Chapter 2MarxPops
Marx
T he doors fling open, jerking me awake. Switch fills the doorway, all ginger hair and bulk stuffed into a white coat.
“I need the full breakdown. The doctors wouldn’t tell me shit because I’m not next of kin for Fox or Lovely and they barely told the Landrys shit either.
” I growl. It’s one thing to keep information from me, but her brothers?
It was fucked up none of the staff would tell them exactly what was happening with her.
Something to do with her paperwork and the cult they grew up in or some shit.
Switch eyes me then drags a visitor’s chair from the corner, until he’s sitting next to me, both of us with eyes on Lovely.
“Fox took two to the gut, as you well know. They were through and through, nicked an artery on the way out. Needed four units of blood and he’ll be in an induced coma for another day or so to help with healing.
He’s fit and reasonably young so he’ll be fine.
Will be fucking tender for a while though. ”
I nod at the news, and feel a small amount of tension drain from my body. “Good, that’s good. What else you got?”
“Judge, Dex and Rider all have flesh wounds, they’ll be fine. Laying low at the farm.”
I run a hand down my face, breathing out a sigh of relief. “And Lovely?” my fists clench, and it feels fucking wrong to have this conversation as we stare at her, tube down her throat, IV lines in both arms.
Switch is quiet for a moment, opening and closing his mouth once, twice, “She’s going to be OK. Bullet had a clean exit.”
I turn my head to stare at him in disbelief, “Why was there so much fucking blood? I’ve seen fucking wounds like that before Ryan, and ain’t none of them have survived.”
He rubs his hand down his beard, before turning to me. “The bullet nicked a small artery, hence the bleed. The girls, Blanche and Nat, without them driving like fucking Dom Torretto, neither Lovely or Fox would be alive right now.”
Fuck. I owe those women. I owe all of them. Not only did Blanche and Nat save lives with their quick thinking and in Blanche’s case her lead foot, but Chewy cleared the clubhouse of the rest of the women and children, getting them to the safety of the farmhouse.
“You can tell me to piss off, but I need to know something,” Switch says, still speaking in a tone I’m not used to hearing from him.
I wave my hand, gesturing for him to go ahead.
“Where exactly were you and Lovely standing when this went down?”
My brows pull down. “We were standing between the parked bikes, outside the clubhouse.”
His eyes narrow a little, “I mean, in relation to each other, and the road.”
I think back. We were standing face to face, the clubhouse door on my left hand side, the curve of the road running past the clubhouse at my back. “The bend in the road was behind me, and Lovely was standing facing me, and the road, I guess. Why?”
His ginger brows pull down, a frown marring his face, “Where were you when the shots rang out?”
I lean back, thinking. One moment I’m trying to apologize, the next my ears are ringing and I’m on the ground.
“Fuck, I, I’m not sure. I was looking at Lovely, and then somehow I was on the ground.
” I run my hand through my hair, probably making it stand on fucking end from the amount of hair pulling I’ve been doing.
A hand bats away mine, before Switch stands, running his hands through my hair, looking for… something. I’m not sure.
“Shit, that’s a big goose egg you got there Pres. Do you remember hitting your head?”
“Not really, but I remember being on the ground and all hell breaking loose.” The look on Switch’s face unnerves me, “What the fuck is going on?”
Switch sighs heavily. He runs his hand down his face, combing his fingers through his red beard before leaning forward in his chair, elbows resting on his thighs. He stares at Lovely for a beat, before looking down at his hands.
“Switch!” I growl. His unusual silence is really starting to piss me off.
“I’ll have to check the footage, but shit, Pres, I think Lovely saved your fucking life.” My head flies back as if I’ve been hit. “Would you say you’re at the very least, a foot taller than Lovely?”
“I’d say I’m over a foot taller than her.”
He nods, his red hair flopping everywhere.
“Let’s say the shooter shot straight and true, yeah?
If we measure the height at which it hit Lovely compared to where it would hit you, I would bank money that bullet was meant to hit you, from behind, and tear through your abdomen.
Best case scenario, at that height, would be colostomy bag for life. ”
“And the worst case?”
He stares at me, and I know that look. Motherfucker.
Lovely took the bullet meant for me. Without Lovely I could have died out there, in the fucking dirt outside my clubhouse.
My head hangs and my eyes close as I try to control my rage and guilt.
Getting worked up isnt going to do me any fucking favours right now.
The door opens and closes, Switch leaving me alone.
I close my eyes, thinking of strategies, intel I need, plans I need to make, people I need to mobilize-
“You need to take a break.” My eyes open at the sound of Rhodie’s voice. He stands in the doorway with the Landrys at his back, cups of coffee in their hands.
“I’m good, brother,” my voice comes out in a rasp, thick with fatigue and guilt.
“Like hell you are. You can’t lead shit if you’re burnt out.
” He frowns at me, clearly not impressed with how crappy I look.
My smell probably offends him too. He had no trouble with smells until Chewy and her damned bloodhound nose turned up.
“Go home, take a shower, catch a couple of hours sleep. Vic, Dom and Chris have got this.”
I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off, but he raises his hand, “Brother, your men need you. You haven’t seen the new digs, you haven’t checked in with the wounded brothers. We need to have Church, the Computas have found some shit -”
“No,” I growl, standing to my full height, going toe to toe with my brother.
