Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Cole
Star’s room felt smaller than it had earlier that morning.
Not because of the furniture, or the machines, or the steady beep that had become background noise, but because of the people.
Star sat propped up in bed, dark hair pulled back messily, bruises still standing out against her skin no matter how much color had come back to her face. She looked tired. Alert, but tired. The kind of tired that didn’t go away with sleep.
Mac stood near the window, arms folded tight across her chest, jaw set like she was bracing for impact.
She hadn’t sat down since she’d arrived.
Hadn’t stopped moving either—shifting her weight, crossing and uncrossing her ankles, glancing between Star and the door like she expected something else to come through it.
Alice had claimed the couch as if it belonged to her, with one leg tucked under the other, chin propped on her hand.
Mason leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, and his expression unreadable with Adley tucked under his arm.
And then there was my mom.
Mom stood at the foot of the bed, hands clasped loosely in front of her, posture calm but eyes soft in a way she only let show when she thought no one was watching. She met my gaze briefly and smiled. Not teasing. Not worried.
Just steady.
Wrecker stood near the door with his arms crossed and boots planted like roots. He hadn’t said much since he’d arrived, but he didn’t need to. Alice wiggled her fingers and threw a wink at him.
It never failed to amaze me that those two were together.
Don’t get me wrong, they were great together, but on paper, they were complete opposites.
The doctor cleared his throat. “As we discussed earlier,” he said, flipping through Star’s chart, “you’re healing well. Your vitals are stable. No complications. That’s all good news.”
Star raised an eyebrow. “I feel a but coming on.”
Alice scoffed and smothered a laugh with her hand.
Wrecker shot a glance her way.
Yeah, complete opposites.
“But,” the doctor continued, “this doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Concussions can be unpredictable. Dizziness, fatigue, headaches that may linger for a while.”
Star didn’t argue this time. Just nodded.
“I still don’t want you alone,” he said, meeting her eyes directly now. “Someone needs to be with you at all times for at least the next week.”
Alice opened her mouth but shut it quickly.
Mac nodded immediately. “Of course.”
Star sighed. “I know.”
“I’m not overreacting, Star,” the doctor added, voice gentle. “It’s about your safety.”
That part stuck.
The doctor glanced around the room, clearly aware he was standing in the middle of a biker club’s orbit. “We’ll begin discharge paperwork later today.”
He gave Star one last nod and escaped the room like a man who knew he wasn’t the most powerful in the room.
Everyone was quiet.
Alice broke it first. “Well,” she said, clapping her hands together once, “that puts a kibosh on the girls running off to Chicago.”
Star blinked. “What?”
Wrecker didn’t even look at Alice when he spoke. “Chicago’s not happening. And the grad party is pushed back indefinitely.”
The room stilled.
Adley turned slowly, disbelief written across her face. “You have to be joking.”
“I’m not,” Wrecker said calmly. “Alice and I already decided the grad party can’t happen. We’re thinking the end of August when all of this is done.”
Star shifted in the bed, confusion flickering across her face. “Wait. He said I only needed supervision for a week. I’m feeling better every day. Why do we need to cancel the girls’ trip? We can go in like two weeks.”
“Not now,” Wrecker said. “Not until we know everything.”
Alice crossed her arms. “You’re canceling a girls’ trip because of one attack?”
Wrecker’s gaze finally landed on her. “Because of an attack we don’t know who did it yet.”
The words were measured. Controlled. But final.
Mason pushed off the wall. “We still don’t have all the pieces,” he added quietly.
Star looked between them, her expression tightening. “What if you guys find the guys tomorrow? Is the trip back on?”
“No,” Wrecker said. “It’s not.”
Adley groaned dramatically. “I just bought new boots.”
“You’ll survive,” Mason muttered. “You can wear them for me.” He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
Mom stepped in before things could escalate. “We can do something else,” she said.
Alice perked immediately. “Like what?”
Mom smiled. “Girls’ night. At the clubhouse.”
“Don’t we do that all the time?” Adley asked. “I think the rest of the cousins were looking to escape the norm.”
Mom laughed. “I mean, yeah, I guess girls’ night at the clubhouse isn’t new and unusual, but we can make it that way.”
Alice snapped her fingers. “We could make it a theme. Like, A Night in Paris, Pitbull, or… Blow-up Costumes.”
