25. Chapter 24
Thunder
I quickly pull out the slab as I hear Scottie trying to take deep breaths and ignore the dead body next to her. I quickly wrap my arms underneath her and lift her off the slab, her body fucking freezing, and she cries, her whole body shaking.
“I’ve got you baby, I’ve got you,” I choke as I hold her tight, and I hear Axel growl, “We’ve got her, the fucker put her in the morgue, he wanted her to suffocate to death.”
“C-C-cold,” she trembles, and I lock my jaw as Dr. Thomas wraps a blanket around her, then gently cups her cheek and murmurs, “Look at me, sweetheart, let me take a look at your pupil reaction.”
Scottie does as she’s asked, and Dr. Thomas shines a light, causing her to flinch, and his jaw ticks as he grunts, “She has a concussion,” before he asks, “Scottie, did you lose consciousness?”
“Hmm,” she mumbles as she tries to press herself further into me and fuck, Kavan didn’t get enough torture. I should have made him fucking suffer for days.
“She has a severe concussion and has a large bump on the side of her head where the fucker hit her,” Dr. Thomas grunts, “Let’s get her to the clubhouse so I can do a full workup.”
“Why can’t you do it here?” Dad asks with concern, and Dr. Thomas replies, “Because no one knows she was taken, and it’ll draw attention.”
“Two prospects have brought one of the club’s trucks, I’ll drive. Thunder, you keep hold of your girl. Everyone else will surround the vehicle while the prospects ride our bikes back,” Axel states, and I nod and Scottie mumbles, “Sammie…”
“Fuck, she really does have that mothering instinct for Sammie, doesn’t she?” Lorenzo chokes, and Dad says, “He’s at the clubhouse.”
“Let’s ride out and quick,” Axel commands, “Doc, show us the way out without being seen.”
***
“How is she?” I ask lowly, staring at my girl as Dr. Thomas continues his check.
Doc grunts, “Fucking lucky, he could have killed her with the hit to the head alone, but to be locked up in that freezer, fuck…”
“I need to get her home,” I mutter, the all-consuming feeling to drag her back to the Wincher clubhouse, a place I know I can keep her safe grabbing at me hard.
I know I killed Kavan, I know I killed that fucker from the convenience store who wanted her, but I can’t kill her sister. Something tells me, once she hears about Kavan running with all her money, she’s going to go after Scottie and Sammie. I just fucking know it.
“Just say when and we’ll leave,” Doc states firmly, and I swallow the lump forming.
Sammie is currently with Annie, playing with the kids in the common room, his grandfather staying close.
Scottie’s house is nearly packed up, and Demon, because I’m no longer calling the little shit Felix after he pissed in my boots this morning, is in a crate asleep next to the bed my girl is lying on.
She went unconscious on the ride back, and fuck, I panicked. Axel had to pull over for Dr. Thomas to do a check before we made our way back.
Her body had given up, it was drained, and she allowed sleep to take her now that she was with me. Or that is what Dr. Thomas said during my fucking panic attack.
“I want to marry her now, I don’t want to wait,” I whisper. “We don’t need anything fancy, you’ll just have to get yourself ordained because I can’t think of anyone better to do the ceremony, and Sammie can spend his final night with his grandparents.”
“You think that is wise?” Doc asks with caution, and I retort, “You marrying us or Sammie spending the night with his grandparents?”
“You really think I’d allow you to get married by someone else?” he snorts, then confirms, “Sammie spending the night with his grandparents. Rachel is still there.”
I slowly lick my bottom lip. “She isn’t aware of what that fucker supposedly did yet, and won’t find out until tomorrow when Lorenzo drops hints.
I trust Marshall, kind of. He promised Sammie a camp out in the living area, and we’ll pick him up on the way through to Wincher.
I’ll have to hire a trailer to tow my bike back, Scottie can’t drive,” I say.
Am I happy about leaving Sammie for the night? Fuck no, but I also understand his need to spend one more night with him.
“Okay, we’ll do the ceremony in two hours, that’ll give time for Marshall to get his wife here and for me to convince your sister she can only attend on FaceTime,” Doc mutters, and I nod as I look over my girl.
She has a large bump on the side of her head as well as a cut, and she’s pale, but her chest is moving. That is the only thing keeping me sane right now.
“She’s going to be alright,” Doc says, and I nod just as his phone rings, and he checks the ID before sighing, “It’s Brit…”
“Sounds like her ears have been ringing,” I mutter and he snorts before he answers, “Tinkerbell,” and puts her on loudspeaker.
“You find her?!” she demands and my lips twitch.
“I thought you didn’t want me with her?” I goad, and the woman growls like a fucking dog.
