Riggs (The Kings of Retribution MC, Louisiana Chapter Book 1)

by Crystal Daniels

  Abandoning his brothers' body, Cain pounds his fist on the back window of the truck. I watch his mouth open, and he says something to Wick who is driving. Wick whips his head around and peers into the bed of the truck. His eyes go big as he sees Cain resume CPR on his best friend. The truck lurches forward as Wick punches harder on the gas. I don't know how much time has passed since Riggs has stopped breathing, but it feels like an eternity. Things are looking bleak, but I refuse to give up hope. Miracles happen every day, and we need God to work one tonight.

  A beacon of hope washes over me when we pass the entrance sign for the local hospital. Wick brings the truck to an abrupt stop in front of the emergency room. Our arrival alerts two nurses who are standing just outside the entrance. One nurse rushes up to the back of the truck while the other hauls ass back inside; hopefully for help. Jumping out of the bed of the truck, Cain lowers the tailgate. Moments later, the second nurse reappears with two doctors and a third nurse. None of them bat an eye at the situation, they fly directly into lifesaving mode as they gather Riggs' body from the back of the truck, sliding him onto a gurney. One doctor starts issuing orders while they swiftly roll him away from us. Wick quickly climbs out of the truck and joins Cain and me. The three of us watch helplessly as the team of doctors and nurses disappear through the emergency room doors with Riggs.

  We rush in behind them but don't make it past the front desk of the waiting room before we are stopped by the receptionist. The only words I make out as she holds up her hands, halting us in place is — "can't go back, sir."

  Cain goes toe-to-toe with the woman as they argue back and forth. Soon a security guard makes the mistake of placing his palm against Cain's chest urging him to step back. Cain's face turns red as he knocks the security guy's hand away and shoves him. That's when Wick steps in and places his arm between the two. Wick shakes his head at Cain, giving him a look. He then says something to his brother, causing him to glance back in my direction. Whatever he said seems to have done the trick, because Cain steps back. He turns away from the security guard, and receptionist then strides in my direction, stopping in front of me. Neither of us say anything. We don't need to. We are both thinking the same thing. What if he doesn't make it?

  Unable to hold back, I launch myself into his arms. My body shakes violently as I clutch the front of Cain's cut and sob. Cain holds me, seeking the same comfort. Every breath he takes is a shuttered one, and I know he's trying to contain his own emotion. Riggs is his twin — his flesh and blood. The bond they share is like no other. I can only imagine Cain is feeling a piece of his soul slipping away. I feel my whole heart shatter into a million pieces. Breaking away from him, I look around the waiting room to find Wick sitting in the corner with his head bowed and his hands threaded over the back of his head. Wick is Riggs' best friend and is hurting just as bad as Cain and me. I peer up at Cain, and he signs, "go."

  Squeezing his hand, I break away from Cain and make my way over to Wick. Kneeling on the floor in front of where he sits, I reach up and pull his hands into mine. He looks into my eyes with such pain, I do the only thing I know to do; I wrap my arms around him. Wick returns my embrace.

  Our moment is broken when there is a tap on my shoulder. I look back at Cain as he points out the window behind us. He signs. "Our brothers are here." Looking out the window, I watch as one bike after another pulls up and all the brothers come rushing into the emergency room. Kiwi is the first to spot us; he looks wild with fear and anger. Following close behind him are Fender and Everest. Even Neil arrives.

  I watch as an SUV pulls up with three other club members, and with them Riggs' grandad and Piper. Standing beside Piper is a beautiful tall African American woman whom I've never met. Releasing the woman's hand, Piper runs inside, straight into her dad's arms. When Abe ambles into the E.R. looking a little worse for wear, a nurse rushes up to him, concerned. Abe has a good bit of bruising and swelling on his face. He waves her off and joins the rest of us who have gathered in the far corner of the waiting room. I push through the crowd and come to a stop in front of him. "You should at least let one of the nurses look you over, Abe."

  He waves me off. "Tell me how my grandson is doing."

  I close my eyes and shake my head. I don't have the strength to tell Abe his grandson was not breathing, and had no heartbeat by the time we arrived. Cain is the one to deliver the news. "I had to administer CPR on the way here, Pop. We've been here fifteen minutes and are still waiting on word."

