by Ami Van
“Is Minx going to be okay?” the little girl asks once she steps away from her dad. “I saw her--”
“You know Minx,” Maddox says from behind her.
“Yeah. She’s stubborn and brave,” Bianca says with so much confidence. It was clear how much she loved and believed in her aunt.
“She’s a fighter. Just like you,” Tucker says.
“Yeah, she is! Minx is a bad a--” Bianca begins to say.
“BIANCA!!” her mother cuts her off.
“Apple,” Bianca finishes. “Christ, mother. Get yourself together.”
Tucker’s inappropriately loud laugh fills the Emergency Room. If he wasn’t so worried about Minx, he’d be laughing along with his friend. Bianca did earn a chuckle from him for the time being though.
It takes another hour before the doctor walks through the double doors alongside Sheriff Warren.
“I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” Sheriff Warren tells them. “Balton County Sheriff's department had to take her statement as soon as they can. One of the CPS agents and a deputy didn’t make it, unfortunately, so the department is pushing everything to move fast.”
“So, she’s going to be okay?” he asks the doctor.
“They did a number on her but she’s lucky. There were large amounts of MDMA and opiates in her system,” the doctor says. “A large dose of one or the other could be lethal to anyone but she had both. She’s got heart. A fighting one. We have to keep her here to continue monitoring her. They’re taking her up to a room right now. Someone will have to speak to the admittance nurse to get her situated.”
“I can do that. I have all her information,” Maddox says.
“You can go through those doors with me. The rest of you can continue waiting just a little bit more while they find her a room. A nurse will come out and tell you all which floor,” the doctor says. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Thank you. Thank you, doc.” He was shaking the man’s hand.
The doctor waves for Maddox to join him as he leads the way back to the double doors.
“I have to get back to Dumane,” Sheriff Warren says. “We still have a ton of things to take care of back home. Tricia, do you and Bianca want a ride back?”
“We’d like to stay so Minx can be reassured we’re safe now,” Tricia says.
The sheriff nods his head at everyone before he leaves.
“Maddox takes such good care of her,” Tucker says with sadness...maybe even regret.
“Nothing to be sad about, brother,” Atticus says before giving Tucker a pat on the back. “As twisted as it may sound, consider yourself lucky that he was here for her. It could have been worse if he weren’t.”
“He’s right, Tucker.” Tricia adds in. “The three of us count our blessings. Maddox and Austin saved her so she can save us.”
“Tricia,” Tucker begins to say. “I-I don’t know the words to say. I fucked up. I fucked up so badly.”
“When we were together, I knew I’d come second to the cut. I was okay with that. I was okay with raising Bianca alone and even Minx,” Tricia says. “There are people out there who live a lifetime not knowing the kind of love I had for you. It wasn’t the kind of love to possess. I was happy because you were happy doing what you love to do. We just...we just didn’t know this would happen.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Tucker says.
“I don’t hate you. I don’t hold anything against you. I’m extremely thankful that you helped us. You and me are good, Tucker. Your relationship with your daughter and your relationship with your sister is what you should focus on mending. One wants to know you so much, it hurts her. The other’s been broken by the amount of love and admiration she has for you.”
“Thank you, Tricia. You always did get me, didn’t you?”
He sees Tucker looking back at Bianca who was playing a game of checkers with Kyle in the corner.
“She’s such a great kid,” Tucker says. “You did such a good job even under the circumstances.”
“It wasn’t easy and it’s never-ending,” Tricia replies.
For the first time since he’d been in the room, Tricia looks at him. Rather, she looks up at him. She was a lot taller than Minx but still shorter than him.
“I never thanked you for helping me earlier tonight,” Tricia says.
“My names Dakota. Tucker and I are good friends,” he tells her.
“He’s kinda Minx’s old man too,” Atticus says with a chuckle.
“What?” Tucker asks. “Since when and what do you mean kinda?”
“Well, I saw him tagging her just yesterday morning in front of everyone in the clubhouse. But I don’t think Minx has a clue he’s laid claim to her,” Atticus answers.
“Christ, Dakota. My sister? Really?”
“Would you rather it be someone else?” he asks as a friend, not a club member.
“I don’t even think Minx has even had a boyfriend before and now she’s someone’s old lady,” Tricia laughs.
CHAPTER 29
Minx
“NO!” she hears herself screaming. “STOP! Please.”
“Shh….,” she hears a voice. “It’s okay. You’re okay, Mercy.”
Dakota?
“I’m right here,” he answers except she didn’t think she asked the question out loud.
Gunshots. The clubhouse. He was in the clubhouse.
She immediately opens her eyes.
“Dakota?”
He was here! The gorgeous brute was here! Standing over her with his beautiful green eyes looking at her while his enormous hands were cupping her face.
“You’re okay?” she asks. “You’re really okay?”
“Christ, Mercy. He ain’t the one lying in a hospital bed,” Tucker says.
She finally looks around. Sure enough, she was in a hospital bed. An IV line stuck in her arm.
“Bee?” she asks, remembering her niece had been with her.
“She’s safe,” Dakota points and she sees Bianca asleep in her dad’s lap. In Tucker’s arms.
