Chapter 22
22
Amelia
“ I ’M DISAPPOINTED IN him, too, but make no mistake about it, Morse is one of the good guys,” Rabbit said, marching beside me toward the bathroom.
He was right, but I couldn’t resist the urge to point out the obvious. “And yet, he’s been lying to me.”
“Not lying. He’s too smart to lie.”
“Lying by omission is still lying.”
He dipped his head in agreement. “True. But you don’t have the complete picture. He’s…” He stopped in front of the bathroom door and turned to face me. “Morse has been holed up in the surveillance room for a long-ass time, watching over everyone he cares about. But you… you got him out of there. He’s spent more time out of the club this past week than he has the entire time I’ve known him.”
That was… interesting.
“Ain’t a damn one of us normal, but he’s trying. For you. You’ve got every right to give him hell, and I’ll be disappointed if you don’t, but that man would do anything for you.”
Rabbit’s truth bombs didn’t fall on deaf ears, but I wasn’t ready to talk about Morse yet. His betrayal still stung. I’d forgive him eventually—I’d never been good at holding a grudge—but I had the right to stew in my anger for a while.
I dipped into the bathroom before Rabbit could say more. Taking my sweet time, I used the facilities and washed up, wincing at the haggard woman staring back at me in the mirror. I desperately needed a makeover and a good night’s sleep, but the best I could do was splash cold water on my face.
It was time to push my personal bullshit to the side and rally. Carol needed me. With a brief pep talk in the mirror, I headed for the door, but Rabbit was nowhere in sight when I stepped into the hall. Confused, I crept out, peering toward the waiting room and wondering if he’d headed back without me. I didn’t think he’d do that, but it was the only answer that made sense. Before I could retrace our steps, a door to my right opened with a click.
Eric Landry stepped out of the stairwell. He met my startled gaze and smiled like we were old friends. “Hi. Amelia, right?”
He recognized me?
Confused, I gave the asshole a curt nod, but I refused to hold my tongue. “Eric. Nice of you to finally visit your mom in the hospital.”
His jaw ticked, but his smile only widened. “I’ve been here for a while. Where have you been?”
This dickhead .
Was he really questioning my commitment to his mother? He didn’t deserve Carol, and I was in no mood to put up with his shit. Or to go to jail for assault. Determined to take the high road and not lay into the motherfucker, I pushed my shoulders back and headed for the waiting room.
Before I could take my second step, arms wrapped around me. Startled, I tried to shove him off, but Eric yanked me against him. I cried out, and he slapped a hand over my mouth.
What the fuck?
Rage filled my veins as Eric Landry tugged me toward the stairwell. I bent my knees, trying to escape his hold, but I was so stiff from the day-long motorcycle ride that I couldn’t move fast enough. He picked me up, hauling me against him. I swung and kicked wildly as he opened the door he’d come out of and squeezed us through.
Once we were in the stairwell, I saw why he hadn’t fully opened the door. Rabbit was lying in the way. His eyes were closed, and blood pooled beside his head. Was he dead? Had this monster killed Rabbit? I tried to scream, but Eric’s hand muffled the sound. So, I bit him.
Something happened. Pain exploded across my cheek. My vision blurred, and my ears rang. I was suddenly facing the railing. Had the motherfucker just slapped me? Before I could get my bearings, Eric slammed me into the railing. It bit into my stomach as he gripped the back of my head and shoved me forward, bending me over the metal to show me how far of a drop it was to the bottom.
“See that?” he growled in my ear. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’ll toss your ass over.”
I’d never been afraid of heights, but this was my first time staring a five-story fall in the face. Fear skittered up my spine, turning my body to lead.
“Now come on.” He jerked me forward.
I stumbled, trying to keep pace as he half dragged me down the stairs. “Why are you doing this?”
“What’d you expect me to do? Sit back and allow you to slide in and take what’s mine? No. That’s not happening.”
What the…?
“I have taken nothing from you. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. Look, if we could just talk?—”
He yanked me forward so hard that pain shot through my neck and down my spine. “I told you to shut your goddamn mouth.”
