Savage Kings MC Box Set 2
Page 43
Slapping his hand on my shoulder, he says, “Man, if Dalton can do it, anyone can.”
“Maybe so,” I agree since our brother was the biggest player on the planet until he met Peyton.
The roar of his motorcycle barely proceeds Abe as he whips into the backyard, having obviously sped all the way here. He’s off his bike a second later, throwing his arms around his brother before he even removes his helmet.
It was a close call, so I know he’s glad the kid wasn’t hurt.
“Who the fuck did this?” Abe roars when he releases Gabe. “Who the fuck tried to hurt my little brother? I’ll rip their fucking head off with my bare hands!”
“Chill, man. We don’t know yet,” Chase says when he goes over to calm his best friend down.
“Gather around!” Torin says. “This is a conversation that doesn’t need to be overheard.”
We all come together in a tight circle, like a football team huddling up. “I think it’s pretty obvious that we’re all thinking the same thing about who could be behind this shit today.”
“Russians,” Miles grumbles, causing me to release a pent-up sigh of relief.
The fucking Russians! Why didn’t I think of them? They have more motive to hurt us than an angry governor.
“We knew retaliation was a possibility since we couldn’t take all of them out without flying to the other side of the world,” Torin responds. “But honestly, I thought they would have to be insane to come after us with an attack of this magnitude. They’re trying to cripple us, hit us in our pockets.”
“I’ll kill every one of those Russian mobsters!” Abe declares. “How’s Cooper doing?”
“He seems stable enough to keep here. With Sax’s nurse, it’s safer than all of us crowding into a hospital,” Torin declares.
“Until we know exactly who did this, we can’t even go after them,” Reece says. “If it is the leftover Russians, they’re being careful, sending the one man in a hoodie to do the dirty work, which means our hands are fucking tied.”
“Goddammit,” Abe grumbles.
“I’ve talked to Ivan and he said he hasn’t had any problems, so it looks like we’re the sole focus, at least for now,” Torin informs us. “Hopefully we can get a handle on things and take them down before they do any more damage. Until we know more, no one leaves here alone.”
“What about the women?” Miles asks.
“Every Savage King in Myrtle Beach is going to be guarding them. We could bring in additional guys from Wilmington; but the more men we put on them, the more attention we draw.”
“MB has what, ten members?” Chase asks.
“Twelve patched and four prospects,” I tell him since I keep up with the stats on all charters.
“If sixteen armed men can’t keep our people safe, then we’re all fucked anyway,” Chase replies.
“Why can’t we be the ones down there protecting them?” Miles asks.
“Sure, Miles,” War says. “Why don’t we all drive right on down to the safehouse with a bullseye on each of our backs and lead these fuckers right to our old ladies and kids.”
“I don’t like Kira being away from me, especially when her belly’s getting bigger every day,” Miles huffs.
“Kira will be fine. The ladies will look after her, and she still has months to go, man,” Chase says. “None of us like having our women in another state, but we can’t be too careful.” Turning to me, he then asks, “How much do you trust this nurse of yours?”
“She’s the one in danger here since she was almost blown up at Gabe’s,” I point out defensively. “But since it’s only a matter of time before Reece does his digging and you find out anyway, Isobel has ties to the governor.”
Everyone goes silent, even the crickets.
“The currently elected North Carolina governor?” Maddox asks.
“Yes.”
“How close of ties are we talking?” Reece whispers.
“Ah, well, he’s her father,” I respond.
“Motherfucker.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
Various curses come from the mouths of every brother. “They’re not close. Far from it,” I assure them. “They’re basically estranged. We can trust her.”
When they continue to bitch and moan, I say, “Hey! At least she’s not a federal agent, a news reporter, or a fucking social worker!”
Dalton, Chase and War all glare daggers at me for calling out their significant others.
“Fuck,” Torin says as he scrubs his hands over his face. “You guys sure do know how to pick them.”
“Says the man who married the daughter of our enemy,” I throw back at him. “Look, we can trust Isobel, and it’ll be good to have her around to keep an eye on Cooper; right?”
Yes, that’s perfect actually. I can ask her to stick around to watch over Cooper until he recovers. It’ll be a great excuse for her to stay with me, and it’s in our boy’s best interest too.
“Fine,” Torin grits out. “But you have to take her phone from her and make sure she never speaks a word to anyone about what she sees or hears while she’s with us.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I tell him just as Eddie pulls up in his tow truck, hopefully with the supplies Isobel asked for.
Isobel
“How’s he doing?” Sax asks after I’ve finished cleaning and bandaging the last cut and am pulling the sheets over Cooper.
“He’s finally resting,” I tell him, thanks to the pain meds Eddie, the older gentleman, brought me. “None of the wounds are very deep, but they’re ugly and inflamed, so there’s still a risk of infection.” Standing up, I remove my latex gloves, then toss them into the trash can one of the guys brought into the room. Turning to Sax, I brace my hands on my hips to give him a rundown on future care. “Someone will need to change the dressing on all twelve of the lacerations and apply more antibiotic ointment to them twice a day, as well as monitor his temperature every few hours for a fever. Then, once he improves enough to travel, he’ll need to see a specialist about his loss of hearing.”
