The two riders pause inside the door and take a look around, like they're expecting someone.
"Shit's about to go sideways, Vince." The weight of my .45 in my right hand offers little comfort.
Chapter Five
Tank:
The two guys head our way, and stop a few feet away from the table. We make a point of ignoring them, while I'm silently willing Abigail to take her time in the damn bathroom. Any trouble that comes will start with the Mongol Horde, not us.
"Lookie there, Slug, pussies sittin' there, right out in the open." The fucker's loud voice draws attention from people at the nearby tables. A middle-aged couple gets up and hurries for the door. Probably smart.
The bastard apparently called Slug throws his head back and laughs. "I don't know, Chick. Them looks more like something the pussy puked up."
Heat floods my face as my temper threatens to get the better of me, but I follow Vince's lead and keep my mouth shut.
Brax, however…well, he's a different matter. He hops up to sit on the back of the booth, looking all casual, but I know he's primed for action. "Hells-fire, boys, the fucking circus is in town. The damn shit scoopers just walked in."
The one called Chick instantly goes red in the face. "Come over here and say that, pig-fucker."
"Glad to." Brax explodes across the table and lands on his feet right in front of the pair. He gets right up in their faces, talking shit, and giving Vince and me a chance to stuff Hello Kitty again. Should have fucking brought something else to put the shit in. That was poor planning on Vince's part. Fucker is slacking off too much.
A gun shot goes off as I slip out of the booth, planning to skirt around Brax and the MH riders. Everyone in the diner ducks down, and a few customers scream. I forget everything else and rush for the bathroom, carrying the damn Hello Kitty bag. Fuck, I need to get to Abigail before she comes out and walks right into a firefight.
The one fucker tries to grabs the bag from me as I pass. I give him a shoulder to the chest and he lands hard on the floor as I keep going.
Another shot rings out.
The thought of Abigail coming out of that door any second has me more scared than I’ve been in all my life. What the hell are we doing with her here in this life, again?
I finally make it to the door. Abigail's terrified sobs come through loud and clear. Fucking tears me up. “Hey, baby girl. It’s Tank. You ready to come out now? We have to leave.”
“Tank? What’s going on?” she whispers between quieter sobs.
“Just a li'l trouble, but nothin’ you need to worry about." What the fuck else am I supposed to tell her? "I want you to open the door just a little and squeeze through. Then you hide behind my legs, and don’t do anything else. Understand, baby girl?” I pray to God she listens and does what I say.
“Yes.” Her response is so soft I just barely hear it. The door slowly opens, just a crack, enough for her to slip out. She grabs on to my leg from behind. Her little hands are shaking, fingers digging into my leg. I need to get her out of here and fast. “We’re going to start walking now. You stay right with me.” I take a few steps forward to test her, and she latches on like Velcro. Chalk definitely has her trained well. With no more worry that she won’t follow my lead I head towards the front door.
Just as we make it past the glass doors, another gunshot rings out from inside, and glass shatters everywhere. Fuck this. I grab up Abigail by the arms and take off towards the car.
Vince is already in the driver’s seat and Brax is hot on my tail. He throws open the door for us, and I push Abigail inside before jumping in myself. Vince slams on the gas to get us out of there quick.
“It was a fucking ambush. What the hell?” I clamp my mouth shut before I say something to get myself shot. Who the fuck tipped them off that we were going to be there? And what were they after? My first thought is the drugs, but it sure was a fucking coincidence that it happened right when Abigail needed to go to the bathroom. Mongol Horde territory is like five fucking hours away.
I make a quick decision not to announce everything I noticed in the exchange. “Ya’ll get to see who those bastards were? I was too fucking busy trying to make sure I got Abigail out of there alive.” That makes me think, she’s been too quiet. I didn’t even have time to get her buckled in, but we had other things that were more important at the moment.
She somehow squeezed herself onto the floorboard, almost under the seat.
“Baby girl, it’s okay. We’re safe now. Come sit up here with me.” I try to keep my voice soft but stern. No need to scare her more. I reach out my hand, hoping she’ll take it. She's just had a lot do take in and deal with.
