Chapter Three.
Harlequin
I swear to God I was being haunted. Yesterday morning, I’d taken a mechanic to the hospital after the blasted idiot dropped a heavy toolbox on his hand—he’d broken it.
I’d been on run-around call. While in the ER, I thought I’d spotted April.
Of course, that was impossible. But for a few moments, I was shocked stupid.
Typically, I hadn’t seen the nurse full on, but only from the side. The wealth of emotions had rocked me, and I’d been stunned as I dealt with them. No way that was April, because she’d never set foot back in Spearfish, but for a split second…
No, that wasn’t April.
Then last night, as I entered the bar, a crowd of people had come out, and once more, full curves and a glistening sheen of brown hair caught my attention.
Before I could check, I was inside. When I tried to shove my way out again, another group had hindered me.
By the time I got outside, the ghost of April had gone.
Shit, I was bone-tired. Because of the suspected sightings, I’d not slept.
Truth was, I’d done such a number on April that she’d never return home.
That hurt because April adored Clara, but I knew Clara flew out to wherever April was several times a year.
Again, I’d avoided Clara as best as I could.
Seeing her would have been too painful—a massive reminder of what I’d thrown away.
Undoubtedly, Clara blamed me for April running, and she’d be right, too.
Years had passed before I’d moved past the point where I thought of April daily.
Why I was imagining April now, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t appreciative. She was probably living the life of Riley, married and maybe even had kids. No doubt she was happy and successful; everything I’d wanted for her. Could I be feeling lonely?
“Medusa,” Big Al boomed and laughed, catching my attention.
“Really? Damn, she seems a smart ass,” Levi replied.
“Yeah, nice girl. Curves a man would love and a clever attitude. Medusa’s got sass,” Big Al agreed.
“Medusa?” I asked, wondering what the hell they were jabbering on about. Some of the conversations around Hellfire were weird, to say the least.
“Smokey nearly crashed into a woman yesterday when she hit the brakes in front of him. She then leapt out of the vehicle and fled,” Big Al explained.
“What?” I mumbled, curious regarding the direction of their conversation and the relation to Medusa. Why was a Greek snake-headed goddess so important to a car crash?
“Seems the woman had a rattler in the car, which had terrified her, so she’d pulled over before getting bitten.
Smokey contacted Calamity, who looked at the picture Smokey sent and told him it wasn’t poisonous.
Turns out Calamity had said it was dangerous and highly toxic, but predictive text had kicked in. As a reward for being so brave—”
“Or stupid,” Levi butted in.
“—the woman agreed to buy Smokey a drink as thanks. Have to admit, she hadn’t dressed to kill—jeans and a top—but those curves, shit, those jeans were pasted on. But Medusa turned up and left alone. Smokey was tickled by the fact Medusa didn’t drop her panties at his feet like the usual bimbos.”
“Nice. Okay, I’m hitting the sack,” I said with a yawn. Two more nights and my turn would be done.
◆◆◆
A piercing scream broke my sleep, and I leapt out of bed, yanking on jeans before I even realised I was doing so. A second cry, filled with pain, came from somewhere below as I stamped into my boots. Already running, I pulled on a tee and raced down to the rec room.
There, Olivia, Chance’s youngest daughter, was standing covered in blood and screaming. Campbell, Big Al and Tati’s adopted son stood with her, looking terrified.
“Liv fell out of the tree!” Campbell yelled as soon as he spotted me.
“No shit!” I gasped as I noticed a broken bone that had pierced through her skin. No wonder the kids were screeching.
“What’s going on?” Jinx demanded, appearing. “Oh, fuck!”
“Get a vehicle. Olivia, I’m taking you to the hospital,” I said and picked her up gently. Huge tears ran down Olivia’s face as she whimpered. Carefully, so I wouldn’t jar the protruding bone, I carried the wailing kid out to the waiting SUV.
“Campbell, come on!” I ordered. Fuck knows who was supposed to be watching the kids, but I certainly couldn’t leave the boy here unsupervised.
“Okay.” Campbell climbed into the back with me as I drew Olivia close and held her tightly.
Any jostle would send agony shooting through her.
Jinx did his best to avoid potholes and suchlike, but every so often, Olivia let out a cry of pain.
He pulled up at the ER, and I got out and carried Olivia in.
“Hey, I need help! She’s broken a bone, and it’s protruding from her skin!” I yelled. A nurse who’d been stationed at reception turned and hurried over. Her gaze raked my face, and I froze before Olivia was taken gently from my arms.
“Get a doctor,” April called as she rushed away with Olivia.
Like a dumbass, I was still standing there several moments later when Jinx spotted me with Campbell.
