CHAPTER THREE
-:- TwoCents -:-
Walking into Specs’ office, I hand him the file and take a seat, all without a word, because I honestly don’t know what to say to him about what is in that file.
Running his eyes over the contents, Specs turns to look at me and gives me a nod. “I’ll check all this before we speak to Pres, but if this can be verified, then we’ll need to speak to Forest too. Until I can get what we need don’t speak to anyone about it.”
“Okay. I’m going to check on Sienna. I hope she’ll wake soon, then we can find out what the fuck is going on.”
Walking into the hospital forty-five minutes later, I pass the reception desk and give the nurse a chin lift. When I reach Sienna’s room I step inside quietly and see Stitch with his chin on his chest and lightly snoring. Shaking my head before I give a small cough has him jumping to his feet in alarm.
“Fuck, you had me there, TwoCents. I must have nodded off for a while,” said with a sheepish look on his face.
Grinning before taking a seat on the opposite side of the bed to Stitch, I look at Sienna, but she looks exactly the way she did the last time I was here.
“No change?” I ask.
“Nothing significant, but she moved her finger earlier. I saw it, and it twitched twice. I think she is coming around slowly, but that was one hell of a bang to her head. You know they cut a damn patch of hair when they put stitches in her head. I’m not sure she’ll be happy because you know women, they don’t like bald spots.”
Frowning because I can imagine a bald patch wouldn’t be good, and I don’t know how she’ll react to that. The last thing any of us need is her having a panic attack on top of everything else.
“I’m going to stay for a couple of hours, but I need to check on Sentry at the shop before it closes for the day. He has stepped up and is running the place. Damn amazing that he did this, but I want to check if he needs anything. The Three Stooges are happy to step in and do a few hours a day at the shop if he needs a break.”
“Sentry can run the shop, I’m sure. He’s very organized. Have you noticed how well he runs the compound? He makes sure every one of the sheds is kept in good condition, and even Meat’s garden shed he sneaks in and organizes when he thinks Meat hasn’t noticed.”
We both chuckle at that because Meat misses nothing. He may act the fool, but he is the most intelligent and observant of all of us. He is okay with Sentry going in his shed or he’d have booby-trapped the fucker to keep him out.
“I didn’t know that, but I bet Specs has seen it on his security feed. The secrets that he must keep about all of us…” We both chuckle at that thought because we all know we have done things we didn’t want the brothers to see or hear.
“You know Jig has been chasing Lina? I’m sure he is serious about it too, but he’s making out it”s all fun and nothing serious. Now, Lina, on the other hand, is steering well clear of Jig and making sure she’s gone by the time he gets back from work. It’s damn funny watching ‘his chase’ and ‘her dodge’.” Stitch, I can see, is finding it all highly amusing.
“I’m sure with you spending a lot of time around the clubhouse, you see more than most of us. I mainly see my office and maybe pass through the common room on my way to the kitchen or front door.”
“Yeah, but my lips are sealed. I never repeat what I see, well, except Knuckles’ and Jo’s shenanigans. Honestly, those two are always at it. It’s a wonder I don’t have to treat Knuckles” dick for friction burns,” Stitch busts out laughing at his own comment, but we both notice his laugh had Sienna jumping slightly.
Standing, I lean over Sienna and study her face as I speak, looking for any sign of her coming around. “Sienna, my name is TwoCents. I’m the biker from the bank whose life you saved. I’m here making sure you are safe.”
Nothing…abso-lute-ly nothing. I had hoped I would see a small frown, twitch, or even a blink. But nothing at all.
Sighing, I take my seat again and look at Stitch, who is studying Sienna carefully. I notice he is holding her wrist and checking her pulse. Looking at me, he shakes his head, letting me know that her pulse has not elevated with anxiety or awareness.
“She is coming around. It’s just going to be slow. But better that than coming around too fast and causing seizures. I’ve seen that happen and I hope I never see it again.”
