Chapter Forty-Seven
James
It’s not surprising that Sadie already has the EMT laughing. She’s sitting up on the little gurney in the back of the ambulance, a cuff around her arm as the EMT checks her blood pressure.
“James, this is Francesca,” Sadie says, gesturing to the EMT. The woman is probably two decades older than Sadie, but they look well on their way to becoming friends. Francesca removes the blood pressure cuff while Sadie tells her, “This is the guy I was telling you about.”
“Telling people about me, Venus?” I move closer so I can smooth her hair back and rest my hand on her neck. The pulse that thrums against my palm instantly calms my anxiety.
“Her daughter is a big reader,” she says, as if that clears everything up. I raise my brows, and she adds, “Never mind.”
The male paramedic who had been talking to Sadie inside climbs into the cab to drive.
Francesca continues checking Sadie, asking questions about each wound.
Her answers are kindling to my fury at Bowie and the rest of the Fivers.
Then she prods Sadie’s side, causing her to wince.
My teeth grind together and an unintentional growl escapes my pressed lips, which seems to make both women laugh.
“I see what you mean,” Francesca says.
Sadie pats my cheek. The smile she gives me settles any lingering annoyance, even when she says, “He can’t help it.”
“Stop talking about me like I can’t hear you.”
“The doctors may want to X-ray this to check for any internal damage or broken bones,” Francesca says.
“Nothing is broken,” Sadie argues.
“Just let them check,” I say.
“He only hit me once in the side. The rest was here.” She gestures to her face, which is already colored with several bruises and cuts, including a gnarly one on her lip that’s already swelling.
“All it takes is one,” Francesca says. “It’s better to check to be sure. You have insurance, right?”
Sadie nods.
“The doctor will have more questions. You can request a female if you’re more comfortable, or if you need a victim advocate, you can—”
“No,” Sadie interrupts. “That’s really not necessary. It was just the few punches I told you about.”
Francesca looks surreptitiously from Sadie to me. “You’ll have some time alone at the hospital to—”
“I promise, I’m fine,” Sadie insists. “I’m fine. And James will be staying with me.”
I let out a soft puff of relief. I wasn’t going to force my presence, especially if it made her uncomfortable, but the idea of leaving her even for a second made my mouth taste like bile.
At the hospital, they take Sadie away for the X-ray, and even though it’s only a few minutes, I still feel close to tearing my hair out. A nurse sets her up with an IV for fluids and pain meds, then, a few minutes later, June arrives like a wildfire, her eyes wide and hair a mess.
“Oh, my god.” She sucks in a hiccup of a breath upon seeing Sadie, then instantly starts crying.
“June, come on.” Sadie reaches out for her best friend, who falls onto the bed next to her. They hold each other in an awkward hug, Sadie rubbing June’s back. “I’m fine. Nothing like you were in February.”
I would disagree with that. Sure, June had a few knife wounds, including a stab wound in her leg, but their faces looked similar. And as much as I hated seeing June hurt, it doesn’t hold a candle to the turmoil caused by Sadie’s appearance.
After several minutes, during which I stand at the door so the girls can quietly talk and reassure each other of their safety, June asks a question that captures my attention.
“Is he dead?”
“The Fiver who did this, yes. Bowie? No.”
“Where the fuck is he?”
The anger in June’s voice makes me love her more.
Which is goddamn annoying. Not too long ago, I wanted nothing more than to bury this woman alive.
If you’d asked me just a few months ago, I would’ve sworn on the Saints that I’d hate her forever.
But now, here I am, fondly watching her cuddle the woman I love with the knowledge that they are the two most important women in my life.
“Somewhere in the hospital, probably,” Sadie says. Then, quieter, “Ace shot him.”
“How is Ace?”
“He was alive last time I saw him. He and Ev are here somewhere.”
“I have so many questions,” June mutters.
“You and me both,” I say. Then ask, “Have you talked to Theo?”
She nods. “Sounds like the South Five are scrambling. Most of their grunts are gone. Dead or running or arrested. With Bowie in custody and Gray on the run, I don’t think they’ll last much longer.”
“Have we found Gray?”
“Not yet. Maple is working on it. Luna is helping her, I think.”
“How is Luna helping?” Sadie asks.
June shrugs. “No idea. But she was quick to offer her assistance. Oh, and Benny is at your house with Soot,” she tells me. “I called him before coming inside. They’re both fine. Benny even sent me a video of Soot and Ellie playing.”
Sadie relaxes. “Thank you.”
“Of course, babe.” June rests her head on Sadie’s shoulder. “I take my job as Soot’s godmother seriously.”
“Godmother? Really?”
Both women stare at me. “She’s my best friend. Of course she’s my son’s godmother.”
“But he’s a do—”
“If you want to walk out of here with a girlfriend, I’d think twice about finishing that sentence,” Sadie interrupts.
My jaw clamps shut. June smirks and Sadie nods, satisfied.
We don’t get much more peace before a few uniformed officers arrive to take Sadie’s statement.
June kisses Sadie’s cheek and stands to leave, giving the cops’ backs a disgusted glare as she does.
The cops look at me expectantly, but I just cross my ankle over my knee and raise my eyebrows.
Sadie and I already discussed this, what she’d say and what I’d do, and we both agreed I’m not going anywhere.