“’Kay. But my arm really hurts, Tank,” Abigail whimpers, as I watch a tear escape down her cheek.
Oh shit!
My damn heart is about to jump out of my chest as I pull her up and sit her in my lap to look her over. I run my hands over her, and pick up each arm, turning them to look for injuries.
That’s when I see it.
Fuck me. “FUCK! Vince, get to the hospital FAST! Abigail’s been shot.”
There's nothing in my head right now, except getting help for my baby girl. Why isn’t she in more pain? She should be screaming her head off. Something isn’t right.
“The hospital? Are you shitting me? We have over a quarter mil’ worth of drugs with us right now. A gunshot victim is gonna cause them to call the cops. We are not going there.” Vince slams a fist on the steering wheel.
Anger roars through me, but I can't let it out now. “Yeah, man. And she’s worth millions, but only ALIVE, you asshole. We don’t have time to get her back to the clubhouse. Something ain’t right with her, she should be screaming. I don’t see an exit wound.” Something more than the kid being shot is not right. This whole fucking mess stinks to high heaven.
Vince lowers his window and lights up. “Son of a bitch, Tank. We’ll have to drop ya’ll off and come back. Brax, call Chalk. He’s gonna have our fucking heads for this. He’s a loose cannon about this fucking kid.” Vince speeds the car up even more, gripping the steering wheel. He needs to chill the hell out before he has a stroke.
“He better get there before the cops do, or they’ll take me in, and take Abigail.” Shit. This is a complete mess. First week of having her, and we get her shot on a damn drug run. All she was supposed to do is eat damn cake and drink her milk. I should have put a fucking stop to this lame idea the minute Vince suggested her as the perfect cover for the damn drop.
Brax picks up his cell, takes a breath and presses Chalk’s number. God, I don’t envy him. No fucking way I'd want to make that particular call. He tenses up a little when Chalk answers, probably ready for the bastard to reach through the phone and choke his ass out. Chalk has some freaking sixth sense shit with Abigail. I’d bet he already knows something is up.
“Chalk. It’s Abigail. You gotta meet us down at Our Lady.” Chalk must be saying an earful to Brax. He tenses and takes the phone away from his ear for a second. I can hear Chalk yelling all the way back here, even with trying to comfort Abigail. “Sure, man. She’s right here. Let me get her.”
Brax looks to me, and gives Abigail the phone. I snatch it from her before she can say anything. My ribs are about to break with my heart pounding so hard. I have to make sure she doesn't scare Chalk to death.
She looks up at me with suspicion. “I wanna talk to my Chalk. Give me the phone, Tank.” She pouts while holding out her right hand. She’s holding her left arm close to her stomach, and not moving it much.
“Abigail, I need you to listen to me. You’re not to say anything about what happened, or what’s wrong with you, until you see Chalk in person. Do you understand?”
“But why?” Her little head tilts. How the hell do I explain it to her without making it worse?
“Because. You don’t want Chalk to get hurt do you? He’d drive too fast if he knew what happened. We’ll tell him everything once he gets here, okay? Just tell him you
’re okay, and you'll see him soon. You can tell him you’re hurt, but that’s it. Understand? We want to keep Chalk safe, don’t we?”
“Yes, I don’t want him to get hurt. I understand. I’ll see him soon though right?”
“Yes, as soon as he gets there, you’ll see him. Don’t worry.” With that I hand her back the phone, and hope she doesn’t screw up. We put too much faith into a six year old, that’s for fucking sure.
“Chalk! I have to go to the hospital. I don't like hospitals. Are you on your way? Can you bring my Hello Kitty? No speeding ‘k?” Abigail spits all that out in one breath. She listens intently to whatever Chalk is saying on the other end, and gives little nods here and there, but never says anything back to him.
“Okay, see you soon, Chalk. Love you.” With that she closes the phone and hands it back to Brax.
