Chapter 29
DEAN
W hen I step back into Legion’s room, Vanna is no longer with him, and a wave of relief rolls through me. She must have stepped out to get something he needs, and I know this reprieve will be short-lived. Viking and the woman he calls Val are standing at the foot of the bed.
“ Him?” The blonde biker chick glares down at Legion’s comatose form. “You should just let the son of a bitch die.”
I already like her, but… “If he dies, we lose Axel,” I say. “He’s got leverage and a contingency plan that will put Axel away on a twenty-year federal stint.”
The harshness in her eyes softens.
“Believe me,” I sigh. “Nobody wants him gone more than I do.”
The cellphone in her back pocket rings, and she grabs it to answer. “God damn it, Jett! Where are you?”
“Cool your pits! I’m in the parking lot, Val!
I had to wake her up out of a dead sleep and take her by the clinic to pick up supplies she didn’t have at the house,” Jett snaps back.
“We’re walking through the corridor now,” I can hear the clunk of boots approaching out in the hall.
“Where the fuck are you? This place is deceptively huge.”
Val hangs up and steps out into the hall to wave them inside.
Another woman, who looks every bit a biker chick, too, with long black hair and a lot of ear piercings, stomps into the room with her veterinarian friend.
The vet doesn’t look like a biker, though.
She’s a timid brunette with a slight frame.
Despite her obvious nervous demeanor, she rushes over to Legion.
Jett lets out a low whistle as she comes to stand beside her gal pal, Val. “Damn, this guy’s really… Wait a minute …” She frowns before her eyes widen in shock. “Is that… Oh, you gotta be shitting me! You dragged our asses out of bed for this bastid?”
“They have their reasons,” Val mutters.
Jett lets out an exasperated sigh. “Haven’t you guys heard the expression, only the good die young? He might look like he’s knockin’ at death’s door right now, but believe you me, this motherfucker is probably immortal!”
“Anything else you need, or can we get out of here?” Val asks.
Viking glances at her, and I note the suspicion in his narrowed eyes. “He was mumbling something about the name Jagger... You know anything about that?”
Val seems to tense at the question, but meets his glare straight on. “Why would I?”
“Maybe because you used to fuck him,” Viking says flatly.
If looks could kill, we’d need more than this nervous vet to save Viking’s life. “ Used to being the key words here, asshole . I don’t keep tabs on that prick,” Val snaps at him.
“So, you don’t know anything about him running drugs with a new crew?” Viking presses.
“Ask your trafficking friend when he wakes up. I don’t know shit about shit!” Val shoves past Viking and storms out into the hall. Jett tells her vet friend they’ll be waiting for her in the parking lot, and hurries after Val.
I turn to a disgruntled-looking Viking. “She seems nice.”
“Shut up, Dean,” he mutters.
A ce is still sound asleep in the bed when I quietly step out of Dean’s club room.
When the vet showed up, I needed a moment alone to compose myself.
Shutting the door carefully behind me so he doesn’t wake up, I turn toward the sound of stomping heels quickly headed in my direction.
I recognize the two angry biker chicks instantly and take a quivering breath, bracing myself for the encounter with Val and whatever her problem is with me.
“Should have told your vet friend to overdose him with Pentobarbital like the rabid, feral mutt he is,” Val vehemently snaps at Jett before she notices me.
I can’t help but narrow my glare at her hateful comment, causing a tear to roll down my cheek.
“He’s not worth a single one of your tears,” she hisses at me next as I brush the tear away. “Neither one of you! If you knew the truth about him, it would make you sick!”
“Alright, Val. Let’s go,” Jett insists, pulling her away from me. They continue down the hall to leave, I presume. I can’t help but wonder who else is crying over Legion. Maybe the woman he was supposedly on that hot date with tonight?
When I step back inside the room, the vet has Legion hooked up to an IV and is injecting something into the line.
“This should keep him asleep into tomorrow,” she says, reaching into her medicine bag.
“These I’ll leave here,” she places an unmarked bottle of pills on the nightstand.