“Tristan told me you were in the clubhouse,” she tells Dakota.
She pulls him by the front of his cut. Wanting to be closer, wanting to make sure he wasn’t hurt.
“I’m okay,” he tells her, giving her a kiss. “Everyone’s okay.”
“I love you,” she says. “You can’t scare me like that.”
She can hear his soft laughter but she was too tired to talk anymore. Now that everyone’s okay, she just wanted to sleep.
CHAPTER 30
Dakota
After spending three nights at the hospital, Mercy was finally released earlier today. Except he hadn’t been able to go pick her up so Maddox, Tricia, and Bianca volunteered. It made him pretty much a krabby patty, as she would call him.
The club had been a whirlwind of havoc since everything went down. Some of their brothers were heading back today to their home charters with all the heat surrounding them. Most likely a wise decision even though the sheriff had requested that Tucker have everyone remain in the area. But with so many of them, it’d be hard for Sheriff Warren and his deputies to keep tabs on who comes and goes anyway.
With all available and uninjured hands, the main house was now repaired and freshly painted. It looked as if nothing happened. The blood stains and stench of blood were gone too. Tristan said that Minx can hold her shit down even though she was feeling sick. That made him and the guys feel even more shitty since they’d all agreed to drug her. Thank the bike gods she was able to wake up anyway. The clubhouse was going to take a little longer to repair. Seeing all the bullet holes sprayed from side to side, it was amazing no one was killed.
Tristan had been released the day before. His shoulder sewn up and his arm in a sling to let his muscles heal. He’d moved his belongings out of Austin’s room though and had slept in Tucker’s room since Tucker had been spending nights with Tricia and Bianca. The man had lost so much time with his daughter, he can see how hard it
was for Tucker to be away from her.
Bianca was a sweet and extremely smart little girl. She had a lot of Minx in her and she was fierce like both her father and her aunt. Considering everything her and her mother had lived through, it was amazing to see her so happy. The few times he’s been to see Tucker at the house, Bianca seems to love her new room especially with her mom’s room right down the hall and her dad’s room at the other end. Tucker had admitted he hadn’t slept in the extra room though, he’d much rather fall asleep on Bianca’s floor, next to her bed.
He and his brothers were currently in the garage at the clubhouse just returning from their ride out to see the Hellhounds. Of the five that were jumped and stripped of their cut, one of his guys was still in serious condition. The knock to his head caused some major swelling and he was listed as being in a medically induced coma.
“Sheriff Warren called when we were at the bar,” Tucker says. He was sitting on his bike and smoking a cigarette. “Fucking Diaz might be given a plea.”
“Will it matter? He’s still going to be doing life,” Atticus says.
“Not if the motherfucker turns rat to get a chance at parole,” Tucker says. “But a plea might mean that Bianca, Tricia, and Minx won’t have to take the stand and relive that shit all over again.”
“Are we good with the law?” he asks Tucker.
“Sheriff Warren’s doing his part to keep it that way,” Tucker answers. “As far as the reports go, we weren’t anywhere near Rouche County. The clubhouse being shot up and people scattering for their lives gave us a good cover. We’ve got our attorney on standby.”
“What about us? What’s our next move?” Atticus asks.
“I don’t know yet,” Tucker says. “Let’s stick around and help out here first while I get my head together. We did a pretty good job of fucking up their home here. Plus, we need to think about the possibility of Reaper blowback. Of everyone either taken down or in jail, Castro’s still out. We’ll see if he moves himself into the President’s seat and see if he wants to take a stand.”
“Is staying an option?” Tristan asks.
He looks at his cousin to see if he was serious or not. Tristan was the one that suckered him in to transferring to Nomad. His cousin loved the life. The road and his bike, not knowing where the day ends, or how tomorrow begins was exciting and what Tristan lived for.
“I’m not suggesting that’s what I want to do. I’m just asking if it’s an option to re-establish a charter here. Take over Reaper territory altogether. We can sit on the border of Dumane County and Rouche County. Hellhounds to our west. We’d be solid here,” Tristan tells them.
“I know it sounds tempting,” Tucker says. “But we’d have to put some serious thought into it. Talk to our other brothers, take a vote and then we’d need to reach out to all the other charters and get their votes too.”
“We’d have to make sure we can afford it too. As nice as this place is, it’s still Maddox’s and Minx’s place. I doubt they’d just hand over their home to the club and they shouldn’t have to,” Atticus reminds everyone.
“Come on,” Tucker says. “Let's go get cleaned up and meet up with everyone else in town already. Otis’s dick is probably itching to stick it to his new wife by now.”
For whatever reason, Otis up and went down to city hall about two hours ago and made Penny his wife. Not just an old lady but officially his wife. Celebrations were taking place in town for a nice dinner. Well, dinner was at a nice place. He wasn’t sure how nice his brothers were going to be at the place though.
“If his dick is itching, I doubt it’s because he wants to stick it in his wife. It’s probably because he stuck it somewhere he shouldn’t have,” Atticus says, causing a laughing riot.
“Minx should be back home by now,” Tucker says once his laughing subsides. “See if she wants to go or stay in. Might be too much for her to hang around all these hooligans right now.”
