Chapter 3
Three
HITTER
I still don’t agree with Piper’s father. Izzy should be in her own room, with privacy, getting checked out. Any other time, I would argue, but at this point, I just need to have her looked at as quickly as possible. The more time I spend arguing with the old shit, the more time she goes without, and I’m having none of that. I respect the man; he raised and trained Piper to be a machine, but that doesn’t mean I have to fucking agree with him. The minute Izzy is looked over, I’ll be making damn sure she has a room on her own close by.
I don’t give a fuck what anyone says, and if they have a problem with how I’m handling shit for my woman… Yeah, that’s right, I said it, my fucking woman. I see what I want and like, and I’m taking it. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on Izzy, and it feels fucking right. My brothers will think I lost my damn mind, but I know my Prez will get where I’m coming from.
We make it to Piper’s room, and I see Swift by her side, holding her hand to his cheek. I’ve never seen my Prez in such an awful state. He’s never let anyone get to him, but this, this is different. This is his woman, his other half, and I’ll never forget his scream of agony as he watched the ambulance drive away as she was clinging to life.
“Baby girl,” Devin whispers, running to the other side of the bed as soon as he enters the room. With those two words, you can feel the depth of his pain and love down to your soul. Anyone looking at the old man can feel the impact of seeing his daughter like this has on him.
“Who the fuck are you?” Swift growls, standing quickly and looking ready to kill.
“Who the fuck are you?” Devin asks in return, sporting the same murderous expression. I clear my throat, knowing Swift hasn’t seen me yet, and I want to intervene before someone else ends up in a damn hospital bed next to Piper.
“Prez, this is Piper’s father, Devin. Devin, this is our club President, Swift. He’s also Piper’s…” I trail off, unsure what to say or how to explain the MC version of a wife.
“Her fiancé,” Swift says. I open my mouth to say something about him not proposing or getting tied down with a ball and chain, but he cuts me a look. I smirk but know when to keep my mouth shut.
“Fiancé? I don’t see a ring,” Devin tells him, and Prez swiftly pulls a ring out of his pocket, slides it onto Piper’s finger, then raises his chin to the other man.
“Look, I’m taking Izzy to the room next door to get checked over. I suggest you both figure out your shit before Piper wakes up and kicks both of your asses,” I tell them before walking out the door to the next room. I hear them both chuckle and agree before Devin comes out after me.
“The next room. No further,” he tells me. I give him a chin lift, then turn to see Grim walking down the hall in his white doctor's coat.
“Brother, I need you to check over Izzy. She’s been locked up with Devin for…” I stop again, realizing I have no fucking clue how long she was kept prisoner. I look down at her, but before I can open my mouth, she lays me out.
“I can feel you looking at me, you brute. About time you remembered I was here,” she grumbles, and I can’t help the smile that takes over my face. She’s fucking enchanting when she’s grumpy.
“I don’t know exactly how long I was kept down there, but Devin tried to keep track. I believe he said it was eight months and seven days,” she tells me, and I suck in a harsh breath, my body vibrating with anger. That mother fucker. He put her down there for damn near a year.
“Don’t. It was almost better than living in the same house as him most of my life,” she says, and Grim looks at me curiously.
I give him a slight shake of my head before heading into the room and placing her on the bed. I keep hold of her hand as Grim walks over to where I placed her. He gives her a smile, even though he has no idea that she can’t see.
“I’m just going to…” he starts, lifting his hand to her head. When he makes contact, she jumps a mile in the air.
“Watch it, brother,” I growl. I know it’s not his fault. There’s no way he could know her situation, but that still doesn’t calm the monster in me wanting to make him pay for fucking scaring her. This woman is strong as fuck, but damn, she’s been through enough. If I can spare her any discomfort, no matter how minor, I will.
“I’m sorry. It was my fault. I knew you were there. I could feel your presence. I’m just a bit jumpy. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m blind,” she tells him, and he rears back.
“I’m sorry, darlin’. Next time, I’ll announce my intentions beforehand,” Grim tells Izzy, then narrates while he examines her, explaining what he’s checking for. I sit back and take a deep breath, trying to keep from pulling my gun on my brother. I know he’s just doing what I asked and making sure she is okay. I want to make sure Izzy doesn’t need further medical attention, but even knowing that doesn’t stop my murderous thoughts when he grabs her waist, patting down her body.
“All right, young lady, besides some bumps and bruises, you seem fine. I still want to order some X-rays and other blood tests and get some IV fluids going, but for now, just rest. I’ll have the nurses come in and take some samples. The tests are just standard precautions; the IV will help with the immediate dehydration concern. If everything comes back normal, we can get you discharged by tonight,” Grim says, more to me than to Izzy. He can feel my control slipping, hoping the information will help calm me down.
I take a deep breath as he leaves the room, but we are interrupted again before I can ask if she’s doing okay.
“Brother, Prez wants to speak with you,” Loki says, turning to leave before I can tell him and Prez to fuck off. Probably a good thing I hold that back. I don't really mean it, but the thought of being away from Izzy even for a second has me frustrated as fuck.
“Go. I’ll be okay here,” Izzy tells me before leaning back on the bed and closing her eyes.
She needs rest, and maybe my presence isn't as reassuring as I want it to be. I’ll give her a minute or two while I speak with Swift.
“I’ll just be in the other room. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I tell her before bending down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Her sharp intake of breath makes me smile. Maybe she realizes how far gone I am with her already.
I thought all that insta-love shit was just that… bullshit. Even when it happened to my Prez and best friend right in front of my eyes. I could see the love and instant connection between Swift and Piper, but I thought it was just a coincidence. A miracle for just them. I never thought it would strike twice in the same place. I definitely didn’t see it hitting me next. I smile at the calm I feel as I accept and absorb these feelings.
“What the hell are you smiling about, fucker?” my Prez, my brother, and my best friend asks me when I walk back into Piper’s room.
“I found my Ol’ Lady, and I ain’t afraid to say it,” I tell him, meeting his stare. I want him to see how serious I am.
I’m usually a pretty lighthearted guy, but when the time calls for it, make no mistake, I get my fucking point across. When it calls for me to live up to my road name, I’ll take every fucker in my way down. Growing up the way I did, I had to fight to survive. I was always the biggest in my class. People like to challenge that, to see if they could take down the giant. So, I learned to fight and throw one hell of a punch. One punch from me could knock them out cold. People learned quickly to not fuck with me.
The last thing I want right now is my Prez to think I’m joking. I need his support to bring her into our club, but more importantly, into my life. Swift is not just my Prez, but my brother and best friend. Growing up together, joining the military, and going through almost everything in life together, we’re closer than some blood brothers. We’ve gone to the depths of hell and lived to tell the tale. There’s no one else I would trust having my six other than my Prez. Just like I would for him in a heartbeat.
“I think you should sit down, brother,” he tells me, and I see steel in his eyes and posture. I cross my arms, still standing, and lift a brow at him. I’ve seen that look before, and I already know I won't like what he has to say.
“All right then, be a stubborn ass. I had Comp look into your woman while you were on the way here. Loki called me after you guys blew that fucking place up,” Prez says, and I want to growl, but my respect for him keeps me in check. I wanted to hear Izzy’s side of the story, but not like this. I wanted Izzy to trust me enough to tell me everything, but I also knew we needed to look out for the club’s safety.
“Her name is Isabella Reyes,” he says, letting that sink in for a minute. “As in, THE little sister of Hector Reyes.”
“Mother Fucking Son of a Bitch,” I roar.