Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Unbearable pain ripped me from my sleep screaming. My eyes shot open and a bright light forced me to close them again. Something pushed on my ribs, making me scream again.
I was back in my room.
“I’m sorry!” I cried out.
Mother and Clay weren’t done with me.
“I’ll be good. Please,” I pleaded even though speaking hurt.
Big hands cupped the sides of my face and a familiar deep voice like thunder calmly told me, “You’re safe, Charlotte. You’re safe.”
Tears slid from the corners of my closed eyes and hit the big hands holding me.
“Roe!” I cried, pathetically.
A hand squeezed mine. “I’m right here.”
“Don’t leave me,” I begged.
“I won’t,” I heard him promise.
“Her ribs might be broken,” a stranger said.
“I don’t know for sure.” Hands other than Bram’s and Roe’s moved over me, pushing and prodding, making me grunt.
Then my eyelids were forced open one at a time and an even brighter and closer light shone into them.
Someone let out a sigh. “I don’t think she’s concussed.
She’ll need sutures—a lot of them. There’s so much bruising around her throat and on her abdomen…
” The stranger released a stress-filled sigh. “She should go to the hospital, Bram.”
I opened my eyes again and tried to see past the light above me.
“No! No hospitals!” I tried to lift my hand up to block the light to see.
It worked a little. The first thing I saw was the back of my cut-up and bloody hand.
Then I saw Bram’s face. He was standing by my head.
I glanced around quickly. Roe was standing to my left.
Reid and Wyatt were behind him. There was a strange but familiar old man with a white beard, wearing a Haven’s Rebels vest, standing to my right.
It took me a second to place him. He was the Rebel who had bumped into me at Noble’s pub the night I had gone with the guys and Mac.
The older man leaned close to me. “You’re in a bad way, honey.
Unless you’ve smoked two packs of cigarettes a day since birth, you were strangled pretty bad.
That means you could have a damaged larynx, or even fucking worse, carotid.
Then there’s the beating your abdomen took. Were you punched? Kicked? Both?”
Both, I thought to myself.
“You could have internal damage. Do you understand what that means?” he asked.
I understood and it didn’t matter. Closing my eyes again, I dropped my hand. “No hospitals.”
My chin was grabbed firmly and Bram’s hands dropped away from my face. My face was shaken, making me open my eyes again. The old man’s brown eyes bored into mine. “Do you not understand that you could die if you don’t go?”
I stared back, unflinching. They didn’t know what I knew.
They didn’t understand what Mother was capable of.
If they took me to a hospital, Mother would undoubtedly find me.
And when she saw that I was with them, she’d call the police and every connection she had.
She’d tell everyone that they were the ones who’d attacked me.
She’d spew so much money and so many lies, they’d all be locked up before they knew what was happening.
Then I would be back in her care. “I’m dead either way. ”
The old man let go of my chin and stood up straight. He glared at Bram. “You gonna risk it? She’s your kid, ain’t she?”
“It’s not up to him,” I tried to say firmly, but my voice was so hoarse. “It’s my choice.”
Bram finally spoke, sounding angry. “You’re not in any state to make sound decisions right now.”
They didn’t understand and I didn’t have the voice to explain it to them.
Clenching my jaw, I braced myself for what I had to do.
I can do this.
I can.
I rolled toward Roe, and it was then that I realized that I was lying on top of a table. All the chairs were pushed back and the bright light above me was a pendant light dangling over the center of the table. I let go of Roe’s hand and began to push myself up.
The room erupted in protests. I ignored them. The pain was so excruciating, I had to grind my teeth together to stop the hurt-filled noises that threatened to escape.
“Lottie,” Roe said as he put his hand on my shoulder. “Lay back down.”
“I can’t.” I put my hand on his chest to push him back.
He didn’t move, and his hand that had been holding mine fisted at his side. I felt bad, but I had to do this. I had endured pain all my life. I could endure it a little longer.
As soon as I sat up, I moved my legs over the edge of the table.
I sat there for a second to try and breathe.
Wrapping an arm around my middle, I took small shallow breaths, locking eyes with Reid.
His expression was schooled. I supposed that was better than looking pissed and disappointed, as he had just before storming off when I hadn’t spilled all my secrets to Bram earlier today.
I slid off the table onto my feet. My knees buckled a little. Everyone seemed to flinch at that. Reid even stepped toward me as if ready to catch me. Thankfully, I caught myself by holding onto the table.
