Chapter Seventeen
Iheld off getting someone to check my lower ribs, but I swear something felt wrong down there, however my priority was getting Glory back home, and clearing things up with the club.
“You sure you don’t want us to stay? She made a right mess of your face,” Micro said, while Stag leaned forward with a smirk.
“It’s an improvement. Send her a thank you note.”
Rocket shoved him out of the way, and jerked his head at Marco and Lenore, who were still chatting with Glory. “We should stay ‘til those fuckers are gone, at least. Just in case.”
I glanced over at them, seeing the way Glory smiled as she spoke to them, knowing that, just for that, I’d never resent them, even though I was aching in all kinds of places.
“Nah, it’s all good. I’m sorry you guys got called out here, but Lissa was just being safe. I get that. I appreciate her too.”
“Don’t appreciate her too much, Ice can be a real prick.”
Grease shrugged when we all looked at him. “Hey, I like the guy, but he has his dickish side.”
“As do you, my man,” Stag said, slapping his chest. That was a mistake, clearly. Grease’s eyes narrowed on the hand that just touched him, and Stag gulped.
“Shit. No, I’m sorry. I uh… fuck me, Rocket, stand here, will you,” he rambled, trying to shove Rocket in Grease’s way.
“Nope. You did this to yourself, but take it outside, please. That nurse already has her hand on the phone, and I’m not looking to get arrested tonight.”
On Micro’s edict, everyone started filing outside, some snarking out chirpy goodbyes and goodnights to the nurses.
“I’m sorry, Pres. I didn’t mean to waste everyone’s time.”
He shook his head, flanked only by Rocket and Harley now.
“It was the right thing to do, and I know you’re just a prospect,” the corner of his mouth lifted, “but you’re family, man. We back our family. You have any more issues with them, call me. I’ll have support here.”
The momentary sting of ‘just a prospect’ was just that, because his words just reminded me that, prospect or not, I was family to them now.
They heard I was in trouble, and dropped everything to rush here.
That said so much about the kind of people they were, and the kind of club I was so desperate to join.
“Thanks, Pres. Thanks all of you, honestly, I’m just embarrassed you got to see the aftermath of my buttkicking. She’s fucking scary strong.”
“And behind you,” Rocket said, clamping his lips closed on a smirk. Fuck! I spun on my heel, but she was still sitting beside Glory, her eyes on us at the perfect time.
“You fucking…” I groaned, “I get it. I’m a pussy, but I swear, she hits harder than most of you.”
“Then you haven’t been hit by most of us, man.”
Micro laughed, shoving Rocket and Harley back a few paces as he turned.
“We’re out. Get home safe, brother. And get those ribs looked at. We need you capable of hauling rubble tomorrow.” Fuck. I watched them walk away, and lifted my t-shirt to check my stomach. Fuck.
It was another two and a half hours before we made it home, and not because they took ages to see Glory.
They saw her about five minutes after Lenore and Marco finally left, and then she insisted on me getting my ribs checked, which took all of a few minutes with one of the triage nurses.
Nothing broken, so basically suck it up.
I took her home, and then while she rested with a cuppa, and a fleece around her shoulders, I cleaned up the wasted dinner.
We hadn’t eaten, so I toasted some sandwiches for speed, and also because my stomach ached like a bitch.
We sat and watched Empire Records for the millionth time, both dosed up on pain relief, wrapped in the same blanket, with our stomachs filled with toasties, chocolate, and Skittles, which I’d stocked up on for her, because they were her favourites.
The sour ones, because she always used to joke she was more sour than sweet. She couldn’t be more fucking wrong.
She leaned closer to me, and without thinking, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She froze, and whispered to me.
“Careful.”
“I’m not touching it,” I said, gesturing to the carefully dressed burn, but she giggled, jangling the bracelet on the wrist that had been trapped between us. Oh fuck. The panic thing.
“Did I do it again? Fuck no. She’ll break even more of me.”
She shook her head, and pointed to her phone, which was charging on the table in front of us.
“She’ll phone first. When we got back I found four missed calls from her.”
Fuck me. That was one interactive charity. Thank fuck they found her.
“Well, my stomach and face hate her, but no, she’s amazing. Jesus, did she have a partner like Sean before fucking Andre the Giant there?”
Glory giggled again, leaning into my side once more, so I tugged the blanket tighter around us.
“Marco isn’t quite as big as Andre the Giant, but I uh…
I don’t actually know. I can’t imagine a man getting the better of her, well, unless that’s why she’s so deadly now.
Oh my god.” She sat up straight again and I groaned, because I had her right up against me, trusting me, and she’d moved again already.
