Chapter Sixteen
The moment Dirty woke up, he knew Petal was gone. The coldness by his side, the faint lingering scent of her perfume, and the fact she was no longer in his arms.
He’d not slept properly in a long time, and being inside Petal, and then having her in his arms, he had fallen asleep like a baby. And now, he was awake and Petal was not there.
He didn’t like this, but he sat up, rubbing his face, and glanced around the room to see if he could find a note or some indication that she had even slept the night. There was nothing.
Her stuff was gone, including her lingerie.
Had she snuck out and changed outside?
He’d never been this kind of deep sleeper. Getting to his feet, he made his way into the bathroom, used the toilet, flushed, washed his hands, and quickly brushed his teeth. He glanced at his reflection and quickly splashed some cold water onto his face to liven himself up. Once that was done, he changed into a pair of jeans, a fresh shirt, and grabbed his leather cut, heading downstairs with his laces still undone.
Entering the main clubroom, he winced, seeing the state of the naked bodies. Had Petal made her way through this? He didn’t know, and his head was giving him a fucking temper.
He needed some coffee and painkillers. Walking into the kitchen, he saw Colt and Rosalie at the table. Rosalie was on Colt’s lap. There was no one else in the kitchen. They looked like a happy couple.
“Morning, Dirty,”
Colt said, looking mightily happy with himself.
“Why are you so cheery?”
“We’ve got the delivery of our first baby furniture,”
Rosalie said.
She spun the catalogue they’d been looking at and pointed to a crib, along with a stroller and several other items.
If he and Petal hadn’t lost their baby, he wondered how far along she would have been. She’d have been close to giving birth.
“And you guys are excited about this?”
Dirty asked.
“We want to be prepared,”
Colt said.
Rosalie chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. He’s grumpy because Petal snuck out on him this morning.”
Colt looked toward his wife, then toward him.
“You saw?”
Dirty asked.
“It wasn’t exactly hard. I was craving cookies for breakfast, and I came downstairs to eat them and saw Petal making her escape. I put two and two together, and seeing as Myth is a friend and you look pissed, it wasn’t hard. Also, I know Petal, and she would never sleep with one of your club brothers, or anything like that.”
Rosalie shrugged. “Plus, Petal’s still in love with you.”
“She is?”
Dirty asked.
Rosalie looked up, and she was still eating cookies, even though it was breakfast. Kim had already given them the warning that a woman’s cravings during pregnancy were not to be questioned.
“Yeah, she is.”
He looked toward Colt, who shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s Petal’s bestie and they are like sisters.”
Dirty poured himself a quick cup of coffee and was going to sit close to the table, but remembered Rosalie’s tenderness at the scent of coffee, so he kept his distance.
“How do you know?”
Dirty asked.
“We’re not kids in kindergarten or high school. I know Petal, and I know she didn’t ever get over you, because if she had, she’d have been dating someone, or even considered dating someone. It is a big thing, but I digress. I know my friend, and I know she loves you, and you don’t have to question me about this. I know what I’m talking about.”
This was hope. This was a chance.
Dirty took another long sip of his drink, even as his head thumped, but he ignored it. “What do I do?” he asked.
“What do you want to do?”
Rosalie asked.
“I want her back. I messed up and I know this. When she told me she was pregnant, I didn’t think, and I just acted, and I … I don’t even know why I said the things I did. It makes no sense.”
“Maybe because you’re an asshole?”
Rosalie asked.
Colt cleared his throat.
“Look, I said I wouldn’t meddle, and I’m not, but sometimes they need a little push, and I know Petal. I know she can be so damn stubborn and it’s not good for her. She’s afraid. She’s terrified of getting hurt and I can’t say I blame her, seeing as the last time she was with you, you hurt her. Then she lost the baby, and well, you were then an asshole in telling everyone.”
“When it comes to Petal, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I wasn’t thinking straight, but now I am. I’m not letting go. Not now that you’ve told me she still loves me.”
