Chapter 30
Skye
T he flames surround me, dancing around enjoying the spectacle of my death. The smoke embraces me too tightly choking me. I gasp for air clutching at my throat.
“Skye… Skye, it’s okay, you’re safe,” I hear, and the gentle touch of a warm hand rouses me from my nightmare.
When I open my eyes, it’s Gunner’s handsome face I see looking back at me. His dark eyes filled with compassion. “You were just having a bad dream. You’re safe now. You’re in the hospital. The doctor says you’ll be fine, just some smoke inhalation and shock, they gave you a mild sedative,” he says soothingly, stroking my cheek.
“Gunner, you’re touching me?” I say, wondering if I’m still dreaming.
Gunner and the others hate me, don’t they?
He chuckles softly, “It would appear so.”
As I start to come to, the events of what happened start to come flooding back and I let out a gasp. “Drifter? Veronica? Are they okay? Is Buzz? I saw him but did something happen after? Where is Angel? I didn’t see him, is he…” I start frantically asking as I try to sit up.
I want to ask if my baby will be all okay, but I haven’t told the guys yet and I don’t know how to ask. Now’s hardly the time to drop that kind of bombshell on him. Plus I should tell them all together. The father could be any one of them. That’s if I’m still pregnant. The idea that I may have lost the baby tears me up, and tears spring to my eyes as I start to cry.
Gunner hushes me. “Shh, it’s okay. Everyone’s fine, Skye. Drifter and Veronica are both fine, they’re sleeping in the beds next to you,” he says, and I notice the white curtain concealing the others in the room. “Buzz and Angel just went to the cafeteria to speak with the cops. Skye, we got them all. The recording on Veronica’s phone is enough to send Bill to jail for the rest of his life. Most of the Demon Riders either died in the shootout, have been arrested, or have fled. It’s over.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. The curtain next to me opens with a swooshing sound and I see Drifter, sitting up in bed. “Drifter! You’re okay!”
“Sure am beautiful, didn’t you know by now I’m fireproof?” he quips, coughing slightly.
I know he’s putting on a brave face, that facing the fire to rescue me must have been terrifying for him. “Thank you. You saved my life. Mine and Veronica’s,” I say, reaching out my arm.
He reaches out too, squeezing my hand. He doesn’t need to say anything. We’ll talk properly about it at some point, I’m sure.
“Good to see you up, old friend. Trust you to take all the glory and rescue the girl while Angel and I are shooting bad guys,” Gunner jokes to Drifter fondly.
At that moment, the door opens and Angel and Buzz walk through the door.
“You’re awake!” Buzz exclaims, rushing over to hug me and Drifter in turn.
Angel hovers near the doorway, watching us all warily.
“Thank you all for saving me,” I say, looking at each of them in turn, only Angel doesn’t quite meet my gaze. “How did you find me? Why did you come? I thought you all hated me for lying to you about Bill. I swear to you though I was never working with him, you have to believe me. I only wanted to find out what he was up to and write an exposé,” I implore him.
I can’t bear the thought of getting them back, only for them to leave me again. Perhaps they only saved me out of obligation, or to win against Bill and the Demon Riders. I don’t think I could handle losing them again.
“I know. We believe you,” Buzz assures me, and my racing heart settles a little.
“Your friends came to us after you’d been taken from the club. Told us in no uncertain terms we were being idiots for not listening to you and that it was our fault you’d been taken and that we needed to get you back,” Gunner explains with a smile.
“They did?” I ask incredulously, trying to imagine the girls squaring up to a bunch of bikers.
Drifter nods. “They did. They were very convincing. I believe your friend Meghan called Angel a pigheaded dickwad,” he says with laughter in his eyes.
I let out a giddy giggle, “She didn’t!”
“Oh, she did alright. But they made us see sense, and realize we haven’t been fair to you, we should have let you explain,” Buzz says, shooting a pointed glance in Angel’s direction.
“They love you very much,” Gunner adds.
“I love them too,” I say softly with a smile, thinking of how lucky I am to have such great friends. “So Veronica really was trying to help. Why? How does she fit in?” I ask.
“She was. That’s a long story, I’m sure she can tell you her reasons once she’s awake,” Buzz replies, glancing over to where she’s sleeping.
I pause for a moment before looking at them all, “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you all the truth earlier. If I had none of this would have happened.”
Angel sighs and approaches me, looking at me deeply before he speaks, carefully choosing his words. “True. What would likely have happened is that I would have sent you packing before any of us got a chance to truly know you. Bill would still have killed Brewer, possibly even you if you refused to sign over your land or were bad for his image. We wouldn’t have known you well enough or been involved enough to save you. You’d be dead. And we would have lost the only woman we’ve ever loved. You and our chance of having a family.”
“You know about the baby?” I gasp.
They all nod. “We overheard Brute telling Veronica about it on the phone. That’s how we found you. She convinced him to let her come over and make you take a test,” Angel replies.
“Is… is the baby?” I start, unable to finish the question for fear the answer is no, that the baby is gone.
“The babies are fine,” Angel replies, the doctor performed an ultrasound.
“Babies?” I ask, confused, wondering if I’d misheard.
Angel nods. “Yep. We’re having twins.”