So much for reasoning with him. I clamped my mouth closed and complied, biding my time until we reached a less-than-lethal height. By the third floor, my leg was doing the screaming for me. Every step down, something behind my knee sent shooting pain down my calf. Around the second floor, I stumbled forward. Had Eric not been trying to rip my arm out of the socket, I probably would have fallen down the stairs. He tugged me to a stop, dragged me closer to him, and then slapped his hand over my mouth again.
“Bite me again and die,” he said.
Appeased by the fear he must have seen in my eyes, he half-carried me the rest of the way. We pushed through the door into a hallway. I frantically struggled to get away, screaming despite his warning, even though it did no good. He manhandled me across the hall and out of the exit.
When I landed a kick to his shin, he threw me against the building. The rough brick bit into my shoulder, making my teeth rattle.
“You’ll pay for that, you stupid bitch!”
He wound up and punched me in the stomach.
Oh. My. God.
Searing hot pain doubled me over, making me cough and wheeze. Eric chuckled, proud of himself. But someone was coming. A sleek black town car rolled toward us. Seeing my chance at a rescue, I waved my arms and tried to stand upright.
Eric grabbed hold of me and dragged me toward the car.
No!
This was not a rescue, this was his getaway car, and I knew the odds. If this asshole got me into that vehicle, I was as good as dead. He might have already killed Rabbit. Spurred by the thought, I fought for all I was worth.
Fuck this!
I screamed.
“Amelia!” Morse shouted behind me.
I tried to turn—tried to get to him—but it was too late. We were at the car.
Eric opened the door and shoved me forward. Rather than ducking, I flailed, making myself as big as possible, and slammed into the doorframe. It hurt like a bitch, but I channeled my inner rabid trash panda. If I could hold out until Morse reached us, I’d be saved. When he couldn’t force me into the car, Eric caged me between his body and the interior as I flailed and screamed. He dipped into the interior and grabbed something. When he spun back around, I caught a glint of metal.
Eric leveled a gun at Morse.
Time stopped. My leg was on fire, but it was still stronger than my arms, so I kicked, aiming for Eric’s gun arm.
My foot connected at the same time a gunshot rang through the air. The shot went wide, slamming into the brick building.
Eric swore and lined up another shot as something flew at his head. He ducked, batting the dark object away. That minor distraction gave Morse the window he needed to attack. He was on him in a heartbeat.
I blinked, and Morse was the one holding the gun.
He fired a shot, and the hiss of air told me he’d taken out a tire. Stabbing the barrel into Eric’s chest, Morse's gaze flickered over me and then took in the car's interior.
The sirens wailing in the distance were growing louder.
“Turn your ass back around and put your hands on the wheel, or I shoot.”
Behind me, I heard the driver shift in his seat.
“Go back inside the hospital, Amelia,” Morse said.
I didn’t want to leave him, but I had no weapon, and the police were closing in. Besides, all my adrenaline was spent, and I shook like a chihuahua in a snowstorm. Extracting myself from where I’d pressed into the car’s door jamb, I scurried back toward the door, reaching down to grab the cell phone Morse threw at Eric.
“You okay, Angel?” Morse called out over his shoulder.
“Yes. But Rabbit….”
“He’ll be all right. I called it in.”
“Oh, thank God.”
Four police cars raced around the corner, coming to a screeching halt. Within seconds, Morse had seven guns trained on him.
“I’m not the bad guy here,” he said, slowly lowering the gun and kicking it toward the police. Then he put his hands on his head, surrendering.
Two officers rushed in.
“This man was trying to force that woman into his car,” he gestured toward me with an elbow. “The gun is his.”
‘His’ came out in a huff as a cop shoved him into the vehicle and slapped handcuffs on his wrists.
My stomach jumped into my throat. “Hey! Don’t hurt him. He’s telling the truth. He saved me!”
Other officers swarmed the scene, ignoring my pleas to stop manhandling Morse and gesturing for me to stay back as they retrieved Eric and his driver, the man from the waiting room.
One cop finally split off and approached me to take my statement, and while I was desperately filling him in on what had happened, Link and Emily showed up. The minute they saw us, Emily headed for Morse, and Link approached me.