“Do you love her?”
Rosalie asked.
“Yes,”
Dirty said. “More than anything.”
Rosalie tilted her head to the side. “Then with Petal, what you’ve got to do is show up. You’ve got to be there. Don’t make promises to her that you cannot keep. Don’t tell her you’re going to do something and then not do it. Don’t let her down.”
Dirty emptied his mug of coffee. “Thanks.”
“And good luck,”
Rosalie said.
He was going to need it.
Making his way out of the clubhouse, he got on his bike and took off, making his way onto the main road toward the diner. That was the only place Petal would be. She was verging on being a workaholic, but he got it. The diner kept long hours, and most of the time at the club, he rarely got a spare moment to call his own.
He arrived at the diner, and there were already several cars in the parking lot, including Petal’s. Dirty had asked Warden to try and postpone the work on Petal’s car, but the garage hadn’t gotten a lot of work, so they had finished putting the new tires on in record time, which was just so fucking typical of the men.
The one thing he wanted, and he didn’t freaking get it. Either way, he was glad she was safe. He could sleep a little easier knowing she was going to be okay.
Petal did a lot of driving, taking Rosalie where she needed to go and all that.
Parking his bike next to hers, he walked inside, and Petal was already serving customers. Tanya was also there, filling up the salt and pepper jars. The scent as he walked through the door was amazing.
Finding a small table, he took a seat and waited, his gaze on Petal the whole time. She didn’t keep him waiting long, but he also knew she avoided his gaze.
“What can I get you?”
she asked, holding out her pen and paper.
“How about a stack of waffles, some maple syrup, and make sure there is extra, and a little explanation as to why you snuck out this morning?”
She’d been writing and then stopped to glance over at him. “Dirty, don’t—”
“I get it, this is scary and new, it’s so many things all wrapped in one package, but you know what else this is?” he asked.
“What?”
“It’s us. You and me, and I know I fucked up last time, and there is nothing I can do or say that will change that. I messed up big time, but I’m not going to stop. I’m all in, Petal, and no matter how long it takes, you’re stuck with me. I’m going to prove that you can trust me.”
She nibbled her lip.
“I missed you this morning,”
he said. “I’d have liked to have woken you up with a kiss on the lips and wished you a good morning,”
He watched her take a small breath, and it looked like she did so on a sigh.
“I’ll get those waffles for you, and the extra maple syrup.”
She spun away and he watched her walk, as he got to admire the curves of her ass. Sitting back, he kept his eye on Petal before observing the room. There hadn’t been any sign of the Evil Fuckers, but Dirty still had his guard. He didn’t believe Predator was running the show, and he pulled out his cell phone, sending a quick text to Fritz to see if he had anything.
He tapped his fingers on the table, expecting a text back. None came.
Dirty pulled out his cell phone and checked as the minutes ticked by. Still nothing. Perhaps Fritz was sleeping. The man was constantly glued to one form of technology after another.
He didn’t like this, so he quickly pulled up Colt’s name and called him. He knew the man would be at his home, waiting for his delivery, but he needed to know if Warden had given Fritz any other job to do.
“What’s up, man? Are you needing some pointers in how to win back a woman after you fuck up, because I am the king of that.”
“Has Warden got Fritz doing anything?”
Dirty asked.
“Nah, he’s on the Evil Fuckers detail, you know that. He’s got names, faces, and working on all the background stuff so we can locate them, and end them. You know this.”
“I just sent a text to Fritz, he’s not responding,”
Dirty said.
There was silence.
A long silence.
“I’ll meet you there,”
Colt said, hanging up.
Dirty got to his feet and made his way around the counter. He grabbed Petal’s hand, spun her around, and planted a kiss right on her lips.
“I’ve got to take care of some business.”
He glanced past Petal, to Tanya. “The waffles I ordered, make sure she eats them, and do not let her try and serve them to anyone else.”
