I go down flat on my ass, feeling the hurt and pain seep into my system. I let another woman down; I was too late…again. I reach out for her hand, I need to hold it, if only for a minute. Her beautiful hand that I’ve felt slide over my body countless times, is now almost as unrecognizable as her face. Her fingers have been broken and they’re swollen and distorted, bending in ways I’m not sure can ever be straightened. Then I notice she has no small finger. It has been cut right at the base of the hand. The wound is open, angry, and infected. Motherfucker.
I scream out in denial, as I pull her broken body over to my lap and I hold her hand in mine. I feel as if I’m dying inside. My eyes close as the tears fall. I close them to try and stop the flow, but it does no good. I see her, her face as she’s laughing at me, her eyes when she needs me, the look on her face as I’m sliding inside of her, and finally my favorite memory. The memory from the day at the beach when she kissed me in front of everyone and gave me a look of trust. Trust she misplaced…because I failed her.
“I’ll get him, Hellcat. I’ll get him and make him pay.”
I kiss her forehead in goodbye and slide her off my lap. I notice a hunting knife on the ground. Something about it is familiar, but I push it away. I need to get her out of here. My woman deserves to be at rest in the sunshine. When I get revenge on these motherfuckers, I know in my heart I’m going to join her. We didn’t have much in this life, but the next…the next I will make it my mission that she knows nothing but joy. I’m preparing to get her out of here, when I hear it… It’s faint, very faint, but I latch onto it immediately.
“Zander,” her voice whispers, it’s disjointed and full of pain.
“Oh fuck, sweetheart, you are hanging on. That’s my Hellcat. I knew you had balls of steel. Let’s get you home.”
It takes me awhile to get her out of there because every movement causes her pain and I can’t risk them discovering us.
“Hang on a little longer, Hellcat. Just a little longer and I’ll have you at the hospital.”
“No.”
It was one syllable but the terror in her hoarse, whispered voice spoke volumes.
“Hellcat.”
“Married. He’ll…please, Zander.”
Married. My Hellcat doesn’t know it, but she’s going to be a widow pretty fucking soon. I call Doc and arrange to have him meet us at the club. Then I try constantly to call Dragon. Each time the call goes unanswered and I’m asked to leave a message, my gut clinches. Fuck. I hope I wasn’t too late. That’s when I notice it. I don’t know how I didn’t before, maybe it was because her injuries are so damn extensive that I could look for weeks and not find them all. I don’t know, but there is a large stabbing wound in the middle of her chest. Thankfully, it’s nowhere near her heart, but there’s so much blood.
Hospital it is. I reach over and grab an old shirt that is lying in the passenger floorboard and push it into the wound. I wince because I know that fucker can’t be clean, but it’s all I can do for now. My foot presses harder on the accelerator, but inside I feel like time is running out.
Chapter 39
Bull
We’re all at the hospital. It’s a fucking mess. Dragon’s car blew up at the wedding. There was nothing left of him or Frog…nothing. My brothers are gone. Nicole is a basket case. I helped get her settled and the Doc gave her something to make her sleep. I posted Freak and Hawk outside her door and ordered them not to let her leave or let anyone in. Then Doc told us about Crusher and Dani and the rest of us came here. It’s bad…really fucking bad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any motherfucker in this shape—let alone a woman. How she’s still breathing is beyond me.
I’m trying to keep my head today, because I know I’m going to be needed. Still, I’m having these fucking tremors in my arm and it feels like a hot poker is being jabbed in my eyes. These goddamn headaches won’t let up. They’re coming more often and it’s to the point that they are constant now. My vision is blurry as hell in my left eye. The attack that day at Dancer’s did more damage than I’ve told any of them. Fuck, the pain is crippling at times. I started popping pills like candy to just function. That’s no longer cutting it, which is why I’m here—in a fucking medical supply closet, talking to Nurse Melissa Anne Allen. She’s getting me some stronger pain meds. I could get them through the pipeline at the club, but not without my brothers finding out. I don’t need fucking nursemaids.
So I found my own route. Nurse Allen here showed up at a couple of club parties and after giving her my cock a few times, she seemed eager enough to help me, as long as she gets to keep coming to the parties.
“Do you have the stuff? I ask sounding bone-deep tired and I am….in more ways than one.
“Sure do baby, I got all you need to make you feel so fucking good you will be flying.”
“Let me see it,” I growl, wanting to get the fuck away.
“No way, I want a ride on that stallion you got between your legs. Been thinking about it all day,” she says, already pulling the blue uniform shirt over her head.
“Jesus, ’Lissa, I just gave you my cock this morning. I’m here for my brother. His old lady is in bad shape. It’s not the time to be fucking you.”