“What the hell?” Mason laughed. “Pitbulls? Like, you guys dress up as dogs?”
Adley laughed and slapped his chest. “No. She’s talking about Pitbull, the rapper. We’d all wear bald caps and dress up like him.”
Mom wrinkled her nose. “Um, nay. I’m good with blow-up costumes.”
Alice buffed her nails on her shirt. “I do happen to have a full stable of costumes back on the farm.”
Mac clapped her hands together. “My god, this is going to be television gold.”
“No!” Alice, Mom, and Adley cried in unison.
“All in favor of a girls’ night at the clubhouse for the camera crew to record?” Wrecker called.
“Hell yeah,” Mason laughed. “Get the cameras off our asses.”
Adley rolled her eyes.
“Works for me,” I said.
Mac raised her hand. “I don’t know if I get a vote, but I’m voting. Yay.”
“It’s three to three,” Adley pointed out. “I guess this comes down to Star’s vote.”
“Wait, wait,” Alice called. “Are you letting us vote on club business?”
Wrecker grunted. “Yeah, but only because this shit doesn’t matter.”
Alice curled her lips at Wrecker. “Well, then you are about to get your heart broken because Star is not about to vote for the girls’ night to be part of the TV show.” She folded her arms over her chest and looked at Star expectantly. “Break my husband’s heart, girl.”
Star quirked her lips and looked at Mac.
“Oh shit,” Mom whispered.
“I think you might have put your money on the wrong person to get your way,” Mason laughed.
Mac nodded at Star.
Star sighed. “I think doing the girls’ night on the show would be great for ratings.”
“Oh my God!” Alice gasped. “You just betrayed the Girl Gang!”
Mom tried to act mad, but she couldn’t help but laugh. “We really did not think that one through.”
Star held up her hands. “Look at it this way, at least we can hide behind the costumes.”
“I call dibs on the T. rex!” Adley called.
“The cow is mine,” Alice said.
“But you can see your face in that one,” Karmen pointed out.
Alice shrugged. “I mean, if I’m going to make a fool of myself on national TV, at least I’ll do it looking my best.”
Mom pursed her lips. “You got one I can wear, too?”
Alice stood and put her arms over Karmen’s shoulders. “Do you really think I only have one blowup cow costume? You want to be the cow or ride the cow? You want to be a Highland or a good ol’ black-and-white cow? I also have a pink-and-white cow if you’re into that.”
“Do I even want to know why you have so many cow costumes?” I asked. “You letting us in on a kink that Wrecker has?”
“I also have a cow that is wearing sexy lingerie,” Alice added. She wiggled her eyebrows at Wrecker. “Even you haven’t seen that one yet.”
Wrecker smiled and winked at Alice. “Later, baby.”
“You’re doing this like tomorrow, though,” I pointed out. “No way in hell Star is up for all the crazy shit you guys are going to get into.”
Alice waved her hand at me. “At least two weeks. We need to plan all of this out. Can’t have everyone dressing up without some kind of game plan.”
Mom laughed. “When everyone else hears about this, they are going to really think we’ve gone off the deep end.”
“I say we just sneak off to Chicago,” Adley suggested.
Wrecker glared at her, and Mason just shook his head.
Adley chewed on her lip. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud.”
“Ya think?” Mason laughed. “Now I’m gonna be glued to you even more.”
“Dear god,” Mac crowed. “This is going to be amazing.” I could see the wheels turning in her head. I had watched all the crazy antics the girls had gotten into for years, and Mac was one hundred percent right.
This was going to be TV gold.
Alice and Mom went off to the corner to of the room to plan the girls’ night, while Mac pulled out a notebook and started taking notes.
I moved over to Wrecker. “You sure you’re okay with this?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Not much has been going on with the club. I figure this way the girls can distract the cameras while we find the assholes who jumped Star.”
“That’s pretty smart.”
He smirked. “I guess that’s why I’m the Prez, Cole.”
We stood by the door watching until I noticed Star struggling to keep her eyes open.
“I think it’s time to wrap this up,” I called.
Mac looked up from her notebook.
“No, no,” Star protested. “You guys can keep talking while I rest my eyes.”
Alice jumped up and grabbed her cowhide bag. She slung it over her shoulder and hooked her arm through Mom’s. “We are off like a dirty shirt.”
