BY THE TIME WE returned to the hotel we’d checked into earlier and parted company with Bo and Ronnie at the elevators, the lady doc looked a lot more than shell-shocked even though she braved a smile.
We’d spend the night here—let Bo take care of her—then peel out for Charleston in the morning.
The mood still hadn’t lightened much when the rest of the guys and I reconvened at the bar later. Hunter and Walker had patched up Coletrane, and he was a shade of pale I’d never seen before.
Almost funny, he looked ready to sick up from getting stitched up, considering he was a tattoo artist and covered in ink and piercings. But not funny enough to make a joke.
Shit had been real at Iron Nails.
Never been so glad to see the back of an MC before.
Assholes.
We downed a few drinks before heading to our rooms. I shared with Tail, only hoping he didn’t try to dutch oven me sometime during the night.
“You texting your girl?” He looked over from his bed after we’d each done whatever in the bathroom and bedded down.
I curled my palm around the phone, shooting off another message to Shy. “Yeah.”
“Send her a kiss from me.”
“Dude. I’m gonna send you a knee to the groin.” I removed a hand from the screen of my phone long enough to flip him the bird.
“Damn. This is good. Handsome finally tied down.” He chuckled, folding a pillow in half behind his head. “You snore?”
“Yeah. Like a freight train. You should probably sleep in the lobby.”
“So you can sext Shiloh in private? Hell no. I live to torture my brothers.” He reached over to turn off the light beside his bed, then roughly added, “That was some shit with the doc though, huh?”
I slid my phone off. “Yeah. First Ashe then JB and Rayce. Now Ronnie. Jesus. Our women seem to get caught in the middle of all the bad juju.”
“Well, you make sure to keep that sweet girl of yours safe, right?”
I blinked at Tail, but he’d rolled over. “Will do.”
“And remember I got your back, bro.”
“Double that.” Here I thought we were having a sentimental moment, but seconds later the fucker was already snoring.
****
Bo treated us to one last surprise the following morning. With his lady finally legally clean and free from her nightmare past, he decided to take her home to her family in Santa Fe. To visit her folks and siblings she hadn’t been able to contact for nine years.
We stood by the lobby doors, all the Retribution MC dudes, seeing the couple off for their flight.
Ronnie hugged and thanked each and every one of us. Bo stood beside her, doing the same with back slaps and fist bumps and gruff words.
And for a moment, as they got into the taxi, everything was all shiny happy people.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, the ringtone I’d set specifically for Shy.
I answered with a, “Hey, baby. What’s up?”
“I don’t want to alarm you.” She sounded a little bit breathless.
I cranked the phone in my fist. “Now you are alarming me.”
My immediate thought was Diablo had somehow gotten to her.
“I’m in the hospital.”
And that was ten fucking times worse. Because I was two states away, and I couldn’t get to her quickly enough.
Swallowing hard, I forced words out of my mouth. “Are you okay?”
“Who is it?” Tail narrowed his eyes at me.
I shook my head, turning my back. “What is it, Shy?”
“I have an infection from one of the prosthetics. Trust me, my oncologist is just being extra cautious.”
Oncologist. Of course.
I slammed my fist against the wall but kept my voice as calm as I could. “I’ll be there in a few hours. Tell me where you are and what room.”
Jesus. I didn’t even know her oncologist’s name, or if she had physical therapy, or when her next checkup was. From that point on I was gonna be glued to the woman’s side.
“Okay. You don’t have to come—”
I cut her off immediately. “Yeah. I do. I want to. I wish I was there right now.” My eyes squeezed shut. “I’m coming to you, Shy.”
Ending the call, I tried to take a deep breath. Air shuddered into my chest and skittered back out.
“What’s the deal, man?” Brodie asked.
I swiped my hands down my face. “Shy. She’s in the hospital.”
They all started in at once, their words coalescing into sound I couldn’t decipher.
Speaking through the questions, I lashed out. “She has bone cancer.” I rubbed my knuckles against my eyes. “Y’all don’t know, but she’s an amputee because of it. She’s got an infection.”
Brodie’s jaw clenched.
Boomer pulled his lips between his teeth.
Big badass Tail looked about to shed tears.
The rest of them swore quietly under their breath.
Tucker rolled up. “Damn sorry about that, son.”
“Fucking hell.”
“Our girl Shiloh going through that shit?”
I gave a watery laugh. “Correction. My girl Shy.”