by Sam Crescent
“Alex, stop it. Don’t even think of doing shit like that. You can’t be blamed for not thinking about everything.” She cupped his cheek. He was really scaring her right now.
“You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. I’m a woman.” She smiled at him, hoping he’d get the joke. He took hold of her hands, drawing them up to his lips.
“I love you, baby.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to make this up to you. I was thinking a nice long honeymoon.”
“Just come to me alive.” She wasn’t a fool. Alex was going to go after Preston alone, but he was a complete idiot if he believed she was going to let him do this by himself. She loved Alex with all of her heart and soul. Yes, they hadn’t started out great with him making a deal with her father, but he was nothing like the man she’d thought he would be.
She stood beside him as he made the call to Cheryl. The conversation didn’t last long, but he looked happier when he got off the phone.
“They’re heading to the gym already. Ned had called Gavin and told him to take care of Michael.”
“Do you think Ned likes you?”
“He understands me.” Alex wasn’t looking at her but toward the entrance doors.
“What are you waiting for?”
The reception door opened, and the club members erupted. It wasn’t in violence but in greeting. “I’ve got to go,” Alex said.
****
Alex moved through the crowd coming to a stop in front of Devil. He held onto Simon’s hand, looking mightily pissed. The president of the Chaos Bleeds crew wasn’t one to be bossed around.
“You came.”
“Where’s Tabitha?” Simon asked, drawing attention to him. “I want to see her.”
“Devil, what the fuck are you doing here?” Tiny asked, coming out of the elevator.
“I got a call, and it was suggested I come and bring my son. Seems romance boy here,” Devil pointed at Alex, “believes Simon might bring Tabitha out of sleeping. It’s kind of like a fairytale.”
Tiny looked toward him. Alex moved to Tiny’s side. “I know you’ve got your issues, but I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for Tabitha.”
“How the fuck is a five-year-old little shit supposed to help my girl?”
“By talking to her, helping her, holding her. I don’t know, Tiny. I’ve heard shit like this. Men and women in comas coming out of sleep. Just give it a shot.”
“This is what you get for watching movies.”
“Tiny,” Eva said, bringing all attention to them. “We’ve tried this your way of waiting. I’m done with waiting. Hey, Devil and Lexie. Thank you for coming.” Eva stepped up, hugging Devil before embracing Lexie, who held Josh on her hip.
“Eva!”
“No, you want to be an asshole, be one. You’re not putting my little girl at risk.” Eva took the lead, moving Lexie, Devil, and the kids toward the elevator.
“I’ve got to go, baby.” Alex grabbed Sunshine’s cheeks, slamming a kiss to her lips.
“Go, I’ll be waiting.” She was so fucking perfect for him, giving the club a chance. “You can update me when you’re done.”
He left her alone, rushing toward the elevator that had just opened. They were all able to fit inside.
“I didn’t ask you to come,” Tiny said.
“Shut up, Tiny. This is about something more than your petty little problems.”
“I called them,” Alex said. He didn’t look behind him. Alex didn’t need to. He already knew Tiny would be glaring daggers at him. At times, Alex was a complete and total asshole.
“Dad?” Simon asked.
“Yes, son?”
“Are we seeing Tabitha now?”
Alex glanced down at the young boy. He looked white as a sheet.
“We will.”
“Dad?”
“Yes.” Devil wasn’t losing his temper but kept his words normal. Alex didn’t detect a hint of panic to him.
“She’s not going to die, is she?”
“No, she’s not, son. You’re going to go in there and talk to her. She’s being a bit of a pain. You remember all the fairytales we’ve seen, right? She’s waiting for her prince charming to come in and wake her up. The biggest problem is these modern women, they take a little longer to listen.” Devil smiled down at his boy. “You’re going to have to be a bit persuasive to wake her up. She may try to sleep, but, son, you’ve got to be firm. Tabitha is waking up.”
“She has to. I’m marrying her one day,” Simon said.
