like she was ashamed of herself. Which wouldn’t do at all.

“Baby, if you hadn’t called me and I found about it later, I’d have blistered your ass but good. You did right to call me, and you had good reason to panic. I was there. Remember?”

“Yeah. I guess you were.” Then she looked up at me, her eyes wide. “But you came to me. In a freakin’ Black Hawk! Who the fuck does that?”

I laughed, leaning in to kiss her. “I do, honey. I will always do whatever I have to do to get to you. I work for and with men who would do the same thing if it was their woman so they’re all gonna pitch in and pool their resources to help our women. Do you believe me now? When I say I will always be with you? No matter what?”

“Well, if I can’t give the man who basically stole an attack helicopter so he could get to me half an hour faster the benefit of the doubt, who can I give it to?”

“That’s my girl.”

“Ohmigod!” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Don’ kisme!” Her words were muffled behind her hand, but I got the message.

“The flu wouldn’t dare make me sick,” I quipped. “If I want to kiss my girl, I’m gonna kiss her.”

“No!” She wiggled until I let her up. “No kissing.” She pointed a finger at me just before she started coughing again. Then sneezed once for good measure. “Don’t like bein’ sick.” She pouted prettily, but I could see she felt more miserable.

“Come on. Let’s get your medicine, then back to bed.”

“Will you stay with me? I mean, I could lie with my back to your front, so maybe you won’t get sick.”

“I will definitely lie with you, honey. I’ll be there to get you fluids or medicine when you wake up. I’ll hold you while you sleep.”

“You won’t be gone in the morning?”

If she looked unsure of herself, it was fleeting. The second I smiled at her, she relaxed, and I knew she might finally get it. “No. I’ll be right with you. And if you wake up while I’m in the bathroom, I’ll leave the door open.”

“Eww, gross.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to listen to you pee.” Her lips twitched a little before she managed to get the grin under control.

“I’ll try to do it quietly.”

She finally gave in to the giggles. Until she started coughing again. I shifted her so she wrapped her legs around my waist and stood, carrying her to the bedroom. After she’d taken her medicine and drunk a full glass of water, I helped her into clean underwear and one of my shirts before putting her to bed. I got a box of tissues for the nightstand for both of us and another full bottle of water for later.

After that, I propped a pillow behind my back and sat back with my weight against the headboard. Holly cuddled into my side with one arm draped over my waist. I put on a movie and we watched in compensable silence, laughing occasionally.

Finally, she stopped giggling and her breaths were deep and even. I looked down at her sleeping form. She was my world. My everything. The one person in my life I never wanted to be without.

“Jax?” She didn’t open her eyes, and her speech was slurred like she was only half awake.

“Yeah, honey.” I kissed the top of her head and spoke against her hair.

“I love you. So much.”

“I love you too, Holly. My little Maddog.”

She smiled. “It’s a better name ‘n Jax.”

I chuckled, hugging her a little tighter. “Yeah, baby. Maddog is the perfect name for you.”

“‘Cause I’m as badass as my road name.”

“You always have been, Holly. The most badass of the badasses.” She smiled again, this time, leaning up to kiss along my jaw before settling back against me again. “Sleep tight, honey. Sleep tight.”