Kate (The Dimarco Series Book 5)

by Jennifer Hanks

  “You have your girlfriend and her son. You’ll only feel bad that you couldn’t help me, but as time passes you’ll forget too.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Everyone will forget about me. They always have.”

  I squeezed her hand tightly. “I won’t. Don’t do this, Maggie, don’t let them beat you.”

  It was like I hadn’t spoken when she continued. “Maybe if I was stronger or smarter or not afraid of everything, but I’m not.” She closed her eyes. “I’m just so tired of trying to survive. I’m tired of trying to find my slice of happy in a life that’s never shown me any happiness.”

  “Maggie—”

  “This will make me happy. Knowing the information I’m giving to Bear and Gunner could destroy the Widows while saving you, so you can keep being happy, makes me feel good. I’ll feel like I did something for someone who’s come to mean a lot to me.”

  I gritted my teeth. “I won’t let you do this, Maggie. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself.”

  “You don’t get a choice in that, Luke.” She squeezed my hand this time. “I’ll never forget you, but I can’t let you come see me anymore. I’ve been putting you in danger by letting you visit me every time I’ve been admitted.” She dropped her eyes. “I liked it. When you would come, I liked it. For a moment in time, I felt like someone cared about me and I started to look forward to it, but that was selfish.” She raised her eyes to meet mine again. “I wanted you to come this time so I could explain why the next time, if I live, and you try to visit, they won’t let you in to see me. I’ll refuse. And when I leave here, I’ll tell Snake I refused to see you. That should take his attention off of you, that and some other things that have happened recently.” She smiled softly, her eyes filling with tears again. “You’re safe now.”

  “You’re doing all this just to keep me safe?”

  “It’s my thank you. My thank you for taking care of me in the best way you could and the only way I’d let you. I want to leave this world, knowing I went out doing something for someone who cared about me. I don’t want to die for no reason. I want to die standing for something.”

  I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. “You don’t have to die at all.”

  “You and I both know there’s no out for me. The day I let him take me to his club, I sealed my fate. I just didn’t know it then. I know it now. You and I both know he’ll eventually kill me anyway.”

  “Maggie—”

  “You should go. Take care of yourself and your girlfriend and her little boy. I saw you together, you didn’t see me, but I saw you and you looked so happy together. I knew then that I was doing the right thing. I’ll never regret anything I’m doing.”

  “Maggie, damnit, listen to me.”

  She smiled softly. “I’ll never forget you, Luke. Thank you,” She paused like she was trying to find the right words, “for always making me feel important.”

  “You are important Maggie.”

  “You should go.” She repeated.

  I stood slowly, not wanting to leave her, but needing to meet with the boys and get her the hell out before she does something to herself or lets them do something to her. I leaned over the bed and pressed my lips against her forehead, pulling back to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

  “Bye Luke.” She said softly.

  “Until next time, Maggie.” I took her hand in mine again. “And I promise there will be a next time.”

  She averted her eyes and I knew she didn’t believe me. She’d already decided she’d be dead before the next time I’d have the chance to see her, but she didn’t know me as well as she thought she did if she thought I’d give up on her that quickly.

  She rolled to her side, putting her back to me and I moved towards the door. I wasn’t afraid of her refusing to see me, I could always use my position on the force to get in that room, but I was afraid of what I may walk into the next time.

  I pulled the door open and waved at Mary when I walked past the counter she was still sitting behind, but I didn’t stop. I had a meeting to call because I had two women in my life who I needed to protect.

  I hit the elevator, pushed the button, and jumped on as soon as the doors opened. Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I sent out a group text to my brothers involved in this shit.

  Me: Meeting. Now.

  Brody: Where?

  Me: Hanks.

  Pike: Bear?

  Me: And Gunner.

  Jax: This gonna piss me off?

  Me: I’m leaving the hospital so…

  Chris: Shit. About 2 minutes out.

  Cam: On my way.

