Chapter Five
Lilly
The longer I sit here, the quicker worrisome thoughts dance through my mind.
Why would a prospect get a message instead of a patch?
Who did it come from? Did they have his family?
His family isn’t from here, but I know the Moccasins have charters all over the continental US.
My brow creases with worry as I wait patiently for the guys to come out of the damn meeting.
Raven’s been trying to help the best she can but the only thing that will ease my mind would be confirmation from Cass on just what the hell is going on.
After an hour of agonizingly waiting, Cass and the guys finally re-enter the game room.
Cass still bears a look of anger while Linc looks like he has a multitude of emotions in play.
Clayton presents himself as the leader I envision he may have once been, confident and strong as he walks behind them.
Brock is at Clayton’s side, making me wonder where he had been all night.
I hadn’t seen him since we arrived at the clubhouse. He didn’t even walk in with them.
Behind Brock, the rest of the Sinners and Saints make their way out of the room. Cass walks over to where I’m sitting with Linc behind him. I wait patiently, at least as patiently as I can, for Cass to say something. The air is thick with tension, and the quiet is deafening.
“We have to go. They’re retaliating,” he says, pressing his lips to my forehead.
“What’d they do?” I ask, hoping my voice doesn’t give away just how concerned I am.
Cass inhales a deep breath and sighs before he looks down at me.
“I…I can’t tell you.” His words are forced, and I can tell he wants to tell me what happened but maybe he’s refraining to try to protect me.
“What? Why?” I ask.
“I just can’t, alright?” he snapped, turning to Linc.
“Call Shorty and Leo. Have one of them come clean out our rooms and one of them come get Lilly. She’s riding home with one of them tomorrow. Get ready, we’re about to get on the road.”
Linc doesn’t say anything, simply nods and walks away to follow the orders he was given. I’m still reeling from the fact that he won’t tell me what happened. I’m pissed, but this isn’t the time or the place to question him. Something feels off, though, and I can’t put my finger on it.
The room clears out, leaving only Cass and myself alone at the bar. He sits down next to me and downs the drink in front of me and sets the empty glass on the bar before he speaks.
“They’re fucking with us. It’s just another dumb stunt and I don’t want you to worry about it.” His voice is low, barely above a whisper.
I think for a moment before I respond. I have to keep it together. He’s keeping something from me, I can feel it and I’m going to find out what the hell it is, one way or the other. Until then, I don’t want him to know that I doubt the amount of truth in his words.
I nod and rest my head on his shoulder. “Okay.”
“I know you heard me earlier, but Shorty and Leo are going to come get you. I’m sorry if that was a dick move, but shit just sucks right now and I’m already not the best at taking other peoples’ feelings into consideration.”
“It’s okay, just get home and take care of those assholes that call themselves bikers.”
Cass smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as Linc walks through the front door. “Ready when you are, Prez.”
Cass wraps his hand around the back of my neck, pulling my face in to his. He kisses me gently before offering an apologetic smile. “I love you.”
“I love you, baby. Be safe.” I hug him tight before he turns away, leaving me sitting at the bar alone.
I sit here, unmoving for a moment before I remember my cell phone is in Cass’s saddlebag.
I run outside as they’re cranking the bikes.
Cass is closest to the building, followed by Clayton, Brock, then Linc.
I run to the side of his bike and yell over the sound of engines.
“My phone!” I point to the saddlebag as I open it and retrieve my phone, cigarettes, and lighter. I give him one last quick peck on the lips before I turn and head back inside the clubhouse. The sound of the motorcycles fading to the distance makes my heart ache a bit as I close door behind me.
I yearn to be with them, going back home to figure out how to get these idiots to understand that they really don’t want to mess with Lucifer’s Hounds.
Instead, I’m stuck being treated like some precious gem that can’t get scratched and has to stay behind while they go fuck shit up.
I huff as I plop onto the barstool, setting down my phone and lighting a cigarette.
The familiar taste of menthol assaults my taste buds as I take a long drag before exhaling. I run my free hand through my hair before my phone buzzes on the bar. Two missed calls from mom, one missed call and voicemail from an unknown number, and a text from Mindy.
I open the text first. It was sent earlier at eight and it’s now after midnight.
Mindy: I can’t wait for you to get home! I miss you! And Linc.
Without responding, I listen to the voicemail from the number I don’t recognize.