He has seen some shit and I know he’s had counseling to cope with it. But he’s so different now that he has Gemmy. They complement each other and it’s easy to see how much love they share. One day, I hope to have that because I’m ready, and I am happy to admit that.
“I’m going to take off now. If you need me to come back just holler and I’ll be here. You’ll have things to do, I’m sure. But if you need me to cover for you at the clubhouse, I can do that if you tell me exactly what to do.” Stitch stopped at the door before stepping out and waits for my reply.
“If you can visit the businesses tomorrow morning and pick up the week”s deposits, they can be put in the club safe and I’ll deal with it so it’s ready for the bank. Not sure I’m ready to go back to the bank just yet, mind you.”
Stitch chuckles. “Well, I can understand that. Yeah, I’ll go around the club businesses in the morning. Leave it to me.”
“Thanks, Stitch, for coming and sitting with Sienna.”
“Always here for you, brother,” he says, closing the door quietly as he leaves.
I settle back in the hard-backed seat, which is causing my ass to go numb, and watch Sienna sleeping. After a while I get bored and take out my phone, grateful that I still have service thanks to Specs making sure no matter where we are we can still get onto the internet, and I start to search for anything that can help with the information in the file.
Nurses come in and out, check on Sienna’s vitals, then leave again. I ignore any interaction unless it’s informing me of Sienna’s condition. The doctor has been in once and given me the same spiel he has previously, but I continue to pace the room so I can stretch my legs before settling down again in this damn chair.
Tapping on the door grabs my attention, and I smile when Mia, Jo and Heather walk in slowly. Each carrying a bag, which they are holding onto tightly.
“We came to give you a break, and we brought clothes, some women’s stuff, too,” Mia tells me and grins when she points at the bags they are carrying.
“What women’s stuff?” I ask, then could have bit my own tongue off as I realize they mean wash stuff and maybe tampons and things that I don’t want to think about. Holding my hand up, I grin, “No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Heather laughs, places her bag on one of the empty chairs, and walks over to Sienna. She takes one of Sienna’s hands into hers and strokes the top of it. “Hi, Sienna. My name is Heather and I’m a friend of TwoCents. I want to thank you for saving his life. He means so much to all of us, we would have been torn apart if he’d died. Now, as he is like a brother to me, I can make sure we play pranks on him at times, so you need to wake up so we can be friends and get some ideas flowing.”
Mia steps up next and nearly repeats what Heather has said, but when Jo steps up, I can’t help but chuckle. Her speech is much different.
“Hi, Sienna. My name is Jo, and I’m also a friend of TwoCents. I’m an author and write romance stories, fiction, you know, made up, not real-life events. My characters are always alpha males and my females characters are either timid or ball-busters. But I get the ladies at the club to read my books and test out the sexy parts, so I know they work before I publish. Honestly, Sienna, I’m always catching one of them in the storage closet,” Jo giggles, which Mia and Heather join in with. “Anyway, you need to wake up so we can be friends. We have brought you some new nighties and PJs, shower foam, and other shit. Oh, dang, that’s Knuckles’ fault. He’s always cursing and I’m catching the habit.”
Mia butts in, throwing an arm around Jo. “Okay, Mia again. TwoCents has to go do chores, so we are going to stay with you, give you a nice wash, brush your hair if we can and see if we can remove that bandage. We have some moisturizer that smells divine and we’ll make sure you are looked after while we are here.”
Shooing me out, I leave the three of them to do with Sienna what they think is needed and I make my way to the Swap Shop where I want to check on Sentry.
Walking into the shop, I watch as Sentry shows a young mother the rack of clothing that she needs to look through, taking the two pieces of clothing that she brought with her. She looks so embarrassed and it’s damn heartbreaking watching her.
I wait behind the serving counter and Sentry walks over, giving me a nod. “Everything is running okay here, TwoCents, but you need to look at the financials because I don’t know how she keeps this place open. If she bought the shop, then she may make enough to pay the monthly utilities, but she’s not making enough to live.”