He kissed Petal’s temple. “If you do, I will have no choice but to find a way to punish you.”
He made sure only Petal was able to hear his warning, and then with a final kiss, he had no choice but to let her go and make his way out to his bike.
Dirty didn’t dawdle. He hated the loud ringing in his head so fucking loudly, it was getting impossible to ignore. Something bad had happened, and that meant Fritz was in danger.
Riding hard, he covered ground, not caring about the speed limit as he got to the warehouse at the same time as Colt. Both of them saw the problem. The main gates were open.
Fritz never allowed the gates to be freaking open. He and Colt rode in, parked their bikes, and as he climbed off, he reached for his gun.
Colt was on his cell phone, sending out the alert to the rest of the club. It wouldn’t be long before they had backup. Dirty took the lead, making his way to the main door that usually required Fritz to open it, but it had been broken into.
“A small explosive,”
Dirty said, seeing the black marks and the sign of the explosion. This wasn’t good.
Entering the main warehouse, they saw the dirtied footprints—again, another sign—and as they got to the main room where Fritz’s screens were, all of them had been shot at. Paperwork was strewn everywhere.
There was no sign of Fritz, but there was a trail of blood, and then Dirty heard it, the pained groan. Turning, they saw Fritz. His arms were above his head. The man was alive.
“They’re gone,”
Fritz said, but he struggled to speak.
Blood poured from his mouth and on the ground. Dirty noticed at least three teeth had been pulled. They had tortured Fritz.
“Help me get him down,”
Colt said.
They were able to unhook him from the chain and as they did, Fritz cried out.
The man had taken a beating, as there were bruises all over his body. The leather cut had been cut from his body, and whoever had done it, had also taken bits of flesh with it. Dirty had a feeling it wasn’t scissors they had used, but it looked like knife wounds.
This screamed Daemon’s work. The man loved to make another man feel so fucking weak, so helpless.
“Who did this to you?”
Colt asked.
“We know who did this,”
Dirty said. “It was the Evil Fuckers. We know this.”
“Not Predator,”
Fritz said. “Someone else. Someone … we don’t know.”
He looked toward Colt.
“I can’t—”
“No, no, no, Fritz. You don’t get to die,”
Colt said. “Come on, man, stay with us. Dirty and I are here. The guys are coming. We’re going to get you out of here.”
“I wouldn’t talk,”
Fritz said. “No matter what, I wouldn’t talk.”
His words were a mess. His mouth was pouring blood.
“We’ve got to get him to a hospital.”
Dirty pulled out his cell phone and dialed Petal’s number. They needed a car, and they needed it now.
At the sound of bikes, Dirty knew no one had brought a car, and that was what they needed.
****
Petal sat in the hospital waiting room. Kim was there, as was Rosalie, and the whole club. Or at least most of the club. She had noticed in the past couple of hours, men came and went, to relieve one or the other. She figured they all had jobs to do. Simply stopping was not the plan.
She’d not expected Dirty’s call, at least not so soon, and she had just finished the pancakes he wanted her to eat. They had tasted good. She didn’t know how he knew she hadn’t eaten breakfast, but she wasn’t going to argue with him.
Dirty had said he needed her to bring the car. One of the men was hurt bad, and she had to hurry. She told Tanya to man the diner, and she had gone without a second’s hesitation. Dirty had given her the directions, and when she arrived, she did not expect to see the man she did. She had never met Fritz, but he looked like he stepped out of a horror movie. Blood had covered his body, and he’d struggled to speak.
She knew it was going to take a lot of cleaning and scrubbing to remove the blood from her car, but she didn’t care. The man had needed medical attention.
Dirty paced the hospital waiting room, then he’d come sit with her, and get up and pace some more. He was angry and trying to contain it.
“Do you want some coffee?”
Petal said, getting to her feet. She looked around the room and a few men raised their hands.
“I’ll come,” Kim said.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go,”
Dirty said.