  Jax: Be there in 5.

  Brody: Right behind you.

  Pike: Bear and Gunner in ten.

  I hit my SUV at a jog, knowing I’d be pulling in last if their times were accurate and knowing them, they were. I drove with my jaw clenched, my head pounding from the conversation with Maggie, my blood boiling just thinking about her sacrificing herself for any of us or those fuckers. Kate’s face appeared in my mind and my promise that I was pulling out of this investigation, but then Maggie’s appeared and I knew, for me, I didn’t have a choice anymore. I just had to find a way to protect them both and that was going to take all my brothers, even the ones I’ve tried to avoid.

  Pulling in, I saw all the vehicles, I needed to see, including two Harleys parked beside one another. I jumped down and moved quickly to the bar door, pulled it open and strode in, all eyes on me, but my eyes only focused on one man.

  I walked right up to Bear and got in his face. “What’s happened to keeping Maggie safe?”

  He blinked slowly. “Brother?”

  “If she’s safe, why the fuck did I just see her in a hospital bed?”

  Bear put his hands on his hips and lowered his voice. “I’m trying brother. I’m keeping her safe while she’s providing information, but keeping her safe from Snake is damn near impossible.”

  “Pull her out!” I yelled, stepping back and running my hand through my hair.

  He threw his arms out to the side. “What the fuck makes you think she’d let me pull her out if she won’t let you?”

  I rested my hands on top of my head, energy coursing through my body. I turned when Cam called my name.

  “What happened?” He asked calmly.

  “Got a call from the hospital at three this morning. Big fucking surprise, Maggie was brought in. I went to see her like always.”

  “What did she say?” Brody asked.

  I blinked slowly. “She’s giving up.”

  “What does that mean?” Cam asked.

  I shook my head, still hearing her voice telling me she was giving up. “She said, life’s too hard and she’s tired. She’s doing this to have something to be proud of, knowing he’ll kill her, but she’s hoping with her help that you guys will shut them down and then I’ll be safe.”

  “You?” Jax frowned.

  “She said I’m the only one besides her mom that ever cared about her safety and she wants to do this so I can be safe and happy with Kate and Andy.”

  Brody put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. “Fuck.”

  “She wants to die.” Pike surmised.

  “Brother.” Bear shook his head, sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”

  “Get her the fuck out!” I yelled, walking towards him again. “He choked her, she has the bruises. Black eye, broken arm, broken ribs and that’s the shit we can see. I can’t get her out, but you can. I’m asking you to step in, do what I can’t do and protect her.”

  “What you’re asking—”

  I was breathing hard when I lowered my voice. “I’m asking for your fucking help and you and I both know I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t have to.”

  Bear shook his head, but it was Gunner who spoke up. “He’s right.”

  My head jerked his way, along with every other head in the room, including Bear’s. He sighed. “Brother, you know what you’re suggesting?”

 
Gunner put his hands on his hips. “I know.”

  “We will not stay clean if we take that girl.”

  “She gave us the shipment information, we set up the steal, they’re focused on each other. There isn’t a better time to take her. I’m guessing Snake’s pissed about the money the club lost and that’s why she took a beating. He’s only going to get more pissed as this unravels, you know that, and she’s right, she’s a walking dead girl.” He dropped his head and when he raised it, his eyes were full of pain. “We don’t get her now, we don’t get her.”

  I glanced over at my brothers who all had the same look of confusion on their faces that I imagined was on mine. Bear sighed and nodded his head before looking back to me. “You gonna give me the information I need to get her out?”

  “Whatever you need.” I promised.

  “When will she be released?” Brody asked, but his eyes were on Bear.

  “I didn’t ask, but if it’s like before, they’ll keep her for twenty-four hours before they release her.”

  Jax pulled his phone from his pocket. “Kyle can get the discharge information, probably even make the time work with what we need.”

  “Twenty-four hours doesn’t give us much time.” Chris stepped forward.

