Chapter 20
JOKER
“I’m sorry.” The nurse shoulders her way into Daisy’s room. “There is no way you can have all these people visiting at one time.”
Since Daisy regained consciousness, there’s been a constant stream of visitors. Mostly Serpents and their old ladies.
Rattler wraps his muscled arm around the nurse’s shoulder. “C’mon, sweetheart, I’m sure you can make an exception.” He beams down at her. “And I will personally see to it all these bastards keep it down.”
“Well, you have to remember there are other patients and?—”
“You have my word.” Rattler hits her with another mega-watt smile, and of course, she leaves with a huge grin on her face as Rattler closes the door behind her.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Mamba teases. “Married to a superstar, and you’re still on the make.”
Rattler flips him off. “What can I say, the ladies love me.”
Mamba shoulder-butts him. “Does Serafina know about your constant flirting? ”
“Of course, it’s part of my charm.”
I shake my head at their antics, but truth, I can’t believe the hospital staff hasn’t thrown us all out. It started out just Cobra and Sheena visiting, and now Rattler and Mamba showed up with Mandy, along with Python and Virginia.
The room is filled with balloons and stuffed animals of all sizes, even a stuffed bear wearing a Serpents cut, compliments of Samson from Club Wicked.
Everyone has celebrated our new baby, for whom Daisy still hasn’t picked a name.
My girl has a steel trap for a brain, runs my shop, keeps our house in first-rate order, but ask her to decide on a name for a baby, and she short-circuits.
She wants to keep the D theme, so over the last two days, we’ve explored Daniela, Dakota, Dana, Delancy and Danica. I’m partial to Dakota, but I know she’ll figure it out in the end. I just hope it’s before my baby girl starts school.
Python grips my shoulder. “So, another girl. Shit, you’re outnumbered now, brother. Might as well pack it up and say good night. You will never win another argument.”
“Who the fuck are you kidding? It’s just you and Virginia, and you never win a fight.”
“That’s ‘cause I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Then he sobers and glances back at Daisy. “Shit, let’s just be glad everything turned out right. And when Daisy’s feeling up to it, we are gonna have a blowout party to celebrate your new baby girl—without a name.”
“Yeah.” I smile at his joke, but I just can’t sell it.
“What’s the matter? You should be the one leading the party.”
“Just tired after everything.”
Total fuckin’ lie. Truth is my body feels like there are electrical currents surging through it. Amping me up worse than the old days when I was hoovering up blow three lines at a time .
When I’m awake, suffocating anxiety and unknown fears plague me, but the nights are the worst. Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining every terrible thing that could possibly happen.
When it gets really bad, my hands shake, and my chest tightens up like a time bomb about to explode.
The same sensation as when I was in the ambulance with Daisy.
I keep thinking it’s gonna go away, but three days later, and this shit feeling is getting worse instead of better.
Even the sight of Daisy holding our new baby girl fills me with a deep sadness and dread. Like something bad is waiting just outside the door. I’ve chastised myself and tried to drag my sorry ass out of whatever this is, but the time for feeling sorry for myself is over.
I nudge Cobra away from the others. “How’s our friend holding up?”
“We got him all locked up in the panic room in the basement. Keeping him alive with a bottle of water a day, but so far he hasn’t spilled anything. Keeps chanting shit, saying he’s contacting his spirits in another world.”
A cold chill slithers down my spine. “I’ll be by the clubhouse tonight after Daisy falls asleep. About time I take care of my business.”
“No rush, man. Python likes goin’ down there and scaring the shit outta him.” Cobra huffs out a laugh. “The man definitely takes his job seriously.” He grips my shoulder. “Your first priority is right here.”
Of course, Cobra is right, but I can’t spend another night in this hospital letting my nerves eat me alive. Not if getting to the bottom of all this bullshit can lift the dark cloud surrounding me.
“I’ll be at the clubhouse at ten.” I lock eyes with Cobra. “We find out what the fuck he was doin’ in my house, then we approach Warrior and see what he knows, ‘cause this shit can’t stand without repercussions. ”
“Agreed.” We tap fists, and the pact is made.
After everyone has gone, I squeeze into the bed with Daisy as she feeds our baby. My kids couldn’t have a more loving mother, and my heart aches at how close I came to losing her—again.