There were two paths out of here. Both were open archways. One I could clearly see through into a kitchen, making me realize I was in Bram’s dining room. The other looked like it might lead me into the rest of the house and possibly the front door. It was just past where Reid was standing.
“Charlotte,” Bram said, his voice sounding calmer.
Ignoring him, I took a step in Reid’s direction. I was unsteady at first, but I continued. My hand dropped away from the table with my next step. I was on my own from that point, with nothing to catch myself on if I fell.
“Charlotte,” Bram said again, sounding as if he were right behind me.
I still ignored him and made my way around Reid toward the way out. I was almost there. I reached out to grab onto the wall. Before I could touch it, I stumbled and I was going down. Big hands caught me.
“You’ve made your point,” Bram said in a low voice.
I got my feet back under me. “I’m not making a point.
I’m leaving.” I shrugged him off. “To protect dumb men who won’t listen.
” It hurt so much to say that, but it was fucking worth it.
I walked out of the dining room into a living room.
Sitting on a modular cream-colored couch were Mac and her mom, Vivian.
Mac had tears rolling down her cheeks and her mom had an arm around her, comforting her.
They both looked toward me, making me pause at their shocked stares.
“What are you protecting us from?” Bram asked, following me out of the dining room. “Your mother?”
He wanted an explanation. I would’ve given him one if I could. But here we were. If he or anyone else couldn’t just accept no as an answer, then I couldn’t stay here. I would not allow them to damn us all.
Spotting the front door across the room, I kept walking.
“Why don’t you two go upstairs?” Bram said to Vivian and Mac as he followed me.
Vivian nodded and looked to her daughter. “Come on, honey. Let’s give them some privacy.”
I didn’t watch them leave. I was solely focused on the front door. I didn’t know where I would go once I walked through it. The closer I got to it, the more fucked I realized everything was.
Maybe I should just end things myself. Get it over with. I won’t have to suffer anymore.
I already knew how I’d do it. I’d thought about it before.
Bram came storming by and blocked my way by standing in front of me. “You’re not leaving, Charlotte. You’re hurt.”
“I’m always hurt!” I exploded.
He and I winced at the same time. My loud words seemed to inflict pain on both of us, just for different reasons.
Bram, the Haven’s Rebels president, looked at a loss for words and I felt a little bad.
I wasn’t his problem. They didn’t need to be dragged into this.
I took a step to go around him.
Bram put up a hand to stop me. “Fine. No hospital.”
I glanced up at him, meeting his greenish hazel eyes. We stared at each other. I was searching for deception. He just looked like he was waiting to see what I’d do.
Hands gently cupped my upper arms and a head rested on the back of mine. “Lottie, please,” Roe whispered.
Oh, Roe.
I closed my eyes slowly. “I don’t want to drag you down with me,” I whispered back, which was an easier way to speak.
“Then you stay here,” Roe whispered. “Because if you leave, I will follow you.”
Don’t say that. He, Wyatt, and Reid would be better off without me in their life.
“Please, Lottie.” The pleading in Roe’s voice put cracks in my resolve.
Damnit.
Tears flooded my closed eyes. Before they could spill free, I turned and buried my face in Roe’s chest. “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know why I was apologizing, exactly. It just felt necessary.
Roe’s arms quickly scooped me up bridal style. “It’s all right.” And he carried me back to the dining room.
The old Rebel, who I learned was a paramedic named Bobby, gave me medicine for pain.
Too strong to be the kind you could get over the counter at a pharmacy.
It made me very tired. Everyone was quiet as he stitched up my side.
Mentally numb, I lay on the table facing Roe, who was sitting in a chair pushed up to the table.
He held one of my hands and used his other to run his fingers through my hair near my ear.
Reid, Wyatt, and Bram sat in different chairs that had been pushed away from the table to give Bobby room to work on me. Wyatt sat behind and to the left of Roe. Reid was sitting by my feet, and Bram was by my head.
Unable to keep my eyes open any longer, I let them close. I was about to drift off when I heard Bram say, “She’s asleep again.”
“That’s expected,” Bobby said as I felt him tie off another suture. “She’s been through a lot and the drugs I gave her have kicked in by now.”
“Looks like Levi is still keeping the club well supplied,” Reid commented, his tone full of disdain.
“Only the club medic, Reid,” Bram said irritably. “And last I heard, you three are frequent customers of Levi.”