Chapter 21
Nova
Idon’t think I ever really understood impatience until now.
I’ve been worried about Layla this whole time, obviously, and I’m worried about the Kings now, but it’s more than concern.
I’m pacing in front of the compound, keeping my head turned so I can see down the road no matter where I am.
With each length, the knot in my chest tightens, making it harder to breathe.
Maria said I could stay in the house with her and Sienna.
I know she’s done this sort of thing before and she could probably make it easier, but I don’t want it easier.
I think if I tried to sit and watch a movie or have a boring conversation, I’d scream.
When my phone rings, I actually yelp in surprise, but then I’m digging into my pocket, my hands shaking so much I almost drop it.
Creed’s name flashes on the screen and for one heart-stopping moment, I imagine he’s the one calling because Layla’s dead, and he doesn’t want me to hear the news from anyone else. I force myself to tap the green icon.
“Creed?”
“We’ve got ‘em. They’re okay.”
I close my eyes and feel a couple of tears escaping down my cheeks. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“We’re on our way back.”
Creed hangs up before I can say anything else and I don’t know if it’s because he’s still upset with me after our argument earlier, or because he knows I’d rather have him on his way back with my sister than taking the time to say goodbye.
Whatever the reason is, I don’t care. I only care about the words he said and what they mean.
I shove my phone back in my pocket and put my hands over my face, giving myself five minutes to fall to pieces out here where no one is going to notice because they’ll be getting their own calls from their people.
Once my five minutes are up—and I’ve done this enough to be able to gauge the time pretty accurately—I take a couple of slow, deep breaths and wipe my eyes with the bottom of my shirt.
Steady now, I head back inside the clubhouse to double check everything I might need for any injuries is easily accessible.
Creed said Layla and Patch are okay, but he didn’t say if anyone else got hurt, and I’m not sure Creed’s definition of ‘okay’ and mine are the same, especially when it comes to my sister.
The Vipers who stayed behind look over when I come inside and they nod at me.
I don’t remember their names, but it says something about how much the past few weeks have changed me that I feel completely comfortable here.
After I check everything, I go back outside to wait again.
This time, I don’t have to wait very long.
My pulse picks up the moment I hear the roar of the motorcycles, and I rub my sweaty palms against my pants. As they come around the bend, I see there’s a black SUV in the middle, and as they get closer, I spot two bullet holes.
Shit.
Not the best-case scenario, then.
The car pulls up right in front of me and before it’s even at a complete stop, the back door is flung open and Layla jumps out.
We’re both crying as we run into each other’s arms. She clings to me, her grip almost painfully tight, but I welcome it as proof she’s really here.
I can hear the men around me talking about what happened, and while I’ll want to hear the story eventually, the only thing I’m really listening for is anyone calling for ‘Doc’.
As long as I don’t hear that, I’m not going to be the first one to let go.
When Layla finally pulls back, she’s smiling even though there are still tears on her cheeks and her eyes are red-rimmed.
“You’re okay?” I ask, stepping back to look her over. Her hair’s pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and she’s wearing a hoodie I don’t recognize. Judging by its size, I assume it’s Patch’s.
She nods. “I am. Patch took good care of me, Nova.”
When her gaze shifts, I follow it over to the SUV and the man leaning against it.
I can see immediately what got Layla’s attention.
Even with a wound on his cheek and bags under his eyes, he’s got the whole ‘pretty boy’ look.
He has shaggy blond hair that looks like it could do with a haircut and enough scruff to make me think he hasn’t shaved in a few days either.
His eyes are dark brown and focused right on Layla, like he doesn’t want to let her out of his sight.
Based on how tired he looks, I’m guessing he’s been like that since they disappeared.
I walk over to him and hold out my hand. “I’m Nova. Thank you for looking after my sister.”
“Damien Murphy, ma’am,” he says as he pushes himself up straight. “You can call me Patch if you want. And it was no burden, ma’am. I wasn’t gonna let anyone hurt her.”
“Let me take a look at that.” I point to his cheek.
He shakes his head. “It’s just a graze. I think Prez wants to get back home quick. I can wait.”
I turn to Creed, then, and find myself looking him over the same way I did Layla, searching for any sign of injury.
“I’m fine,” he says. “The Vipers’ doctor’s taking care of Marco and Stray.”
An icy hand grabs my heart. “What happened?”
“Meridian was already there,” Ace answers as he comes next to Creed. “Stray tossed one of those fake grenades he fucks around with and hit something in that shithole of a parking lot. Thinks his ankle’s broken. Marco got hit in his side with a ricochet.”
My hands go to my mouth.
“Viper’s doc says it’s more of a graze,” Ace says. “Should be done patching Marco up in a few. Stray… he won’t be riding his bike home.”
“You all are welcome to stay here,” Stone says as he comes over.
Creed shakes his head. “You’ve already risked enough for us, got a couple of men hurt for it, too. I’m not bringing trouble right to your doorstep. As soon as Meridian realizes their men are dead, they’re gonna come looking. Better for you if they don’t find their SUV in front of your clubhouse.”
That explains where the SUV came from. Maybe I should feel bad that people are dead, but I know what they planned to do with Layla, so I can’t feel anything but grateful to have her back safe.
“My men are gonna be fine,” Stone says. “If your injured men want to stay, they can. But I get it.” Stone puts out his hand and Creed shakes it. “I’m gonna go see my girls, let ‘em know I’m okay.”
“Thanks, Stone,” Creed says. “You need us, just call.”