“You’re head hooligan, Tuck.” Atticus shoves at Tucker’s back.
“By the way, whoever was supposed to check the downstairs for guns luckily did a shitty job. Minx found a fucking Beretta strapped to the bottom of the ottoman. Surprised the fuck out of me that she’d know how to use it properly,” Tristan says.
“If I remember correctly, your ass was the one checking the living room,” he says to his cousin as they all walk past the clubhouse, heading to the main house. “I’m sure Maddox taught her well.”
They were greeted by the sound of Bianca’s laughter when they enter the house.
“Tucker!” she yells out to her dad before running over to him. “This house is so pretty! I’ve never been here before! There are six whole bedrooms! Six!!” she exclaims. “Who has that many bedrooms?”
“I guess Minx and Maddox do,” Tucker says, picking up his daughter.
He leaves the group and heads upstairs. He can hear the shower running when he enters the bedroom. He hadn’t slept in here since the night he slipped out and everything went down. He’d been crashing on the small recliner in her hospital room next to her.
He takes his cut off and settles it in its normal place before taking his boots off and then settling himself down in bed. It’d been a long day. Arms folded behind his head, he closes his eyes and waits for her.
Not long after, the shower was no longer running and he can hear the sliding of the shower curtain. Soon after that, he hears her loud gasp.
“Shit,” she whispers. “You scared me.”
He sits up in bed.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
She had her hair wrapped up in a towel, another towel wrapped around her naked body. He gets up and walks over to her.
“Sorry I couldn’t go and get you,” he tells her.
“It’s okay,” she tells him, closing the distance and sliding her arms around his waist.
“Feels good,” he tells her. “Feels good to have you back here, like this.”
He hadn’t been able to hold her like this for too long. Holding her in his arms, naked and nearly dying kept haunting him. He was glad that wasn’t to be the last time he got to hold her. She doesn’t say anything for a while. She just held him and he wasn’t willing to let her out of his arms either.
“We’re going into town for dinner. Otis went and got himself married to Penny earlier this afternoon. Everyone’s joining in on the small celebration at the steakhouse. Do you want to go? We won’t have to stay long if you do,” he asks her.
“Dinner would be nice,” she answers, her head never leaving his chest. “Hospital food is definitely as bad as they make it out to be.”
When she pulls away from him, he almost pulls her right back. But her head was craning, as usual, to look up at him.
“Are we okay?” she asks.
“Of course,” he answers. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“There’s a lot that happened, Dakota. I-I know what you must have seen,” she says, looking away.
“Don’t be ashamed. I know what I saw. I wish I hadn’t but I did. It still doesn’t change what I feel for you. I still love you, Mercy.”
“Now that it’s over, what’s going to happen? Are you leaving?” she asks.
“I honestly don’t know. We haven’t had time to bring anything to the table yet. Until then, why don’t we enjoy what we have now?”
Her hand was cupping his face, her thumb tracing his cheek before it leaves and she’s tangling her fingers in his beard. She pulls on it and he bends low enough for her to take a good sniff like she often does.
“Peachy,” she says with a small smile.
He removes the towel around her head and takes a big sniff of her.
“I’m surprised,” he says. “You don’t smell like vanilla today.”
“Yeah. I ran out of shampoo so I had to use yours,” she laughs.
CHAPTER 31
Minx
Dinner out was exactly what she’d needed.
This was the first time she was having dinner out with not o
nly Dakota but also Tucker and his family. Tricia and Bee were there too. The only one that didn’t join was Maddox. She had insisted he come along but he swore up and down that he was fine. That he just wanted a quiet moment to himself. Dakota had talked her into letting Maddox be. He’d been going nonstop since Austin’s death and their home full of Knights. He did look exhausted. He was always taking care of her and Austin before himself.
“You look great,” Dakota whispers into her ear, his hand sliding behind her back.
“You always look good,” she turns and tells him. It was the truth, after all.
Her eyes wander over to his bicep and sees the large scab there. He’d been shot or grazed as he says, making nothing of it. It wasn’t nothing of course. And worse, she’d seen the half dollar sized bruise right in the middle of his chest. He’d been shot and it had her feeling uneasy at how nonchalant he was about it.
As if reading her thoughts, he picks up her hand and places the gentlest of kisses to the inside of her wrist before pulling her head in to touch his lips to it.
“I like it when you do that,” she tells him. “Like a gentle giant.”
“Oh yeah?” he asks with the weirdest smirk she’s ever seen on his bearded face.
“Uh-huh,” she tells him, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
Tucker clearing his throat makes her turn her head. Both Tucker and Tricia were staring at her and Dakota. Tricia had a smile on her face and Tucker’s expression was somewhere between dumbfounded and... pissed off? She couldn’t be sure.
Tricia turns to see Tucker’s expression and laughs. Her brother literally growls at Tricia causing her to laugh even harder.
She turns to meet Dakota’s eyes and he was barely holding in his own laughter.
“What’s so funny?” she asks Dakota.
He shakes his head. “Your brother isn’t liking me much right now,” he says with a grin.