  The moment CPR leaves Cain's mouth, Abe pales, and he brings a shaky hand to his mouth. Just when Abe raises his hands to speak again, the doctor who aided us when we first arrived followed by a nurse walks into the waiting room. His steps falter briefly when he takes in the dozen or so bikers in front of him but recovers quickly as he makes his way toward us. The look on the doctor's face is not an encouraging one, and my stomach sinks. Don't tell me he's dead.

  "Are you the family of Abel LeBlanc?" the doctor asks, and Cain translates for me. I nod while everyone else speaks up. The doctor looks a bit taken back. "I can only speak to immediate family."

  "We are all his immediate family," Cain grinds out. He points to Abe. "This is our grandad." He points to me next. "This is his fiancé." Cain then motions to all the men standing in the room looking ready to crack skulls if they don't get some answers. "And these are his brothers. Now if you are done fuckin' around and wasting valuable time, can you tell me how my brother is doing?"

  The doctor swallows. "Very well. As you know, your brother came in with no heartbeat, and he was not breathing. His injuries caused by a single gunshot wound to his chest. For ten minutes, we administered CPR –" the doctor continues to explain. My knees go weak, and bile rises into my throat.

  Oh God. He didn't make it.

  Someone behind me grabs me around my waist to hold me up as the doctor continues. "Finally, our attempts were successful, and we were able to get a pulse. It's weak, but it's there, and for now, Mr. LeBlanc is alive."

  "Is he going to make it?" Cain asks.

  The doctor lets out a deep sigh. "I'm not going to lie. His chances of making it are slim. I'd say he has a twenty percent chance at this point. That's if he makes it through surgery." Twenty percent!

  "Surgery?" Abe questions.

  "The bullet is still lodged in Mr. LeBlanc's chest. The only way to remove it is through surgery. The surgeons will most likely have to open his chest to retrieve the bullet and attempt to repair the damage left behind. Mr. LeBlanc has already lost a lot of blood. Surgery is a risk, but it is his only chance at survival."

  I ask the next question. "Has he been taken to surgery? Can we speak to the surgeon? Does he need more blood? Perhaps one of us can donate."

  "Mr. LeBlanc will be receiving another transfusion during his surgery. If any of you would like to donate, that would be great. He has already gone upstairs and is being prepped as we speak. Time is crucial. If you like I can have a nurse take you all upstairs to the waiting room. I'll page the surgeon who will be operating on Mr. LeBlanc to see if he will have enough time to answer any questions you may have before he gets started."

  We all nod as the nurse standing next to the doctor gives us a warm smile and leads the way to the elevator. Because there are so many of us here for Riggs, we split up and take two elevators to the eighth floor. Unfortunately, the surgeon working on Riggs was unable to meet with us before his surgery. His case is so dire; there was no time to waste. Kiwi did, however, look up the surgeon operating on Riggs to find Dr. Muller is the best surgeon in the state of Louisiana. That little fact went a long way with easing my nerves. Riggs has a twenty percent chance at making it. Twenty percent is not good. But he is strong, healthy and he is a fighter.

  The energy in the waiting room is somber as we all sit around waiting on word from the surgeon. Earlier, a nurse came in and was kind enough to offer me a clean scrub top since she noticed the tank top I had on was covered in blood. Trying not to replay those events, I look acr
oss the room to Piper, who is sitting with her dad. She breaks away from him and rushes up to me. I waste no time opening my arms to her and let her cry into my neck. When her tears subside, she pulls her face away. I wipe the tears away with my thumb, tuck her hair behind her ear, and kiss the top of her head. She says two words to me. "Thank you."

  Cain walks up behind his daughter and regards me. "I need to thank you for saving my daughter; for getting her out of that house when you did. You risked your life to save hers. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

  I shake my head. "You don't. I care about Piper. I care about all of you. You all have become my family. I'd do anything for you all."

  Cain accepts my answer with a look of gratitude and pride. "Riggs is lucky to have found you, and we are damn lucky to have you as a part of our family."

