He says, “He’s alive,” and holds Princess tightly to his chest. Though the tears have dried, the pain that shows in his features cuts me deep. Slowly, he walks out of the small room with his girl in his arms. His lower lip quivers just once before he rights himself. I turn and watch them leave. For a guy who doesn’t show much emotion, if any, he’s letting the club see him in a very vulnerable place. When he passes Grady, he stares him in the eyes and lets his lip shake one more time, then he keeps going. Jim places a hand on Trigger’s back and gives it a pat as he walks out. Jim fights to keep his expression neutral, but the daggers he’s shooting Grady are obvious as fuck. Jim’s the club president and all, but he’s a father first, and he’s never let his men forget that. The sorrow that shows on his face at seeing his only blood child carry the girl he’s begun to consider a daughter to safety is palatable.
In the corner, Ian has finally moved. He’s bent down placed his boot over Junior’s neck. He’s got that gold gun in his hand and is waving it in front of Junior’s face. I signal at Bear and Fish, who rush over and pull Ian off of him then grab a hold of Junior. He kicks and fights like hell, but Fish leans in and pops him across the face, which knocks him out. I grab Ian, who still stands motionless in that fucked up place as he stares down at his half brother.
“It’s okay,” I say quietly to him and give his arm a shake. With a pale face and wide eyes, he looks at me and shakes his head.
“He beat her,” he says in astonishment. I nod sadly. We all knew this shit was going to be tough for him. These may be his siblings, but he barely knows them. His entire life’s been fucked up since he was a kid because his mom hooked up with Mancuso. I wait until Bear and Fish get Junior’s limp body out of the room and close to the side door we came in before I let go of Ian’s arm.
“You need a minute?” I ask him. He nods and turns away from me. More than any of us guys, this is personal for Ian. Even more personal than it is for Trigger and Jim. Trigger told me once that Ian remembers Ruby being pregnant with the twins, and he remembers them being born. And as fucked as it is, he remembers the day Mancuso took them away, which is the same day he got that scar that runs from his ear to the corner of his eye. I wait in the middle room with my back to Ian to give him some privacy.
Screaming, he kicks and hits at the walls in the room. I can hear the chair cracking and a frustrated grunt. I peek back just a second to make sure he’s okay, and when I do I find him on the ground with his head in his hands. He’s taking deep breath after deep breath, willing himself to calm down. Another minute passes and he stands. I look back at the side door as he approaches. He clasps a hand over my shoulder and strides out in front of me.
I rush to catch up to the guys and slide into the back seat of Ruby’s Suburban. Trigger’s in the middle with Princess curled up in his lap. He’s whispering sweet things to her as I slide in. Her eyes are all fucked up, and she can’t see much of anything. “It’s just me, Princess,” I say and shut the door as quietly as I can.
Ian sits on Trigger’s other side and says, “It’s Ian. You’re safe.”
Jim’s already in the driver’s seat. He looks back in the mirror and winces at the sight before him. She’s seriously fucked up, that’s for sure. It’ll be a fucking miracle if she doesn’t have any internal bleeding.
“You’re okay, kid,” Jim says and clears his throat. He may be a dick of epic proportions at times, but there’s no doubt that he loves his family. Jim’s expression changes in the mirror, and he smiles just slightly with his eyes cast down. I look at Trigger and Princess to try to figure out what he’s seeing. Trigger’s got his pinky wrapped around Princess’s, and damn if it doesn’t feel good to see that.
“It’s just a scratch,” Princess mumbles. I can’t help but laugh, because if I don’t I might cry like a fucking bitch.
“Shit, you got balls, babe,” I say. Trigger turns to glare at me, and I just smile at him. As fucked in the head as he is, I think he’s going to be okay. He’s got the one thing I want that I don’t have—he’s tied to someone now. He can bullshit about it and say whatever he wants. Princess has balls all right, and now she’s got Trigger’s, too. For the first time in hours, I breathe a sigh of relief. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I pull up NIC in my contacts and start typing on the touch screen.
TKNG CARE OF CLUB SHIT. NEED 2 C U.
She doesn’t respond, but I don’t give up hope. I hold the phone in my hand and keep checking it for a message I might have missed. But no message, no phone call—absolutely nothing—comes in. I force myself to ignore the panic that creeps in and stare out the window as we pull down the long driveway to Jim and Ruby’s house, where Doctor James’s white Lexus sits parked by the garage.
Chapter 18
Nic
I stare at my phone, worried as all get out because he hasn’t responded in the last two days. I guess it’s payback for the bullshit I’ve been pulling the past few weeks—I just didn’t know what else to do.
U OK? I text to Duke, and, like an idiot, I wait with the phone in my hands, for a response that won’t come.