31. Player
Chapter thirty-one
Player
Drae hauls ass, and we make the hour and a half drive in under an hour.
Slaughter has lost a lot of blood and is slipping into unconsciousness by the time we arrive.
We carry him inside and rush him to the cot the doc and his nurse have ready and waiting. Doc has every man’s blood type on file, and he’s got blood at the ready.
In less than a minute, he’s got Slaughter hooked to an IV. Doc is an old friend of my father’s and was a medic in Afghanistan and an ER trauma doctor. He’s done this before, and Gage has complete faith in his abilities.
I wrap an arm around Taylor and lead her to my room, closing the door behind us. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She rubs her upper arms.
But she’s not fine. She’s traumatized. Her eyes dart around the room, and she won’t look at me.
I cup her face and tilt her head to mine, pressing my forehead to hers. “You’re safe here.”
She wraps her arms around me, and I hold her as she cries, all the emotions pouring out. I stroke her head and back, whispering how much I love her and promising I’ll never let this happen again.
Finally, she settles, and I guide her to my bed. I lay with her for a long time.
“Taylor, I need to go check on Slaughter.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, babe. I want you to wait here. If Doc’s finished up, I want him to look at your burn. Make sure it’s not infected.”
“It’s not.”
“Still want him to take a look.” I stand, then lean over her, brushing the hair from her forehead and kissing her. “I won’t be gone long.”
Moving into the main room, I check the time. It’s almost dawn. We’ve been here less than an hour, and Doc’s got Slaughter’s wound closed and bandaged, and his vitals stable.
Everyone is standing around, and the mood of the room is quiet. Everyone waiting to hear if their brother is okay. None of us talk until Doc gives Gage the news that Slaughter will recover.
After he’s through, I pull him to the side and ask him to check Taylor’s arm.
He follows me to my room, and I tap on the door, then swing it open.
Taylor sits up from the bed.
“This is Dr. Kyle O’Brien.” I introduce the man. “This is Taylor Reed.”
“I hear you’ve got a bad burn, Ms. Reed.” He squats in front of her, and she holds her arm out, pulling up her sleeve.
He undoes the tape and lifts the gauze, studying it. “Let me have Judy clean it and put some more ointment on it. How’s your pain?”
“The hospital gave me a prescription for painkillers and an antibiotic.”
“You’ve been taking them?”
“Yes. Well, except for the last twenty-four hours.”
“It looks good. It’s healing. I’ll be stopping by later today to check on Slaughter, but Judy is going to stay and monitor him. If your prescription runs out, I can write you another. I’ll check on you again when I return.” He studies her eyes. “You’ve been through it; you should rest.”
“I’ll make sure she does,” I say. He stands and I shake his hand. “Thanks, Doc.”
After he leaves, there’s a tap on the door, and I let Judy in. She’s young with a bright smile. While she’s treating Taylor’s arm, I tell her I’ve got to talk to Gage and slip out of the room.
I find him at the end of the bar, sipping a drink with Drae at his side.
“How’s Slaughter?” I ask.
“Resting. Doc said he’ll sleep for hours. Taylor okay?”
“He said her wound is healing well.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
“She’s pretty shaken up.”
“Understandable. She went through a traumatic situation. It’s the kind of thing I never wanted your mother and sister exposed to.”
“Molly lured her outside and gave her to the Sinners. I’m going to find that bitch and kill her.”
Gage nods, giving me his blessing. “I agree.”
“But that’s going to have to wait. I can’t leave her now.”
“There will be plenty of time for that, plus we’ve got some payback to dole out.”
“Yeah.”
Drae flips his lighter on the bar top and meets my eyes.
“Not sure now’s the time, but I got a text from Stone, the VP of the Pennsylvania chapter.
One of his guys has a cousin who waitresses at a truck stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in McConnellsburg.
She says a rig like that pulled in an hour ago.
Came in and ate. She thinks he’s sleeping a few hours in his cab. ”
“McConnellsburg? Where the hell is that?”
“About four hours from here.”
I’m off my stool. “There’s no time to wait. I need to move on him.”
Gage drags his hand down his face. “I’m fucking beat. Slaughter’s down. Maybe we let Stone handle it, son.”
“I can’t do that. I need to take care of this motherfucker.”
“Means you’re leaving Taylor,” Drae reminds me. “Didn’t look like she wanted to be separated from you.”
“I understand that, but I’ve got to do this.”
“Then I’m going with you,” Drae says.
“Me too,” Beck says.
“Me, too,” Pony adds.
“Don’t leave me out,” Cruz growls.
My father sighs. “Fine. Drae, Beck, and Pony. The three of you go, but Cruz, I need you here in case the Sinners come calling.”
Cruz nods. “You’re right, prez.”
Gage looks at Cruz. “Contact Stone. Have them keep eyes on this guy. If he leaves out, they follow at a distance. Tell them we don’t want to lose track of this guy.”
“Will do.”
Gage stands and pulls me to him, slapping my back and talking low in my ear. “Make it quick and don’t underestimate this asshole. Do it somewhere there’s no trace leading back to us, understand?”
I nod.
“That rig’s gonna be easy to spot. You probably need to separate him from it. Remember, there are cameras everywhere on the interstate and especially at that fucking truck stop.”
“Got it.” I look to the other three. “Let’s go. I’ll meet you outside. I just need to tell Taylor.”
When I return to the room, the nurse is still with her, sitting on the bed next to her and holding Taylor’s hand. They look like they were having a deep conversation.
Judy stands when I enter, but I wave her off. “No, don’t go.”
Taylor looks at me with questioning eyes. “What is it?”
“Club tracked down Randall. He’s in Pennsylvania. I’ve got to go. A few of the boys and I are pulling out. I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
“No. Please, Player. Don’t do this.” She stands and clutches me.
I cup her face. “I’ve got to do this. I need you to understand that. It’s the only way you live safe from that monster.”
“I should go,” Judy says nervously, like she’s intruding.
“No, please. Could you stay with her until I return? I know it’s a lot to ask…”
“I’d be happy to stay with her.”
I kiss Taylor and press my forehead to hers. “Don’t worry. Please.”
“Of course I’ll worry. Every second until you return.”
“I’ll call you when it's done.”
She holds me as if she won’t let me go but finally releases me.
I give her a kiss and slip out.