Chapter 21 #2
The door swung open as Bull and Match stormed in one after the other, X following behind at a calmer pace.
The men’s expressions varied as they took in the scene before them.
Bash passed out, half-naked in bed, Dolly, tear-faced and all set for her walk of shame, with me standing in the middle of it all.
“He’s not responding, and his pupils are blown. I think Dolly might have slipped him something,” I directed at X, who was already rushing over to Bash’s side, ready to take his vitals. Bull pulled out his phone, and I listened as he made a call.
“Wake the fuck up and check the cameras from last night and this morning, specifically Bash’s room. Tell us who else goes in after I put him there around one. Come upstairs once you have the info,” Bull instructed, hanging up as all eyes turned to X.
“I need to draw some blood to get a toxicology report, but I agree. This isn’t just alcohol-induced sleep. He’s not responding to pain or sound stimuli, and his breathing is off.”
“Draw the blood or whatever you need for the test. I’m calling Prez and Guard.” Dolly’s sharp intake of breath drew my attention, and she was now shaking slightly in my hold.
“Not so tough anymore, huh?” I asked as the guys turned to watch us, as if just remembering I had Dolly trapped. I dropped her shoulders and stepped back, watching as she slumped down, looking at me, bewildered.
“You gonna talk now? Or do you need a bigger audience?” I asked, waving around the room.
“Fuck you! You’re just an uppity bitch. You’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion because you can’t handle the fact that your man wanted a taste of something else,” she accused. I sighed. Looking down, I shook my head. She was making it far too easy.
“You’re right,” I said, letting out a sniffle.
“Fee, you know Bash wouldn’t do that.” I turned to Match, who looked both furious and unnerved at the scene unfolding.
I gave him a look that shut him up before turning back to Dolly, once again making sure I appeared downtrodden.
She stepped away from the wall and closed the gap until she was standing in front of me.
“See? There’s no need to call Prez. You don’t need to embarrass yourself any more,” she coaxed. I looked up, a wild grin on my face.
“With Bash’s history, I guess I should have expected it. The thing is, I trust Bash. You… not so much.”
The sound of heavy boots hit the hallway, making everyone look to the door.
Taking advantage of Dolly’s distraction, I took a step back, widening my stance before using the heel of my hand to strike her nose in a powerful upward motion, reveling at the crunching sound.
Blood started streaming down her face as she screamed and dropped to the floor.
I followed her down, trapping her body beneath mine.
“Holy shit! You go, girl!” Keys, who had run into the room right as I dropped Dolly, howled.
“What the fuck did you find?” Bull growled.
“Dolly snuck in not even ten minutes before Fee got up here. She came from Pike’s room. Door must have been unlocked, because she let herself in just in time for Fiona to walk in on them.” A heavy silence hung in the room.
“Bring her down to the paint shop. Keep her there till we get the tox screen back,” Bull instructed, nodding at Match to grab Dolly.
“Fee, can you let her up now?” Bull requested, his voice tight, clearly trying to leash his rage.
“Nah. I’m just starting to have some fun.
” I had Dolly pinned on her stomach and held her in an armbar.
It was one of the few moves I really caught on to from the jiu-jitsu classes I had taken over the years.
I used my bodyweight to immobilize Dolly as I forced her arm into an unnatural angle.
She screamed, and tears streaked her cheeks as I tightened my hold, pushing her arm just to the point of breaking.
“What did you give him?” I asked, my voice calm over her loud sobs.
“Nothing! I didn’t do anything!” she screeched, and I yanked her arm a notch higher—any more, and it would snap. A high-pitched howl escaped her, and there were murmurs behind me about whether they should step in or not. I leaned down so I was talking into Dolly’s ear.
“They may try to stop me, but I promise, it won’t be before I rip your arm out of the socket. Your jerk off hand will be out of commission for months, then what use will they have for you here? Now fucking start talking.”
“GHB! There was GHB in his beer. I don’t know how much.” She sobbed, and I loosened my hold on her arm, granting her some relief.
“Why did you do it?” I asked, and she cursed under her breath. I yanked her arm back up, and she screamed.