“You okay, Amelia?” Link asked, interrupting the young officer and scanning me for injuries like a big brother might. Funny, since I was pretty sure I had a few years on him.
“I am. Thanks to Morse. Have you heard anything about Rabbit?”
“He’ll be all right,” he assured me, gesturing for the cop—whose hand was now on his taser—to continue his interrogation.
Link stuck by my side while the officer finished his questions. The cop’s warning not to leave town topping off our conversation with a cherry. When I was finally released, Link pulled me aside.
“Morse discharged a firearm in a public place, so he’ll have to go down to the station to deal with this mess. But don’t you worry about him. He’s done nuthin’ wrong, and he’s got the best damn attorney in Seattle.”
His eyes focused on something over my shoulder, and the respect and admiration shining in his eyes told me he was staring at his wife. That’s how he’d looked at her in his office, too. These biker men really loved hard.
“Any update on Rabbit?” I asked.
Link glanced at his phone. “A small head wound. Havoc and Julia were having dinner nearby, and they’re with him. Havoc said the wound looks like it’s from the butt of a gun. The piece of shit must have hit Rabbit from behind and knocked him out cold. They’re getting him prepped for stitches. He probably has one hell of a concussion, but he’ll live.”
“How’d they get a gun into the hospital?” I asked, remembering the metal detector we’d gone through.
Link gestured at the door, which notably had no obvious security features.
Feeling like a dumbass, I nodded. “Ah.”
“Rabbit’s ol’ lady is on the way. I only hope the cops haul Eric out of here before she shows up.” Link leaned against the building, folding his arms. “There’s something else you should know.”
I had a feeling I knew why he’d grown so somber. “Eric put the hit out on me, didn’t he?”
“Tap and Morse both believe so.”
“Why? I’ve never met that asshole until today.”
“We’re still trying to figure that out. But until the cops convince him to cancel the hit, you’re not out of the woods. Since Morse can’t be with you right now, a handful of his brothers will be around to monitor shit.” He straightened, waving to someone behind me.
I turned to find a biker I hadn’t yet met. He had dark hair and eyes and appeared to be of Asian descent. When the biker reached us, Link introduced him as Sage.
“Sage will take you in.” Link was still eyeballing my face, making me wonder if Eric’s slap had left a handprint. “You should hit the ER and get checked out.”
That was the last thing I wanted to do. “I’m okay.”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “You sure?”
“Nothing’s broken or bleeding. Just some bruises.” I’d already missed visiting hours but hoped I could talk a nurse into letting me see Carol, if only for a minute. A visit to the ER could take all night.
“I’ll keep an eye on her, Prez,” Sage assured him.
We went back into the hospital and took the back elevator up to Carol’s floor. I spent the ride preparing my sob story. I’d beg and plead if I had to. Anything to keep Carol from dying alone.
Thankfully, the nurse behind the desk was expecting me.
“Amelia?” she asked as we approached.
“Yes. I’m here to see Carol Landry. I’m so sorry I missed visiting hours, but I….”
The nurse held up a hand to stop me. “Say no more. She’s been expecting you and asked that we send you back immediately.”
Had the patient been anyone other than Carol, I would have been surprised. Sage and I followed the nurse through the patient doors and down the hall. When we arrived, Carol was asleep.
Careful not to wake her, I padded to her side and covered her hand with mine. Man, she looked awful. She'd shed more weight in the two weeks since I’d last seen her. With sunken eyes and skin so pale I could see the blue of her veins, my friend looked rough. An elephant sat on my chest as tears prickled the backs of my eyes.
Sage lingered by the door, giving us privacy, while the nurse flitted around, checking machines and making notes.
“How’s she doing?” I asked.
It was a stupid question, considering that Carol was dying, but the nurse humored me with a response.
“She’s a fighter.”
“That she is.” She’d already been fighting this fucking disease for a year longer than the doctors had initially given her. But looking at her now, I knew time was running out. Despite everything, returning to Seattle had been the right move.
