Chapter Sixteen Deacon
When we got back to the compound, Crazy Ace could barely pull in the parking lot for all the people milling around.
I’m sure word had spread, and now everyone was on edge.
Once he put the car in park, I threw open the door, not caring if it hit anyone who was standing by.
When I pulled myself to my feet, Alex cried out at being manhandled to ensure she stayed in my arms. I shoved my way through the crowd, ignoring the questions peppered at me.
“All right, get the fuck out of the way. What the hell is wrong with you guys? Give the poor girl some air!” Kim’s voice bellowed behind me.
When I turned around, I gave her a grateful smile.
She nodded and then started walking away from the car.
Like the iron bitch only she could be, she led the way inside the clubhouse, knocking people aside or smacking them back if they got too close.
Once we were inside, I hustled Alex back to my room.
Thankfully, someone had the presence of mind to call Breakneck Bob, or Dr. Robert Edgeway.
He stood outside my room with his medicine case in hand.
Breakneck had been an original charter member of the Raiders.
At first, everyone thought he was just some preppy upstart trying to show he had a pair by riding a motorcycle.
But even though he was in medical school and came from one of the finest families in town, Breakneck was the real deal when it came to a biker.
He’d patched out several years back when the hospital threatened his license for being a member of the Raiders.
Now he stayed close with the club by being our unofficial club doctor.
“Hey man, glad you could make it,” I said, as I swept past him into my room.
“I’m sorry that I had to be called out for something like this,” he replied. He ducked in behind me, sitting his bag on the nightstand.
Gently, I lay Alexandra down on the bed. When she saw Breakneck, she clawed at me not to let her go. “Easy now. He’s one of us, but more importantly, he’s a doctor. He needs to check on your injuries.”
“Stay with me,” she whispered, clutching my hand.
I nodded. “I will.”
Breakneck gave Alex a gentle smile. “My name is Dr. Edgeway, but you can call me Bob. I’m going to take good care of you.”
His words did little to ease Alexandra. Before he began to examine her, he dug in his bag and produced a bottle and a syringe. “I’m going to give you just a little something for the pain. It will also calm you down too.”
She gave a slight jerk of her head while her eyes remained firmly locked on mine.
After the shot, Alex became a little calmer.
He went through a bunch of procedures from shining a light in her eyes to listening to her heartbeat.
He examined the cuts and scrapes on her face and chest, proclaiming they would need to be cleaned and disinfected.
When his fingers came to her bare abdomen, Alex jumped out of her skin. “I’m just palpitating your organs to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.”
Gritting her teeth, she gripped my hand tighter and tighter. “Okay, looks like you’re okay in that area, but I’m afraid you’ve got a bruised shoulder. I can’t tell for sure without an X-ray machine.”
“Okay,” I replied.
“Alex, I have to ask you this to see if I need to further my exam. Were you sexually assaulted tonight?”
Tears pooled in Alex’s dark eyes, but then she shook her head firmly back and forth. I couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped my lips. I knew she had been through hell being beaten and strung up like she had, but I didn’t think I could bear for her to have been raped because of me.
“I’ll come by and see how you’re doing in the morning. For tonight, I would advise you get cleaned up and then try to get some rest. I’ll wait outside until you’re ready to sleep, and then I can give you something.”
“Okay,” Alex murmured.
Breakneck nodded and then gathered up his case. When he slipped out the door, I turned to Alex. “You want Mama Liz or Kim to help you with a shower?”
“You. I want you.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I know we’ve messed around, but I’ll have to see all of you, and you’ve already been through so much tonight.”
“I need you to take care of me, Deacon.”
I exhaled a frustrated breath. “Babe, I gotta be honest. I can beat the hell out of the scum who hurt you, but this tender loving care shit?” I shook my head. “I ain’t cut out for it.”
“You’re doing just fine so far.”
“Fuck,” I grunted before rising up off the side of the bed. Leaning over, I drew her to me, picking her up off the mattress.
When I got to the door, she yelped in surprise. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the house.”
“Okay,” she whispered before ducking her head to my chest.
Breakneck followed along with us, occasionally stepping in front of me to direct people out of our way. I couldn’t remember the last time the clubhouse had been so packed. But anytime an attack went out on the club in any form, members from all over started to come in.