“Miss Summers, this is Alanda with Baton Rouge Medical. I’m calling in regard to Mindy Hollis. You are the only person listed on her emergency contact, and she has just been in a horrible car accident. Please return my call as soon as possible.”
Panic. Pure panic grips hold of me at the words that just came out of the phone. I should’ve known something happened to Mindy.
“Fucking shit!” I yell, unable to form a complete thought. I need to get home now. I need to call the hospital back and I can’t do a damn thing from this clubhouse where I have no way out and a room full of club members that aren’t going to let me leave.
Raven is my only hope. She sits down beside me, causing me to jump. I hadn’t heard her through the scattered thoughts racing through my mind.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“I need to get home, now. Mindy, the girl that was with me yesterday, is in the hospital. She was in a bad car accident and—” My voice breaks and hot tears spill from my eyes.
Raven hugs me in a tight grip, rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me. I don’t need comfort, I just need to get home.
“That motherfucker!” I say in disbelief as it dawns on me.
“Who?”
“Cass. He didn’t fucking tell me. He knew! He knew I’d want to go home right away, and he didn’t tell me about her being in the fucking hospital!”
“Whoa, Lilly. He probably didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to go home and be in danger again.” Raven tries to defend Cass, but I’m not having it.
“I don’t want to talk about him or his reasons right now. I need to get home.” My words are void of emotion as I compose myself, hardening my outer shell to stone the way I liked to keep it.
“I heard him say that two guys were coming tomorrow to get you,” Raven suggests.
“No, I’m going home now. Not tomorrow. Now.” I’m stern and determined. I’ll find a way to get home.
Raven sighs. She turns without a word and walks off. When she returns a few minutes later, she has a duffle bag over her shoulder and a set of keys in her hand.
“Going somewhere?” I ask, my mood already improving.
“Yeah, looks like I’m taking a damn trip to Baton Rouge.”
I nearly knock her over as I hug her aggressively. “Thank you!”
“Yeah yeah, just get in the damn car before I change my mind. And hurry, we don’t have much time to get going before we’re spotted.”
“Wait, you didn’t tell Micah?” I ask.
“Nope. Can we finish this conversation in the car though? I mean it, we don’t have much time. Go.” Raven ushers me out the front door of the clubhouse, barely giving me enough time to snatch my cigarettes and phone off the bar.
We climb into a white Kia Sorento and are out of sight of the clubhouse within minutes. Adrenaline pumps through me at our narrow escape, making me temporarily forget about the reality of the situation and why I’m rushing home in the first place.
It doesn’t take long, though, before thoughts of Mindy hit me like a ton of bricks and I pick up my phone to call the hospital. I had put it off and didn’t call initially because I wasn’t sure what they’d have to tell me or how I’d handle it.
“Baton Rouge Medical, how may I help you?” A sweet voice on the other end of the phone greets me.
“May I speak with Alanda, please?” I ask.
“Hold, please.” There’s a beeping tone and then ringing commences.
“This is Alanda,” she answers cheerily.
“Hi Alanda. My name is Lilly Summers. You called me about Mindy Hollis.”
“Hello, Miss Summers. I’m so sorry about Miss Hollis. She was involved in a one-car crash. She’s in ICU, but she is looking good and we think she will be fine. The truck, however, is completely unrecognizable and the insurance company is certainly going to total it.”
“Truck? Mindy doesn’t drive a truck, ma’am.”
“She was tonight. A dark blue, blacked-out Chevy.”
Linc’s truck.
“Is she conscious?” Lilly asked.
“She is, but she’s extremely tired and has been resting a lot. If you’d like, though, I can transfer you to her room.”
“No, that’ll be okay. Thank you, Alanda.”
“Yes ma’am, Miss Summers. I will call you if anything changes, but for now she is stable and doing okay.”
“Thank you. Goodnight.” I press the red button to end the call and set it in my lap. I see Raven looking at me, waiting for some clarity I would assume.
“Mindy was in Linc’s truck and they said it was a one-car accident. The truck is totaled, but she’s going to be okay.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
“I’m still pissed at Cass, though. Hey, do you smoke in here?” I ask, hoping the answer is yes.
“I do, you couldn’t tell? And trust me, I’d be pissed at Micah if he pulled some shit like that. I could see if it was someone you didn’t know, but this is your best fucking friend.”
“Exactly! And he’s gonna get an earful as soon as I see him. And no, I couldn’t tell. It smells pretty damn good in here.”