by Wilder, L.
As enforcer, I’d taken out more men than I could count. Having no idea which particular guy he was talking about, I said, “Gonna have to give me more than that.”
“You know...the one who roughed up Candy and stole her stash?”
“Don’t see how this chick could have any connection to that asshole.” I glanced down at her as I added, “And even if she did, why would they toss her here like this?”
That thought had Menace looking up to the roof at the security cameras monitoring the alley. “We’ll need to go through the security feed and see what we can find out.”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s good and all, but that doesn’t matter right now.” Becoming more nervous by the minute, Diego announced, “We gotta take her to the hospital or something. Look at her. She’s bleeding all over the place.”
“No hospital. Too many fucking questions. We’re taking her to the clubhouse so Doc can check her out.”
“You sure about that?” Menace asked.
“Absolutely. Only way to make sure the cops don’t come snooping around.” I could tell that neither of them were happy with my decision, but I didn’t have a choice. There was too much on the line. Besides, I trusted Doc and knew if anyone could fix her up, it would be him. I looked over to Diego. “Need you to keep your mouth shut about this. Got it?
“Yes, sir. I won’t say nothing.”
“Good.” Diego was a good kid. His mom was laid up and unable to get a decent job, so he worked at the club to help support his family. No way he’d jeopardize a stable income by running his chops. I turned to Menace. “You on your bike?”
“Nah, I brought the truck tonight.”
“Good. We’re gonna need it to take her to the clubhouse.”
“I’ll go pull it around.”
While he went to get his truck, Diego and I checked the dumpster, clearing out any bags of garbage that might have blood on them. As soon as Menace brought his truck around, we started to load her into the back seat. That’s when I saw it—the odd-shaped silver pendant that hung around her neck. I had met her before. She was the chick who’d come to the strip club with her friend. Fuck. This girl had made quite an impression on me that night. Hell, I couldn’t count the number of times she’d crossed my mind over the past few months, and seeing her like this gutted me. I knew I had to do something to help her. Once I made sure she was secured in the back seat, I rushed around to the passenger side and got in.
The second I closed the door, Menace whipped out of the alley and started towards the clubhouse. We hadn’t gotten far when I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure she was still breathing. The sight of her beat to hell with blood covering her clothes brought a knot to my stomach. There’d only been one other time I’d seen a woman look so close to death—Lindsey, the girl I once loved more than anything in the world. That thought had me even more eager to get to the clubhouse.
Menace had called ahead to let Viper and Hawk know what had gone down, and that we were on our way to the clubhouse. When we pulled up, they were waiting for us at the back door. As soon as we got her out of the SUV, they helped us get her down to our makeshift infirmary. As I laid her down on the stretcher, Viper sighed and shook his head, making it clear he wasn’t pleased. I couldn’t blame him. We didn’t know a fucking thing about the girl, and that could come back to bite us in the ass. I could’ve saved us all the hassle by dumping her somewhere and making sure there was nothing that traced her back to us, but in my gut, I knew bringing her here was the right thing to do. We all stepped back and gave Doc some room to check her out.
She was unconscious and barely breathing when he cut away her blood soaked top and pants. He grimaced with disgust as he checked the knife wounds on her chest and abdomen. After several minutes, he finally said, “Damn, somebody did a real fucking number on her.”
“How bad is it?” Hawk asked.
“Honestly, I can’t believe she’s still alive.” Doc’s face was marked with concern as he continued, “She’s lost a lot of blood. Got multiple stab wounds, a few cracked ribs. Maybe one that’s broken, a possible concussion, and bruises and contusions all over. She’s a damn mess.”
I looked down at her broken and battered body and was hit with an unwanted memory of Lindsey. While this woman’s wounds were different, she looked just as lifeless and out of reach as Lindsey had been the night of her accident. I hadn’t been able to do anything to save her and feared the same would hold true tonight. Worried that she might be too far gone, I asked Doc, “Do you think you can fix her up?”
“I can try, but I’m not making any promises.”