Kim fell in step with us as we made the silent journey down the road to Mama Liz’s. I wasn’t too surprised to see her standing on the front porch when we walked up. Worry etched across her face as I climbed the stairs.
Without a word, I walked straight to the bathroom. Before I shut the door, I glanced over my shoulder. “Rev and Bishop are bringing her things. Lay out something for her.”
“Of course. Anything she needs,” Mama Liz replied.
I kicked the door shut with my boot. Then I eased Alex down on the toilet.
She looked so fucking fragile sitting there.
With her pale skin, she looked like a china doll that might shatter to pieces.
Spinning around, I turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature to lukewarm.
I knew anything too hot would be hell on her skin where she’d been lashed.
Once the water was ready, I turned back around. “I need to get you undressed now.”
She glanced up at me through her long lashes before gently letting the blanket fall away from her shoulders.
Grimacing, I reached around her back to unhook her bra.
When it came undone, Alex momentarily kept the fabric pressed against her.
Taking her by the waist, I eased her to her feet.
I undid the button on her skirt and let it fall down her legs.
When my fingers grazed the waistband of her panties, I realized how hard she was trembling. “Alex, I don’t need to do this. Let me get Mama Liz.”
“No, I want you,” she replied, with a firm resolve in her voice. She let the bra fall from her body. Then she reached for her panties and slid them down her legs. Once she was naked, she stared up at me. “Get undressed.”
“What?” I demanded.
“You’re just as dirty as I am. He’s still on your hands.”
I glanced down to see the reddish stain on my hands and fingers.
I hadn’t had much time to scrub up in her kitchen, especially after she had screamed for me.
“Fine,” I replied. I’d already abandoned my blood-spattered shirt back at her house, so all that was left was to slide off my jeans. I never wore underwear.
Taking Alex’s hand, I led her over to the shower. When she stepped inside, I followed behind her. The moment the water hit her battered skin, she screamed. “Just give it a minute.”
“I-It’s l-like razorblades,” she sputtered.
“I know. It’ll stop stinging in a minute.”
My heart ached at the tears that streamed down her face. I’d been beaten enough to know what those first few minutes of hell in a bath or shower felt like. But she’d been so sheltered, so protected, that it was a nightmare for her. And it was all my fault.
Brushing her hair back from her face, I whispered, “Shh, it’s going to be okay.”
She buried her face in my chest and began to cry so hard that her body shook mine. For a moment, my arms stayed at my sides. I was unsure how to handle the situation, especially with her injuries. Then finally I wrapped her in my embrace. “I’m sorry, Alex. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“This never would have happened to you if it hadn’t been for me.”
Pulling away, she stared up at me. “You can’t blame yourself.”
“If you hadn’t been involved in my world, you would be at home right now, sleeping in your bed with your dog at your side,” I argued.
With a defeated sigh, she said, “Maybe that’s true. But if me being attacked saved Willow any harm, then it was worth it. Just as it was worth it to be a part of her life…and yours.”
Cupping her face in my hands, I said, “It’ll fucking haunt me forever that I didn’t keep you safe enough. I thought I was doing enough having Archer follow you home.”
Her brows shot up in surprise. “You had him follow me?”
I nodded. “I wanted to make sure you got home all right.” Jerking a hand through my hair, I sighed. “But you have my word that with everything I have in me, you’ll never be hurt again.”
“Are you sure you can promise that, Jesse James?” When I opened my mouth to protest, she shook her head. “You’re an outlaw. You and your club live by a different code that I can’t even begin to understand.”
“That outlaw code you’re talking about? I’m going to use it to ensure that you’re never harmed again, and that the fucker who dared to touch you pays.” I stared into her face, searching her expression. “You get me?”
She sucked in a harsh breath as her eyes widened. I knew then she understood what I was going to do to the fucker who had hurt her. “No one is ever going to hurt you again,” I reiterated.
“I want to believe you, Deacon. But with everything that has happened to me in my life, I’m a realist. I don’t see how that’s possible.” In a low voice, she said, “How we’re possible.”
A crippling panic worked itself over my body. I didn’t like what I thought Alex was saying or what she might be implying. “So what are you trying to say? You don’t want to be a part of my world?”