“Stubborn, too,” the nurse added. “She made me promise to bring you a bed so you can stay.”
“That’s not necessary. I can sleep there.” I pointed to the short, hard couch beneath the window.
The nurse nodded. “I suggested the sofa, but she insisted. Something about your sciatica giving you fits. I’ll be right back with the bed.”
I was too tired to argue and too grateful for Carol’s undeterred thoughtfulness, so I didn’t even try to stop the nurse. Instead, I wandered over to Sage, still standing sentry at the door.
“Want me to scoot you over a chair or something?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. Thank you, but don’t worry about me. I’ll grab one if I need it. Before I forget, I have something for you.” He tugged a phone out of his pocket and passed it to me. “Tap said he’ll get your cell back to you as soon as it’s safe, but in the meantime, he thought you’d want this.”
I accepted the phone, noting two unread messages from Prospect. I clicked on the thread, and two images of Morgan appeared. The first was from about forty-five minutes ago. She stood in a dark hallway beside a glowing vending machine highlighting her face.
In the second image, she was sitting on the lower bunk of a bed with her legs crossed, wearing flannel pajamas with her electronic tablet in her lap.
She was laughing.
It was the opened-mouth, crinkled-eye, bouncing-shoulder laugh I’d rarely seen since her father’s death.
Emotion stung my eyes and throat. A sob bubbled from my freaking soul and burst through the dam holding all my fears and worries at bay. I lost it. The waterworks came next, racking my body with sobs of relief. Despite everything, Morgan was safe. Leaving her had been the right move. I’d made it back in time to be with Carol. Eric had been arrested, and soon, this entire nightmare would end.
But Carol was dying, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Sage draped an arm over my shoulder and tugged me against him. Grateful for his warmth and support, I turned into him and bawled on his shoulder. This virtual stranger patted my back in silent reassurance, letting me cry until my well ran dry.
Feeling empty and exhausted, I pulled away with an apology.
“It’s okay. I’m a professional,” he assured me.
“At having women cry on your shoulder?” I asked.
He quirked a smile that made him look downright adorable. “I’m the club’s therapist.”
“Ah.”
Sage seemed rough around the edges, but his intelligence and compassion were next-level.
He offered me a box of tissues. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
I thanked him and mopped up my face, but my brain had turned to mush. No coherent conversations were in my immediate future. The nurse brought in the bed, and I stripped out of my gear—accepting Sage’s help with the body armor—until I stood in the outfit Morse had bought me. I’d changed into the sturdy black athletic leggings and matching shirt before we’d left Idaho and had been impressed by his choice. It was comfortable, and even the bra and panties fit perfectly, which I still didn’t know how he’d guessed.
With barely veiled excitement, he’d watched me unfold the outfit, making it evident he enjoyed giving gifts. Then again, of course, he did. He’d sent my kids presents as Joe. My head hurt too much to think about that, so I climbed onto the bed, covered up, and promptly passed out.
Carol woke shortly after I did the following day, and it was all I could do not to burst into tears again. I was so relieved.
She took one look at me and groaned. “Wipe that look off your face. Then find the doctor and get me the hell out of here. I want to go home and die in my study, surrounded by books and memories, not here in this concrete prison.”
Her voice was too raspy, her eyes too sunken, and she belonged in the hospital. But there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d deny her request. I found the doctor and arrangements were made. A few hours later, I climbed into the ambulance beside Carol as Sage, Zombie, and Spade followed on their bikes. According to Sage, Eric had called off the hit and would spend the foreseeable future behind bars, but the bikers insisted on coming with us, just in case.
We reached the house just as the medical bed was being delivered. The paramedics unloaded Carol, who kept drifting in and out of consciousness, as the bikers helped the house staff clear most of the furniture out of the study so the delivery team could set up the bed.
Shortly after Carol was situated, Thia showed up. Carol’s housekeeper, Jenny, and I headed to the front to let her in. Tires screeched to a stop outside. When I threw open the door, she’d parked in the circular driveway directly in front of the walk. Spotting me, she left her car door wide open and dashed forward to tackle me in a hug. I stepped onto the porch and braced for impact because this wasn’t my first rodeo. She stopped a breath from slamming into me because she was thoughtful and wrapped me in a firm hug.
