Torn

by A. F. Crowell

  He pressed the call bell and a minute or so after the intercom crackled. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, can you please send her nurse in? She’s awake.”

  “Someone will be right in.” The voice was abrupt and cold.

  “Great, you’ve managed to piss off the nurses before,” I looked around him at the clock on the wall, “seven a.m. Geez.”

  “I did no such thing.” He feigned innocence.

  The petite, cute nurse came in and checked my vitals all while teasing Jaxon about how he gave the night nurses a hard time. They were joking so much they didn’t seem to notice that I was staring off into space thinking about everything that happened. My trance was broken by Barb’s loud mouth.

  “Yo, bitch. What the hell? I had to hear from Cole that you were attacked in your house?”

  “Sorry, I was knocked unconscious and had my face smashed through a mirror. Oh and I stabbed a guy in the neck. My mind was a little jumbled.” I was a smart-ass, but she had it coming.

  “All I’m sayin’ is you could’ve had someone call me. I would’ve come down here,” she softened and lowered her boisterous voice.

  “I did have someone tell you, but I told him to hold off until this morning because she needed to sleep,” Jaxon butted in.

  Barb rolled her eyes and huffed, essentially ignoring Jaxon. “Are you and the baby okay?”

  “We are, promise.”

  “So what happened?” she asked as she sat down in Jax’s chair.

  “I’m gonna run down and get a coffee and make some calls.” Jax couldn’t scramble out of the room fast enough. I didn’t blame him really. I wouldn’t want to have to hear the story again if I were him. I could barely bear the memories.

  “Can you please call Drew and check on Ruger? I know he said he was fine, but I just want to be sure.”

  “Of course.” He came back over to the bedside and kissed me. The kiss said what words couldn’t. Jaxon wasn’t a touchy-feely, mushy kind of guy. Sure, he was sweet and nurturing, but he wasn’t going to sit down and tell me how what happened made him feel. I was sure eventually he would ask me what was going on inside of my head, but his head was a locked vault of bottled-up emotions. And I had a feeling that box was going to explode soon. I just hoped it was aimed at the right person.

  Once Jaxon was out of earshot, I told Barb the whole, awful story. I watched her eyes practically pop out of her head when I got to the mirror smashing and returned her high five when I told her about the part where I launched myself at Drill and ran a pair of scissors through his neck.

  I just wish I knew the end of the story.

  Where was Drill now?

  Was he waiting for me?

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jaxon

  Watching her sleep all night, I kept thinking about the different ways I would exact revenge upon that fucker. I’ve never taken the law into my own hands, but for her I would. He was not getting away with this.

  My cell buzzed, pulling me from my torturous thoughts. Taking it from my pocket, I stood. “Gotta take this, I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.” She glanced over with a sweet smile. “Barb and I will be right here.”

  I knew what she was going to be telling her and it made me furious. I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that he got to her. “Drew, talk to me. How is Ruger? She’s freakin’ out about him.”

  “He’s good, I’ll bring him over once y’all get home later today.” I could hear dispatch on the other end of the call. “Listen, I called because we got an anonymous tip that your guy is on the move. He cleared out of his place off Dorchester. Place was ransacked when we finally got the warrant.”

  “Fuck,” I roared at the same time a poor unsuspecting doctor walked by. She jumped clear across the hall and used the chart in her hands to shield her face. “Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

  “What happened?” Drew asked.

  “Nothin’, just scared the shit out of some poor lady doctor walkin’ by. So what did the tip say? Location?” I questioned.

  “They said we should check his house and that he may be showing up at the clubhouse to grab some of his shit.” Drew paused. “Hang on a minute.”

  In the background I could hear him talking to dispatch, radioing in his location and that he was in route to the address of the clubhouse. I looked around and noticed that the nurses and doctors were all watching me.

  Drew came back on. “Sorry, I’m on my way to the clubhouse now, thought you’d wanna know.”