“She’s a photographer, by the look of it. Well, from what I found at the house. She may make a living separate from the shop. This may be just a hobby thing for her, but until she wakes, we won’t get any answers.”
“I’ll make sure the shop stays open because these people need it. This young woman is looking at two pieces of clothing for her child and I feel like giving her a dozen, but if I do that, it will rip what pride she has left from her.” Sentry rubs the back of his neck, a sure sign he is feeling stressed.
Hearing a hog outside, we look out and see Meat parking and walking in, carrying a backpack that is bursting at the seams. Walking inside the shop, Meat gives the young woman a beaming smile, and I have to blink because fuck me, I’m not sure I ever saw him smile like that before.
“You got a three-year-old?” Meat asks the woman, and she smiles and gives him a shy, ‘Yes’ in reply.
“Well, it’s your lucky day.” Opening his backpack, he takes out five new pieces of clothing, and shows the woman, then she smiles when she looks up at him. He whispers something to her, and she nods, before looking up with tears in her eyes and kisses Meat’s cheek. He hands her the backpack and walks out of the shop, whistling under his breath, before straddling his hog, starting her up and disappearing.
Shaking my head because I know better than to ask. I do, however, look at the young woman and she has hold of that backpack like it’s the best thing in the world. She gives us both a beaming smile before walking out of the shop.
“I suppose that’s Meat’s good deed for the day. Did you notice they were all new clothes with the tags still on? That fucker just bought them and she was lucky enough to be here, have the right-aged kid, and the right sex.” Sentry is grinning and I can’t help but grin back at him because he’s right that was a damn good deed for the day.
My phone pings and looking at it, I have a message from Forest saying he wants another statement, and to meet him at the clubhouse as he wants a meeting with Axel, too.
Walking through the kitchen, I give a slight smile to the Three Stooges who have the twins in high chairs covered in something brown, and no, I’m not going to get involved.
Knocking on Axel’s office door and hearing him say ‘Come in’, I open the door and step inside, surprised to see Forest and Specs standing looking at a file on the desk. Leaning forward, I see it’s the file I gave Specs earlier.
Forest looks at me and smirks. “Seems you found yourself with a problem. You can’t leave Sienna out in the cold whether you make her yours or not. She needs protection. This…” pointing at the file, “is going to get someone killed, if it hasn’t already.”
Turning to face Forest, I stare blankly at him. “Make her mine? What? As in claim her? Make her my Ol’ Lady?”
Forest”s smirk broadens to damn near fill his face. “Yes. As in, Ol’ Lady. As in, get her protected.”
Shit, I’ve never thought along those lines. It’s gonna be hard enough when she comes round explaining I’m her ‘pretend’ hospital husband, without telling her ‘Oh, by the way, you”re my official biker MC Ol’ Lady!
“Senator Brooks is the one that was involved with Gregory’s parents. It seems he likes to get involved in things,” I mumble to myself more than the others.
“Yeah, but if he is who we think he is, we may have to do some damage control and speak to Nell,” Axel states, but he has that fuckin’ smirk on his face that says he’s down for whatever is coming, and he hopes it”s dirty.
We have had peace for quite some time, no need to use Nell’s services, but I’m sure she’ll be on board with whatever we need. I wonder if her gators have eaten well lately?
“Sign the statement, TwoCents. I had Zack type it up and get it ready. Just need you to sign it and I can put it through the system. After seeing this, I’m going to misspell Sienna’s name so it throws anyone off her. We don’t need anyone coming for her because she saved your life.” Forest hands me a form and I don’t read it. I sign and hand it back. Job done as far as I see it.
“I’ll get on to this as soon as I’m back at the office and do some low-key searches. I don’t want to reach out to any of my old FBI buddies this early, in case it alerts someone to Sienna’s whereabouts.” Forest gives us a chin lift and heads out of the office. I bet he goes in search of Heather before he leaves the clubhouse, I think to myself.