Chapter 17
We are all standing around a green tent after the pastor finished his message and was dismissed. A light-colored wooden casket is in the center of us. Several hundred Dead Road members are here to lay our fallen brother to rest.
The women are all sobbing in their chairs as Stone and Blaze stand at each end of the box.
Melissa has been inconsolable since the hospital, and I’m not sure if she’ll ever be the same.
Crusher has her under his arm as he stares straight ahead.
All of us are wearing shades to hide our emotions over what has happened to our brother.
Fuck my chest burns looking down at the casket where Rocky’s body is.
“Rocky was one of a kind,” Stone says aloud to the club as he places a hand on the casket, clearing his throat.
“He didn’t let his disability slow him down.
He worked hard to be part of Dead Road, and even though he didn’t ride, he was one of us.
Rocky loved hard—” Stone pauses and works his throat again.
He shakes his head then faces where his little brother is laying.
“Your death will not go unpunished. I’ll avenge you, little brother.
” He pats the top of the pine box. “Rest easy, Rocky,” Stone says then turns to us. “One Road. One Family. One Fate.”
“One Road. One Family. One Fate,” the entire club recites back.
“I’m so glad you could stay longer,” Raegan hugs Ivy as she comes into the main area of the clubhouse.
We just buried Rocky and laid him to rest and are back at the clubhouse. The mood is solemn and sad. Rocky made such an impact on so many lives and not just the brothers.
“When can I go to the hospital to see Sutton?” Ivy asks looking around.
“We can go in a little bit. I haven’t been up there today.
Ian volunteered to sit with her while we laid Rocky to rest,” Raegan says as I listen to their conversation by the bar as all the brothers toss back a drink.
The mood is heavy. No one’s really talking.
Crusher and Melissa are sitting down at a table as other chapters come by and pay their respects to one of the founding members of Dead Road MC.
Melissa’s been having a hard time the last few days and from the bags under her eyes, she hasn’t slept much either.
“I’m just glad to be here and not heading back to Europe. I need these next two weeks to go by slow so I can catch up on sleep,” Ivy tells her.
“I’ll take you over when you’re ready to go,” I interrupt their conversation.
I need to be with Sutton after today. Right now, even though the doctors say we are living day to day with her condition.
I still am holding out hope that she’ll pull through.
They want to start weening her off the pain meds in the next few weeks and rouse her from the coma they’ve put her in to help heal some of her body.
Her upper body took most of the brunt of the explosion and fire, and she’s been covered up with dressings since she’s been brought to the hospital.
“Thanks, Havoc,” Raegan quietly says.
We sit there for a while and I numbly listen to Ivy telling about her adventures in Milan and Paris, not really paying attention, which is probably why I didn’t see Melissa come over.
“I need to get out of here,” Melissa utters. “I can’t do this right now.”
“Want me to get Crusher?” I ask, looking around the room for her husband.
She shakes her head. “I don’t want to go home, and he needs to stay to talk with some of the men from Tucson.”
“We’re about to head over to see Sutton for a bit,” Raegan offers.
“Can I come? I need to grab a few files to look over since I’m taking a few weeks of leave,” Melissa asks looking over at me.
“Of course, Doc,” I tell her. “Are you ready right now?”
She nods and we stand to our feet. The girls grab their purses as Melissa goes over to tell Crusher.
They share a long embrace and then she makes her way over to us.
Crusher and I both make eye contact, and I nod at him, letting him know that I’ve got his Ol’ Lady.
As we make our way over to the door, Stone stops us.
“Where you heading, Wildcat?”
“Havoc is taking Ivy and me to see Sutton. Mom wants to come and get some fresh air too,” Raegan tells him.
Stone looks around the room at all the smoke and at the brothers flooding into the clubhouse, then back at us.
“I could use a few minutes outta here,” he remarks. He must feel that weight pressing down on his shoulders too.
“You ain’t riding without me, Prez,” Reaper states. I didn’t even see him near us. With the person or persons still at large who mowed down Rocky, we’re riding in groups to stay safe until we have a lead or eliminate the ones responsible.
He nods and we all walk out into the parking lot. Stone and Reaper head to their bikes as I lead the ladies over to my truck.
When we walk in the hospital, Melissa breaks from us to head to her office for the files she needs while the rest of us make our way to the fourth floor.