“You’re okay!”
“Perfectly fine,” I confirmed.
She released me and stepped back, looking me over as she wiped tears from her eyes. Movement drew my attention. The bikers had popped out of their hiding places and watched us from the front of the first garage.
“And you three!” Thia said, stabbing her finger in their general direction and letting her body follow. “Why didn’t you tell me my friend here was in danger? I know you all know who I am and where to find me.”
“It was evening. You work early,” Sage said, taking a step back. I couldn’t blame him. Thia looked downright feral.
“That’s the same lame-ass excuse your boss gave. From now on, if she’s in trouble…” She swung that finger back to me. “Everyone tells me. No excuses. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.
“Thank you,” she said, spinning on her heel. “Is it okay if I park there?”
Nobody cared where Thia parked, so she and Jenny retrieved her bags and locked her car. Then Thia sat with the sleeping Carol while I showered and changed. By the time I came back down, Carol was awake, and Thia sat perched on a stool beside her and was chatting like she’d known the woman forever.
Thia’s smile turned devious as I joined them. “My new friend Carol and I were just talking about you.”
I eyed the two of them. “That sounds ominous.”
“Oh, it is. We were discussing this trip you took with your hot biker and decided you need to spill the tea.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I squeezed Carol’s hand. “How you feeling?”
“We’re not talking about me right now,” she said around her oxygen mask. “Or would you deny a dying woman’s last wish?”
I groaned, being dramatic even though I had every intention of giving in. I needed someone to talk to, and these were my girls. Thia was a freaking godsend. Now that she wasn’t screaming obscenities at the bikers, she was all conspiratorial smiles and cheer, precisely what we needed. I would hug her and tell her what a goddamn gem she was if it wouldn’t turn me into a sobbing mess.
Instead, I grabbed a second stool and squeezed in beside them while Thia pulled a bottle of red wine and three brand-new expandable cups out of her bag. Someone had made a pit stop.
“I don’t think Carol’s allowed to have wine,” I said, examining her oxygen mask.
“Says who?” Carol asked. “I can have whatever I damn well please. I’m the one dying.”
She had a point, but her head was elevated at a twenty-five-degree angle. “We’d have to sit you up and… maybe find a straw? Not to mention the mask.”
“Don’t be difficult, be resourceful,” Carol said.
Thia picked up her purse and started digging. “I have a straw in here somewhere. Aha! There it is. Still wrapped and everything.” She held up her prize.
The wrapper had seen better days, but it was mostly intact. We both looked at Carol, waiting for her verdict.
“What are you waiting for? Sit me up.”
Working together, Thia and I helped Carol take two sips of wine before I sat back and started my story. Carol was out by the time I got to the sniper, so I whispered through that part, not wanting to taint her dreams with my real-life nightmare. When I made it to the shower experience, Thia started forcing details out of me.
“But how big was his dick?” asked a raspy voice.
Thia and I both looked at Carol, aghast. Her eyes were still closed, but beneath her oxygen mask, a smile tugged at her lips.
Thia and I collapsed into laughter like schoolgirls, and I had to wipe tears away before continuing.
“What are you going to do?” Thia asked after I caught her up.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “He’s eight years younger than me.”
“So?”
“Everyone says age is just a number, but it matters. What happens when he decides he wants kids?”
“ If he wants kids. Not everyone does, Amelia, and you have no right to assume he will. No jumping to conclusions about a man who’s obviously willing to do anything for you. Sure, watching you without your permission is problematic and something you definitely need to talk through, but at least he’s into you. I can’t even find a woman willing to share a meal without her checking her phone. You have this man’s full attention. Do you know what I would give for that?”
“What if my kids don’t approve?”
“They’ll come around.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then Aunt Thia will thump them upside their heads with a reminder that their mom deserves to be happy. But I don’t think that’ll be necessary. You raised excellent humans.”
“I did.”
“Don’t underestimate them. It’s time to chase your own dreams now, Momma Bear.”