Serving the Bad Boy: War Hawks MC

by Carmen Faye

  “Tarek, where are you?!” Catarina hollered.

  We both yelled as the world seemed to be erupting around us. The air was filled with smoke, dust, and screams. Everything and everyone was a blur.

  “Tarek! Tarek!” I continued to scream.

  “Move in!” a male voice boomed over the cacophony.

  All at once, about a third of the men who had accompanied Catarina and I made their way through the gates and the stragglers who were making their way out of the property. They divided again into small groups approaching different entry points of the building.

  It seemed that a few people had been trapped under debris or gotten lost leaving the facility but within moments the various bikers and security staff that had entered the building were exiting it again, aiding those who had not made it out on their own. A member of security then re-emerged from the front door.

  “We have found Mr. Poole,” he said, but the excitement I felt was deflated quickly. “He was nearly at the door when a large section of ceiling fell in on him. He is unresponsive, and we need a stretcher. Get a med unit over here!”

  Catarina and I began to run toward them, but we were each stopped quickly. A member of the security detail caught her in his arms. The tall biker guard from the Underground managed to get a hold of me.

  “It’s not safe to go running into this kind of mess,” he said, tightening his grip as I continued trying to push past him. “Ms., I’m not trying to stop you. They will be taking him straight to one of these ambulances. Let’s just meet him there so you can ride with him. Tarek would be pretty pissed for you to go through all this to see that he’s safe only to hurt yourself in the process.”

  He was right. One wrong step or fall in this ruckus and I could be trampled. I stopped resisting, and the large man took my hand. He kept me tucked under his arm tightly as he guided us through the cars, motorcycles, and people. He kept an eye on Tarek being carried on a stretcher back to the vehicles. As promised, we met him at an ambulance, and I was immediately ushered in to ride with him.

  A medic that had been waiting in the ambulance began assessing his vitals and attaching things to him. The one who helped me into the vehicle closed the doors behind me, and I heard the engine crank a moment later.

  “Tarek,” I said, breathless and excited. “I can’t believe we’ve found you. You’re safe now.”

  Tarek couldn’t share my excitement. He was unconscious and badly injured. I wasn’t sure if he was alive at all.

  “Is he breathing?” I asked as the vehicle started to move.

  Over the sirens and horn of the driver trying to clear a path, I couldn’t hear the medic’s response.

  ***

  Tarek

  “Is he alive?” Annie’s voice asked. “Tarek, can you hear me?”

  She seemed to be yelling, but her voice still sounded so far away. I felt groggy; too tired to respond.

  “He’s breathing, but he has several broken ribs,” another, unfamiliar voice said. “There may be fluid in his lungs if they have been punctured, either way, it would be difficult and very painful for him to talk.”

  This voice sounded a little closer. It was calm and focused. Female, but not someone I recognized.

  “I’d feel better if he would just open his eyes,” Annie said, “even for a second.”

  I was able to hear them both more and more clearly as I tried to focus and concentrate. Annie sounded shaken and worried. I wanted to do as she asked, but I felt weak. I felt like my mind and body had stopped communicating.

  “Tarek.” Annie’s voice was very close, soft and low. “Tarek, please, don’t die. I want to get to know you better. I feel like we got so close, and I panicked. I ran away. While we have been apart, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you better still.”

  I heard her pause and take a deep breath. I felt like she was close enough that I could smell her.

  Her voice continued to talk to me still, “I was wrong about your brother, and I was wrong about your life. I was wrong about so many things, and I was afraid. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid of anything but losing you.”

  I felt like I was doing everything I could, but I couldn’t make myself respond. I couldn’t part my lips to say a word. I couldn’t raise a hand to touch her cheek and comfort her. The frustration was enough to make me also wish I could hit something – like a wall.

  What I wanted most was just to see her. I wanted to see her face and look into her eyes. The few days we had spent together had been good for me too. I worried about her the entire time were apart, and if this was the end of it all, I wanted to see for myself that she was okay.

  “He’s stable. I think he will be okay until we get to the hospital,” the female medic said. “I’m going to go sit in the front, but I will come back if any of his monitors go off. This will probably be the only alone time you two will have until your boyfriend is out of the hospital.”

  I didn’t hear Annie correct the woman for titling us, but I did feel someone take my hand again. It instantly felt a warm tingling sensation. I knew it had to be Annie’s touch.

  I guess it did more for me than I realized because I heard her voice soft and excited again.

  “Tarek? Tarek, your face,” she said. “You’re eyes. They are moving under the lids like someone in a vivid dream. Are you waking up? Can you hear me?”

  I couldn’t gather strength to utter a response, but I did feel some sensation coming back. My extremities felt warm, tingly. My chest ached, but not in the way that it had. My head was pounding.

