21. Chapter 21
Someone knocks on the door, but instead of waiting for an answer, it’s thrown wide open and then Alli’s rushing in. She makes a beeline straight for me, but then she pauses by the bed as if she’s unsure if I want her to touch me. Taking a chance at what everyone else said was true, I raise my good arm.
Immediately, relief fills her face and I’m engulfed in a gentle hug, my best friend’s signature watermelon scent wrapping around me. Seconds later, I can feel her tears dropping onto my hair and hospital gown. Feeling her tears has fresh tears of my own running down my cheeks. God, I’ve missed my best friend.
“Thank God you’re alright,” she whispers after a few moments before pulling back and wiping her face. “Since Luke brought you to the hospital, that means you’re not going back to that bastard, right?”
I nod as I wipe my own tears. “No, I’m not going back. I’m going to work with Sam and παππο?? (grandpa) to file the paperwork for me and Luke said we could stay with some friends of his.”
Excitement lights her eyes and she turns toward Luke. “Levi’s or Mae’s house?”
Who’s Levi and Mae? And how does Luke know them? Wait, how does Alli know them?
“Mae’s. They offered since it’s getting close to Levi’s due date.”
Alli turns back toward me and giggles at my apparent confusion. “Levi is Thor and Dragon’s Old Lady. They’re twins. Thor’s the President of all the chapters in the Steel Archangel’s MC. Dragon is their Enforcer. Well, one of them. Levi’s an unofficial Enforcer as well, though I think she’ll end up taking the position once the twins are born.”
My eyes widen in shock, my gaze bouncing between her and Luke as I try to wrap my mind around that. One man is hard enough to handle, but two? And twins at that? “She’s with two men? Wait. The club allows women?”
At Alli’s, Luke’s, and even my grandparents’ nods, I shake my head. She must have the patience of a saint. A badass saint, apparently.
Laughter rings out throughout the room and my cheeks heat. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
Alli nods as she wipes tears from her eyes. “You did, and she has them wrapped around her little knife-wielding fingers. She’s also pregnant with twins that are due early February, but since they’re twins and adding in the fact that both Thor and Dragon are big men, I’m betting they’ll be born shortly after the new year.”
I shake my head again, purposefully avoiding the ‘knife-wielding’ part, and then remember what else she had said earlier. “Who’s Mae?”
“She’s Smoke’s daughter. He helped us with trying to track you down the past couple of years. Before that, it was just me, Uncle Sam, and Brady. Mae is Timber’s Old Lady. I should tell you that she’s also pregnant but with triplets, though she’s not due until early June.”
Once again, I feel my eyes widen almost comically. “What’s in the water at the clubhouse? Twins and triplets?”
Almost immediately, tension bleeds into Alli and Luke and my gaze pings between them as worry swirls in my gut. “What? Is something wrong? Did I say something wrong?”
Luke clears his throat and threads his fingers through mine on my good hand. “No, Siren, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just there was a lot of shit going down around the time Mae got pregnant and that’s her story to tell.” He must have seen my panic, because he instantly starts reassuring me. “She wasn’t raped or anything like that, but…” he pauses as he sighs. “I don’t want to overshare something she might not be comfortable sharing until she’s ready.”
Swallowing thickly, I nod. “I understand.” I think.
Alli pats my leg. “You’ll like Mae. She’s a total sweetheart, and I swear she’s like pure sunshine. Though I will warn you, she has a unique way of cussing that will probably have you laughing and shaking your head most of the time.”
I smile at that. “She sounds like a fun person. I’m also thankful for that. Even though I cuss a lot, I try not to in front of the kids.”
A yawn escapes me and Alli squeezes my calf. “I’m sorry. Here I am gabbing and you’re trying not to fall asleep before you talk to Sam, Brady, and Dixon. Luke had me bring them back, saying you wanted to give your statement.”
Nodding, I try to swallow the lump that forms in my throat.