“Not expecting miracles. Just do what you can.” Doc wasted no time getting to work. Seeing he had his hands full, Viper started walking towards the door, motioning his head for us to follow. On our way out, he called back to Doc. “Let us know if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
As soon as we stepped out of the room, Viper started in. “You got any idea how much blowback we could get from you bringing this girl here?”
“Didn’t have much choice in the matter.”
“There’s always a fucking choice, Shotgun.”
“I’ve done some fucked up shit, brother, but I’m not the kind of man who can just let a girl die for the fuck of it,” I answered, sounding harsher than I’d intended. “Maybe I was wrong to bring her here, but if Doc can help her, then maybe she can tell us who did this shit to her and why they decided to toss her in our strip club’s dumpster. For all we know, that shit was done on purpose, and if that’s the case, we need to know who’s behind all this.”
“He’s got a point,” Hawk replied. “Everyone around here knows we run Stilettos, so there’s a good fucking chance that—”
“Enough. I got it,” Viper interrupted. “Just know if this comes back on us, I’m holding you two responsible.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth, Menace’s burner started to ring. He quickly answered and said, “Whatcha need, Diego?”
Menace’s eyes widened as he listened to Diego on the other end of the line. After several moments, he said, “Let them look around outside, but tell them it’s after hours, and if they wanna come inside, they need to have a warrant.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Just do what you can to stall them. I’ll be there in ten.”
When he hung up, Viper asked, “What the fuck was that?”
“Two patrol cops just showed up at Stilettos. An anonymous call said they saw some guys toss a body into our dumpster.”
Without any further explanation, Menace bolted towards the front door with Viper, Hawk, and me following close behind. Viper and Hawk got on their bikes. Since I’d left mine at the strip club, I rode back over with Menace. When we pulled up, there was a cop car parked out front with its lights on, but no one was in sight. We parked and immediately headed around back. As soon as we turned the corner, Diego was talking to two officers. They were both in uniform and had their flashlights out surveying the dark alley. If Diego’s expression was any indication, he was completely freaked out and struggling to keep it together. He quickly stepped away from the cops and rushed over to us. “They’ve already checked the dumpsters and stuff, but thankfully, they didn’t find nothing.”
“Then, what the fuck are they still doing here?” Wasting no time, Viper walked past Diego and over to the two officers. “How’s it going, boys?”
“It’s going,” one of the answered.
“What brings you out tonight?” Viper stopped as he got closer, and a mix of surprise and relief crossed his face while studying one of the officers. “Tate? Little Tate Morgan? I’ll be damned. Is that really you?”
“Yes, sir. It is.” Morgan reached out and shook Viper’s hand. “It’s been a long time.”
“I’ll say. Last time I saw you, you were just about to start high school.”
“That was about ten years ago, sir.”
“Damn. Where has the time gone?” Viper chuckled. “How’s your dad been maki
ng it?”
“You know Pop. He’s always into something.” Morgan shook his head and smiled. “Driving Mom nuts with all his projects around the house.”
“Sounds about right.” Viper took a quick glance around the alley. “You find what you were looking for?”
“No, sir. Didn’t find anything suspicious, so I’d say the anonymous caller had it wrong.”
“What exactly did they say?”
“Just that they saw someone dump a body in one of your dumpsters, and that we needed to come check it out.” Morgan shook his head. “Probably some asshole trying to cause y’all some trouble, but I don’t see any reason to waste any more of your time or mine. We’ll get out of your hair and let you get back to your night.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“It was good to see you, Viper. You should stop by and see Pop sometime. I know he’d enjoy seeing ya.”
“I’ll do that.”
We all followed them back around front and waited as they got back in their patrol car. Before Morgan closed his door, he said, “You guys have a good rest of the night, and just give me a call if you come across anything we should know about.”
“Will do.”
Once the cops pulled out of the parking lot, Viper looked over to us and said, “Something isn’t adding up.”
“I can’t disagree with you there.” Hawk ran his hand over his face with a grumble. “Somebody dumped the girl here for a fucking reason, and we gotta find out what it is.”