“You were so quiet before.” Daisy always picks up on my moods, good and bad.
“Just a lot on my mind.”
She cups my cheek with her free hand. “You know, the baby and I are fine, and we’re going to be fine, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” And after I deal with the Nomad in the basement of The Gold Mine, everything will be perfect.
“It’s not just today. For the last three days, you’ve been different. On edge.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not every day your pregnant wife has to fight off a maniac in her own kitchen.” I bite my lower lip. “When I think of what?—”
“But it all worked out in the end, and this,” she stares down at the baby, “is what we have to concentrate on.” She raises her eyebrows. “And whatever we’re paying for Derek’s karate lessons is worth it. He was amazing.”
“I know, right?” I give her the reply she expects.
“I also think you should get back to the garage. The doctor said I can go home tomorrow, and I’m sure Gus is going crazy with the work piling up.”
How could I tell her that her hard-ass, tough biker can’t concentrate on going to the garage or anything else?
When the baby is done feeding, I gently lift her out of Daisy’s arms and lay her in the bassinet, then stare down at her. “She’s so perfect.”
“She is.” Daisy twists her lips. “But after all that work and a blood transfusion, she has the nerve to look exactly like you.”
My lips tilt. “Can’t deny it, she does, but I’m sure she’ll have your fire, just like Deana. ”
“She was so excited to hold her baby sister earlier. I know, between Derek and Deana, this little one is going to have the best big brother and sister.”
As long as her father doesn’t put her in danger again.
“Now, all we need is a name.”
“I promise by the time we go home tomorrow, she’ll have a name.”
I move around the bassinet and lean into the bed, taking Daisy into my arms. “I hope you know how much I love you and how much I?—”
She pushes me until we are eye to eye. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Can’t I tell my wife how much I love her?” I hope to sell the tough guy act.
“Please just promise me you’re not blaming yourself, because I’m not blaming you for anything.”
“I know.” And that’s what makes it worse. I almost wish she’d curse me to hell, tell me I’m a no good fucker.
I give her a quick kiss on the lips, fearing any closer contact will break me like shattered, damaged glass.
Later that night, I saunter into The Gold Mine and head straight for the bar. I haven’t had a drop of booze since the baby was born, but right now I need it bad.
“Well, look who’s here,” Rattler calls out. “The new daddy.”
“Mmmm.” I tap the bar with my index finger. “Set me up.”
Two seconds later, I’m staring at a shot of Jack. I gulp it down and savor the burn in my throat, then wait till the warmth spreads through my veins. Oh yeah, I needed that and many more .
“We missed you around here.” He leans over the bar. “Ready to take care of your business?”
I tap my shot glass, he fills it, and I throw that one back too. “Where’s Cobra?”
“In his office with Python. All ready to get this shit done.”
I push away from the bar and head to Cobra’s office with purpose. Take care of the Nomad and get the fuck on with my life.
I knock on Cobra’s door, then push through. Python turns from the chair in front of Cobra’s desk. “You ready to do this?”
“Abso-fuckin-lutely.”
Cobra nods. “Take care of your business.”
Python pushes out of his chair, and we both head to the basement stairs.
I’m aware of my steps as I descend, but I’m way too wired to let my nerves take over.
We head to the panic room, Python enters the code, and the door clicks open.
We enter, he pulls the cord on the overhead light, and the Nomad blinks at the sudden brightness.
We’ve got the whole room wired with electricity but there’s something unnerving about a lightbulb dangling from the ceiling.
Python rips the duct tape off his mouth, and the Nomad licks his cracked lips, then stares at us. His dark, defiant eyes are shadowed with bruises, his lips puffy and swollen. Along with a huge bump on the side of his head from my badass wife and her frying pan.
I step forward and glare down at him. “So, what made you think it was a good idea to come to my home and terrorize my pregnant wife?”
“Fuck you, I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Python makes a show of lifting the metal bat off the table against the wall. “You don’t have to, but you’re gonna want to after I smash your kneecaps a few times.”
The Nomad flinches, but his eyes never leave mine .
“Or how you survived a gunshot wound out in the desert and made it back to Vegas.”
“Maybe my powers allowed me to rise from the depths of death. Maybe you’re talking to my spirit right now.”
My fists clench at the same fuckin’ thought that’s been plaguing me for days. That I’m fighting with a goddamn ghost.