“No, I didn’t want her to convince you to stay in Dallas, but it’s fine because you’re bringing her home. Now answer my damn question before I pack the kids up and get in my car!” she snaps, and I swallow my chuckle.
Knowing my luck if she heard me I’ll go home tomorrow to a yard full of fucking farm animals.
“I’ve told you once, I won’t tell you again, you are to stay in Wincher,” Doc snaps, and my eyes widen in shock as I stare at him like he’s lost his damn mind.
Fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak to her like that before, even when she tried to emotionally blackmail my girl.
“Asher –”
He cuts her off and states, “There is only so much I will tolerate right now, Brittany, and you disobeying me when I have told you stay put will put me over the edge,” his jaw locks and he grits, “The animals is one thing, but going against my word is another, especially when I have put you first since my fuck up, always there when you’ve called.
Now, we’ve found Scottie, she’s a little banged up but will be alright, and she needs quiet, not a soon-to-be sister-in-law up in her face.
Especially not one who basically tried to emotionally blackmail her! ”
I gape in shock at Doc. Has he lost his mind?
He doesn’t let up in his cold face, and I know the man is on the couch for the foreseeable future, especially when he adds, “Thunder and Scottie will be getting married in two hours, you can attend by FaceTime.”
Oh shit…
Brittany is quiet for a moment before she hangs up and I wince.
“Fuck, brother, I think you may have really pissed her off this time,” I mutter, and Doc sighs.
“Thunder, I love your sister, I really fucking do, but her entitlement ends today,” he grunts, and I confirm, “Even if she brings more animals home out of retaliation?”
“Even then,” he says but doesn’t sound so sure, and I bite back a smirk before I hear, “Bradley?” and I quickly rush past Doc and over to the bed while Dr. Thomas sighs with relief.
“Fuck, sweetheart,” Dr. Thomas rasps as I bend over my girl, cupping her cheek.
“Hey, beautiful,” I whisper, and she half smiles, though it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Hi,” she croaks, and I gently rub my thumb along her cheek. “You found me,” she whispers, and I hum as I gently press my lips against hers, finally feeling at home.
“I’ll always find you,” I promise before giving her a chaste kiss, then ask, “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” she whispers, and I kiss her again, needing more of her, needing fucking all of her.
I could have lost her.
“You know, I’m supposed to be the one who gets injured, baby,” I joke lightly, and her lips twitch as she chokes, “I thought we could reverse.”
I roam my eyes over her, taking in her beautiful features, and I whisper, “Let's never reverse again, okay?”
“Okay,” she chokes, and her tears fall, which cracks my fucking heart.
“You scared me, baby,” I rasp, “Getting that call, not finding you…”
“He went crazy,” she sobs, “I-I didn’t notice him, all I-I saw was Dr. Thomas, his-his eyes rolled, and I caught him but-but then his weight was gone, and K-Kavan was there, his eyes were-were cold…”
“He’s gone, baby, I got rid of him,” I admit, and her body sags with relief as she confirms, “Sammie is safe?”
Fuck me, after all that, after what she’d just been through, her nephew is her first thought.
I fucking love this woman.
“Yeah, babe, he’s safe,” I confirm, and she nods as she closes her eyes, her tears falling.
“Alright, sweetheart, Doc and I need to do our checks,” Dr. Thomas says softly, and I swallow hard as a hand grips my shoulder and I know it’s my dad. He gently pulls me back and I move, allowing the brothers to do what they need to do.
“You gave us quite the scare, Scottie,” Dr. Thomas scolds, and she rasps, “I’m sorry,” then asks, “How’s your head?”
“Sore, but I’m not as concussed as you though,” he jokes, and she huffs out a snort before her eyes come my way and I smile slightly.
I don’t think shit has hit me yet, and it will. I know it will, but right now, I need to be strong for my girl.
“So, when’s the wedding?” she asks, causing the men in the room to chuckle while I look at her intently.
I’m not surprised she knew I was going to marry her. I mean fuck, Dr. Thomas admitted she knew about me packing her shit, I’m just surprised at how calm she is about it.
“In about an hour and a half,” I admit and her mouth parts in shock. I ask, “Now the question is, baby, am I forcing your hand, or are you going to sign the papers after a little ceremony with Doc officiating?”
Her eyes race between mine, and I grit my teeth when she flinches. I don’t move, no one does, all waiting for Scottie’s answer.
Keeping her focus on me, she confirms, “I’m guessing Dr. Thomas or Doc have a sedative?”
My lips twitch, and I reply, “They do,” and her eyes sparkle a little, making me chuckle.
If she wasn’t concussed, I’d bet my cut she’d dare me to use the sedative.
“Looks like we’re about to get married then,” she rasps, and I nod.
Looks like we are indeed.