He nodded, taking the beer I offered him and placed it on the counter.
“I figured you wanted to talk about last night,” he started.
“Why would I want to talk about what went down last night?” I asked, narrowing my eyes in confusion.
“Dude, you snapped that guy’s neck,” he reminded me as he widened his eyes.
I shrugged my shoulders, taking another guzzle of the beer.
“One less motherfucker roaming the streets, one less man looking to kill us. He had to go. They all have to go. It shouldn’t matter how I killed him, whether it be a bullet or my hands, he’s dead. Job’s done.”
“The goal wasn’t to partake in a massacre on the docks.”
“There is no goal, Bones. Don’t you realize that? Jack’s big plan to intercept their shipment was a pussy move, so was Wu’s when he cut me loose, roughing me up with a haircut. It’s just prolonging death because that’s the only way this ends, one side dies.”
He studied me for a moment before he nodded in agreement.
“Is that why you asked me to come here?”
“No, but I’ll get to that.”
I placed my beer on the counter and braced the edge of it, collecting my thoughts before I whipped around and pinned him with a gaze.
“I’m going to kill Sun Wu,” I declared.
“What?”
“You just agreed that this won’t end until either our club goes up in smoke or theirs does. I’m making the choice and I chose them,” I hissed.
“You can’t do that Riggs, and you know that. Nothing goes down without a vote,” he scolded.
“I don’t give a fuck about democracy anymore. You weren’t there, you didn’t hear his threats, every time he promised me and mine would be first, all I could picture was Lauren’s face and the face of a kid I hadn’t even meet yet but dream about all the time.”
“You go after Wu on your own you might as well commit suicide,” Bones shouted.
“Feels like I did that already,” I muttered, glancing around the empty apartment. “Look, I’m not asking for your help, your permission or even your opinion. I asked you here for a favor,” I said, walking around the counter and opening a drawer and pulling out a check.
“Here’s a blank check,” I said, extending it over the counter to him. “I need you to go to the hospital and settle up Lauren’s medical bills. I wrote the account number on the memo of the check, it should be the same account as in the beginning but I haven’t received a bill since she moved out.”
“She still staying with Anthony?”
“No, he told me she moved in with her mother,” I said, watching as he folded the check and shoved it into his back pocket.
“You sure this is what you want?”
“I don’t want any of this but as long as Wu is out there, Lauren isn’t safe with me.”
“Let’s talk hypothetical’s and say this whole war ends, Wu gets what he has coming to him and we walk away the winners, then what?”
“Then I go get my Kitten and my Pea and beg her to let me be in their lives.” I said automatically.
“You love her.” He stated.
“Yeah, I do. Go figure,” I said, huskily. There was no point in denying it. I loved Lauren Bianci more than I ever imagined possible. I loved her for the woman she was, the crazy bat swinging girl next door who stormed into my life, turning it upside down as she gave me everything I never knew I wanted. When I first met her I kept telling her to take detours, to go with the flow and see where she wound up, not expecting she’d take me on my own detour.
Greatest fucking detour ever.
“I’ll make sure I go to the hospital first thing in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said, with a nod.
“No problem,” he said, turning around and heading toward the door. He paused mid stride, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Please, don’t do anything stupid. Don’t make me be the guy who tells her you’re dead. Just hang on and we’ll figure it out.”
He waited for my response but it never came. I’d make no promises other than the one I made to myself to protect my family.
Whatever it takes.
Whatever it costs.
Even if it’s my life for theirs.
It’s worth it.
They’re worth it.
I hurried down the corridor of the hospital where my OBGYN, Dr. Goodwin, was located. I was already late for my appointment and smacked into a hard wall of a person. I placed one protective hand over my belly as I lifted my eyes to apologize to my poor victim and to my surprise the poor bastard I body slammed, or bump slammed rather, was Bones.
“Lauren…are you all right?” He asked, his eyes instantly dropping to my belly before lifting to mine.
“I’m fine, sorry. I’m late for my appointment and I wasn’t paying attention. What are you doing in the gynecology wing of the hospital?”
Talk about a fish out of water.