Alli leans down and gives me another hug. “I’m on shift for the next three days, so I’ll be checking in on you later. I know it’ll be hard with all your injuries and the pain, but try to get some sleep tonight.”
Nodding, I give her a little squeeze, thankful that I’ll have a familiar face around while I’m here. “Thank you, Alli.”
She gives me a smile as she pulls back and leaves the room as Brady comes in.
He nervously looks over at me, a small smile on his face and then, as if coming to a decision, stands taller as he looks over at my grandparents and Luke. “Is it okay if I talk to Mary for a few minutes really quick? I’d like to clear the air a bit before she gives her statement.”
My muscles go tight and my chest tightens. Luke must feel the tension running through me because he squeezes my hand. He leans down and kisses my temple, and I feel my body leaning into it. God, I’ve missed him.
“It’s okay, Siren. I promise that he really did change. Hear him out, okay?”
I nod, not able to trust my voice right now. Luke doesn’t know everything that Brady said to me those months after the accident my mom caused and before I was kidnapped. I could never bring myself to tell him everything. Especially since before the accident, they were more like brothers rather than cousins.
After a few moments, it’s just Brady and me in the room.
He’s standing to my left before he sits in the chair next to my bed, resting his elbows on his knees. His hands fidgeting as he twirls his phone absently in his hands.
“I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am for how I treated you. For what I said to you. I was angry, so angry, and had no idea how to process that anger. If Eileen had hit the car differently, I’m almost positive my dad wouldn’t have made it. I was young, and dumb, and took all my anger out on you since there was no one else to take it out on. I’m so sorry, Mary.”
Tears sting my eyes as I try to find the words to express what I felt these past nine years. “You hurt me, Brady. You have no idea how badly or deep your words cut. They reopened wounds that my mom had made years ago. But you were my best friend. Your words and actions cut even deeper than hers because of that.”
His face falls and his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “What can I do to make it up to you? I want to be your friend again. To go back to the four of us being thick as thieves again.”
My answer to him is interrupted when the door opens and a nurse walks in. She’s thin and young with blonde hair that’s tied up into a bun, and her makeup is overkill, in my opinion. She looks like she’s ready to go to a club instead of working the night shift in a hospital ER. Frowning, I glance over her again. There’s something about her that puts me on edge.
She gives me a fake smile. One that doesn’t reach her eyes and my unease increases. “Hi, I’m Claudia. I’ve got your pain medicine that Dr. Rodgers ordered for you.”
She walks over to the computer to my right, but in the process, I see her dropping a vial into her pocket and then she pulls out a different one. As she types, my gaze swings to Brady in panic. What the hell was that?
His brow furrows and he gives me a slight nod. Did he see it too? He types something out on his phone, his fingers flying, and it dings right as Claudia turns toward me.
“I-I’d really rather wait to be given the pain meds until after I give my statement. Can it be left for Luke to give me when I’m done?”
She scowls at me, but quickly covers it. “I’m sorry. The doctor said I needed to give it to you right away.”
My frown deepens at that and my skin prickles. Something’s not right. Never has a doctor said something like that before and ignored what I wanted. “I don’t want to take it right now,” I reply, my voice firmer.
She ignores me and when her scowl deepens, I pull away while also trying to scramble and grab my IV line away from me.
“Help! Luke!”
I hear a shuffle outside the door right as Claudia’s scowl turns darker and her face turns red. Brady’s already rounded the corner of my bed and trying to grab her hands. Her fake nails scratch my arm and hand a few times as she tries to grab my IV line. I cry out when she puts weight on my right shoulder, and it’s then that I catch the scent of something familiar.
Seconds later, Brady gets a hold of her, but Claudia continues to fight him and me before he finally gets a hold of both of her wrists securely right as Luke comes in, followed by my παππο?? και γιαγι? (grandparents) who seem to be leading a small army.