“Jesus, woman, I was nice and warm then.”
She laughed, swatting my chest with the arm that damn bracelet adorned.
“No. I could get to be like her! Dangerous. Fierce. I could break men if they tried to hurt me.”
“No.”
Glory turned a glare so fucking fierce on me that for a moment I felt like she was channelling Lenore. Jesus fuck, that was chilling.
“I just meant that you won’t need to. I’m going to keep you safe, see? And you have a whole biker club who’d do the same. Two chapters. That’s like… I don’t know… fifty guys? More? I heard the other chapter even has mercenaries!”
“I owe it to myself to learn, don’t I?” Fuck.
Glory
The more I thought about it, the more it mattered to me. Knowing I could defend myself, even if I chickened out of baiting Sean so they could beat on him. I just wanted to know that if it came down to it, I’d be fierce and strong like Lenore.
Henley had grudgingly agreed to show me some moves, but said it’d have to wait a few days for us both to heal. That turned into a week, and then he was busy with club stuff, like something he called ‘some fucker being patched in’ when I knew that’s what he wanted for himself.
He had healed pretty fast, since Lenore had only bruised him, and my burn was healing nicely, with him patiently helping me change the dressings until it was allowed to be aired.
It still looked pretty ugly, but it was definitely healing.
It took me back, seeing the remains of the burn on my arm, reminding me of what it was like to be under Sean’s thumb, so the way Henley turned up in a panic that evening felt like digging a finger into a wound that already festered and ached.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. How long?” He was on his phone as he burst into the house, slamming the door and finding me in the doorway of the kitchen, because I’d gone there to make a cuppa. He cast his eyes frantically over me and sighed.
“She’s okay, she’s here. What’s the plan?”
I switched the kettle back on and made him a drink while he paced the house, checking windows and doors. I’d figured it out by then. Sean was making his move. Henley had been so sure he wouldn’t find us, but of course he would. He was just that kind of person. Tenacious. Determined. Evil.
Something slammed in the hallway, sending a shock of terror through me, and the mug of hot coffee slipped from my fingers, smashing on the tiled floor, as hot coffee splashed the cupboards, and splatted dark spots on my jeans.
“GLORY!”
Henley came running into the room, and cursed.
“Fucking hell, you scared the shit out of me.”
My frazzled nerves must have kicked my fight or flight mode into high alert, because the trembling got worse, and I dropped down onto the floor, hugging my legs. I had to get down before I passed out or something worse. Had to make myself safe. It wasn’t safe. Nowhere would be safe.
“Jesus.”
Henley appeared around the other side of me, crouching down about two feet away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you hurt?”
I shook my head rapidly, moving my foot as the flow of coffee aimed in my direction.
“This isn’t good, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
He groaned, reaching down to lift me up into his arms, stepping over the mess and heading for the panic room.
“I meant, I don’t want you getting hurt. Did it burn you?”
I shook my head again, looping my arms around his neck as he carried me effortlessly down the stairs. Sean would have said I’m too fat to carry, but Henley didn’t even hesitate to pick me up.
“Let’s sit you here while I check you over.” I didn’t protest as he checked the bottoms of my jeans and carefully lifted them to check my skin.
“Looks like it didn’t even soak through properly. You’re okay?” He lifted those warm brown eyes to mine and I felt a little of the panic dissipate.
“What’s happening?”
He forced a smile, but neither of us were buying it.
“Just making sure that-”
“No bullshit, please. Truth, Henley.”
He sighed, moving onto the sofa and grabbing my hand, checking the burn on my arm as he did.
It was something he’d done constantly, always checking my sleeve wasn’t slipping over it, even though it was pinned, making sure it wasn’t hurting me.
He cared so deeply. I needed that right now. Maybe I’d always needed it.
“Sean’s on the move,” he said suddenly, and even though I’d guessed that’s what had happened, my heart still thudded in my chest, and I glanced up at the open door at the top of the stairs.
“It’s okay, he’s nowhere near here, and we’ve got guys on their way here. They’ll stay overnight to back us up.”
“It won’t help. Nothing will. He’ll find me. He always finds me.”
Henley cupped my cheek to turn my face towards his.
“Not on my watch, sweetheart, I promise. He’s never getting within ten feet of you. I’ll always be between you and him, okay?”
I tried to pull away, but he tutted, firming his grip on my face, not hurting me, but not letting me hide.
“Don’t do that, Glory. This isn’t something that you’re causing. This is all him, and he’s going down, okay?”
Henley’s phone dinged in his pocket and he pulled it out to check the message.
“The guys are here. I’m going to let them in, and I’m closing you in here, okay? Don’t come out unless you hear my voice.”