“We’ll be back tomorrow,” Mom promised. “Carnie and Clove plan to come, too. They were making a hummingbird cake today and promised to bring a slice.”
Wrecker’s eyes slid to me. “You’re with her,” he said.
Not a question.
I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. Wherever she goes, I’ll be there.”
“At least it’ll be easier once she’s out of here,” Wrecker grunted.
“Hopefully she’ll be out of here before dinner.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Good luck, and just check in every now and then, okay?”
Alice sidled up to him. “Ready to go, beardilocks?” She reached up and tugged on his beard. “I’m going to need you to climb up in the attic for me.”
“And what do I get out of it?” he said lowly.
She winked and leaned up on her tiptoes. “I’ll give you a glimpse of the lingerie Holstein.”
“Jesus,” I breathed out.
Wrecker grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the room. “Bye, Star!” Alice called.
Mason and Adley followed behind with a shout of, “See ya tomorrow!”
Mom gave Star a quick hug and a wide smile. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
Star nodded. “Will do.”
Mom looked at Mac. “Are you staying until she gets discharged?”
Mac quirked her lips. “I should, but I should really get back to the house and make sure it’s picked up.”
“I can bring her home,” I offered.
“On the back of your motorcycle?” Mac asked.
Well, that probably wasn’t the best idea.
“I can take Mac home, and then you can bring Star home in Mac’s car once they discharge her,” Mom offered. “I’ll bring your dad back here, and then he can take your bike to Mac’s for you.”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” I drawled.
Mom smiled with a shrug. “Work I don’t mind doing.”
Mac looked at Star. “Does that work for you?”
Star rolled her eyes. “Wow, how nice to be included in a decision about myself.” She glanced at my mom. “If it’s not trouble, that is fine.”
Mom patted her hand.
Mac shoved her notebook into her bag and hitched it over her shoulder. “Let’s hit the road, Karmen. I’ve got a couple of ideas for the party that we can go over.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Star’s cheek. “See you soon, sweetie.”
They headed out of the room, and then it was just Star and me.
I plopped down in the chair next to the bed and kicked my feet up on the wheel of the bed. “Get some rest.”
She rolled her eyes with a huff. “Don’t you have something better to do than watch me sleep?”
A smile spread across my lips. “You’re the only priority I have from now on, babe. I’m with you twenty-four-seven.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t think so.”
“Yeah, I do. I’m the one who is going to make sure you are safe.” I leaned toward her. “No matter what.”
“What happened to compromising?” she asked.
“Me being with you is not something we are going to compromise on. My eyes are on you every minute of the day.”
“What about when I have to go to the bathroom?” she asked.
“I’ll be right outside the door.”
“As if something is going to happen in the bathroom, Cole. You are being way too overprotective. We don’t even know each other.”
“Yet.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Yet what?”
“You don’t know me yet. That will change over the next week. I’m going to find out what you like to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. How warm do you like your bath? Which side of the bed do you like to sleep on? Everything.”
“And I’m going to learn all of that about you?” she countered. “I figured you more for a shower guy.”
I chuckled. “I’m good with whatever gets me clean, babe. I’m open to trying anything once or twice.”
“Do you know you’re kind of annoying?”
“Calla may have mentioned it a time or two before.” If I hadn’t been an annoying brother, was I even a brother?
“And I’m sure she wasn’t wrong.” She settled back into the bed. “Do you think they are really going to go through with the girls’ night? I mean, if they can do that, why can’t they still do Eden’s grad party?”
I scoffed. “That is one hundred percent going to happen, babe. You give Alice and my mom even a little idea, and it’s done. Girls’ night is going to be way smaller than the grad party was going to be. You don’t even want to know all of the shit they had planned for that.”
“Won’t Eden be upset?”
I shook my head. “I can guarantee you that Eden is more than okay with not having her party right now. Her mom may be Alice, but they are hardly alike. She’s more like Wrecker and doesn’t need the spotlight on her.”
She hummed under her breath, and her eyes drifted shut. “Hopefully, the cops find the guys before I get discharged, and life can go back to normal.”
That was a big wish. “Yeah, that would be nice, babe. Just rest your eyes.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “But I’m not sleeping.”
I watched her drift off and her face relax.
I shifted my weight and leaned back in the chair, careful not to make a sound.
As long as she slept, I wasn’t going anywhere.