“It’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory to help with his pain when he wakes up.
I’m not sure if any ribs are broken, but with all this bruising, I’m sure he’s suffered a few fractures.
” She stands and inches toward the door, eager to leave.
“Thank you for coming so quickly and so late,” Dean says, extending his hand to gently shake hers. “If there’s ever anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
She only offers him a little nod and smile before she scurries down the hall as well.
“Someone needs to stay with him,” I say.
“ Not you,” Dean growls.
“Who else?” I ask.
“I’m only a few doors away, so is Axel and Cherry,” Viking says.
“What if you don’t hear him?” I ask.
“Ace is coming home with us, so go take his baby monitors from our room,” Dean says to Viking. “Problem solved.”
I know if I press the issue, it’s going to result in a fight with my husband. “Alright,” I glance up at Viking. “Please check on him, even if you don’t hear anything on the monitor. I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
“And what about Ace?” Dean demands.
“I’ll bring him with me, like I do ninety percent of the time I have to do anything.” I frown at him for insinuating I’m putting Legion over my own son.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asks.
“I should ask you the same question!”
Viking clears his throat and seems to cautiously interject, “Ace really shouldn’t see Legion like this.”
“Obviously, I wouldn’t let him come in here.” I sigh. On second thought, maybe Ace shouldn’t be here at all with tensions running this high. “I’m sure Rosita and Mia wouldn’t mind watching Ace for a few hours.”
Dean brushes past Viking to exit the room, but Viking stops him. “Axel wants to talk to you.”
“I’ve got nothing left to say,” Dean mutters.
“So just listen,” Viking presses.
“You should go to him, Dean,” I say. “I’ll try to clean out some of Legion’s cuts while you do. Just come get me when you’re ready to leave.”
“Where’s Ace? I’m ready now,” he stubbornly declares.
“He’s still in your old room. Sleeping,” I say.
“Come on, bro,” Viking urges. “It’s Axel.”
“Axel can fucking sleep on whatever he’s got to say to me,” Dean snaps.
“Well, now you’re just being a grumpy dick,” Viking huffs.
“You should go talk to him, Dean. I’ve never seen Axel so upset,” I gently press.
His stubborn glare never falters, but Dean turns and storms out of the room.
“Why is Dean mad at Axel?” I ask before Viking can leave, too.
“I think Axel was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Dean made that comment again earlier about feeling like he’s failing everyone around him.
” Viking lets out a heavy sigh. “Do what you can with Legion before Dean drags you out of here. I’ll keep an eye on him tonight.
You need to go home with him. I don’t know what he’ll do if you don’t. He needs you to choose him, Vanna.”
“I’ve already chosen him.” I grab the first aid kit on the nightstand and sit down in the chair beside Legion. “It doesn’t mean I can’t care about anyone else.”
W hen I find Axel, he’s sitting with Cherry on one of the leather couches along the wall in the Twisted Throttle, looking more pitiful and depressed than I’ve ever seen him.
They both peer up at me with slight worry in their expressions, and it tempers some of the rage storming within.
I don’t want either of them to dread my temper.
I let out a long sigh. “Cherry, doll… Would you give Axel and me a minute?”
“Sure,” she says, rubbing his knee once more before getting up to grant us a little privacy.
She stops when she reaches me to place her hand on my arm.
“He loves you, you know. We all do. You’re not failing anyone,” she says.
I only nod and wait until she’s beyond the corridor before moving to grab a chair and taking a seat in front of Axel.
He glances up at me as if he expects me to wring his neck.
“I’m sorry I shouted at you. But I meant what I said.”
“I know,” Axel’s weary gaze drops to stare down at his motorcycle boots. “I was just trying to take initiative… This is my mess…”
“It’s our mess.”
He scoffs. “You told me not to lash out at the Demons after what Legion did to you that night… I should have listened. We wouldn’t be in this position if I had.”
I place my hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. “I love that you care about this club so much, Axel.”
“I care about you more.”
“Same here, kid. Which is why I fly off the handle when you do stupid shit.”