  Three hours later, an exhausted-looking doctor steps into the waiting room. Everyone jumps to their feet while holding their breath. The doctor tugs the surgical cap from his head. He gives us a relieved look. "He pulled through."

  Wick, who is standing behind me, catches my fall as my knees buckle. He pulls me into his arms, and we hug the shit out of each other. The doctor waits patiently while we all have our moment of relief and gratitude before he speaks again. "I want you all to know Mr. LeBlanc is not completely out of the woods. He had major surgery. There is still a risk for many complications, including blood clots and infection. The first forty-eight hours will be his most critical. Mr. LeBlanc will remain in the ICU until those forty-eight hours have passed and he wakes up. We got the bullet out, repaired the damage it caused, and I am confident he will make a full recovery."

  "When can we see him?" Abe asks.

  "I'll allow two visitors at a time. You get fifteen minutes each. I'm sorry, but we don't allow overnight guests in ICU.

  Once the doctor has left, I insisted Abe and Cain go in first. Fifteen minutes later, it's mine and Wick's turn. I knew by the look on Abe's face when he returned from seeing his grandson it must be bad. I wasn't at all prepared to see the man I love laying on a hospital bed hooked up to machines with a tube sticking out of his mouth. His chest and abdomen have wires hooked up everywhere, and there is a bandage covering the incision down the middle of his chest. Riggs looks so pale. Careful not to touch anything, I lean over and place a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.

  When Wick and I make it back to the waiting room, most of the men are getting ready to leave. Cain turns to me. "Abe and the rest of the brothers are heading back to the clubhouse. I'm going to stay here. I'm not about to force you to go home because I already know what your answer will be. I will ask that you let Wick take your back to Riggs' place so you can clean up, and maybe get a bite to eat. My brother would kick my ass if he found out I didn't take care of you."

  I look down at my blood-stained shorts and scrub top. Cain is right. I should at least clean up and change my clothes. "Okay. I'll go with Wick as long as I can come back. I don't want to be away from Riggs." I look to Wick, and he nods agreeing to bring me back. I turn back to Cain. "We have a long night ahead of us. I have some leftover chicken fried steak and potato salad at home in the refrigerator. How about I warm that up and bring it back with me. Along with a thermos of fresh coffee?"

  "I think you had me at the chicken fried steak, sweetheart. And we are going to need a shit ton of coffee," he smiles.

  When Wick and I step outside the hospital, Everest is there waiting on us. He tosses Wick a set of keys then leads me to a black SUV. Wick opens the door for me, and I climb in. The ride to the apartment is a short one. Once we make it inside, Wick takes a seat at the kitchen table while I pull the leftover food from the refrigerator. Taking a plate down from the cabinet, I scoop a generous amount onto the plate, pop it in the microwave and heat it. Satisfied the food is hot enough, I take the offering along with a glass of sweet tea and place the plate on the table in front of Wick.

  Patting his shoulder, I give him a warm smile. I read his lips when he says, "thank you." Wick tucks into his food as I brew a pot of coffee and finish preparing the rest of the leftovers. Finished with one task, I move on to the next; shower and clean clothes. I step into the bedroom and into the closet where I snag a pair of jeans and a t-shirt off the hangers. I make my way into the bathroom. I'm not shocked to see the mess of a woman staring back at me when I peer into the mirror. Bloodshot eyes, a swollen cheek. Along with a visible lump on my head from smacking it on the coffee table.

  Not wanting to waste time, I strip out of my bloody clothes; ignoring the pain in my ribs and toss them in the trash bin. Turning the shower on, I don't wait for the water to heat before stepping inside under the spray, sucking in my breath the moment the cold water hits my skin.

  Finished with my shower, I dry off, pull my hair up into a messy bun, and get dressed. I step back into the kitchen to find Wick has devoured his meal. He smiles and pats his tummy. I also notice he has placed the lids back on the food containers and poured the coffee into the thermos. He grabs the bags of food off the counter, and I grab the coffee. It's then I remember I don't have my purse. I make a mental note to ask Cain about it.

  Wick and I arrive back at the hospital to find Cain sitting in one of the waiting room chairs with his head propped back against the wall, and his eyes closed. When I sit down beside him, his eyes pop open. "I thought you were sleeping. I wasn't going to bother you."