“She fucking saved me, Rhodes.” My anger rushes out of my body, deflating me and I slump into my chair.
“She shoved me out of the way and took the bullet meant for me, brother. I’m not walking out of here when she needs me.
I want to be here when she wakes up, I need to be here when that happens. ”
He stares at me for a moment, his green eyes boring into mine. Rhodie’s eyes are like his mother’s, the woman who raised me.
“I know where you’re at. I know exactly why you feel the need to be here, at her side, but is that what Lovely would want?”
I scowl at him before looking at her brothers who have remained silent this whole time. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
He takes a seat, letting out a long sigh. My gaze bounces between him, Dom, Chris and Vic.
“Marx, what do you think is the most important thing in Lovely’s world?” Vic asks softly, placing his hand on Lovely’s.
“Little Bee,” I answer immediately. Lovely adores that little girl.
“Do you think Lovely would like knowing that Bee is being bumped from person to person at the moment? That she’s unsettled but too little to know what’s going on?” Chris says, eyes never moving from his sister.
Closing my eyes I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. I shake my head slowly. I know for a damn fact that if Lovely were awake she’d demand her little girl be here with her. She’d want to see with her own eyes that she’s OK.
“How about you go home, get a couple of hours rest, wash because you fucking reek, and then bring Bee back to visit her mom?” Rhodie says.
I eye him then the Landrys for a moment. “Guilt trip, huh, fuckers?”
“Whatever works.” Dom shrugs. “And I didnt want to say anything, but I can’t do another minute in this room with your unwashed ass.”
“Everyone is a goddamn comedian,” I mutter and I move to stand then head for the door. “Message me as soon as anything happens.”
Vic gives me a chin lift then takes my seat and Rhodie moves to my side, waiting for me to leave. I take one look back at Lovely before heading out, Rhodie at my back.
“You claiming her?”
“Yeah.”
Rhodie side eyes me, “You got a lot of work to do.”
I grunt at him, “Know that brother, but she’s fucking worth it.”
Pops
I tug my chino’s up a little higher and my hands find my hips as I survey the surroundings.
“You did good, Sid,” Debs beams up at me as she lifts my arm and snuggles under it. I squeeze her to me, soaking up her warm adoration.
“Needed to be done babe.” The last of the mobile homes that could fit on the section between the house and the cabins moves into place, bringing the total number of mobile homes on the property to five.
Thank fuck this property is huge and empty.
After my son and his wife were taken I kept the place, not wanting to move the kids.
I’m glad we did, now we have enough space for the MC.
Our MC. Because that’s what it is. Now I just have to wait for these bastards to give me a cut.
I ain’t prospecting so they’ll just have to hand it over.
“Well, if it ain’t the fearless leader,” I mutter, watching Rhodie drive in with Marx in the passenger seat.
A rush of air leaves me as Debs backhands me to the gut. It’s her favorite move. “Behave, Sid. He’s been with Lovely.”
“As he should. He should have locked that woman down well before now, but the kid is way dumber than he looks.” She gives me a disapproving look before rushing up to Marx’s door.
As soon as he steps out of the SUV she pulls him into her arms, running a hand down his hair before shoving him backwards, jiggling him a little while she barks orders at him.
I fucking love when she’s in her bossy mode.
I can feel myself starting to get a chub and if she keeps going I’ll have to drag her away to have my way with her.
“Stop ogling my grandmother,” Tav whines, coming to stand next to me, my new little granddaughter nestled into his chest.
I make grabby hands and Tav places his hand protectively over Tess, angling her away so I can’t have my fill of baby goodness.
“You’re my least favourite grandkid.”
“You have a million babies here to love on! Go grab Laney or something.”
“I can’t. She’s napping and Dayz is sharpening her tools. If I wake the kid up I’ll get stabbed.” I grin.
Tav lets out a sigh and gently hands over Tess. I breathe in her baby scent before snuggling her against my chest.
“So, who we got living in the mobile homes?” Tav lifts his chin to the mobile homes dotted around the yard.
“Oh oh, I can tell you that!” Debs bustles back over now that she’s bossed Marx into the house. She nestles back where she belongs, under my arm, and I cuddle her and Tess to me. “You, Blanche and the kids will have one.”
“I call dibs on that fancy one far, far away from Gus,” Tav says, hand up in the air like a school boy.
“Done!” Debs giggles. “I’m putting Fox and Nitro in the smaller one, Fox will need the quiet to heal. Marx and the couples will get first dibs on the others. The single men and Niko will be bunking down inside until we can sort something out long term.” She nods.
Tav brows raise. “You do know this is just temporary, right?”
“We’ll see,” she grins, and I roll my eyes. If she had her way she’d adopt all these bikers. “Oh, and so you know, Marx is showering, eating, then napping. He’ll be calling Church tomorrow.”
“Did he decide that or did you?” Tav asks.
“Bit of both?” Debs grins and the twinkle in her eye does something to me.
“Take your kid, I need some alone time with my woman.” Debs’ laughter rings out and she races away from me. I let her get a head start before I chase her.
I’ll always catch her. She’s mine. Til my body leaves this mortal coil.