Riot is sitting in the chair outside Sutton’s room and stands when we approach.
He took one of the other brother’s spot after the funeral today so that he didn’t have to be around anyone for a while.
The loss of Rocky is hitting everyone hard.
We’re all having a hard time processing it.
“Prez, Havoc,” Riot greets. “There’s been an update, and it doesn’t seem good. Ian was headed to check something out with her doctor before he called you.” He looks over at me with a slight frown. My stomach drops. I’m not sure any of us can take more bad news for a while.
Ivy and Raegan waste no time and rush in the room. Ivy stands shocked at the foot of Sutton’s bed with a hand over her mouth.
“I still can’t believe this. Who would do something like this to an innocent person?” Ivy’s voice trembles as she holds back a sob. “Who would want to hurt someone like her or Rocky? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Someone who’s pure evil,” Raegan states as she lightly traces her finger over Sutton’s. “That’s who.”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s her.” Ivy looks over to Raegan. “She seems bigger than what I remember a few months ago.”
“Maybe she’s swollen from the burns?” Raegan answers, but it sounds more like a question. I watch as Raegan tilts her head and starts to examine Sutton. Her eyes are inspecting my woman from head to toe.
Tears well up in Ivy’s eyes, and she waves her hand around fighting a losing battle. “Never mind, I’m just…sad and can’t believe this is happening.”
Riot comes over to Ivy and stands beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
I know they hooked up when she was last here.
When I’d asked what was going on with them, he’d said that it was casual and nothing more.
Said that she preferred to keep it that way since her career was the most important thing in her life right now.
“I’m sorry about Rocky,” I hear her say to my best friend.
“Thanks, babe,” he tells her.
“Want to talk about it?”
I walk over to the window and give them some space to catch up. A few moments later, Ian walks in.
“I saw Melissa down by her office, she said you were here. Dr. Kemp is on his way here to talk with you. Thought I could help with any questions,” Ian tells us.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Raegan clutches her chest, bracing herself. I’m frozen in place, and the buzz in my ears makes it hard to hear everything else he’s saying.
Stone goes to Raegan’s side. “Just tell us the news, so we don’t have to wait,” Stone snarls like a dog fed up. I think we all feel the same way right now. It’s starting to seem that every turn we take, we’re hit with bad news.
“She’s developing pneumonia, and our fear is that she’s not far from getting sepsis. Normally the immune system can contain the infection to one site, but she’s covered with burns that are vulnerable to this.”
“So, we’re going to lose her,” I choke out.
Dr. Kemp walks in and is able to read the room. “I know this isn’t the news you were hoping for, but do you have any questions?”
“This can’t be happening,” Raegan gasps.
“No, there has to be something you can do or give her something to make her better.” She turns to Stone, looking up at him, then places a hand on her tiny bump.
Stone sees the movement, and he traps her hand under his like he’s protecting the unborn life they made. “I can’t lose another person I love.”
“STONE! HAVOC!” we hear shouted from down the hall.
“Get in the corner and stay down,” Stone orders Raegan and Ivy. They rush over to the opposite wall away from the door and glass viewing window.
At the sound of Melissa’s frantic calling, we move into motion towards the door.
I watch as Stone’s stepmom runs down the long hallway.
Reaper, who’s been standing watch outside the room already has his piece out ready for a target to shoot.
She’s running like the dogs of hell are chasing her.
She’s got a folder in her hand. Riot, Stone, and I all pull our guns from under our cuts, holding them down, pointing at the floor until we see the threat.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Stone questions.
He pulls Melissa into the room as Riot and Reaper stay by the door to be a lookout. They have their backs to us but can hear the conversation.
“Something’s not right. It can’t be,” she mumbles, trying to catch her breath like she sprinted up all four flights of stairs.
“What are you talking about? What’s not right?” I ask, matching her same energy.
“Phillip told me about what Rocky was saying to Stone on the phone. How he saw Sutton,” Melissa slowly says as she catches her breath.
“Wait, what? Rocky said he saw Sutton? How?” Raegan interjects and comes over with Ivy. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” She looks over at her husband. “How could he have seen Sutton when she’s been here and Rocky was at the house?”
“We don’t know what he meant by what he was saying,” Stone tells his wife. “We aren’t sure what he saw or was looking at.”