Glancing behind him, Alex saw Eva’s eyes were closed as she leaned against Tiny. It was getting a little too much for her. He didn’t regret calling for Devil and his family. Devil hadn’t brought any of his club with him. There was no threat, simply friends coming to visit friends. The moment Tiny got his head out of his ass Chaos Bleeds and The Skulls would be amazing.
The elevator pinged open, and Tiny took the lead, taking them all down toward the hospital room where Tabitha was staying. When they entered the room, Miles was holding Tabitha’s hand while Ned sat on her other side. The bruising was all out on his face, and just seeing it invigorated Alex. He was waiting for Diaz. The moment he did, he was putting Preston to bed. The bastard hadn’t hit the club but Ned. Tabitha had been a casualty who got in the way. It was the wrong thing to do.
“Tab,” Simon said, moving toward the bed.
Alex stepped back watching as the little boy started to cry. He didn’t sob or break down. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he approached the bed. The connection the two young souls had surprised Alex. From the moment Simon and Tabitha met, they’d been together, always talking or fighting.
He watched as Miles moved out of the way. Simon took Tabitha’s hand with his, holding her up.
“I’m waiting for you,” Simon said.
Without any urging from them, Simon climbed up on the bed. He held onto Tabitha’s hand, lying next to her. Seeing the young kids, Alex felt a lump form in his throat at the sight. No one stopped him. This shouldn’t be something they ever had to go through. Eva laid her head against Tiny’s chest. Lexie moved to Devil’s side, watching.
“You’ve got to wake up. We’re going to visit the ghosts, Tab. Can’t go with anyone else.” Simon reached out as if to touch her then stopped. He hesitated but finally gave in and put his hand on her face. “Who will I marry? There’s birds and bees, Tab. I heard them talking.”
“I’m going to kill them,” Devil said.
“What?” Alex couldn’t help laughing.
“Fucking Death and Snake, I think. They started talking about the birds and bees in front of him.” Devil shook his head. “They’re going to fucking pay. I don’t need this shit.”
“Daddy say bad word,” Elizabeth said. She was young and so didn’t say all of the words.
“I know. We’ll get him to pay when we get home.”
“We’ve got a swear jar,” Devil said, explaining what they’re talking about.
“I bet you’re broke.” Alex smiled. “Can I have a word with you?”
“You want to talk?”
“Yeah, somewhere private.”
“Okay. Let’s go and talk.” Devil kissed Lexie’s head before heading out of the room. He nodded to Tiny and Ned, leaving the room. They made their way toward the back of the hospital near the café that was reserved for parents and relatives of the children. “This shouldn’t be happening. Kids getting hurt. The world is turning to shit,” Devil said. “I remember a time when it was a rule not to hit back at family, kids especially. We’re all turning into a fucked up world.”
“I know.”
They grabbed a coffee, and for the last few hours, Alex believed all he’d done was drink coffee.
“So, is there a reason we’re pretending to be friends?” Devil asked, taking a seat.
“I know you and Tiny are not talking right now.”
“Pretty much how it is. He insulted my woman and the club. Tiny�
��s lucky to be alive. Any other man I’d have fucking killed them.”
Alex held his hand up, silencing him. “I’m not going to argue with you. Tiny shouldn’t have said the shit that he did.”
“You also shouldn’t be making decisions for the club, but then, stepping back, I decided to do a little research on you, Alex Allen.” Devil cocked his head to the side. “I’ve come to see why it’s so important to have someone like Whizz around. The brother knows his way around a computer. I’m looking into having a guy who knows his way around a computer patched in. He’s a tough looking fucker, but then, we all are.”
Whizz was amazing when it came to keeping the club secure and providing information on all the possible threats that were posed to them.
“What did you want to talk about, Alex? I know you’ve done more for the club than anyone else wearing a patch.” Devil chuckled. “Does Tiny even know what you’ve done for the club? The sacrifices you’ve made, the kills under your belt?”