“I know just the person for the job,” Sax says with a grin. “She’s amazing and beautiful with a medical background.”
“Well, ah, good,” I say with only a hint of jealousy for the woman he thinks is amazing and beautiful. What do I care when I’m leaving today? “I can talk to her before I leave if you want.”
“I was referring to you, Isobel,” he replies, slipping his hands in the front of his jeans and looking too good to be true, sexy with just enough of the bad boy image thanks to the leather.
“Sorry, Sax, but you know I can’t stay.” I have to decline, despite how good he looks.
“Can’t you postpone your journey for just a few days?” he asks, giving me big, blue puppy dog eyes. “Please?”
“He’s going to be fine,” I assure him, glancing over at his sleeping friend.
“I’d feel so much better if you were here to make sure,” Sax says. “So would the other guys. And as soon as Gabe replaces his tattoo gun and supplies, he could give you that cherry blossom and butterfly you wanted, right here in the house.”
“I can’t, Sax,” I say on a sigh. “I’m scheduled to sing at a bar in Charlotte tomorrow, then catch a flight to the UK for the International Balloon Fiesta.”
“You can’t or won’t stay?” Sax asks. “I’m sure you could reschedule with the bar.”
“I don’t like going back on my word when I agree to do something,” I tell him.
“It’s not going back on your word, just postponing for a few days,” he says. “And I bet you haven’t even booked a flight for the UK yet, have you?”
“The event is only a week away, and I can’t miss it. Today was scary and reminded me just how short life is,” I declare, refusing to budge.
“So then you can stay for, what, five days and still make the flight in time?” Sax asks. “Sometimes being spontaneous is about breaking rules, rig
ht? Even your own.”
Sitting down slowly on the edge of the bed to avoid jostling Cooper, I sigh as I stare up at the sexiest man I’ve ever met. I need to move on, to put miles between me and Sax before I grow even more attached to him. But for whatever reason, I find myself caving. “My car has probably been towed by the bar by now. I need to get it so I can finally change my clothes.”
“Done,” Sax says, his face lighting up with equal parts relief and joy. Holding out his hand, palm up, he says, “Give me your keys, and I’ll go get it right now.”
“Right now?” I repeat.
“Yes. You can stay here to keep an eye on Cooper, and I’ll get the prospect to give me a ride down in the van.”
“Okay,” I say as I go grab my purse I hung on the closet door and pull out the keyring. “Thanks,” I tell Sax when I drop them in his outstretched hand.
“No, beautiful. Thank you for agreeing to stay,” he says before he turns to leave.
“Only for five days,” I remind him. “Less, if he’s up and around before then.”
“I know,” Sax says when he pauses to look at me over his shoulder. “No matter how long you’re here for, I’m going to enjoy every fucking second.”
He then turns and walks out of the room. Just the sound of the back door opening and closing makes my chest tight. I miss him already, and he hasn’t even left the property yet.
This is bad.
I’ve got it bad for Sax, and I just agreed to spend more time with him.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” I ask aloud to myself before I slump down on the foot of the bed again. “You need to get better fast, buddy,” I tell the sleeping man.
The truth is, if I left and something happened to Cooper, I would feel awful and blame myself for leaving him unattended. These stubborn men should have taken him to the hospital, but I understand their reluctance after being only a few feet away from one explosion. They’re jumpy, worried what else may be coming at them, with no idea who it is that’s hurting them.
And maybe part of me is staying close to the Savage Kings until they rule out my father’s involvement. I could never forgive myself if he’s the one responsible for nearly killing one of Sax’s friends.
About half an hour after Sax leaves, I’m placing my hand on Cooper’s forehead and chest again to check for warmth indicating a fever when I hear a man’s raised voice from the living room. The rest of the guys cleared out of the bedroom so that Cooper could rest, but they obviously didn’t go far.
“There’s some attorney at the clubhouse asking where Cooper is. Jade said she’s pretty worked up and is refusing to leave until she gets an answer,” a deep voice says to the others.
“Is she short and stacked? Blonde? Liz something or another?” another voice asks, and the first guy repeats that information back like he’s on the phone talking to someone.
“Yeah, she is. You know her?”
Curious, and bored since Cooper is still out cold, I slip down the hallway to listen in on their conversation.
“Yeah,” the guy with tattoos on his arms, head and neck says. “She’s cool. Her and Cooper are fuck buddies.”
“Any objections to giving her this address?” Red Beard asks the guys in the room with the phone up to his ear.
“Yes,” the grumpy man in charge who originally tried to keep me out of the house says. “Someone could follow her from the clubhouse to here.”
“If she’s a lawyer, then I think she’s smart enough to notice if she’s being followed or not,” Tattoo guy says. “And it might do Coop some good if she’s here, having a friendly face and all.”
“What’s her name again?” the guy on the phone asks. “Elizabeth Townsend? Then why the fuck does Coop keep asking about a Jenna?”
“Is she one of the new dancers?” the grumpy man asks.
