23. Poker
CHAPTER 23
POKER
I need to get to Meri.
Meri’s arms tighten around my waist as we lean into the curve. It’s her day off, and we decided to go for a ride. About two hours away from Marble Falls, we stopped in a little town to eat lunch at a small diner, then we walked down their Main Street, going from one shop to the next.
I’ve never been the shopping type, or even the exploring a new town type, but with Meri, everything is fun.
We’re fifteen miles from Marble Falls, and traffic is light, so when a dark sedan seems to come up on us out of nowhere, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
I wrap my hand around Meri’s thigh, reassuring myself that she’s okay, and then I increase my speed. The sedan speeds up to stay on my tail, and genuine fear slithers through me. Going out on my Harley is not something I’ve ever been afraid of, but with Meri on the back of my bike, the idea of it is inconceivable.
After two vehicles pass us going the other direction, the sedan swerves into the oncoming lane, and before I can figure out what they’re doing, the driver yanks the wheel and slams into our side.
I try to maintain control, but it’s impossible. My bike has a mind of its own. I engage the brakes, doing as much damage control as I can, but it’s too late. The bike tips and skids to a halt on the asphalt, throwing both of us off to barrel into the ditch.
Meri’s scream pierces the air, and pain shoots through my body. Fortunately, we both were wearing helmets since it was a longer ride, but there’s no telling what kind of injuries we’ve sustained.
“Meri,” I call out, unable to see her. Not only is my vision blurry, but unconsciousness threatens to take over. Somehow, my bike managed to land on top of me, pinning me to the ground.
“P-Poker?” she says, her voice shaky. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, but I’m stuck. You?”
“Pretty banged up, but I-I don’t think any-anything is broken. My head is s-spinning though.”
“Ok. Just stay calm,” I order. “I’m going to try to get to my cell and see if I can get us some help.”
I don’t get a response.
“Meri?” Nothing. “Meri!”
When she remains quiet, terror claws at my insides, making it even harder to breathe. A shadow falls over me, and for a split-second, I feel relief because someone will help us. But it’s short-lived whenever the person walks away.
I try to twist and turn to get my cell, but nothing works. Then an idea hits me.
“Siri!” I shout, hoping like fucking hell that damn faceless AI bitch can hear me. “Call Crow!”
“Calling Crow,” the robotic voice replies.
I clearly can’t hear if he answers, so all I can do is shout ‘help’ over and over, hoping he hears me. I shout it until my throat dries to the point that I can’t speak, and then the dark sucks me under.
* * *
“I’m sorry, brother.”
Crow.
Those are the first words I hear when I open my eyes, and my heart cracks wide open.
She’s dead.
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head and ignoring the way the movement makes it feel like bowling balls are rattling around in my skull. “No, no, no.”
“I’m sure if you talk to her, make her see reason, you can work it out,” Crow says.
Grief overwhelms me, and I thrash on the bed in an effort to escape it, but after several seconds, his words penetrate the fog.
I’m sure if you talk to her…
I whip my gaze to Pres. “What did you say?” I demand.
He stares at me with confusion. “I’m sure that if you talk to Meri, she’ll come around, and the two of you will work it out.”
“She’s not dead?”
“What?” He balks. “No, she’s very much alive. She’s just not… here.”
I sag against the pillow with relief. “Fucking hell, Crow,” I snarl. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry, I thought you knew.”
“I didn’t. She stopped responding to me before I called you.”
“Shit. Sorry, man.”
“Wait,” I say. “She’s not here?”
He looks away from me. “No. She left two days ago.”
“Two days!” I roar. Fuck that hurts. “How long has it been since the wreck?”
“Um… Three days.”
I throw the sheet off and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. Dizziness plagues me, and Crow pushes me back down.
“You’re not going anywhere until Jackyl clears you,” he orders.
“Fuck that,” I bark as I try to struggle against him. Unfortunately, I’m not at my strongest yet and get nowhere. Giving up, I flop down. “Why’d she leave?” I finally ask.
“First things first,” he begins. “I know when you come to your senses, this would’ve been a better question. Meri suffered from a concussion, and Jackyl monitored her overnight. She’s got a lot of scrapes and bruises, but physically, she’s fine.”
Dammit, I let my grief and then anger completely obliterate rational thought. Of course, I should’ve asked that first.
“That’s good.”
“It’s pretty much the same for you, but you were in and out of consciousness until now. We were worried about you, but Jackyl said you just needed to give your brain a rest.”
“Okay, fine. My brain rested,” I huff out. “Now, why’d she leave?”
Crow reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. Instantly, I’m on the ragged edge of fury.
“This was sitting on your bike when we got to you.”
He hands it to me, and I mentally brace myself for what I’m going to read.
Poker-
Why isn’t anyone taking me seriously? I’ve sent warnings and threats, but you’re both still too stupid to listen. I hope this is the wake up call you need and that your injuries aren’t too bad.
-R
“This one’s addressed to me,” I say unnecessarily.
“And that’s what freaked Meri out. “Seems she’s okay when she’s the target, but put you in the line of fire, and she draws the line.”
“Fuck!” I yell. “Who is doing this?”
“I don’t know, man, but they’re escalating. Running you both off the road? That’s a declaration of war.”
“How the hell can we fight a war when we don’t even know who we’re fighting against?” I ask, dejected.
He’s silent, knowing my question is rhetorical.
“I need to talk to Meri,” I spit out and try to sit up again.
Again, Crow pushes me to my back. “You can go to her when Jackyl clears you medically. That’s not up for debate.”
“I can’t leave her alone, unprotected.”
“Do you really think I’d do that? Shit, I’ve got two men at the front of her house and two in the back. She’s safe.”
“What about when she goes to Ballinger’s?”
“She’s taking some time off,” he tells me. “That was the only way I’d let her walk out of the clubhouse.”
“That’s something, I guess,” I mutter.
“Look, I’ve got shit to do, but I’ll be back later to check on you.” He starts for the door. “And Poker?”
“Yeah, Pres?”
“I’ve got Jackyl and Jimmy posted at your door, so don’t even think about trying to take off.”
With that, he’s gone.
Shit, shit, shit. I need to get out of here. I need to get to Meri.
Now that I’m awake, surely Jackyl will clear me.
Right?
Wrong.
It’s another two days before I’m able to leave the clubhouse.