Python winds up and swings the bat, coming within inches of the Nomad. “Quit talking bullshit, or the next time I won’t miss.”
“I have higher powers that ward off physical pain.”
“No shit.” Python slams the bat against the Nomad’s shin.
He grinds his jaw and swallows the scream. Gotta give him credit, ‘cause it had to hurt like hell.
Python huffs out a rough laugh. “Maybe that higher power ain’t what it’s cracked up to be.”
I move closer, hunch down and get in his face. “In case your situation isn’t clear—you’ve been strapped to a metal chair in a soundproof room for the last three days. You smell like piss, and you haven’t eaten, so maybe you oughta stop fucking around and tell us what we want to hear.”
“I have fasted for seven days when on native retreats, so this is nothing to me.”
“These boys from up north may not know how we do things down here,” Python sneers. “We’ve got acres and acres of hot desert crawling with rattlers just looking to swallow you whole.”
“Doesn’t scare me.”
I suck in a deep breath. “Okay, so you’re a tough guy, but I’m betting there’s something you care about, or you wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble trying to make my life a shitshow.”
“Myself and a few others care about bringing the Nomads into this century, but some are opposed to our methods. ”
Interesting. “So you wanted to change shit up, and the others didn’t go for it.”
He curls his lip. “Warrior lives in another time, but some of us want more.”
“Ambitious fucker.” Python hovers close. “But stealing from the Serpents ain’t the way to get it.”
“Desperate people do desperate things.”
“Why target me?” I ask.
“Because you are the weakest link.”
“Excuse me?” I sure didn’t like the sound of that.
“You have the most to lose. Logic says you would fold and share your territory with the Nomads to keep your family out of danger.”
Logical, but there are still too many unanswered questions.
Python shifts his feet. “C’mon, Boss, enough of this shit.”
I put my palm up. “Still doesn’t explain how you survived a bullet point-blank or made it a hundred miles back to Vegas.”
When he silently stares back at me, I step back and nod to Python, who lands the bat squarely on his kneecap.
The Nomad’s shrill scream fills the small room.
“Where’re all your higher powers now, asshole?” Python moves to the other side of the chair and winds up again.
“Wait!” the Nomad shouts.
“Spit out what my VP wants, or I’m gonna keep smashing shit until you do.”
“The Nomad you killed was my brother.” His drops his head and sighs. “Kota was my twin.”
“Shit.” Python lowers the bat, and for the first time in days, I can breathe.
“We wanted to expand and get into more lucrative deals, but Warrior wouldn’t allow it. He refuses to give up the old ways, and the club is suffering because of it.”
Python and I exchange a look .
“Were Arrow and Blade in on this too?”
“Yes, but I had no idea what they had planned for my brother. I tried to warn him, but it was too late. You were already at your safe house.”
“If you were all on the same side, why would they set him up for a hit?”
“To make it appear like they were on your side, then attack when you least expect it.”
Python rests the bat on his shoulder. “The old bait and switch.”
“They knew Warrior would never go for expanding to Vegas, so they told him about the defection, then let him hire your club to take care of it.”
“They sacrificed your brother.”
“Fuck.” Python shakes his head. “That’s some deep, twisted shit.”
“Why come after us?” I ask. “We only carried out the contract.”
“I wanted to avenge my brother in my own way. I thought if I scared you enough, you would go back to Warrior, let the Nomads into Vegas, then the rest of us who want change could take over.”
“That’s a lot of ifs and a plan with a lot of fuckin’ holes.”
“We were desperate.”
“You sent the box with the black stone, the messages to my wife and the pictures.”
The Nomad nods.
“And Arrow and Blade?”
“They set up the fake meeting to get you out of Vegas, giving me time to go to your condo.” He lowers his eyes. “I didn’t know your wife was pregnant.”
I twist my lips. “But it didn’t stop you from pushing her around and making her go into labor.
” Anger rips through me like an electric current.
I grab the neck of his t-shirt and twist until his face turns red.
“She could’ve lost the baby, or I could’ve lost both of them,” I growl in his face, then release him.
The realization of my words weakens me.
I step back and gulp in a breath. “Take care of this piece of shit,” I order Python.
I push through the metal door, knowing the Nomad will get what he deserves, but it’s not enough to quiet the regret, remorse and—most of all—guilt.