Brady squeezes her wrists harder and she cries out in pain, dropping my IV and the vial. My fingers are shaking so much, but I still manage to snatch the vial before she can get away from Brady and grab it again. Brady yanks her arms behind her back and I hear an audible click. Did he just handcuff her?
“I don’t know what stunt you’re trying to pull, but I’ll figure it out,” he all but growls at her. He turns toward me, and as our gazes lock, guilt shines in his eyes. I’m almost positive he’s blaming himself for not getting her away from me quicker.
Sinking back in my bed, I give him a small smile. “Thank God you were in here, Brady. Though she is pretty fucking stupid for trying to pull that kind of a stunt with a police officer in the room.”
Brady’s lips roll in as his shoulders shake with his silent laughter. Claudia looks at him over her shoulder in confusion but then pales when Brady unclips his badge from his belt and shows it to her.
“I agree. Pretty fucking stupid,” he says with a sneer as he looks down at Claudia.
Despite the roller coaster of emotions running through me, a small laugh escapes at the irony of her pulling that stunt in front of him.
Lifting the vial, it doesn’t escape my notice, or everyone else’s, that my hands are still shaking. So much so that it takes me a bit to be able to make out the name of the medicine. My blood runs cold when I don’t recognize the name. I don’t think this is a painkiller. But if it’s not a painkiller, then what is it?
My gaze snaps to Luke’s. “What’s propofol? Did I say that right?”
His gaze turns thunderous. And it’s then that I realize who else is in the room besides Luke and my παππο?? και γιαγι? (grandparents)—Dr. Rodgers, Alli’s father Curtis, Sam, and a man in a police uniform whom I’m guessing is Dixon, based on what Alli said earlier. And at the rear of the group is another man in a similar vest as Luke’s. His patch says his name is Thor. If memory serves, Luke and Alli said he was the President of the Steel Archangel’s. Wait, why is the President of Luke’s club in my hospital room? Also, how the heck are all these people fitting in this tiny room?
“Mary, can I see that vial? What happened?” Dr. Rodgers asks and I nod, holding it out to her while Brady and I fill everyone in.
Brady shuffles Claudia around and Dixon steps forward, patting her down. He reaches into her pocket and pulls out another vial before handing it to Dr. Rodgers.
Luke steps closer to Dr. Rodgers and frowns. “When I stopped Claudia before entering, she showed me this vial, hydrocodone. She must have had propofol in her pocket. I didn’t check her pockets,” he says before turning to me, guilt written all over him. “Propofol is an anesthetic and a sedative. It’s also used to put patients in a medically induced coma to let their bodies heal.”
Bile rises in my throat. “He tried to silence me.”
As that realization slams into me, and how badly things could have gone, more memories and feelings from the past threaten to drown me. Shaking my head, I force them to the back of my mind to unpack later when I’m alone. Refocusing back on Luke, he looks even more guilty than before as he studies my face.
Crap.
I bet he saw all of that play out on my face just now.
Glancing at Brady, the same guilty look is mirrored on his face as well.
Double crap.
I hold out a hand and Luke takes it. If my other arm wasn’t in a sling, I would have done the same to Brady. “This is not your fault, Luke. Or yours, Brady. You had no idea that she’d try something like this.” I pause and turn toward Brady, Sam, and Dixon. “If I were you, I’d look into who she’s been hanging out with. It could just be coincidence; I’ve had to wash many shirts of Stephan’s that reeked of the same perfume Claudia’s wearing and had lipstick stains that match that same tacky bubblegum color she’s wearing right now. It’s been going on since a couple of months after moving here. In fact, I know there’s still a shirt in the laundry room that has a lipstick stain on the collar if you need the evidence. I didn’t get through all the laundry the other day and I knew I wouldn’t have time to finish it yesterday while I was cooking.” I pause as I see her eyes flash. The feeling that Stephan is behind this intensifies. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he put her up to this. He’s manipulative enough that he’s probably filled her head with a bunch of lies already.”