“Tiny doesn’t need to know everything that goes on.”
“I was wrong about you.”
“I’m not asking for you to give me a recommendation or a reference. I need to ask a favor of you.”
“What is it?” Devil asked.
“The guy who hurt Tabitha, I expect to have his location within the next couple of hours, but there’s something I want to ask you first,” Alex said, taking a sip. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. The guys, they’re going to be voting me out soon. When I’m gone, Tiny’s going to need someone to look out for him.”
“You’re going to let them vote you out?”
“I’m not going to fight it. I got married, and I intend to spend a great deal of time with her. I love Sunshine. She doesn’t deserve for me to spend my time fighting for a club that doesn’t want me.”
Devil sat back, staring at him. “I was really wrong about you. You really care about Tiny, don’t you?”
“He’s the brother I never really had. I care about him. I need to know that the Chaos Bleeds crew will have his back.”
“The boys, they won’t have his back.”
“They will if you do.”
“You really need to tell him what you did. You don’t deserve this, Alex.”
Alex smiled. “Tiny’s a great leader when he doesn’t have a lot to live for. Since Eva came along with the kids and another on the way, it has gotten to him.”
“He’s going to step down, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he’s going to step down. I don’t know when, but I think it’s going to be soon.”
Devil sighed. “I’m not stepping down from my club until I’m ready. I’ve got my boys to protect.”
“You and Tiny, you’re two different men. The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds are two different clubs. You can’t expect them to work the same.”
“I’ll take care of Tiny and any threat I don’t think The Skulls can take care of. I’ll do it for you.”
“I don’t care what makes you do it, only that you do.”
His cell phone started to buzz, and glancing down, he saw it was Diaz. “I’ve got to take this.”
Devil held his hands up. “Go ahead.”
Stepping away, he accepted the call. “What do you have for me?”
“I know where he is.”
“Tell me.” It was time to end this.
****
“This is rough business. How are you holding up?” Stink asked, handing Sandy a cup of coffee.
“I’m doing okay. Better than expected but I just wish there was something we could do, I could do.” She blew out a breath, taking the cup from him. Blowing across the top of the coffee, she took a sip, moaning at the perfect taste. Stink always remembered what to get her.
“It seems we’re always in the hospital nowadays. I remember the club from years ago, before all this shit happened. We got into trouble it was either the cells for the night, or being stitched up at the clubhouse.” He placed his arm across her shoulders. Sandy knew she shouldn’t, but she leaned back, accepting his touch. “I seem to recall it was you doing all the stitching for us.”
“I had to do something for you. I was a club whore.” Sandy stopped, sucking her lips in.
“It was a lifetime ago.” He started to tease her hair, stroking out the length as if he had a right to do so.
“Stink, why do you want me? It makes no sense for you to even consider me.” Ever since Stink had made his desires known, Sandy had done everything to try to avoid him. It was hard to do seeing as he liked to spend a great deal of time with her.
“You just don’t see yourself.”
“I was a club whore. I fucked any man who’d have me. Before Tiny settled down, I fucked him, Stink. I know most of the men intimately in the club. How can you even want me?” She’d watched a lot of the guys settle down over the last couple of years. They’d settled down, gotten married, had babies. She was a doctor, a good one, but she didn’t see herself being wife material.
He slowly pushed some of her hair off her face. “You’ve never been with me. You don’t see what I do when I look into your eyes. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, Sandy. I don’t give a fuck what the men have done before me. I only care about what I’m going to do to you when I get you alone.” His fingers brushed over her cheek. “There are women out there who’ve had hundreds of men. Each one the start of a relationship and yet it didn’t last. I don’t see her being called a whore, and you shouldn’t be either.”
“What are you asking for?”
“I’m asking for a shot. A shot for you to give me a chance. I can make you happy, Sandy.” He closed the distance. Sandy moaned as his lips met hers. Her heart raced, and her stomach tightened as his hand rested on her thigh. “You can’t tell me you don’t feel something for me. You do.”