  “I gotta say, man, that’s a pretty shitty tip. It’s fuckin’ obvious he would clear his shit out and run for the fuckin’ hills. He’s not as stupid as y’all think. I seriously doubt he’ll even go to the clubhouse. At this point he probably knows all of the brothers are on to him and that they know about Leila.” I paced the white hall outside of Leila’s room.

  “Well, they’re rollin’ us out there, so I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  “If he’s there—” I started.

  “If he’s there, I’ll be the one transporting, so…yeah,” Drew chuckled quietly. His thoughts were probably as sinister as mine. Drew and Leila were tight. He always looked out for her and had taken care of her since their mother died a few years back.

  Drew’s a big guy, not as big as I was but only an inch or two shorter and probably twenty or thirty pounds lighter, but with his martial arts training he was not someone I’d fuck with.

  “Fuck, man, I wanna be there, but I can’t leave her right now.” I was torn about where I should be. Chances were Drill was not going to show up at the clubhouse. Then again, I never thought he would fucking show up at our house either. These days he was about as predictable as a rattlesnake.

  “Man, I get it, but you need to steer clear of this right now and take care of my little sister. I got this. Like you said, he probably isn’t even there. I’ll holler at ya later.”

  “Right, later, man.” I tapped the red circle, ended the call, and slipped the phone back into my pocket. I took a few deep breaths, stuffed down the rage then walked calmly back into Lei’s room.

  Leila and Barb were piled up in the hospital bed together watching NCIS. It didn’t matter that they have probably seen this episode five times, it was what they always watched.

  Chicks were so fucking weird.

  *****

  Brody

  “Jane, I’m heading to the hospital to see Leila before I go to work. I have a dinner meeting tonight, so you don’t need to worry about me.” Grabbing the keys off the counter, I set my coffee cup down.

  “Brody, there is something I wanted to run by you when you have some time to sit and talk.” Jane grabbed the mug, rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher.

  “How about tomorrow night we have dinner together and you can ask me about whatever it is?”

  “Sounds good, dear.” She went about cleaning up the kitchen. Knowing Jane, she wanted to talk to me about how much I was working again since Lei was no longer living with us. Last time she left I had to admit I went overboard and tried to drink my issues away. I thought the reason I tried so hard to bury them was because of the baby. The thought of someone else having power over my happiness scared the shit out of me.

  I was an idiot. And it cost me the woman I loved.

  Before long I was pulling off Route 17, heading back to the hospital parking valet who I swore started salivating every time I pulled up into the driveway. Tossing him the keys, I took the ticket and made my way inside.

  “Hi, can you please tell me what room Leila Matthews is in?” I asked the gray-haired gentleman at the information desk.

  “I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have a patient by that name.”

  What the fuck?

  “She was admitted last night, please check again.” I pulled out my phone and called her phone. “I’ll just call her, never mind.”

  “Yeah,” that prick Jaxon answered the phone.

  “May I speak with Leila?” I asked
dryly, not in the mood to deal with him.

  “Hang on,” he muttered back. “Lei, do you want to talk to Brody?”

  There were several voices in the background until it was quiet. “Hey, B.”

  “Leila, are you still in the hospital?”

  “Uhh, yeah, why?”

  “I’m at the information desk and they don’t have you listed as a patient. What room are you in?”

  “Jaxon, why am I not listed as a patient?” I couldn’t quite hear the answer but she was back on a few seconds later and directed me up to the fifth floor. Following the wall signs, I found her room, which was full of people. Barb, Jaxon, Drake, and that motorcycle guy with the long hair. I couldn’t remember his name.

  “Hey, Lei, how are you feeling?” I cut my eyes to Jaxon.

  She tried to stifle a yawn. “Good, just tired and ready to go home.”

  “I’m going to run and check on your discharge. I’ll be back.” Drake patted her leg then smiled as he left the room.

  “Cole.” Barb crossed the room, grabbed his arm, and started pulling him toward the door. “Take me to get a coffee.”

  “Barb, I’m in the middle of a conversation.” Attempting to shrug out of her grip, he took the hint when she dug her nails into his massive bicep. “Fuck, all right. Take your talons out of my arm. Damn, woman.”

