Chapter Nine
Wren
LUNCH WAS GREAT. The guys kept the conversation flowing the entire time and the food was some of the best I’ve ever eaten.
With my financial situation, I didn’t get to eat out a lot.
There are so many places around Briar Glen I’d love to eat, but it’s not going to happen.
When I’m fully healed and can move on, I’ll be out of here.
Tristan and Zach aren’t happy with my decision, but it’s one I’m making because I don’t want to be around Judge when I get further along in my pregnancy.
The less he knows, the better off we’ll be.
He won’t need a reminder of that night and I have no doubt he won’t want anything to do with our baby.
I’m not the girl who will force him to stay in my life or trap him with a baby.
So, moving away is the only logical choice to make.
I’ll stay in contact with my foster brothers this time, but that’s about all I can promise them.
Zach is actually taking it harder than Tristan is.
I look around as Tristan drives through an open gate behind Fury.
He drives straight up to the left side of a large building and parks while Fury backs his bike up in a long line of bikes on the opposite side of the door I just noticed.
Zach and Tristan get out, grabbing the bag of food they got me for later.
Not only did Tristan order me the extra desserts, Zach ordered me another cheeseburger and baked potato.
He had one and it looked so good. Zach was good enough to give me a bite and I fell in love.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve had a baked potato and now I crave them.
“You ready?” Tristan asks as I wrap Zach’s blanket tighter around my body and watch Fury walk up to us.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I say as Tristan backs away and I’m lifted into Fury’s arms. “I can walk, Fury.”
“Okay. Take it slow. The ground is a little uneven here,” he warns me while setting me on my feet and keeping a hand on my shoulder where I don’t have any injuries.
The three of them walk with me toward the door.
My body is stiff and I’m definitely moving slower than before at the diner.
I really haven’t been walking while I was in the hospital because of my lungs.
Dr. Tucker wanted me to move around, but when I walked further than the bathroom, I quickly became out of breath and started wheezing to the point I’d cough really bad.
A few times I had to be put on oxygen for the rest of the day.
That’s why I was kept in longer than I should have been.
Even now my lungs are already burning and I can feel myself starting to wheeze a little bit.
“Slower if you have to, Wren. This isn’t a race and none of us are gonna make you move faster than you can,” Tristan says as he walks right next to me. “Your lungs are still irritated. You have to remember that.”
“I’m trying to. I just hate this shit. You know I don’t like being sick. It’s a weakness and this time it’s going to take a lot longer to heal than ever before,” I say as Zach opens the door for me.
“Exactly. Which is why you need to rest and take care of yourself, Wren. You’re so hellbent on gettin’ out of here, it’s all your thinkin’ about.
What you need to be thinkin’ about is healin’ and lettin’ your lungs recover.
There’s that other thing as well,” Zach reminds me and gives me a knowing look because Fury doesn’t know about the pregnancy.
Fury admitted that he’s Judge’s best friend and knows a little about what happened between the two of us that night.
He doesn’t know all the details, but he did tell me Judge didn’t treat me right.
I tried to assure him I’m okay and it didn’t mean as much as they all think it did to me.
Fury doesn’t believe me at all. I can tell by the way he looks at me the few times we talked about the situation.
Knowing he’s Judge’s best friend means I can’t trust him to keep my secret. So, it’s better if he doesn’t know.
“Okay. I’ll be better. We didn’t get my medicine,” I say, suddenly remembering the prescriptions that were called in for me.
“I’m gonna head out as soon as you’re settled in to grab them,” Tristan says as I finally walk in the clubhouse behind Zach and next to Fury while Tristan walks in behind me.
“Thank you, Tris.”
I take a look around and see a large open room that’s filled with tables and chairs, a bar on the left side, a few couches on the right in front of a few large as hell TVs, and a pool table at the back of the room.
There’s two hallways from the room and a few doors.
A few men are sitting at the bar and they turn to look at us.
I easily recognize Vulture and Demolition as they stand and move over to us.
“Wren, it’s good to see you again. If you need anythin’ while you’re here, come to Vulture and me.
If you have any problems with the Rebels, we’ll handle it for ya.
Don’t let those bitches beat you down. They’re all bark and no bite,” Demolition says as he pulls me in for a gentle hug I can’t return because my arms are holding Zach’s blanket around my body.
“Thank you, Demolition. I won’t be here that long. I promise I’m self-sufficient and can take care of myself. I’ll probably spend most of my time in whatever room I’m allowed to stay in while here,” I say as Vulture replaces Demolition and hugs me.
“That’s nonsense, Girly. You take all the time you need. I don’t give a shit if you stay here for the rest of your life. You bring the beautiful factor up a lot. Most beautiful girl in the entire clubhouse,” Vulture says as I hear some gasps from a group of women sitting on the couches.
“That’s not true, Vulture. I’m a damn mess and we all know it. Hell, the clothes I’m wearing belong to Tristan and Zach. You can’t even see me,” I say as I feel my face and neck warming with the blush now covering my skin.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Wren. Doesn’t matter how you think you look. Never seen anyone prettier than you,” Vulture insists as I spot Judge walking in the room from one of the hallways. “We’ll let you get settled in.”
I take a few steps and have to stop again. My chest is on fire and I’m wheezing so hard. Fury moves his hand slightly when I start to sway a little on my feet. Yeah, that happens every now and then now too. Dr. Tucker assured me it will go away in time.
“You okay?” Tristan asks me and I shake my head no because if I talk right now I’m going to cough again. I don’t have oxygen here with me so it’s the last thing I need to do.