“What was your end game here? Why drug Bash?” I asked again.
“Fuck! I was just doing what they told me to do! Let me go!” she screamed, and I loosened my hold again, watching as she took giant gulps of air. She was sobbing heavily now, my hold on her uncomfortable but no longer painful.
“I just wanted to mess with you! He was already out cold when I got in here. Please, please, just let me go,” she pleaded.
“Fiona, let her go. We’ll take care of her now,” Bull said from behind me. I turned around to see the guys staring at me.
Then I caught sight of Bash, unconscious and unmoving on the bed.
Memories of my parents passed out in a similar fashion, spending hours shaking them awake, or just sitting there, making sure they were breathing, creeped over me.
I turned back and looked at Dolly. Her makeup was smeared down her face, mixing with blood, snot, and tears.
“Okay,” I said to the room as a whole before I pushed down on Dolly with all my strength, not stopping until I heard the pop of bones dislocating.
Bash
Waking up, there was a throbbing in my head the likes of which I had never experienced before.
Considering the amount of hangovers and concussions I’d been through, that was saying something.
Attempting to open my eyes was difficult, and I started to panic.
My body wasn’t responding the way it should have, and my brain felt hazy.
The last thing I remembered was bitching to Bull about Fiona turning me down.
I groaned, feeling awful, as if I had been drinking for days.
The rest of the night was just blank, no memory of how I got to my bedroom.
It took more effort than I cared to admit, but I eventually managed to open my eyes, and was instantly confused by my surroundings.
There was a room off the paint shop that X had equipped as a basic medical center.
It was used to rouse any of our prisoners so we could resume questioning, or to treat any Brothers who couldn’t go to a hospital.
Looking down, there was an IV in my arm.
I was thirsty, and my eyes were dry and itchy.
I tried blinking, but couldn’t seem to completely clear the film blurring my vision.
Finally, I turned my head, and a flash of red caught my eye. Fiona was standing in the corner of the room, talking softly with X and my dad. I tried to call her name, but only a garbled sound came out, causing all three to look at me.
One look at Fiona’s distraught face, and memories from our fight ran through me.
I closed my eyes with a groan, regretting how I had handled everything the day before, worried about any tension that may have still been between us.
Before I even got a chance to reopen my eyes, she was by my side, tears dripping down her cheeks as she buried her face in my neck.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she whispered over and over.
“What happened?” I croaked out, alarmed at not being able to move much. I looked down at myself and didn’t see any visible injuries. Dad and X looked at Fiona, silently communicating with her. She gave them a nod, and they stepped out of the room, leaving just the two of us.
Fee stood up, running to grab a glass of water for me while she regained control over her tears. I gulped the liquid down gratefully as she seated herself next to me on the small medical bed, having finally composed herself so she wasn’t actively crying.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” she asked me, her hand softly running through my hair.
“We fought. Took the bike out for a few hours, then came here, drank with Bull. Then… I went to bed? I must have blacked out,” I recounted.
“I’m sorry for being so short with you yesterday.
I was upset and frustrated that someone was stealing from the club, and I took it out on you, which is not acceptable.
I don’t want to push you to do something you’re not ready for, but I want you to know where I stand.
I’m ready for it all with you, Fiona.” I squeezed her hand, hating the haunted look in her eyes.
She started crying again as she leaned down to kiss me. I tasted salt, and couldn’t help but respond, craving everything about the woman. Forcing myself to pull away, I needed to clear up my current situation, not lose myself in her.
“Fee, what the fuck happened? Why am I down here?” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before responding in a soft voice.
“Bull said you two stayed up, talking. You were pretty out of it, so he helped you get up to your room. I couldn’t reach you this morning, so after checking the house, I decided to see if you were here.” She hesitated, straightening her spine.
“When I got upstairs, you were passed out in your room, with Dolly in bed next to you.” My body lurched at what she said, no memory of any of that, of even seeing Dolly the previous night.
“I didn’t—I don’t remember... I wouldn’t have…” I was stumbling over my words, horrified at the idea that I had gotten so drunk that I may have cheated on Fiona. That I would lose the most important thing in my life.