  Leila turned her attention to the asshole that put her in the situation then didn’t protect her. Grinning at him, she asked, “Jaxon, can you please call Drew and let him know we will be home in a little while and ask him if could bring Ruger over?”

  Jaxon looked back and forth between Leila and me. “I think Drew’s busy, but yeah I’ll try.” Leaning down, he kissed her just to rub it in. I was no longer smiling, now my blood was next to boiling. It took all of my self-control not to jump over the bed and beat the shit out of him. His eyes never left mine as he strutted from the room.

  “Now that it’s just us, what’s up, B? You have that look on your face.” She knew me so well and could read me like one of the smutty books she loved so much.

  “Listen, I know we didn’t get a chance to talk last night but I want you to come back and stay with me.” She scoffed. “And before you say no, just hear me out. Come stay with Jane and me until this guy is found. You’ll be safer at my place. I will have security in place. He won’t get to you again.”

  “B…I really appreciate the offer, but I’m going to stay in my home. He doesn’t get to run me out of my own house. Jaxon is going to have someone watching the house at all times and he will be with me until Drill is found.” Her voice was soft and demure, as she looked down and picked at her cuticles.

  “I just don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby and yesterday…” I sighed and sat on the bed next to her. “Yesterday could have ended very differently and I thank God it didn’t but it made me think.”

  “I know how lucky I was, Brody, and so does Jax. I’m fine,” she lied.

  Whether she knew she was lying was the question. “Who are you trying to kid here, Leila? Me or yourself? You are so far from fine it is ridiculous.” Reaching up, I took her hand in mine. “It’s okay to say you’re not fine. When I think about what could have happened… You have every right to feel scared.”

  She pulled her hand away and looked me dead in my eyes. “Brody. I. Am. Okay. I’m not some fragile little flower that needs to fall to pieces and have someone else fix me. I am really fine. Yeah, it was scary and I was terrified for myself and our daughter, but she’s right here.”

  Placing my hand on her stomach, I asked, “Please talk to someone.”

  “Talk to someone about what?” Jaxon asked from the doorway.

  “Nothing, Brody was just leaving. He has to get to work.” She looked from him to me silently pleading. I decided to drop it for the time being.

  “Right, I’ll check in with you later. Don’t let her out of your sight,” I warned biker boy.

  “I got this.” His arrogance was going to catch up with him soon enough.

  “Yeah, her face really looks like you have the situation under control,” I spat back at him.

  “Brody,” Leila warned. “It’s not his fault. That was totally uncalled for.”

  “No, Lei, he’s right. It is my fault, but I won’t ever let that happen again.”

  “See that it doesn’t.”

  “God, Brody, you just can’t leave well enough alone. Bye.” She was good and angry now.

  “I’m sorry I upset you. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll go. Call me when you get home later.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Leila

  Jax brought me home yesterday and the house smelled of chemicals. He had a crime scene cleanup crew come out to get rid of the aftermath of my attack. Even though the blood was gone, I could still see it pooled at my feet when I stood in the bathroom.

  “I’ll order a new mirror tomorrow and have it shipped.” He rubbed my back while I stared at the empty wall where just twenty-four hours before my face had taken the brunt of Drill’s anger.

  Smiling weakly, I nodded and quickly left the bathroom. All of the hair on my entire body stood on end when I was in that room. Walking into the closet, I looked for evidence that was no longer there. All of the clothes were back up on the hangers and neatly arranged on the hanging rods. The panic room door was yet again concealed, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from that corner of the closet.

  “Hey, why don’t we go get some dinner?”

  “Yeah, okay,” I nodded, agreeing with a halfhearted smile.

  “It will get easier, babe.” He grabbed my wrist, pulled me into his strong chest, and wrapped his arms around me. Allowing him to hold me for a second, I pulled away, intent on pulling myself together.

  “I’m fine, Jax. Let’s go get some dinner. How about we grill? I would love a big, juicy burger.” My eyes lit up at the thought.