Viper let out a deep breath. “I’m gonna need you to check out the surveillance footage from tonight and see if you can find out anything.”
“You got it, Prez. I’ll get right on it.”
Viper turned his attention to me. “I want you with the girl. As soon as she comes around, I want her talking. I need to know anything and everything she can tell us about what went down tonight.”
“Understood,” I answered with no complaint.
Even though I was the enforcer and not a fucking babysitter, there was something about this girl that had me wanting to keep an eye on her. So much so, I was already itching to get back. As Viper started walking over to his bike, he called out to Menace, “Let me know if you find anything.”
“You know I will.”
Hawk and I got on our Harleys and followed Viper back to the clubhouse. I didn’t want to look too eager, but I couldn’t help myself from speeding ahead of the others. I wanted to get back and see how the girl was doing. She was in pretty bad shape when we left her with Doc, and there was a good chance she wouldn’t pull through. While death was something I’d become accustomed to, the thought of this chick dying didn’t sit too well with me. Actually, a lot about this whole situation didn’t sit well with me, but there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it.
As soon as Viper and I got back to the clubhouse, I headed straight for the infirmary. I walked in and my stomach twisted into a knot when I caught sight of the girl sprawled out on the gurney. Her clothes had been removed, revealing the horrific state of her battered body. Deep bruises covered her torso and face, her eyes were swollen shut, and she was lying perfectly still as Doc finished stitching up one of her larger wounds.
The sight shouldn’t have fazed me. I’d mangled plenty of men over the years, but seeing her like this brought bile up to the back of my throat. In just a blink, I was thrown back in time with images of Lindsey at the scene of the accident.
Blue and red lights were flashing, cops and medics were rushing around like madmen, but Lindsey lay perfectly still—she was bleeding, her face almost unrecognizable, and her clothes were tattered and soaked in blood. The medics raced from one area to the next, doing what they could to save Lindsey and her friends, but one was already gone with another barely holding on. I stood there helplessly, watching as they zipped up the body bag, concealing her friend’s mangled body.
Sensing that my mind was somewhere else, Doc gave me a gentle nudge as he asked, “You all right over there?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure? ’Cause considering everything, I’d understand if you weren’t.”
Doc was one of the few people who knew the whole story about my past. While it wasn’t a topic either of us discussed, it meant something that he was looking out for me. Trying my best to collect myself, I let out a deep breath and stepped over to the gurney. “I’m sure, but what about her? How’s she doing?”
“Been touch and go, but she was lucky.” He finished the last stitch, then started applying a bandage. “The guy who stabbed her either had no clue what he was doing or was a pro ’cause the internal damage was minimal.”
“I take it she hasn’t said anything?”
“No. She’s been out since y’all brought her in.” Doc looked over to me. “I’m sure Viper is eager to get her talking, but it’s gonna take some time. Poor kid’s been through a lot.”
“So, how long are we talking about here?”
“That’s up to her, brother.” Doc took a sheet and covered her. “The fact that she’s made it this long shows she’s got some fight in her. She’s gotta hold on to that, and maybe...just maybe, she’ll make it through this.”
“Damn.” This girl had me all kinds of fucked up. The memories I’d worked so hard to push to the back of my mind had risen to the surface and were gnawing at me, pulling me back into the darkness. It was a feeling that had me wanting to shut down and forget this shit ever happened, but I didn’t have that luxury—not when I had no idea who the girl was, and I had no doubt that Viper would feel the same. “Viper’s gonna come unglued.”
“It is what it is.” Doc shrugged. “I’ve done what I can. Now it’s just a matter of waiting. I’m gonna go get some shut eye, but I’ll check on her in a couple of hours.”
“I’ll stay here with her just in case she decides to wake up.”
“Don’t think that’s gonna happen—at least not for a while.” He checked her stats once more. “I’ve given her some pretty heavy sedatives and pain meds. I figure she’ll be out for a while.”