She detailed what happened, and though I couldn’t see how the police would skew the situation to put any blame on her, even with her having killed one of the Fivers, we decided to leave that part out until consulting our lawyer.
Theo also downloaded the clubhouse video footage to a drive and wiped it everywhere else.
We’re going to hand over the footage from outside the clubhouse, since it clearly shows we were attacked unprovoked and our people were acting in self-defense.
Even if the cops wanted to arrest our guys, both Nemo and Pappi are dead.
Clyde will survive, but he didn’t kill any of the Fivers.
The footage from inside shows Sadie killing the Fiver, so we’re waiting for the lawyer before agreeing to hand that over.
Though we likely won’t, seeing as Ace also killed several men.
I still think everything he and Sadie did was self-defense, but the cops will want to put as many people away as possible.
“How are you feeling, Miss Oliver?” one of the cops asks when it becomes clear I’m not moving.
“Fine. Thanks.”
They introduce themselves as Officer Clark, a taller white guy, and Officer Stephens, a Black guy with a thick beard.
Then they dive into the real questions. Sadie handles it perfectly, giving as detailed a report as she can without incriminating herself or Ace.
No one has done a gunshot residue test on her hands, but they probably have on Ace.
So, she can’t pretend he never shot the gun.
Instead, she’s playing into the traumatized, scared, and confused girl routine.
She must have gotten her acting skills from her mom, because damn is she convincing.
So much so that my entire nervous system is on alert at the sound of her quavering voice and occasional sniff.
“I don’t know. It was… it all happened so fast. And after one of them attacked me, everything was so… distorted. I’m sorry,” she stammers. My hands curl into fists, the need to destroy someone a bubbling volcano in my chest.
“I understand,” Officer Stephens consoles. He’s done most of the talking and is kinder than the other, though it could easily be an act. “Whatever you remember could be helpful. What happened after Mr. Demos returned from getting your friend to safety?”
“He… I… Bowie was about to shoot my dog. And Ace came in through the back door. Then… fuck. I’m sorry.
” She runs a hand down her face, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Ace tried to talk him down again. But Bowie wouldn’t listen.
Then he… he shot him. It was so loud. I—” she sucks in a breath, her eyes shining.
If she had stayed in LA, I have no doubt she’d be spending her evenings on red carpets.
“Demos shot Bowie?” Officer Clark asks. He’s much more impatient and has been standing behind his partner, taking notes while Sadie talks.
She shakes her head. “Bowie shot Ace. Then Ace fell and I guess managed to get his gun. Because before Bowie could shoot me or Soot, Ace fired back. Both were on the floor when Evelyn came back inside. I could already hear sirens, but the rest was a blur. I… that’s all I remember.”
“So, this was a completely unprovoked attack? A bunch of gangbangers just randomly decided to attack a defenseless, innocent woman?” Clark asks, not bothering to hide his distrust and disdain.
“I don’t know? I guess? I didn’t really understand anything Bowie was saying. Like I said, we’d only been on one date. I ended things because he freaked me out. But I had no idea he was part of a gang.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, it’s what she said, so why don’t you back off?” I bite, standing from my chair next to Sadie’s bed.
“It’s okay, James.”
“It’s just odd that you dated one gangbanger, apparently, without knowing who he was, just to turn around and get in a relationship with another.
I’m sure you know who your boyfriend is, right?
He’s part of his own little gang that seems to be at war with Bowie’s.
And based on the many, many reports from this evening, the war seems to be going your way, doesn’t it, Hartley? ”
This cop clearly has a death wish.
“James isn’t in a gang.” Sadie’s voice is steady and filled with the unspoken order not to argue.
Idiot he is, he doesn’t obey. “He’s in an organized group of criminals. That’s a gang.”
“Clark,” Stephens says, shutting his partner down. “That’s not why we’re here.”
Clark’s jaw works as he struggles to stay silent.
Stephens, clearly the smarter one, faces Sadie again, smoothing out his tone before asking, “Did he say anything else? Bowie, I mean. About why he was there or—”
“That’s enough,” I cut him off. “She gave her statement. If you have follow up questions, you can contact her lawyer.”
“Lawyer?” Clark repeats. “Since when do innocent victims need lawyers?”
“Ask Detective Roszhart,” I say.
“You’re going to let your boyfriend speak for you?” Stephens asks. Maybe he’s not as smart as I was giving him credit for.
Sadie shrugs. “I’ve done a lot of talking. He may as well pull his weight for a bit.”
I smirk. God, I love this woman.
“We’re on your side here. Don’t throw your life away for him,” Stephens says.
“Throw my life away? By dating a man who will always have my back?”
“He’s a criminal,” Clark says. “Trust us. You don’t want to listen to him. You don’t need a lawyer.”
“I agree. But I’m allowed to have one, so why wouldn’t I? If they make your job harder, then maybe you’re not doing your job right.”
It takes a few more minutes before the cops realize she won’t be giving in. They leave, and it takes all my willpower not to attack Sadie with a kiss that would only be painful for her.
“You’re amazing,” I say, pressing my lips to the back of her hand. The words I love you are on the tip of my tongue, but a ringing saves me the embarrassment of blurting them out. Seeing Theo’s name on the screen, I answer. Everything inside me surges the second he speaks.
“We found Gray.”