  “It’s plenty of time.” Gunner said.

  Jax rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get a plan together then boys.”

  I closed my eyes and for the first time since I walked into that damn hospital, I felt like I could take a deep breath. Maggie was not going to die by the Widows’ hands, not if we could do anything about it.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  LUKE

  “Talk to me Kyle.”

  Jax’s voice rang through the SUV where I was seated in the back. They didn’t need me for this. I knew the way my brothers ran their business, this was as good as done, but I need to make sure, needed to see for myself that she was safe.

  “Discharge papers submitted. You should see your girl any time now.”

  “Thanks man.”

  Jax disconnected and I knew they understood how invaluable Kyle is. He’s their tech guy and he’s like a fucking ghost online. As far as I know he’s never been traced, so all the information my brothers team needs, Kyle can find. I’m glad a man like Kyle is working on the right side of the law, his knowledge could be deadly if he worked the other side.

  “That’s her.” I said when I saw her exit the hospital, walking slowly, favoring her ribs.

  Jax growled. “I still can’t believe he doesn’t even have a fucking prospect for the MC pick her up.”

  “I usually give her money for a cab, but she’s never used it. I think she stashed the money I gave her because she always walked home after she was released. I know if you asked her, she wouldn’t have a dime on her. Bastard does that on purpose.”

  “How far is it to their apartment?” He asked.

  “About three miles.”

  “If someone shows up for her, this plan is fucked.” Jax reminded me.

  “They won’t.” I shook my head. “If you would’ve just let me pick her up, she would’ve gotten in with me. She trusts me.”

  “No.” Jax’s tone was non-negotiable. “You cannot be seen anywhere near her. If they’ve been watching, they know you haven’t been around much and since it appears you’ve backed off, they should have no reason to think you’d be involved in this. No one questioned them on the fire, they have no idea you know.”

  We followed her slowly, keeping some distance, watching her walk towards the alley where I’ve watched her countless times turn in to cut across to the other side of town. Let her do the same this time, don’t let her change her way, not now, not today.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when she turned towards the alley and disappeared from sight. Jax pulled up to the red light, ready to turn as soon as it was green and I held my breath. I wouldn’t know now, not until we were back at Hanks, where I’d purposely left my SUV parked out front just in case anyone was watching me. Mine sat in line with Jake’s and Cam’s. Any one who knows us, would believe that we would’ve stopped to have a beer that night after work. Thanks to Kyle disrupting the hospitals discharge system, however the hell he did that, Maggie was not discharged until six tonight, making the pick-up time and alibi’s fit together.

  We continued on to Hanks and Jax parked in the back, both of us hopping out and making our way into the bar. He stopped in the office, I continued to the front and sat down with my brothers already waiting on me to have a beer.

  “All good?” Cam asked after Tucker slid the beer my way.

  “Far as I know.”

  I listened to Jake and Cam talk about a recent build Jake’s been working on and plans for the housing development while I waited. I was a patient man but this was testing me in a way I’d never been tested.

  When Pike appeared behind the bar, I knew that was my sign to get moving. “I’ll be back.”

  They both nodded, but continued to talk so I made my way slowly around the bar in the direction of the bathrooms before veering to the left and opening the office door. I closed it behind me and sighed when I saw Maggie huddled on the corner of the couch, her head down, eyes closed while Jax and Brody spoke quietly. Chris smiled sadly from behind the desk where he stood with him arms crossed over his chest. I made my way slowly towards Maggie and sat on the edge of the couch.

  I reached out my hand and wrapped it around hers, causing her eyes to open and her head to jerk my way.

  “Luke?” She whispered.

  Her voice was still raspy and I knew her throat had to hurt. I squeezed her hand. “How are you Maggie?”

  “Why am I here?” She gestured towards Chris. “He said Bear needs to talk to me before I go home, but this isn’t where we normally meet.”

  “He should be here in the next few minutes to pick you up.”