  "I was only resting my eyes. Besides, I could never sleep through the smell coming from that bag you're holding. I'm starving."

  The next morning I'm a bundle of nerves as I watch the clock on the wall. It's 7:43 am and visiting hours are not until 9:00 am. Just then a frazzled nurse bursts into the waiting room, bringing Cain and me to our feet. The first thought that comes to mind is something has happened to Riggs. It takes me a second to note the nurse looks more irritated than frazzled. "Mr. LeBlanc is awake. He's insisting on seeing Luna Novak. Now we don't normally allow visitors in before 9:00 am but, Mr. LeBlanc is threatening bodily harm if we don't comply. Although his vocabulary was much more colorful." Cain barely translates the last word before he doubles over his body shaking with laughter. I, too, am unable to hold back my giggle. When the noise escapes my mouth Cain rears back in shock. Few people have heard me laugh before. I'm finding myself more comfortable showing that part of me. Cain looks at me with brotherly affection.

  I follow the annoyed nurse down the hall and into the room Riggs is staying in. When I cross the threshold, his head slowly turns in my direction, and his blue eyes meet mine. When a sob escapes, I cover my mouth with my hand. He holds up his hand and says, "come."

  When I step up to his bedside, I take his hand in mine and press it against my face needing to feel the warmth of his flesh because the last time I touched Riggs, he was cold. The doctor steps into the room, followed by Cain, interrupting our reunion. Riggs gives him and his brother a pointed look.

  Cain has the nerve to grin. "Don't give us that look. The doctor comes bearing good news," Cain tells us.

  The doctor looks over the chart in his hand. "Your vitals look good this morning, Mr. LeBlanc. I was going to wait forty-eight hours before moving you to a regular room for the rest of your stay, but I think we'll make an exception just this once. That way you can have all the visitors you want."

  "How long will he have to stay in the hospital?" I ask the doctor, and Cain translates.

  "I'm going to say no more than seven days. How about we take it one day at a time. He will need someone taking care of him once he's discharged. Mr. LeBlanc will have limitations," the doctor finishes.

  "I'll be taking care of all his needs, doctor. I'll make sure he does as instructed." Cain translates for me.

  Six days later, I am helping Riggs change out of the hospital gown and into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. As he sits on the edge of the bed, I slip the shirt on over his head and wait for him to put his arms through. Once the shirt is on, he gives me a crooked grin. "You know, I can get dressed by myself
, Mon Tresor."

  "I know, but can you please let me take care of you?"

  Riggs' face softens with understanding. I almost lost him. Me helping him get better is like my therapy. I crouch down on the floor and begin lacing up his boots when Wick comes striding into the hospital room. "Hey, brother. There is a Detective Brooks here to see Luna."

  I wonder what she's doing here. Riggs assured me the club wouldn't face any blowback from what went down at his grandad's house with Rex. Riggs didn't offer any details, and I didn't ask for further information on how they handled things. Riggs gives Wick a nod, and Detective Brooks strides into the room. She pulls a notebook from her bag and holds it out to me. I shake my head and sign, knowing Riggs will translate. "Riggs will translate for us."

  Detective Brooks nods. "I don't normally travel to deliver such news, but I felt given your circumstances, it was warranted I speak to you in person. I wanted to tell you we have closed the case on Rex and his club Savage Outlaw. His body, along with several members of his club, was found just outside of Texas. A drug deal gone wrong. With only a few members of the club left and no leader, I have on good authority Savage Outlaw is no more." The detective looks at Riggs then back at me. I sense she knows that's not the truth but sticks to her story. "I also felt you had the right to know who compromised the first safe house and your location back in Montana."

  "Who?" I ask. I had always wondered how Rex found me both times.

  "Officer Conner."

  "Wait. Are you talking about the one who was at the hospital when Rex beat me? The one you found in my room? I knew that guy gave me the creeps for some reason. I couldn't explain it, though."

  "I'm sorry, Luna. I should have known something wasn't right when I found him in your hospital room. I reprimanded him for it because he was instructed not to enter unless there was a threat. He never gave us any more trouble after that. It turns out he was our leak."