We all sit in shock. That’s the first time we’ve heard her say the L word. Of course, it's different from a kid than a chick, but still a big fucking deal. I can only imagine what Chalk is thinking right now, between that and hearing she's been hurt. I hope he holds his shit together until he can get to the hospital. I sure as fuck can’t handle this on my own. I am nowhere near cut out to take care of her, and neither are any of the other guys. The evidence of her getting shot should speak for itself.
I wonder what Chalk said to Abigail to make her feel like saying the L word. She could have said it before, and no one else heard it, but I'd think Chalk would have mentioned that shit. So he must have said something she liked. Although with kids, you never know what they are thinking, or going to do next.
Now, we just have to hope she holds on until we get to the hospital. It feels like we’ve been in the car driving for an hour, even though I know it hasn't been that long. Hopefully Vince will get us there in a couple more minutes.
She’s getting paler, and although I'm trying to stop the bleeding, I'm not having much luck. With anyone else, I would just lay on the pressure and to hell with it hurting. I can't do that with Abigail, though. She whimpers when the pressure is too hard, and I'm terrified of causing more damage to her tiny little arm.
I don't even want to think about what will happen to her if we don’t get there in time. I can’t help the need I feel to hold her, to protect her. I cuddle her closer in my lap, hoping to comfort her a little. She tenses a little, always so careful of anyone but Chalk. Makes me wonder what she sees in her little head about us.
I smile down at her, trying to give off calming vibes, letting her know she's safe with me. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I should have protected you better. Just hold on for me, okay? We’ll be there soon. Keep your eyes open. Chalk will be here soon. Just hold on.”
Her eyes flutter back open. She nods her head at me. Then touches my cheek with her hand. Then, her eyes slowly close again and her body goes limp in my arms.
Chapter Six
Chalk:
My hand tightens on the throttle, pushing faster and faster. I'm maxing the Harley out at one-twenty into a damn head wind. The engine screams against the effort. One wrong bump, rock in the road, anything and I’m fucked. But I have to get there.
When I heard the sound of Abigail’s voice, I knew something wasn’t right. She was hurting and scared pissless. I should have known without being told, though. When I got out of the shower earlier, there was this intense pain in my chest. I thought it was just damn a panic attack coming on out of the blue like they do sometimes, but it wasn’t. I should have known that, too. The pain was different, more focused and intense than I get with the attacks.
Ever since Abigail’s arrival, I’ve felt different. I can’t explain it. I’ve tried to avoid even thinking about it, too. The more I’m around Abigail the stronger it gets. I almost swear I can feel when she’s upset, happy, you name it. But fuck, if I’d tell the guys that, they’d really think I’ve lost my shit.
But I can’t ignore it anymore. Hell, I can’t ignore any feelings since Abigail. Not when I could have stopped her from getting hurt. Okay, that’s not entirely true. But damn it, I should have never let her go with them. She doesn’t trust them like she does me.
The logical side of my brain reminds me I couldn't protect her from freak accidents and random crazies, no matter how much she trusts me. But I can sure as fuck try my damnedest.
Finally, the hospital campus comes into sight. Slowing down as I pull up to the last traffic light, I try to still the tremor in my hands. Just hang on, baby girl. I take a sharp right onto the hospital road, and find the parking lot closest to the ER.
There are no close spaces, so I park illegally in a painted off area between rows, jump off, and run towards the entrance. With no time to adjust, my legs feel numb, so I stumble a step or two, and barely catch my balance before I fall flat on my face. That’s all I need. I’d never live that down with the guys.
The elevators are all the way at the fucking top floor. I hit the button, but my impatience gets to me, and I press it another ten more times. Why the hell do they take so long? I look around for stairs, or anything else that would get me to Abigail faster. No such luck.
I suffer through, watching the numbers descend from the tenth floor. Finally, the damn thing dings as it finally reaches the ground floor. Rushing in, I don’t even notice Tank coming out, until I collide right into him.
“Chalk, whoa man. Slow down.” He holds out his hands, pushing against me to stop me from knocking him completely over.
“Tank, where is she? Let’s go!” I yell and shove him off me, not waiting for an answer. All I can think is to get in the damn elevator before the doors shut.