Before anyone else can say a word, I’m being lifted in the air. Looking at the man I find myself in Judge’s arms. He’s looking down at me and I can see the anger and worry in his eyes.
“She’s not okay. She’s wheezin’ so damn loud. If it doesn’t get better, she’ll be back in the hospital,” Judge states before turning and walking away with me in his arms. I don’t even bother fighting against his hold because I can’t.
Judge takes me up a flight of stairs and down a hallway before stopping toward the end.
There’s only one more door left as he unlocks the one we’re in front of and steps inside after opening it.
I’m carried to a bed where he carefully lays me down on top of the blankets.
Judge looks down at me for a few minutes before turning and leaving me alone.
Tristan and Zach make their way in with the bags and help me get comfortable.
They leave me alone and tell me to take a nap.
It’s already been a long day and I know it’s what I should do.
So, I close my eyes and let sleep claim me the best it can with my lungs still bothering me.
***
Waking up, it takes me a minute to remember where I am.
I’m not in the hospital any longer as I look around the sparsely furnished room.
There’s the bed I’m in, a small desk with my bags on top of it, a mini fridge next to the desk, a dresser at the end of the bed, and a TV on the wall above the dresser.
My stomach rumbles as I finally remember I’m in the clubhouse and Judge carried me to this room.
Getting out of bed, I move to the door on the right of the bed.
It’s a bathroom. I handle my business before washing my hands and looking in the mini fridge for the food we brought back.
One of the guys put my burger and potato inside.
Grabbing the potato, I look around for a way to heat it up, but there’s nothing in here. With a deep breath, I leave the room.
I can hear music playing and what sounds like a ton of conversations going on at once.
It sounds like there are more people here now.
I literally know nothing about this club and how many members are in it.
With another deep breath, well as deep as I can breathe right now, I start slowly walking down the hall toward the steps.
It takes me a long time to walk down them and I have to stop a few times.
Finally, I get to the bottom and see way more people here than before.
“You’re awake,” Fury says, walking up to me. “Let’s get you in a seat and I’ll warm that up for ya.”
Fury leads me to the bar with slow steps.
Tristan and Zach are both behind it handing out drinks and talking with everyone.
Well, Tristan is talking. Zach is silent as normal.
Fury helps me get on a stool before he disappears with my potato.
Zach walks over and opens a bottle of soda for me before setting it on the bar in front of me.
I’m offered a rare smile before he gets back to work.
“I didn’t know what you’d want on your potato, so I grabbed everythin’,” Fury says, setting a tray down in front of me. He’s not lying. There’s sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, cheese, and salsa.
“Thank you. I just want butter and a little salt. I’m pretty simple with my food,” I tell him as a couple more men walk up to join him.
“Wren, this is Lash, Death, Talon, Sabotage, and Boxer. They’re from our mother chapter and are here for Razer’s funeral. They’ll be here for a little while. Guys, this is Wren,” Fury introduces us and I shake everyone’s hand as they hold it out.
“Is this her? I’ve heard rumors a woman tried to save Razer,” the man he introduced as Lash asks, looking me up and down with shock on his face.
“This is her. Wren managed to pull him away from the flames and then covered his body with hers when the explosion hit,” Fury informs them as Death and Talon seem to be staring intently at me.
“Doesn’t want anythin’ in return and has put your brother in his place.
It was funny as fuck. Wouldn’t let him stay in her room and ignored him completely. ”
“No shit. It’s about time someone put that stubborn fucker in his place. Talon and I have been tryin’ to for years,” Death says with a smirk on his face.
“You’re his brothers?” I ask, my nerves getting even worse because I don’t need them finding out my secret if it’s true.
“Death and I are his younger brothers. Gramps is here too,” Talon says, a matching smirk on his face. “I wish I could have seen you put Judge in his place. He needs it every now and then so he doesn’t let his ego get too big.”
The guys all start laughing with the exception of Fury.
He smiles really small, but that’s it. I get it.
He doesn’t want to laugh or have a good time when Razer can’t.
I might not have lost anyone I love to death, but I’ve lost people I care about in my life when I have had to move.
Fury leads the guys away from me so I can eat.
Tristan and Zach move closer so we can talk when they’re not busy handing out drinks.
The common room, as I’m told it’s called, is loud with all the conversations taking place and music playing.
I remain locked in my bubble while finishing my food and drink.
“You’re gonna need more cream on your back soon, Wren,” Tristan reminds me. “I’ve got your medicine locked in my room so no one sees it. We can go in there or your room to get it taken care of. I know you’re not gonna want to be in here when we have to do it.”
“No. Not everyone here needs to see any part of me naked,” I say as Zach clears away my garbage and hands me a bottle of water. I don’t even have to say a word and they give me what I need. It’s always been this way with the three of us.
For a little while, Tristan, Zach, and I talk and laugh while they continue to work.
Tristan lets Fury know when I have to get more cream on my back and we disappear from the common room toward where his room is.
I can feel someone’s eyes on me the entire time, but I refuse to look back.
There isn’t a doubt in my mind it’s Judge.
He’s the only one who can make me feel as if he’s stripping me bare without actually removing any of my clothes.
I felt the same way that night and it still happens now.
Tristan puts the cream on my back and I rest on his bed while it dries.
I can’t allow anything to touch it as my skin absorbs it.
This part sucks, but I can deal with it.
So, I lay down and wait for one of them to come get me again.
Hopefully I don’t fall asleep because today has really taken a lot out of me.