As Stone starts walking away, Creed issues his orders to the men still in the parking lot, and before I’ve really processed that Layla and I are going home, she and I are in the SUV with Patch and Stray.
Brick’s driving, and the other men are on their bikes.
Marco insists he can ride just fine and I’m not going to argue with him.
Stray and Brick aren’t too happy about leaving their bikes behind, but Stone promises he’ll send someone with a trailer to take the motorcycles to the Kings’ clubhouse in a day or two.
Layla’s curled up against Patch’s side and the two of them look like they’ve relaxed for the first time in weeks. I can see her fighting sleep and losing, just like she used to do when she was little, and I can’t help smiling. Then I catch Patch watching me watching her.
“She’ll be asleep before we leave Viper territory,” I whisper.
He nods his agreement, a flash of humor in his eyes.
“I’m not sleepy,” Layla argues, her eyes already half-closed.
“It’s okay,” Patch says softly. “We’re safe now. You can sleep.”
“Same goes for you,” I tell him. “You look dead on your feet.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll sleep once we’re inside the walls of the compound and I know we’re safe.”
It’s only then that I realize he’s not as relaxed as I thought he was. I noticed the tension in the rest of the MC before we left but didn’t think anything of it. Now, I can feel it’s the same all around me. Only Layla seems immune to it.
Brick’s phone rings and he puts it on speaker so all of us can hear Cipher’s voice loud and clear when he says there’s nothing on the police scanners about the firefight yet and the highway should be clear.
He warns Brick about a construction zone and says he warned Creed too.
Everything seems like it’s finally going to go our way.
***
I notice the increase in speed before I realize anything is wrong.
At first, I think we’re coming out of the construction zone Cipher mentioned, but then I realize Brick is still pushing the SUV faster.
I look at Patch, who’s gone very still, as if he’s hoping Layla can sleep through whatever’s coming.
Stray is in the passenger seat and when he turns to look out the back window, I catch the flash of something bad in his eyes.
I turn in my seat, hoping all I’m going to see are the Kings who are riding behind us, but instead, I see shapes further back.
Not random cars, but black pick-ups and SUVs spread across both lanes and closing in fast.
“Shit.” Brick curses and the SUV jerks to one side.
Patch tries to grab for Layla but the angle he’s sitting at is bad and she wakes up as she’s falling in my direction. I grab her automatically and almost get a flailing hand to the face for it.
“What’s happening?” she gasps.
“Fucking Meridian,” Patch growls. He pulls a gun from his waistband and rolls down the window.
And all hell breaks loose.
I’m frozen in place until Patch leans out and fires off two quick shots. The deafening sounds wake me up and I push Layla down, covering her with my body. Patch curses and comes back into the car, tossing his gun to the floor.
“I’m out and my knife’s fucking useless!” he shouts over the roar of wind and motors coming through the window. “Brick, you carrying?”
“Sawed-off is under my seat,” Brick says as he swerves to the right.
There’s a hail of gunfire and the sound of bullets hitting metal. Layla screams as the back window shatters and I actually hear the bullet whistle over my head before slamming into the back of the passenger’s seat.
Even over the noise, I hear a pained sound and I raise my head. Blood is splattered across the right side of the windshield, and as Stray starts to slump sideways, I realize where the blood came from.
“Layla, stay down!” I shout as I drop to the floor and reach up to pull Stray to the floor next to me.
I’m not sure how I manage it since he’s a lot bigger than I am, but I get him down.
I know the shot came from behind, and since he’s on his side, I check his back first. The light’s dim, and Brick’s got us all over the road, so I use my fingers, feeling around until I come in contact with a hot, sticky liquid.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Since I handled a similar injury with Crusher, I can picture everything that’s in this part of Stray’s shoulder.
The good news is, I don’t think it’s near Stray’s artery, but I have a bad feeling he might’ve chipped or broken his shoulder blade.
Then, as I look at the front of his shoulder, I realize it’s worse than I thought.
No exit wound.
The damned bullet is still inside.
“Stray!” Brick shouts over his shoulder. “Stray!”
I press my hand against Stray’s back and he groans, but he’s not really conscious. I don’t know if it’s good or bad right now because at least he’s not moving around.
“Keep driving!” I shout. “How far are we from home?”
Brick doesn’t answer me, but he doesn’t slow down either. From outside, I hear a louder bang than I heard before, then what sounds like a crash. I swallow hard and fight back tears, hoping that wasn’t one of the men I’ve come to know and care about.
“Yes!” Patch pumps his fist in the air. “Crusher just sent one of those fuckers’ trucks right over the edge!”
I don’t deny the vicious stab of pleasure I feel at his words.
Maybe it makes me a horrible person, but these people are trying to kill these men, trying to take my sister and sell her like she’s a piece of meat.
I hope they’re all dead. The most gracious I can be is to not wish for their suffering. That’ll have to be enough.
“They’re running!” Patch shouts. “One’s smoking and shit. The other one, I can’t tell how fucked up it is, but they’re both running back to the border.”
“I gotta pull over,” Brick says. “Creed wants us to pull over. Doc?”
“Do it.”
My hands are shaking, but that’s the adrenaline. Layla’s crying next to me, and that’s the adrenaline too. I’m vaguely aware of Patch talking in a normal voice to someone, but I don’t focus on the words.
Brick slows down and pulls off onto the shoulder. We’ve barely stopped when the side door is yanked open and Creed’s filling the space. His eyes are wide and a little wild, and I’m pretty sure that, for a minute, he thinks the blood covering me is mine.
“I’m okay,” I say. “But if we can’t take Stray to the hospital, we need to get home fast.”