“Oh fuck. Jade, did the firefighters find anyone else in the building?” the man on the phone questions. “It was too early for any of the dancers to be there, right?”
When his face goes pale around his reddish facial hair, it’s safe to guess he just got bad news.
“Jenna Higgins was found dead at Avalon,” he informs the group. “The medical examiner told Jade she had a broken neck and spine, and likely died instantly when a beam from the ceiling fell on her. That must be why Coop keeps asking for her.”
“Oh no,” I gasp as I cover my mouth. Only after all the men turn to look at me do I realize that I must have said that out loud. “Sorry.”
Ignoring me, the guy on the phone says, “So what’s it going to be, Torin?”
“Tell the attorney to park two streets over on the corner of Sea Trail Road and Bishop. I’ll meet her there on foot and walk her over here,” Torin, I now know is his name, says.
“Jesus, Cooper,” the blonde in a black pantsuit says when she freezes at the bedroom doorway. A second later, she’s by his side, brushing his wavy, chin-length hair back from his face, her eyes scanning over all of the various bandages. “Is he…is he in a lot of pain?” she asks me.
“I don’t think so. He’s just sleeping. I gave him some morphine to take the edge off and make him more comfortable so he could rest.”
“So he’s going to be okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I believe so. Most of the cuts are superficial. The biggest concern is his hearing.”
“His hearing?” she repeats, her face crumbling even more.
“It looks like both of his eardrums were ruptured in the explosion. He couldn’t seem to hear what we were saying to him and kept asking the same questions over and over.”
“Oh no,” she says as she sinks down to her knees next to the bed and clasps his hand in both of hers.
“The hearing loss could be temporary,” I tell her, and she nods silently. Her face is hidden by the curtain of her sleek, shoulder-length blonde hair, but I don’t have to see it to know that she’s crying.
“I’ll leave and give you some time alone,” I say, suddenly feeling like an intruder.
Since the house is pretty full, I grab my phone from my purse and slip out the back door to take a seat on the deck steps, eagerly waiting for Sax to return. Before I forget, I send a text to the bar owner in Charlotte to postpone, apologizing profusely.
I still can’t believe I agreed to stay for Sax, or that I’m glad to have a reason to hang around longer. For the first time since I started on this bucket list journey of mine, I was dreading leaving.
The door behind me eventually opens, and then the lawyer is coming out and slumping down on the step next to me. I think one of the guys said her name is Liz.
She doesn’t say a word, so I wait patiently until she’s ready to talk, if she decides to. Her occasional sniffles are heartbreaking.
“Do they know who did this?” she whispers.
“Not yet, I don’t think.”
“I hope they make them pay when they figure it out,” she murmurs. The mention of retaliation coming from such an elegant looking business woman is somewhat shocking. “Wow, I can’t believe I said that,” Liz immediately adds, slapping her palm over her mouth. “You must think I’m a horrible person. I guess I’ve just been sleeping with an outlaw for so long he’s rubbing off on me in all sorts of ways.”
“I’m sorry he was hurt,” I tell her.
“Me too, he’s a good man,” she agrees with a sigh. “And I wish I knew who Jenna was. After you left the room, Cooper sort of, um, moaned her name.”
“I overheard the guys say that she was one of the dancers at Avalon,” I inform her.
“Oh.” After several seconds she asks, “Do you think…I mean, it seems obvious that he was probably sleeping with her, right?”
“That I have no clue,” I say. “All I know is that she was in the building when it exploded. And she didn’t make it out.”
“Oh god,” Liz says on a gasp. “Now I feel like such a bitch for automatically disliking her.”
“So you and Cooper are…seeing each other?” I ask.
“Ah, no clue,” I say honestly. “Just because one possibility is that he was sleeping with her doesn’t mean he was. There are plenty of other reasons why she was with him.”
“Like what?” she asks.
“Um, well, maybe she was practicing her routine.”
The side-eye look Liz gives me is highly skeptical.
“Could it have been payday?” I ask. “Or maybe she left her phone there the night before and went to pick it up. Who knows? Don’t drive yourself crazy thinking the worst until you know for sure.”
“Thanks for talking me off the cliff,” Liz says with a pat to my forearm. “The messed up thing is that it doesn’t even matter if Cooper was sleeping with her or all of the girls. He could’ve died today, and I can’t imagine never seeing him again.”
“He’s going to have a tough recovery ahead of him, especially when he realizes his hearing has been compromised for however long and he finds out about Jenna,” I tell her. “I’m sure he would appreciate having you around to help him through it.”
“Thanks,” she says with a heavy sigh. “I just realized I don’t even know your name. I’m Elizabeth, by the way,” she says, offering me her palm that I take.
“I’m Isobel, Sax’s friend,” I reply. “And in another lifetime, I was a nurse. That’s what brought me here.”
“The Savage Kings didn’t want Cooper in a hospital where cops would want to ask him questions,” she says with a nod of understanding.
“That and they’re all vulnerable until they catch the person responsible. If someone wanted them all dead, it wouldn’t be hard to hit the hospital. I don’t think they’re just looking out for themselves.”
“Yeah,” Liz agrees. “That makes sense in a horrible way I guess.”