  “Yeah, I can grill, but I was talkin’ about taking you out, so you didn’t have to cook.”

  Turning, I started out the bedroom and down the stairs. “Nah, I wanna stay home.”

  I was determined to not let Drill win. That bastard would not run me out of my own home. Jaxon built this house for us; he had spent so much time, energy, and money on making this house a home. We’d had some good times here already, and I was looking forward to raising our family here.

  “All right, I’ll go light the grill.” He followed behind me.

  I made it as far as the kitchen when he caught up with me and snaked his large, sturdy arms around me from behind. “You sure you don’t wanna go out? Or maybe order in?”

  Turning around, I captured his scruffy cheeks in my hands. “I love you, but stop hovering, otherwise I will smother you in my boobs.”

  “Me smother you? Pot meet kettle.”

  “What?” I knew what he was referring to but playing stupid.

  “Don’t ‘what’ me, babe. You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about. Jesus, woman, I couldn’t sneeze without you runnin’ over and makin’ sure I didn’t have a fever or some shit.” Jaxon walked away from me toward the back door to the patio.

  “Okay, maybe I was a little over-nurturing.” I rolled my eyes with a smirk. Yeah, I was an overbearing pain in the ass and I knew it, but for crying out loud, I almost lost him. I was entitled to be a bossy nursemaid.

  He stopped dead in his tracks, quarter turned, and cocked his head with this stupid I’m-calling-your-bullshit look. “A little?”

  “I wasn’t that bad, Jaxon.” Walking into our granite and stainless steel kitchen, I opened the refrigerator to get out the ground beef.

  “Okay, babe, you keep tellin’ yourself that. I’m gonna go light the grill,” he said over his shoulder as he pushed through the back door with a chuckle.

  An unexpected knock at the front door caused me to jump and drop the hamburger meat and two eggs. “Damn it,” I huffed as I squatted to grab the meat, setting it on the counter.

  Peeking out of the kitchen, I looked
down the wide hallway to the front door. Jaxon had picked a beautiful wood door with glass and scrolling wrought iron to welcome our visitors. On the other side of the glass stood my loving brother. I took a deep breath and felt the anxiety dance away as I waddled down the hall and opened the door.

  “Drew, you don’t have to knock.” I could see Ruger running around the front yard peeing on as much of the front fence as possible. He was gone less than a day. How many dogs could have really taken his spot? Crazy dog.

  “Well, I thought after yesterday you might feel better if I knocked.” He grabbed me and yanked me to his wide chest. He towered over me by almost a foot. “How are you holding up?”

  Pulling back, I whistled for Ruger then said, “I’m good. Better now that you’re here.” I squatted down and talked to the slobbering German shepherd like he was a three-year-old. “Did you miss Mommy? I missed you.”

  “Drew, what’s up, man?” Jax called from the back of the house.

  “Just wanted to stop by and drop Ruger off and check on Lei.” Drew helped me stand up then closed the front door.

  “Well, I’m good. Hey, we were just grillin’ burgers. Stay. Eat dinner with us.”

  “Nah, sis, I should head out.”

  “Come on, please.” I stuck out my bottom lip.

  “Fine, if you insist. Who am I to turn down a home-cooked meal by my baby sister?” He draped his arm over my shoulders and walked with me back to the kitchen, where I had forgotten about the broken eggs.

  “Ruger. Nein. Gross dog, don’t eat the raw eggs. Ugh.” I rushed over, pushing him away from what was left of the raw egg that was congealing in a puddle on the floor.

  “Babe, why are there eggs on the floor?” Jax asked with a perplexed look on his face as he grabbed the paper towels and started cleaning up my mess.

  “Uh,” I mumbled, not wanting to tell him the real reason. “They must have rolled off the counter.”

  Drew chimed in while staring at me. I was just waiting for him to loud me out. He knew me better than anyone and, like a dog, could smell fear. “Hey, Lei, how about you go sit and relax. Jax and I can make dinner.”