“Call Chance and Clio. I’ll stay with Olivia,” I said, finally finding my voice.
“Will do. I’ll text Big Al to say I’ve got Campbell,” Jinx responded.
With a brief nod, I followed the direction April had fled with Olivia and found both of them in a cubicle.
“Does she have any allergies?” April snapped.
“April?”
“Concentrate, Stone. Does your daughter have allergies?”
“Er,” I muttered, feeling numb. Had someone hit me over the head? Because April was standing directly in front of me.
April sent me a look full of disgust. “You don’t know?”
“No.”
“Harlequin! I want Mommy!” Olivia wailed, and I guessed I had to soothe her. Right now, I was the only familiar person here for Olivia.
“Jinx is outside; he’s calling your mom,” I told her and stroked her head.
“Want Daddy!” Olivia yelled.
“Liv, baby, just hold on. Mommy will be here soon,” I replied.
“It’s important to inform me if she has any allergies. If you’re uncertain, I need her mother, who can hopefully tell me,” April said as she busied herself with equipment.
“Clio should arrive shortly.”
“Go book Olivia in. Can you at least do that? Or don’t you know her details either?” April demanded.
“Um,” I paused, tiredness and shock making me slow.
“Jesus, you’re a deadbeat father, aren’t you?” April sneered. “Move aside, Stone, and let me work.”
That rankled. “April, I’m not Liv’s dad.”
April shot towards me, and then she studied Liv. She stepped in front of Olivia and pressed a button.
“Did you harm this child? Have you kidnapped her or something?” April accused.
“What? No! How could you think that!” I growled, hurt.
“Easily, because I never knew you. What is your relationship with her?”
“This is my president’s daughter. Olivia Michaelson. She was playing with Campbell, and he said she fell from a tree,” I explained, shocked at April’s attitude towards me.
April’s gaze narrowed when she saw my cut, and recognition crossed her face when she spotted my patch.
“Campbell’s your son? Is he hurt?”
“No, and no. I don’t have kids,” I added, needing April to understand that.
“Probably a good thing. You’d only screw them and their mother over, no doubt. If you aren’t related, get out. You can’t be here,” April snapped.
The door opened, and a doctor entered. “Nurse Graham is right; please leave if you’re not family.”
“April, I’m a member of Hellfire MC, and this is the president’s daughter. Someone needs to stay with her,” I said, finally gathering my thoughts.
“Nurse Graham will. Go,” the doctor demanded. “Or I’ll have security remove you.”
I did as April ordered, but didn’t go far. I didn’t care if I loitered in a corridor, but I was keeping Olivia in sight.
Minutes ticked past, and I heard Olivia cry out several times. The doc left, and April followed him. She headed towards where I stood.
“Olivia needs an operation. Where are her parents?”
“On their way,” I replied.
“They’d better get a move on. Doctor Simmons can’t give Olivia pain relief or anything without one of them. For all we know, she might react. Call them and tell them to hurry, if they care.”
Ouch. Sure, April could be angry at me, and hate radiated off her, but she had no reason to doubt Chance and Clio.
“Olivia’s parents are great with her. They absolutely adore Olivia, and trust me, both of them are probably breaking speed records to get here. One will be here soon,” I snapped with a hint of anger.
“Trust you? Hell will freeze over first,” April replied. “You can stay here and watch over her, but we’re unsure of your relationship with her. You’re not allowed in her room until the parents arrive. For all I know, you kidnapped Olivia or harmed her.”
With those final words, April walked off, her back and shoulders tense.
“What the hell was that?” Jinx demanded from behind.
“The one that got away,” I muttered.
“Brother, I don’t think she escaped as much as burned all ties to you,” Jinx replied.
I couldn’t disagree.
◆◆◆
Clio arrived first and waited with Olivia while Chance, who raced in a few minutes later, booked Olivia in. I sat in the waiting room with Campbell and Jinx, waiting for Big Al.
“Who should’ve been watching the kids?” I asked Jinx.
“The new childminder and Clark. Kendara had been but had to attend court regarding some client documentation. If she hadn’t gone, her client wouldn’t have been freed or something.
Sallie-Anne had also been minding them, but her morning sickness kicked in.
How Olivia and Campbell escaped the childminder and Clark, I don’t know. ”
“Charlotte was talking with Clark.” Campbell wrinkled up his nose.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Yup. Charlotte kept making faces at Clark like Mommy does to Daddy when they get all kissy-faced,” Campbell said with a healthy dose of disgust. “Olivia and me were bored, so we snuck off to climb trees.”
“Why were you bored?” Jinx inquired.