Epilogue
Declan
It was a new year, and with it came new challenges. Like becoming a father, again. I still couldn’t believe Maureen was pregnant. She was forty-eight. I didn’t know women could still get pregnant at that age.
I had a lot to learn over the next eight months. A lot of new experiences that, despite our ages, I was fucking excited for. I had missed it all the first time.
Jesus Christ, I would be holding my grandson in one arm and my son in another.
Yes, I was convinced it would be a boy. My son and his nephew would grow up more like brothers. Just like King and I had.
We still had nothing more than an identity for the woman found at the Powell Ranch. No leads, no evidence to point in any direction other than the cows trampled her. Thankfully, the report showed she had died before she was trampled.
I was sitting in my office, studying the autopsy report Dr. Wallace had finally sent over, when Jackie knocked on my door and popped her head in.
“A call just came through. Unresponsive female, twenty-five years old at the clubhouse.”
“Beck,” I whispered my daughter’s name.
Grabbing my coat and my keys, I ran through the station. Climbing into my car, I hit the sirens and sped out of the lot. There was no point in going to the clubhouse. I would just be in the way. It was better to meet them at the hospital.
Turning my patrol car toward the hospital, I hit the gas and prayed the whole way there.
Please God, let her be ok. I just found her. I can’t lose her, or the baby. Things are finally going right. You’ve taken enough goddamn people from me.
I saw the ambulance in the bay as I climbed out of my car. Running through the doors, I frantically rushed to the counter.
“Unresponsive female just brought in. What’s her name?”
“I’m sorry, Sheriff, I don’t have that information.”
“Well, fucking get it!” I shouted, slamming my hand on the counter, causing the woman to jump.
“Daddy?”
My shoulders sagged in relief when I heard my daughter’s voice. Rushing over, I pulled her into my arms and held her tight.
“Are you ok? The baby?” I asked, holding her away from me and looking her over.
“We’re both fine,” she said, tears streaming down her face, and I pulled her back into my arms. “It’s Rachel.”
“What happened?”
“She had a headache, so she went to lay down. She’s been getting them a lot lately.” Beck hiccupped against my shoulder. “Cash went to get her for dinner, and she wouldn’t wake up. Something’s wrong.”
I looked around the room filled with bikers. Cash sat on the floor, his head resting on his arms that sat across his knees. King sat on one side, quiet. Gunner sat on the other.
My eyes locked with my little brother, and I mouthed, he ok?
King just shook his head. Turning to check on the others, I saw Maureen sitting with her arms around Grace. Once Maureen and I had officially gotten together, Grace realized Maureen wasn’t after King and allowed herself to get to know my woman.
Rachel was the first resident of Diamond Creek Grace met when she moved to Nebraska. There was no question this would hit her as hard as it would my little girl.
The whole town loved Rachel. She had grown up here with my daughter, Blade, and Ryder. I looked around the room, trying to locate Ryder. I found him in the corner, huddled with his wife Ellie.
Ryder’s face held no expression. He sat in the chair like a statue. No pain. No sadness. No emotion.
If anything happened to Rachel, there wasn’t a person that lived in this town that her death wouldn’t affect.
“Do you know anything?” I asked, looking over at Cash once more. He sat with his head against the wall now. His eyes closed, as if that could keep the pain away.
“No. They haven’t told us anything.”
I locked eyes with Maureen. She had told me she would be at the clubhouse today, trying to teach Hash how to bake. It didn’t surprise me she was here. She had gotten close to everyone at the clubhouse.
We all sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours before the doctor finally came in.
“The family of Rachel Masters?”
We all stood, expecting to hear the worst, but praying for hope.
“When Miss Masters came in—”
“Rachel. Her name is Rachel,” Cash croaked, his voice consumed with anguish.
The doctor nodded. “When Rachel came in, she was unresponsive. We ran numerous tests, which included an ECG and MRI. Given her medical history—”
“What medical history?” Cash asked.
The doctor paused, looking around the room at everyone there.
“Is there a Ryder Thomas here?”
“That’s me.” Ryder stepped forward.
“Mr. Thomas, you are listed as next of kin—”
“What the fuck?” Cash yelled.
We all stood by silently. It was a tense situation that had the potential to light up like a powder keg. Cash and Ryder were always at odds over the relationship Ryder had with Rachel.
“Mr. Thomas, maybe we should talk in private.”
“No. Tell me here. What medical history?”
The doctor looked at Cash. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Ryder since the doctor said he had been listed as her next of kin. Anger and rage poured off him. King and Gunner stood by his side, ready to lock him down if need be.
“As I was saying, given her medical history of an inoperable brain aneurism—”
“How long?” Ryder rasped, his voice tight with emotion.
“She was diagnosed in 2018.”
Ryder closed his eyes, a tear sliding down his cheek. “She never told me.”
Ellie wrapped her arms around Ryder, her own tears falling freely.
Blade held my daughter in his arms. Beck sobbed, while Blade stared at nothing over her head.
“The aneurism burst. This was the cause of her lack of response. We did everything we could, but she was gone before she came in.”
Cash spun away from Ryder and glared at the doctor. “She was fucking breathing when she came in here.” He growled, causing the doctor to take a step back.
“Yes, Miss Mas—” At Cash’s growl, the doctor corrected himself, “—Rachel is still breathing, but no longer on her own. As soon as she arrived, her breathing began to slow, and so we intubated her. The damage from the aneurism has caused her brain to stop functioning. I am so sorry to tell you. She won’t wake up.”
Turning back to Ryder, the doctor asked, “I know this is an emotional time, but do you know if she was an organ donor?”
“Yes,” Ryder answered the doctor, at the same time Cash yelled at Ryder, “NO!”
“It’s not your decision.” Ryder pushed Ellie behind him, and I saw Maureen and Sam pull her out of the way. “Rach and I talked about this; it’s why I was her next of kin. After what her mother went through, she wanted to help others in any way she could.”
“You are not letting them cut her up! I will fucking kill you if you let th em do this!” Cash lunged at Ryder, and Tank and Gunner held him back.
“It’s not your fucking decision!” Ryder shouted back.
“Cash, it’s what she wanted.” Beck stood in front of him, tears rolling down her face. She laid her hands on his face. When he looked down at her, she whispered. “It’s what she wanted.”
Cash pulled my daughter into her arms and muttered, “I can’t lose her, Beck. I can’t let her go.”
THE EN D