39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Reeve
It's not until I walk out of the bar and climb into my car, leaving the noise of all the other members behind, that I realize Trix is talking to someone else.
Starting the car, I connect her call to the Bluetooth and turn the volume up, listening closely.
I can't work out exactly other person is saying, but I can tell from the timbre in their voice that it's a man, and from Trix's sharp, accelerated breathing flowing through the phone, I can tell she's panicked.
When I hear the man mention something about following her, my heart squeezes tight, and my fingers dig into the leather of my steering wheel.
"Trix, what's going on?"
She doesn't answer me, and I slam my foot down on the pedal, racing down the road and away from the clubhouse.
"Trix?" I shout, tapping the screen of my phone to double-check our call is still connected.
"I'm fine," she mutters, breathing erratically. "Everything's okay."
Reaching the end of the road, I yank the wheel to the right, skid across the tarmac, then continue speeding down the road.
"Who's with you?"
"I don't have any money for you!" she shouts, not replying to me, but to the person hassling her.
"Is your dad there, Red?"
"Yes," she whispers, fear evident in her tone.
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in—"
Her scream cuts me off, the sound tearing through my body as the call ends. My stomach sinks, my heart stops, and my grip around the wheel tightens.
"Motherfucker!" I shout, punching the dashboard as I race through the streets of Blackrock Point, desperate to get to her and make sure she's okay.
A journey that should take me twenty-five minutes only takes me fifteen, but the dread knotting inside of me grows thicker when I slide into the parking lot and see Trix by the entrance, holding herself up against the side of the building.
Her arm is banded around her waist, and from what I can see of her face through the blood caking her skin, she's in pain. She's favoring her left leg, keeping her right one bent and curled up beneath her.
Skidding to a stop, I jump out of the car and run over to her.
"Trix! Baby!" I stumble on the pavement in my haste to get to her, and when she hears my voice, a sob breaks free, and she crumbles to the floor.
I quickly grab her, pull her onto my lap, and brush the messy, knotted hair out of her face. My fingers slip through the blood on her skin, smearing it across her skin.
"What hurts, Red? Tell me what hurts!"
"Everything," she sobs as she curls into me, hissing when her arm presses against my chest.
Hooking one arm beneath her legs and the other around her back, I gently lift her, slowly walking back to the car, while being careful not to jostle her.
"We need to get you to the hospital."
She shakes her head violently, fingers gripping my shirt. Peering up at me with wobbling lips and watery eyes, she pleads with me.
"Please. No hospital. Just take me back to the clubhouse."
"Trix, you need help."
Shaking her head again, she wipes her hands under her eyes, getting rid of the tears trickling down her cheeks.
"I promise, I'm okay." I gently place her into the back of my car, and she shifts along the seats, resting her back against the door on the other side. "Nothing's broken. I'm just cut up and bruised. I don't need a hospital."
Not knowing what to do, I nod, close the back door, then quickly get into the driver's seat, and shift into first gear.
"I'll take you back to the clubhouse, but I'm getting Honey to come and take a look at you to make sure you're okay."
Pressing on the gas, I hurl it out of the parking lot, dialing Milo's number as I do so.
As soon as the call connects, I start barking orders at him.
"I need you to get Mackie and Honey to the clubhouse right the fuck now.
Go into my room, grab a towel, and get some of Trix's clothes for me.
We're going to need some bandages, I think, maybe a heating pad, or some ice packs.
I don't know. Just grab everything and take it up to the meeting room.
Make sure the table is clean and have all the doors open for when I get there. "
"What the fuck is going on?"
"That motherfucker's hurt her again!" I shout, glancing over my shoulder when Trix groans in pain as I take a corner too quickly. "I swear to God, when I see that asshole again, I'm going to kill him."
"Already two steps ahead of you," Milo says, ending the call.
As soon as I pull up outside the clubhouse, Mouse rushes out of the bar, wet cloths in his hand and a panicked look in his eyes.
Rounding the car, I pull open the back door, bundle Trix into my arms, then walk toward the open double doors.
Ghost and Dodger hold the doors open, and as I pass by, they pat me on the shoulder in silent support.
Munch is standing by the stairs with the prospects, all of them staring at the woman in my arms with anger flaring in their eyes.
When I reach the top of the stairs, Warren opens the door of the meeting room, ushering us inside, and I gently lay her down on the table, cursing when she cries out in pain.
"Mouse, clean up the blood so we can see where it's coming from. Warren, check on her leg while we're waiting for Honey. Luxe, take Reeve into the living room, and keep him there until I tell you to let him back in."
My eyes shoot to Callux, who's shucking off his leather cut while walking toward Trix.
"I'm not leaving."
"Yes, you are," he says, glaring at Luxe when he doesn't move. "You're just going to be in the way. Go sit out there, let out all your anger, and wait for us to tell you she's okay."
Luxe walks over to me, grabs hold of my arms, then pushes me back. "Come on, man. She's in good hands. They'll look after her."
Taking one last look at Trix, I find her eyes already on mine, but when she subtly nods, I heave a sigh and allow Luxe to drag me out.
"Where the fuck is Milo?"
Luxe shrugs as he steers me into the living room.
"He just rode past us," Mackie says, hurriedly walking across the room and opening the door to the meeting room. He lets Honey inside, then closes it behind her. "No idea where he's going, but he said he'd call you."
Shaking my head, I sit down on the couch and stare up at the ceiling as I listen to the grumbles from the other room, trying and failing to make out what they're saying.
Clenching my hands into fists, I crack my knuckles, then dig them into my thigh.
"Do you want to go and shower? Or at least get some clean clothes?"
"No," I grunt, shooting a scathing glare in Mackie's direction. "I'm not moving until I know she's okay."
We all sit in silence, each one of us fidgeting, moving around the room or checking the time as we watch the seconds turn to minutes, then start turning into hours.
Shortly after the clock ticks over the two-hour mark, Honey walks out of the room looking tired and exhausted.
I immediately stand up, ready to ask her how Trix is, but she beats me to it.
"She's okay. A couple of bumps to her head, bruises across her arms, abdomen, and legs, and what I think is a sprained ankle, but she's going to be okay."
Breathing a sigh of relief, I fall back onto the sofa, head in my hands.
"The blood?" Luxe asks.
"She does have a large gash in her hairline, and some grazes on her hands and her arms, but the rest of the blood must be from her father.
" Honey walks over to me and squeezes my shoulder.
"You've got a strong girl in there. She headbutted him and gave him a nosebleed.
She also whacked him a couple times before using her hands and arms to lessen the blows. "
I shake my head. "He never should've had the opportunity to hurt her again. I was supposed to be protecting her."
I hear Callux protesting from the other room, then I hear feet shuffling along the floorboards. Looking up, I watch as Trix hobbles into the room, using the wall to keep her upright, while also keeping the weight off her right leg.
Her left arm and both her hands are wrapped in bandages, and she has a large, padded bandage on her head.
"I told you, I can look after myself," she grumbles, attempting to glare at me.
Pushing off the sofa, I stride toward her, then gently wrap my arms around her, burying my nose into her hair.
"Are you okay?"
Using her right arm, she pushes me away, grabs hold of my chin, then brings my face down to hers.
"Honey just told you I'm fine." She kisses me softly. "I'm just really fucking tired."
I wrap one arm around her shoulders, then bend down and tuck the other one behind her knees, carefully lifting her into the air.
"Let's get you to bed, then."