“I’m still staying.”
“Suit yourself.” He motioned his hand behind me. “There’s an extra cot around back and some blankets.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
I nodded, then watched as Doc left the room, leaving me alone with our broken stranger. I stood over her, and I could once again feel the darkness inside of me brewing in the pit of my stomach. As I stood there, I studied the marks on her body. Fuck. Every goddamn inch of her had some kind of a bruise or scratch. I couldn’t be sure, but I got the feeling that it wasn’t just one guy who’d fucked her over. It was several. Just thinking about what they’d done to her made me want to hunt the assholes down and kill them with my bare fucking hands. I knew I needed to get a fucking grip. I didn’t know shit about her. For all I knew, she could’ve had this shit coming to her, but the mere fact they all jumped her at once showed what fucking pussies they were.
Thinking she might get cold with just a sheet covering her, I walked around and grabbed a couple of blankets out of a closet. After I’d gently tossed one of them on her, I moved a chair over and sat down next to the bed. I could’ve gone back to my room and gotten some actual fucking sleep, but I couldn’t make myself leave her. It had always eaten at me that I wasn’t there when my folks were pulled into that water, that they’d both died alone, and I didn’t want the same for her. If she happened to pass, I’d be there watching over her. Besides, questions needed to be answered and I’d rather be close by in case she woke up. I turned out the light and did my best to get comfortable enough to sleep. I hadn’t even realized I’d dozed off until I heard the muffled sounds of her cries. “No. Stop. Please.”
When I opened my eyes, I found her thrashing from side to side and mumbling incoherent pleas for help. I quickly stood and cautiously ran my hand over the top of her head as I whispered, “Easy. You’re okay. No one’s gonna hurt you here
. You’re safe.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the tension in her body quickly faded, and she drifted back to sleep. I had no idea if she knew I was there, but I continued to stand close to her until I was certain the bad dream wasn’t coming back. I didn’t know what the fuck had gotten into me. I didn’t do this kind of shit, especially with a complete stranger, but I felt protective over her—like it was my responsibility to make sure she was okay. I knew I was being crazy. The chick didn’t even know I was in the fucking room, but I wanted to be there nonetheless. I was just about to sit back down when Country, one of my brothers, came charging into the infirmary. “Holy hellfire and brimstone! What the fuck happened to her?”
“She got the crap beat out of her. That’s what.” I stepped away from the bed and quietly asked, “Whatcha need, Country?”
“Menace sent me down here to get ya. He wants you to meet him down in Viper’s office.” Country’s focus was on the girl and he didn’t take his eyes off her when he added, “Said he found something you’d wanna see.”
“All right. Is he already there?”
“Yep. He’s waiting for ya.” Country shook his head. “Damn. Whoever did that to her should have their ass kicked from here till next Sunday.”
“Working on it.” I started towards the door and told him, “Stay with her until Doc comes back.”
“You got it.”
I was eager to see what Menace had been able to find from the surveillance footage, so I headed straight to Viper’s office. The second I walked in and saw the expression on Menace’s face, I knew I wasn’t gonna like what he had to say. My hands quickly drew into fists so tight it made my knuckles turn white, and with my back rigid as a two-by-four, I stood in front of Viper’s desk and waited for Menace to start talking. Sensing I was on edge, Viper’s eyes wandered to the empty chair, expecting me to take his unsaid directive. Once I was seated, Menace opened his laptop and started playing the security footage from the night before.
I watched as a car with no tags or distinguishing markings backed into the alley. I leaned forward to get a better view when two assholes stepped out of the car. It was dark, but I could still see them open the trunk and reach inside for the girl. She looked utterly lifeless with her head and arms swaying from side to side as they walked her over to the dumpster and tossed her inside. As a final blow, one of the dickheads actually spit on her before they both headed back to their car and got inside. Feeling the rage building inside, I sat there staring at the screen as they quickly backed out of the alley and disappeared into traffic. They didn’t know it yet, but they’d just made the biggest fucking mistake of their lives.