Kim nodded. She was helping to settle the men. They were all angry. Fritz was one of them. They had made a vow to protect him, and he’d done everything to keep them safe. She heard them all say it, without saying the words directly. The men had failed. They didn’t know Fritz would be attacked.
She had no way of consoling them, no way of telling them it was going to be okay. She didn’t even know if it was going to be okay.
Walking down the long corridor, she passed the vending machine. There was a lot of coffee to buy, and she made her way toward the cafeteria.
“Are you okay?”
she asked.
“No,”
Dirty said. “I shouldn’t have called you.”
Petal stopped and reached for his arm, getting him to stop. “I’m glad you called. I want to help.”
“Everything you do for the club puts you at risk.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I am already involved. They know who I am. My lies aside, I’m Rosalie’s best friend. I work at the diner that is owned by the club. I’ve got connections with you, and one of my friends is Myth. I’m part of this club.”
Dirty grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in close. His lips went to her neck as he pressed his face there. She breathed him in. it felt good to finally have him in her arms.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She closed her eyes, and even as they were waiting for news, this felt good. She knew it was wrong to feel anything right now, but it did feel so good. She didn’t want to stop holding him.
The hospital seemed to fade away and it was just the two of them. Of course, that didn’t happen for very long as notifications and requests for doctors came over the speakers. Petal pulled away. “Come on, let’s go and get some coffee. Tell me about Fritz.”
Dirty took her hand and she couldn’t help but smile as they headed toward the cafeteria.
“He’s … great. He is so … I don’t know. The man’s a machine with a computer. Terrible with a gun, and trust me, he cannot fight either. He tries, though. The man is like a machine in his own way. All he wanted to do was be a patched-in member of the club. He proved to the guys time and time again that he has our backs. Nothing was meant to happen to him.”
“This is Daemon’s club again, isn’t it?”
Petal asked.
“Yeah, it is.”
“What happened to that house he took us to?”
“Nothing. There was nothing there. It was like a pit stop for them. Fritz was working on finding out who the leader was. The guy that took you was no leader.”
“That makes sense,”
Petal said. “You’ll find them.”
She knew without saying the words that they were going to find them and then whoever did that to Fritz was going to pay.
****
Fritz was stable. For now.
Not one, but five teeth had been removed, and Warden didn’t need to be told it was without anesthetic. He had broken ribs, one of which had nearly punctured his lung. A broken leg, shattered bones in both his hands, to stop him from typing. Warden didn’t know why they had left him alive, but either way, he’d been left to hang there and bleed out. Did they mean to allow him to die slowly, waiting for the club?
“He’s going to be okay,”
Kim said, stepping into the room and closing the door quietly.
Warden didn’t say a word.
His wife knew he was pissed. She walked over to Fritz’s side. To help with the pain and the healing, the doctors had placed him in a medically induced coma. Fritz kept going in and out of consciousness, and each time he came around, he’d thrash and scream.
Fritz was okay now, but what did that mean for the future?
He sat back and stared at the handiwork, running a finger along his bottom lip.
“What’s wrong?”
Kim asked.
“This is not Deamon’s handiwork.”
“It’s not?”
“No. This is a hired professional.”
Warden knew the MO. The pulled teeth, the rib fractures, being hung, bleeding, waiting to die. He’d not seen the man’s handiwork, but he knew who he was.
“Who is it?”
Kim asked.
“It’s a hired professional, goes by the name Diablo. There are channels you can use, there always are, to hire him, but he’s … big, we’re talking mafia big.”
Kim frowned. “Mafia? We’ve never had a run-in with the mafia.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean Daemon didn’t have a connection.”
Warden looked toward his wife.
“Wait, are you telling me the Evil Fuckers MC are not working for themselves?”
Warden rubbed his temple. If the mafia was involved, this just took it up to the level of personal vendetta.
“Where’s Colt?”
Warden asked.