He chuckles, then sniffles, swiping at his nose with the back of his hand.
“It’s great that you want to take initiative and pull your weight as a member of this club. But fill us in on what the fuck you plan to do before you do it. How can the rest of us return the favor and watch your back if you don’t clue us in on what you’re doing?”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. From now on, if I get another bright idea, I’ll bring it to the table first.”
“That’s all I ask.” I pat his arm and stand. Axel rises with me, and I pull him in for a hug. “I love you, kid. It would break me if anything ever happened to you.”
“I love you too, Dean.” Axel hugs me a little tighter before heading back to his room with Cherry. I realize Viking is standing by the bar. He pats Axel on the back as he passes, then steps behind the bar.
“You two kiss and make up?” Viking jokes, though I know he’s always concerned where Axel is involved. “How about a beer after all this shit tonight? You look like you could use one.” He grabs two Millers from the fridge and places one on the bar for me.
“Sure,” I say, crossing the room to join him.
I crack the top off and take a seat on one of the barstools.
“So…that blonde chick… Is she the sweet-butt you’ve been hung up on?
I thought there was something familiar about her.
She was there that night, at the Knights Clubhouse, when we went to confront Legion. ”
“Yeah, that was Val. But she ain’t a sweetbutt anymore, and if you value your fuckin’ balls, don’t let her hear you calling her one.” Viking lets out a huff that tells me he’s had reason for concern over his own balls regarding this chick.
“She seems to hate Legion as much as I do,” I say, then take a swig before adding, “That already gives her a few brownie points in my book.”
“He corrupted the Asphalt Knights while she was with them. She’s the president of her own MC now.”
“Nice. She’s a real spitfire.”
Viking scoffs. “You’re telling me?” He takes a gulp of his beer. “Speaking of that night at the AK’s clubhouse… Did you ever tell Vanna about Legion’s build-a-bitch ?”
“Didn’t seem important after coming home to an eyeball in the sink,” I say, though, there are other reasons I never mentioned it even after everything blew over, reasons I’d rather not think about in this current climate with her. I steer the topic back to his chick. “So, her name’s Val ?”
“Valerie. She prefers Val.”
“Viking and Valkyrie. Cute .” The small taunt earns me a slight scowl from him, and I realize how much fun revenge might be.
“ Valerie .”
“ If you say so .” I take another sip to prevent a chuckle. “She’s got that Nordic, female warrior look about her. Attitude, too.”
“She sure does.”
“What exactly is a Valkyrie?” I ask, setting him up for my own amusement.
“In Nordic mythology, Valkyries choose which warriors are worthy of entering Valhalla.”
“Yeah, exactly .” It’s damn near impossible to keep the smirk off my face when he shoots me another scalding glare.
“Is this what it was like when I was breaking your balls about Vanna keeping you in a cock cage?”
“Oh, I haven’t even begun to give you your just deserts after all the shit you gave me about Vanna!”
He takes a swig of his beer, probably stewing in the realization that it’s my turn to relentlessly break his balls.
“You’ve been the real mayor of the friendzone all along, haven’t you? Asshole .”
Viking places his beer on the bar and hard-eyes me. “ Shut up, Dean.”
“Oh, this is far from being out of my system,” I warn him. “But we’ve got bigger issues right now. You think her ex is the Jagger Legion was mumbling about?”
“I’m thinking there’s a damn good chance. He was there that night, too.” Viking takes another gulp of beer.
“The Sergeant at Arms. I remember now. You two looked like you wanted to kill each other before I got into it with Legion.”
“Yup.”
“We’re going to have to talk to Valkyrie.”
“ Valarie .”
“If Valkyrie was in a relationship with him, she knows everything we need to know in order to find him. He could lead us to the top of mount meth.”
Viking lets out a gruff sigh. “We’re gonna need to give her a minute to cool off before we pull her into this.”
“Right… Wouldn’t want her sending you to Valhalla early.”
Viking shoots me a side-eyed glare. “Is this how it’s going to be now?”
I smile at him. “You earned it.”