Worry churns in my gut. Has Stephan already found out I’m here? Or is this tied to someone else?
Claudia struggles in Brady’s arms and she scoffs. “If you were a better wife, he wouldn’t have sought me out.”
I can’t help the bitter laugh that bubbles out of me, and Claudia looks at me like I’ve grown two heads. “Bitch, I didn’t want to be his wife in the first place. He paid someone to kidnap me and kept me prisoner for nine years, threatening the lives of my children if I were to leave him. Two of my children were conceived by him forcing himself on me.”
She looks at me in confusion before shaking her head. “He said you’d probably say something like that. That you had mental issues and would often mix reality with your delusions. He stays with you because he pities you and knows how crushed the kids would be if he sent you away for treatment.”
I shake my head sadly at her. “Can someone please get her out of here? Stephan has her wrapped up so tightly in his manipulations that she’ll never see reason.”
Dixon starts reading Claudia her rights as he takes her from Brady. Just before they go to leave, I raise my hand and they stop, but my focus is on Claudia.
“If you end up going back to him, I pray you’re able to get away from him before my life becomes yours. Beatings for no reason at all. In the ER at least once a month. I hope you’re able to eventually see through his ‘charming’ charisma, his lies, and his manipulations to see the truth before he puts you in an early grave,” I tell her, using air quotes around the word charming as I describe Stephan’s public front. “I don’t know why, but his beatings are always worse on birthdays and holidays. If you’re still with him at Christmas, be careful. It could be you in this bed at some point.”
She looks at me in confusion and I almost think she’s going to take my words seriously. A few moments later, Dixon leads her from the room only to reappear again.
“Jonesy’s taking her to the station. He’s on call tonight and as soon as I realized we’d be booking her,” Dixon says with a wave of his hand toward the door, “I messaged him, asking if he’d come to book someone for us since you said you wanted me here. Sorry for not introducing myself before, but I’m Officer Dixon Hughes.”
I give him a little wave. “Mary Hayes, hopefully soon to be Mary Catarino again.”
He tilts his head at me but then I notice Luke looking at him weird, his brow furrowed.
“You mean Max’s brother?”
Dixon tips his head, a small smile on his face. “I forgot for a minute that you work with Max, but yeah, his twin brother, Oliver. We call him Jonesy all the time.”
Luke chuckles. “That’s funny because we call Max ‘Jonesy’ as well.”
Dixon’s smile widens as he shakes his head slightly, and then Luke turns to Dr. Rodgers and Curtis.
“Is it possible to limit who administers Mary’s medicine going forward to just Alli and me like we did a few months ago? It also needs to be unopened so we can make sure it isn’t tampered with. For any medicine that will be given on the regular, we can set up storage in the room and I can keep it in here. I won’t be leaving until she’s discharged, so if Alli’s not on shift, I can administer her meds. Especially since I don’t know if the other units would let Alli do it once we leave the ER.”
Curtis nods and he and Dr. Rodgers share a look before she nods as well, but it’s Curtis who answers him.
“Yes, I will make sure all the units know and when you leave the ER, you and Alli are the only ones to be able to administer her meds. I’m sure a few feathers will be ruffled, but I’ll make sure they know this is how it needs to be.”
Jaw dropped, my gaze bounces between the three of them like a ping-pong ball. Luke’s not leaving my side? He’s going to stay?
I shake my head. “Luke, you’re going to need to leave at some point. I mean, you’re in clothes that are covered with my blood,” I say, my hand gesturing the length of him even though my stomach threatens to empty itself at exactly how much of my blood is on him.
A throat clears, and I turn to see Thor looking at me. He holds up a duffle bag and I stare at him in shock and disbelief. Well, there goes that argument. I had hoped I’d have some time alone to process all these emotions.