Sandy bit her lip, waiting for something else to happen. Could she really give Stink a chance? She liked him. He was smart, fun, and a great friend.
“I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“It won’t.”
“Give me a chance. Be the strong woman I know you can be.” He took her hand. “I’ll never walk away. I’m here to stay.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sunshine made her way up to the main hospital room. She’d not seen Alex in over an hour and she was starting to miss him.
“Are you okay?” Angel asked, coming toward her.
“I’m fine. Have you seen Alex?”
“No, I think he’s still upstairs with Tabitha. I can’t believe anyone would hurt a child. I hate seeing it. The very idea of hurting another human being sickens me.”
Sunshine couldn’t argue with the kind woman.
“I’m going to head up and see if I can find him.”
“Oh, congratulations. We’re all very happy for you and Alex.”
“Thank you.” She smiled toward Angel before heading toward the elevator. Being in the hospital sickened her. She hated the hospital. It hadn’t been long enough since her last visit.
Entering the kids area, she smiled at the nurse who was working the desk, then went down to the room where little Tabitha lay.
She stood in the doorway, waiting for an opportunity to talk with Alex. Glancing at the occupants of the room, she frowned. There was no sign of Alex.
“I’m really sorry to disturb you. Have any of you seen Alex?” she asked.
Devil, Ned, and Tiny looked toward her.
“Last I saw him he was talking with Devil,” Tiny said.
“He got a phone call. You’ve not seen him?” Devil asked.
“No, I’ve not seen him.” Stepping out of the room, she started to walk down to the main reception room.
“What’s going on?” Ned asked, following her out.
“I don’t know. Shouldn’t you be with Tabitha?”
“I can’t watch that little girl another moment without doing anything. What’s going on with Alex?”
“Erm, I don’t know. He w
as supposed to be in the room with you guys. I’ve not seen him since he came back up with you.”
“What are you thinking?” Ned asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Lucky for you, I’ve got his cell number.”
They cleared the hospital going around the back so they didn’t encounter any of The Skulls. She watched as Ned started to dial Alex’s number.
“Alex, what are you doing?”
There was several minutes silence on Ned’s end. She heard Alex talking, but his words were rather muffled.
“No, you can’t fucking do this, Alex. You don’t need to do this on your own.” Ned stared up at the sky. His anger was clear to see.
“Let me talk to him,” she said.
Ned handed her the phone, reluctantly.
“Alex, what are you doing?”
“Stay in the hospital, baby. I need to do this. I’m going to end this once and for all.”
She heard the sound of a bell in the distance. Sunshine recognized that bell. Where did she know that bell from?
“I’m going to protect you, the club, Sully, Ned. I’ve got to do this, Sunshine.”
“No, you don’t have to do this alone. You’ve not had to do this alone for a long time.” She held onto the cell phone a little tighter. Fear gripped her so tight, threatening to take over. “You can’t do this, Alex. You can’t leave me.”
“I’m not going to leave you, baby. I’m going to put right what I should have done ten years ago.”
He hung up, and she stared down at the empty phone.
“What is it?”
“Alex is going for Preston. He’s going to put right a wrong. That sound.” She tilted her head to the side, thinking about the sound
“Did you recognize something?”
“I don’t know.” She ran fingers through her head, and suddenly she knew where the sound came from.
“He’s back at the church in Fort Wills. Shit, I don’t have a car.”
“Lucky for you, stealing cars is my forte.” Ned walked toward the car Sandy used. “Of course, I wouldn’t dream of stealing anyone else’s car but Sandy’s. She’ll be pissed at me, but she’s a doll.”
Sunshine at that moment didn’t care. Alex wasn’t going to do this alone. She wouldn’t let him do this alone. Climbing into the passenger seat, she tapped her fingers on her leg waiting.