Tank follows me back in. “Okay, man. Just calm down. They won’t let you up there like that, acting like a madman. She’s on the fourth floor.”
Thoughts refuse to line up in order in my brain while I wait for the elevator to get me to her floor. "What the fuck happened, man?"
"Not here, man. I'll tell you everything when we have a little privacy."
The three other people on the elevator, an older couple and a nun, watch us warily, like they expect a damn gunfight to break out on the elevator. "Whatever. She at least okay?"
"In surgery right now, but she's going to be fine."
Everything in me demands I shake him until he gives up the details, but one glance at our audience makes me think better of it. If the old man calls nine-one-one because I assault someone in front of him, it'll just be that much longer before I know what's going on. So, I clench my fists, grit my teeth, and will the damn elevator to go faster.
We finally hit the fourth floor, and I follow Tank off the elevator, past a nurses station, and into a small waiting room where Vince and Brax have a whole row of chairs to themselves. There are some other people on the other side, but they're not paying any attention to us.
"Alright." I drop to a seat, mainly because I want to be sure the boys hear me loud and clear. "One of you bastards better start talking. How the fuck did she end up here?"
Vince and Brax exchange a meaningful look, but stay silent. Tank clears his throat. "Here's the thing, man. Our little trip had some business attached."
I grind my teeth so hard, I'm pretty sure I crack a molar. "We'll deal with the details of that shit later. Keep talking."
Tank nods. "During this business, some guys came in and started shooting. She was in the bathroom, and I got her out of there, but in the car, she mentioned her arm hurt. When I checked, she'd been shot."
Every bit of my blood drains to my feet, and things go dark at the edges of my vision. "You let her fucking get shot?"
"Wasn't on purpose, Chalk, you know that. The situation went south." Vince cracks his knuckles. It's a nervous habit, but it's also a tell for when he's lying.
"Not on purpose? You fucking took a six year old with you on business! You know the kind of shit that can happen." I take a deep breath. "Okay, Tank, how is she? How bad?" I'll fucking deal with Vince later, when I know she's okay.
"She's lost some blood, man. Small
caliber bullet lodged in the soft tissue of her upper arm. No broken bones. They're patching her up now." Tank looks about as sick as I feel. "They'll be out to update us as soon as possible." He passes me a business card with a number stamped in the middle, and gestures toward a TV screen I hadn't noticed before. "If you watch her number up there, you can see where she is."
Four fifty-three. I stare at the screen, watching and biting my lip as other numbers switch from Pre Op to OR to Recovery, while Abigail's number keeps showing OR. Damn thing tells me fucking nothing, but I can't look away.
Thirty-seven minutes after my ass hit that waiting room, a back door opens. "Will Rochester?"
Tank elbows me and I jump up. "Yeah."
"This way, please. The doctor is ready to speak with you."
Fuck. That doesn't sound good. I follow the nurse into a little room just off the side of the waiting room. Bitch leaves me there to cool my heels forever, but finally, the door opens.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The skinny foreigner glances at a chart in his hand. "You're Mr. Rochester?"
"Chalk Madison. I'm Abigail's legal guardian."
The doctor frowns and flips through a few sheets. "Oh, I see. You'll have to clear up some things with Records." He sits in the chair across the tiny table from me. "Okay, I'm not sure how much information you had. I see from her chart you weren't present when the injury happened."
"No, I wasn't." Could the fucker not just get on with it?
"Okay, so basically, what happened is, a small caliber bullet entered her arm here." He demonstrates on a little sketch. "And lodged here. We removed the bullet and cleaned up the wound. She'd lost quite a bit of blood, so, to be safe, we gave her some during surgery. Fortunately, we were able to access her records here, so I knew what sort of underlying conditions she had."
"She's going to be okay?"
"Yes, Mr. Madison, barring any unforeseen complications, she should make a full recovery. She'll need physical therapy, and a longer recovery than a healthy child would, but overall, I'm optimistic. But, in the future, I'd suggest being careful who she's with."
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