Chapter 37
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Jack
“Jack.”
I raise my head off the bed at the sound of Mom’s voice. My eyes instantly go to Lily. Her eyes remain closed. She’s still sleeping. I let go of her hand and run both of mine over the top of my head. This room is supposed to be better. I’m supposed to help her fight. I do. I whisper encouragement to her all day and into the night. Lily still sleeps.
Everly brought me a book with encouraging poems. I’ve read those. Maci showed up late yesterday with a romance novel. I refused to read that. My sister highlighted a few of the romantic lines for me. She thinks I need help in that department. I skimmed over a few of those. They’re ridiculous. No way does a man talk like this. Somewhere around midnight, I read the highlighted lines. Lily still sleeps.
They’re no longer keeping her in a medical coma. I don’t understand why she doesn’t wake up. Waiting for her eyes to open is as bad as waiting was when she was in surgery.
“Sweetie, I think the couch folds out into a bed.” Mom’s hand rubs back and forth across my shoulders.
It does, but I refuse to leave Lily’s side. The couch is too far from where she sleeps. Jay’s napped there a few times, not me.
“It’s been two days, Mom. Why won’t she wake up?”
Mom sighs. Her hand stops moving. “Her body will know when it’s time. We have to talk her through it until then.”
A throat clears from across the room. I raise my head all the way. Dad stands in the doorway.
“We need to talk.”
“Jacob, can’t it wait?” Mom asks.
“Afraid not,” Dad replies. “Step into the hall with me, son. Your mom will sit with Lily.”
Dad’s jaw clinches. This isn’t about Lily’s medical condition. It’s about what happened that night. Club business. Good. I need something to do.
I push to my feet and kiss Mom’s forehead. “Talk to her, please.”
“I will.” Mom takes my place by the bed. She holds Lily’s hand and presses the back to her cheek. “Hey, sweet girl.”
Mom launches into a funny story about the kids of a few club members. They’re probably the ones at Lily’s table during Thanksgiving dinner. It’s good. She needs to hear happy stories. I wish I could stay and listen, too.
Dad taps my arm. I turn away from the bed and follow him across the hall. Lily’s room is at the end of the hallway. A small waiting room is just across the hall. It’s perfect for when larger groups come to visit. It appears to be perfect for a club meeting, too. Not all of my brothers are here. A few have day jobs they can’t easily get time off from. Most of the club officers and my closest friends fill the room. Their sad expressions already set the mood.
“Just go ahead and give me the bad news.” I brace myself. The universe is about to run over me again.
“The Sheriff’s Office wrapped up the investigation at your house this morning. They wanted to search the entire property, but our lawyers were able to keep the warrant at just your house and outbuildings,” Dad says.
Of course, the Sheriff’s Office got a search warrant. I knew they would. It’s fine. There’s nothing illegal at my house. As long as they stay out of Nick’s office and lab, everything should be fine. Nick stores all the information for the club and Ariel’s Angels. Our little rescue mission isn’t exactly legal.
My parents tried to work with the cops to help women after my sister was killed. There was so much legal red tape to cut through. They weren’t helping anybody. Cops have so many laws they have to respect that their hands are tied in most situations. Ours aren’t.
“I’m glad the cops are off of club property now. This isn’t what I need to know today. Dad and my club brothers can handle this. They don’t need me. Lily does.
I toss my hands up. “Just tell me y’all got ‘em.”
“I highly doubt we got them all,” Hendrix says.
“Look, son.” Dad put a hand on my shoulder. “Lily wasn’t the only one shot that night.”
No one has mentioned this. I quickly scan the room to see who’s missing. This isn’t half of our members.
“Who? How many?” I ask.
“Just Lily and Sandman,” Worley Bird replies.
Sandman is our Sergeant At Arms. Some clubs call the position Enforcer. Sandman and Dad have been friends since middle school.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” I lock eyes with my cousin. He’s been with the most.
“Sandman was shot in the shoulder. He’s fine, already at home. Your priority was to Lily. So, we waited to tell you,” Jay says.
He’s right, and I appreciate it.
“Okay. How many were there? How many did we get? How many got away?” My eyes harden. “And who are they?”
Midnight Maverick did this. They skip that part and tell me the rest.
“One was killed on property. It’s why it’s taken this long to get the cops out.” Worley Bird stands on Dad’s other side.
“A cop’s bullet got him, not us,” Rodeo adds.
“Captured two. Cops are holding them in Memphis for now,” Dad says.
“Memphis? Why?” Memphis is about two hours away.
“So we don’t storm the Sheriff’s Office and take them,” Cloudy says.