Thor turns toward Luke and tilts his head at him. “Wildcat got your key out of the office and packed you a bag. She wasn’t sure how long you’d be here, so she packed enough for a week. A few other things are in here, too.” He pauses and then holds up another bag while looking at me. “Asher and Sasha helped pack this for you after you left. If you need anything else, either of you, let me know and I’ll get it arranged.”
My confusion must have shown because Luke chuckles softly. “Thor’s nickname for his Old Lady is Wildcat. Her name’s Levi, the one we told you earlier that’s pregnant with twins. Sasha is a Prospect with the club and Levi’s sister. She’s who I had Cassie go with when we got to your house.”
Unease swirls throughout me as I realize my children are staying somewhere where I have never met any of the people who are living there. What if Stephan has someone planted there? He could take my children while I’m still stuck in this hospital.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Luke asks as he leans down and rubs the crease in my forehead I hadn’t realized was there.
I shake my head, not ready to say the words out loud. Instead, I take a deep breath and settle for the half-truth. “I’m just tired and in pain. Can I give my statement so we can do the restraining order? I feel like I’m going to crash soon.”
Luke frowns but nods, no doubt knowing that wasn’t what was bothering me, but thankfully he says nothing.
“I’ll check in later on you and before my shift ends,” Dr. Rodgers says as she taps the end of the bed with her hand and then slips out of the room.
Curtis steps forward, giving me a gentle hug. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally set eyes on you again, Mary. Luke’s been beside himself the entire time, spending almost every free minute he’s had searching for you and I know Alli’s been missing her best friend and reading buddy. Brady’s also been trying to dig up any information that would help lead to finding you.”
Even though I’m in shock, I still manage to hug Curtis back. My mind is warring with what everyone’s been telling me compared to what Stephan’s been saying all these years. Even though I know Stephan’s a manipulative asshole, it doesn’t immediately erase his words or his so-called proof that everyone had moved on without me. That they’d forgotten me. Abandoned me.
I give him a shaky smile when he pulls back and then steps out of the room.
When he’s gone, it’s just Luke, my παππο?? και γιαγι? (grandparents), Sam, Brady, Dixon, and surprisingly, Thor.
“Is it okay if I stay, Mary? I’d like to know what we’re up against so that we can prepare accordingly. Patch has given me a bit of information, but I’d like to hear it from you, too. Also, this way you won’t have to relive everything again,” Thor says with a gentle smile on his face that is at odds with how intimidating he is. The man has to be around six feet tall, muscles for days, and gives off an aura that says ‘don’t fuck with me or no one will find your body’. However, I get the impression none of this is directed at me and that he’d never hurt me.
Chewing on my lip, I pick at the blanket as I try to swallow around the lump in my throat. What he’s saying is true. It would be easier to say everything only once, but why would they help me? I’m nobody to them.
“Oh, Siren, that’s not true.”
Luke’s soft and pained words haves me looking up. Shit… Did I say that out loud?
He laughs. “Yeah, Siren. You said both of those things out loud. Trust me in that you aren’t the only woman we’ve helped. I think it might help if you spoke to Levi and Mae once you’re up to it. Maybe Mae first, as your story has a few more similarities to hers than Levi’s. They can tell you their stories and it might help ease some of your worries and concerns. I swear to you, Siren, no one will judge you about what you went through. We don’t stand for anyone abusing people, but especially women and children. You’re safe with us.”
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to relax before looking over at Thor. “You can stay.”
He tips his head at me. “Thank you. And I just want to emphasize that what Patch said is true. We will protect you and your children from this fucker. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want to.”
Luke stiffens slightly at that and I frown, wondering what Thor said that could have him worried. Is it because he said I could stay as long as I want? Does Luke not want me there? Or does he want me to stay there with him?
Shaking off those thoughts, I decide to unpack them later after I’ve gotten some sleep. Sighing, I look up at Sam and then to παππο?? (grandpa).
“How do you want to do this?”