  I still wasn’t really able to move. I couldn’t close my hand or wiggle my toes that I could tell. Things were becoming brighter though. Slowly, a sliver of light became a lit room. I saw more medical supplies and Annie’s face. She was staring down at my hand in hers, crying.

  “Mmm,” I grunted.

  Annie sat rigidly straight. She stopped rubbing my left hand, which she had been holding. I kept my eyes open and watched her as she turned her head slowly. When her eyes met mine, she smiled brightly although she wept harder.

  “Tarek?” she asked hesitantly.

  I slowly winked at her. I knew that would be easier than attempting to talk. It seemed to be enough.

  Annie sprang forward, throwing my hand aside and wrapping her arms around me. I groaned in pain as her body pressed against my chest, and she quickly pulled back again.

  “I’m sorry about your chest,” she said, pantomiming rubbing my torso. “The medic said you have broken ribs, maybe even a punctured lung.”

  I swallowed and gave a small nod, but things suddenly went dark again.

  I couldn’t tell if it had been minutes, hours, or days, but eventually, I was awake again. I was in another hospital environment of some sort, but this time I didn’t see anything menacing when I opened my eyes to look around the room. I also didn’t see Annie.

  I saw my brother sitting in the corner with Catarina. They were asleep, leaning on each other. I hadn’t made a sound, so they had no idea I was awake.

  Then I head a small bump sound. Annie was entering the room backward with her arms full of things. She looked straight ahead as she entered the room, seeing my brother and Cat first. Still, without looking in my direction, she began to move about the room making it more amenable to everyone.

  She sat the armload of things she had with her on a vacant chair in the room. Then she put some hospital blankets over my brother and Catarina. I closed my eyes as she turned to add a blanket over my bed. Next, she put a tray with a few coffees and pastries from the hospital on the table by my bed, presumably for us all. Lastly, she placed a couple of extra pillows at the foot of my bed.

  She placed the tips of her fingers on mine and sighed deeply.

  “Thank you for being here,” I said.

  She jumped and put a hand to her chest. My voice was gruff and hoarse. It surprised even me.

  “You’re awake,” she said, in a loud whisper excitedly. “Try not to speak. They put somethi
ng in your right lung to help inflate it as you breathe for a few days. They said even talking would make you winded. You had a small puncture that they stitched; it was part of a broken rib that splintered.”

  I tilted my head to look down at my body and saw how mangled I was. Annie stepped closer. I didn’t have any casts, that I could see, which was a good sign. I was more aware of my chest feeling restricted as I attempted to rise.

  “It’s probably better if you don’t try to move around much either, but it’s amazing that you feel well enough to make the effort so soon. They said you’d basically be a sore, silent, medicated mess for several days,” she said, looking amazed.

  “How long has it been?” I asked, realizing just how excruciating it was to try to talk.

  “We got to you midafternoon. You were pulled from the rubble of Hamilton’s secret private hospital and research facility,” Ali said, having awoken to join our conversation. “You spent most of the night and morning in surgery. You arrived in this room yesterday around lunch and have been sleeping since.”

  “It’s breakfast now,” Annie said, offering Ali one of the coffees she had carried in. “I didn’t know if you and Catarina would be ready to eat anything, but I thought I’d at least bring coffee.”

  “Thank you, Annie,” Ali said.

  He accepted the cup and nudged Cat awake. He offered her the cup as she looked at him sleepily. As she took a long sip, she looked around the room. She nearly spat her coffee as she looked at me and realized I was looking back at her.

  “Tarek,” she said, handing the coffee back to Ali. “You’re awake. It’s so soon. Should we get the doctor in here?”

  She came to the side of my bed and began pressing her hand to my forehead and cheek in a very motherly fashion. Ali slowly made his way to her side.

  “He’ll be fine. He’s always been the tough guy,” he said, giving me a playful punch.

  “And you have always been the smart one,” I replied, “a better father figure than our own father.”

  “Well, I have more in common with our father than you think, but there will be time to tell you all of that. For now, I am just pleased that you are here and alive,” Ali said.

  He pulled Catarina to him, and she seemed to support him as they stood, but they both looked happier than I remembered either of them being in a long time. I imagined that was one of the things to be discussed when the timing was better.

  Everyone talked around my bed; trying to tell me about everything I had missed while I was with Perry Hamilton and asking what they had missed from my side of things. I couldn’t really respond, but they all seemed to have plenty to tell.

  As they spoke, I realized Annie’s hand was in reach of my own again. I felt sharp pains as I tried to make even the smallest move. Still, I inched my hand slowly and painfully until my fingers touched hers again. When my hand found hers, she laced her fingers in mine and held my hand tightly. I fell asleep again holding her hand as they all talked over me.