I swear, Cloudy comes up with some insane ideas. It’s not like we live in the 1800s. But he could be right. Some people around here would think that’s what we’d do.
“Mavericks?” I plainly ask since no one is going to say it.
“Not that we can prove. One is from Alabama. The one that was killed was from Georgia. The third one is from Murfreesboro. The two in custody aren’t talking.” Dad runs a hand over his mouth and beard.
“How many got away?”
“That we don’t know. The only information the cops got from the two they have in custody is that it was just the three of them,” Worley Bird says.
“That’s a lie.” There was too much gunfire for me to believe three men pulled it off.
“We all know that but can’t prove it.” Jay shakes his head.
“Camera? Surely, Nick got on video how they got in. How many there were, and what they destroyed.” I can’t believe we have nothing.
“The cameras from your house to the side of the fence they cut and entered through went down two minutes before they opened on your house.” Dad’s words drop me into a nearby chair.
How could we just lose these guys? Nick’s good, but can he find them with little or no info? How will we find the rest if the two in custody don’t talk? Too many questions. Not enough answers. If they really wanted to cut us open and destroy us, why not open fire on the clubhouse during the party?
I look up at Dad. “How many more buildings and houses did they hit?”
He presses his lips together and shakes his head. “Just yours.”
Mine. My house. My room. My woman. I spring to my feet and pace the room. I stop and lock eyes with Jay. My cousin won’t lie. He might hide information for a while, but he won’t lie.
“So I was the target.” It’s not a question. I feel it.
Jay dips his chin. “I think so.”
Lily was shot because of me. I grab my head with both hands and squeeze as tight as I can. I’m gutted clean to my soul. My hands clench into fists, but I don’t let go of my head. If I could apply enough pressure to shut my thoughts down, I would. I can’t. I don’t yell. I search the shadows inside for the darkness that’s always clawing to consume me. I find it and make it my friend.
My eyes meet Jay’s. “Guard her.”
“Where you going, Ghost? Jay, unlike the others, sees what I’ve unleashed.
“Chattanooga.”
Dad steps in the doorway. “Son, that’s not a good idea. We can’t prove it was the Mavericks. We got nothing right now.”
“That’s not true!” Okay. I lied about yelling. “We’ve got plenty. We’re just not connecting yet. We know Trace was there when the first firecracker prank happened. He was in the bakery before that. Buck was helping Clark at the library. They. Were. There. It’s them! We know it!
“They came for me. I don’t know why I’m his target. They shot my ole’ lady!” My voice rises with every sentence. “In my house! Our bedroom! In my bed! They shot her! I’m going to Chattanooga! You’ll have to kill me to stop me! If it were one of your wives, you’d already be halfway there!”
“Okay, son.” Dad slowly nods. “You’re right. We would. I won’t stop you. But I have to ask you an important question first.”
“What’s that?” I snap. Not a good idea on my part. Thankfully, Dad lets it slide.
“Son, are you officially claiming Lily as your ole’ lady?”
My head jerks back slightly. Jay snickers. I guess I walked into that, didn’t I? I wanted to talk to Lily about it first. Explain what it means. My world confuses her. It doesn’t matter now. It’s fine. If she never wakes up, she’ll never know. But I will. For ever how long she has left in this world, and I do hope it’s years, she’s mine.
“Yeah, Dad. I am.”
“Vikings, Church,” Dad calls out.
My brothers stand and surround us. All our patched members aren’t here. There’s enough for it to be official, though.
“Jack, are you officially claiming Lily Harman as you’re ole’ lady? Are you granting her the rights, protection, and responsibilities of the title?”
“I am, Pres. I claim Lily as my ole’ lady.”
“All in favor?” Dad asks.
Ayes go up around the room.
“All opposed?”
Not a sound is made.
Dad places a hand on my shoulder. “Congratulations, son.”
“I’ll have her property cut made. We’ll celebrate when Lily’s home with us,” Worley Bird says.
A path opens up between my brothers to the door. Rodeo, Bankz, and Hendrix wait by the doorway.
“We’re going with you,” Rodeo says.
“Not all the way. I’m going in for Buck alone.” If I tell them to stay here, they won’t. “Oh, Dad.”
“We’ll watch over Lily,” he assures me.
I know he will. “You said one of the men in custody was from Murfreesboro.”
“That’s right,” he confirms.
“Have Nick check to see if there’s a connection between him and the owner of the stolen bike Jay found the camera on.” It’s weak, but it’s a thought.
Dad and Jay grin at each other. They’ll figure it out. I have a Maverick to hunt down tonight.