  “Pick me up?” She asked quietly.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before answering her. “Bear’s going to take you somewhere safe.”

  Her face closed down, just like that, understanding dawning in her eyes. “I explained it to you.”

  I nodded. “Maggie, I can’t let you hurt yourself, not for me, not for anyone.”

  Tears flooded her eyes and her already quiet voice broke when she started speaking. “I don’t want to be here anymore. And now because of you, I can’t escape.”

  I leaned down closer to her face, blocking out the rest of the room. “You won’t need to escape Maggie, they’re going to protect you in a way I can’t right now and then when the Widows are shut down, you’ll be free.”

  The door opened and her eyes jerked to look over my shoulder before she put her head down and pulled her hand from mine. I stood from the couch, knowing she had shut me out like she’d done before when I refused to give up on her. I turned to face Bear whose eyes were on me, Gunner’s on Maggie and I rubbed my hand along the back of my neck.

  “We good?” Bear asked.

  I looked to my brothers who had the same look of sadness for her in their expressions. She was lost and I wasn’t sure anymore this was going to bring her back. “As good as we can be.”

  “We’ve got her from here.” Bear said. “We owe her and we won’t forget that. Thanks to her the Widows and the Mexican gang are all over each other. We haven’t heard shit from any of them in the weeks since it all went down.” He stepped forward. “You’re history as far as they’re concerned. There hasn’t been talk of you since that night and I don’t believe there will be. We covered our asses tonight. Enough people saw you sitting in this bar drinking with your brothers that even if they suspected you had something to do with her disappearance, there wouldn’t be any evidence. And because you’re smart and backed off when we told you to, word was they felt like they scared you off, taught you a lesson.” He wrapped his palm around my shoulder. “Let them think that man, it’s what’s best for you, Kate and your kid.”

  “I agree.” I glanced back at Maggie. “She’s in a ba
d place man.”

  He glanced over my shoulder and then to his left where Gunner stood quietly, just watching her. “We’ve got her, I promise.”

  When his eyes returned to mine, I held out my hand. “Thanks, man. Maybe you and I are more alike than I thought.”

  Bear held out his hand to shake mine. “We want the same things, brother, we just go about it in different ways. What Maggie has endured from the Widows will not be forgotten or forgiven. There will come a time when we can strike and we will, but we’ve learned to be patient and smart so when we end them—” he leaned in, “—we end them permanently.”

  “Luke you better get back out to the bar.” Jax said.

  I nodded, and gave Bear a shoulder squeeze before I took a few steps back and squatted down in front of Maggie who was staring at her hands folded in her lap. “I hope someday you can forgive me, Maggie.” I reached out and pulled her hand in to mine. “I just want you to find happiness and freedom.”

  She looked into my eyes. “I almost did find happiness and freedom, but you took it away from me.”

  “Maggie, you deserve a chance. I want to give you that.”

  She glanced to her side, her eyes flicking over Gunner and Bear. “I’m just trading in one prison for another, Luke, there’s no freedom in my future. Not now anyway.”

  “Their club is not like the Widows, I promise you that.”

  She pulled her hand from mine, her voice so low I almost couldn’t hear it. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  She dropped her head, her eyes closed, effectively shutting me and I sighed. Standing, I glanced over at my brothers who all gestured towards the door. They were right, I needed to go. She would be safe; the MC would take care of her. I didn’t know them as well as my brothers, but I trusted my brothers and if they said she would be safe and well cared for, then I believed them.

  I started towards the door, but turned back and called. “When this is all over and it’s safe, Maggie, I’d love for you to meet Kate and Andy.” She didn’t look up, but I saw her hands twist together and grinned. She heard me and she wanted that. She wanted to live, wanted to have a family that loves her and protects her, she’s just so lost she doesn’t believe she deserves it, but we’ll prove her wrong. It’ll take some time to shut down the Widows for good and to make sure it’s safe for her to be out in the world again, but as a group we would do that.