  When I woke next, my brother and Catarina were gone. Annie had pulled a chair beside my bed. She continued to hold my hand as she slept.

  Chapter 24

  Annie

  “I didn’t know you could look this good,” I said to my reflection. “Plain Jain has transformed into Gorgeous Gretchen.”

  I looked myself over from side to side and front and back. For once I was pleased with every angle. I looked like one of the people I used to hate – the hoity-toity of NYC. Now I was all but one of them, or at least, I certainly looked the part.

  I wore a long royal purple, one-shouldered, mermaid cut gown. It was accented with obsidian jewelry and evening makeup – my smoky eye popped, and my muted lip needed a good kiss. At least, that’s what I hoped was the effect. Otherwise, I could just look sickly with two black eyes.

  “No, Annie, you look wonderful,” I reassured myself aloud. “You belong here. You are the event planner and your boyfriend’s brother and his girlfriend invited you.”

  I had been handsomely compensated for my efforts and received a large sum in damages from Hamilton’s company and estate. I had also formed a partnership with Tarek’s restaurant, Fender Bender, providing event and catering services. Tonight, I had a large booking from the Poole Family. Ali and Catarina had contacted me about planning and catering the first annual ICE Gala, Inherited Conditions Examination Gala.

  After a few more positive thoughts and deep breaths, I reentered the convention center and gave the word for staff to begin accepting guests. I wondered, for a moment, what Graham would think if he could see me. I also wished my father could see me enjoying life and truly living.

  “You look lovely, Annie,” Catarina’s familiar voice said, approaching me from behind.

  I turned to greet her and saw she had arrived on Ali’s arm, with new jewelry to display.

  “Whoa, when did that happen?” I said, reaching for her hand. “That is beautiful.”

  She was wearing a demure, strapless black evening dress. Her only jewelry was a pair of diamond earrings, and an engagement ring bigger than both stones in her earrings put together. Ali sported a well-tailored black suit.

  “Last night, after a romantic dinner,” Catarina said. “It was a complete surprise. I honestly had been worried because he had been secretive and distant all week. I thought he was hiding bad news or retreating into his research again.”

  “I actually didn’t want her to find out about the ring I was designing for her. It is completely made for her, just as I am and as she is for me,” Ali said, giving his fiancé a sweet kiss.

  “That is wonderful,” I replied, smiling and clapping briefly. “You two are perfect for each other. Tarek has told me how he always thought you two belonged together.”

  “That’s because he’s been in on my secret love for his brother all along,” Catarina said, laughing at herself. “He always told me Ali would come around.”

  “Because he knew I loved you too. Now that I’m not spending every moment thinking about my condition, I can live the way my life I should have all along – being happy to spend every moment I have, whether they are many or few, with the people I love. I think that is how both of the Poole men intend to live their lives from now on, so I imagine we will be seeing much more of each other as well, Annie.”

  “You think so?” I asked.

  “I know so. Look at my brother’s face.”

  I turned to see where he was directing my attention. Tarek had just entered the venue and spotted me immediately. The way he looked at me said a million things we hadn’t said to each other before. Things, I only realized at that moment, that I really wanted to say to him in particular.

  “Excuse me,” I said to Catarina and Ali.

  “Of course,” they replied.

  “We’ll join you two later,” Ali added, steering Catarina away to mingle with their guests.

  I nodded and turned to make my way to Tarek. He was already weaving through people, making his own path to me. By the time I reached him, he had covered more than half the distance between us.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, taking my hands and opening them wide, enjoying the full view of me. “I mean you are amazing. You’re breathtaking.”

  “I don’t know if I would say all that, but you, on the other hand, look fantastic,” I replied, admiring him. “I guess we are a far cry from the two people who met in a kitchen during a gala attack eight months ago.”

  “I would say we are better dressers, but I’ve always thought you were impressive to look at. It wouldn’t matter what you were wearing. It is nice to not be in an ill-fitted, rented tux. I’m never going back,” he laughed.

  “You were amazing before, but after seeing you like this, I don’t think I could let you,” I teased.

  We laughed a little more as he pulled me to him. He swayed me softly to the music being played by the string quartet I had booked for the evening. As he danced me in a small circle, he kissed me gently. He lingered on my lips, keeping me
in his arms as if PDA meant nothing. I kissed him as much in return, showing my agreement.

  “Normally, you dress like the rest of your staff for these things,” he noted.

  “Normally, I am only the planner. This time, I am also a guest,” I replied.

  “Then I need to find more excuses for us to dress up,” he said. “I got a call last night informing me that Catarina and Ali are giving us one reason to dress up again very soon.”

  “They are,” I said excitedly. “Have you seen her ring yet? It is big and beautiful?”

  “Is that what you would want?” Tarek asked, raising an eyebrow at me.