by Sam Crescent
Fighter had to go to the hospital, along with Blaine, Zero, and Alex. Sunshine had gone into labor, and had also gone to the hospital.
It was killing Lash to still be at the clubhouse and not with his wife, in the hospital. This was his job, his responsibility, and Angel would be pissed at him if he put her first.
He took hold of his son’s hand, and together they walked back inside.
“All the babies are okay,” Ripper said. “Judi’s helping Kelsey to help them rest.”
Lash nodded. “We’ve got to clean this place up and head to the hospital.”
“There’s no way we can leave anyone behind. That’s our club Prez, Lash, and his son is not going to die today.” Ripper talked about Devil, the Prez of the Chaos Bleeds.
“We’ll clean up, and round everyone up to head to the hospital.” Crouching down, he cupped Anthony’s face. “I need you to be a big boy now for me, Anthony.”
“I will.”
“Help Tate for me before she loses control and starts screaming.”
“Everyone has been screaming.”
“I know, son, I know.” Lash pulled Anthony toward him. He had his mother’s beautiful blue eyes. Just looking at him, made him think of the love he possessed for Angel. That love kept him strong. This was his life, and he’d pulled Angel into this life. He had to be stronger than ever before.
Lash watched as Anthony walked across the yard toward Tate. The woman was a crazy bitch, always causing shit, but when the club needed her, she was there without question. Right now, Tate was pulling her shit together and helping with the kids, so he didn’t go ordering her around.
Spider came toward him, holding onto his crutches. “There’s a club whore dead behind the bar you’d set up.”
“We’ll handle it. The cops are going to be here soon.”
“It was Master, wasn’t it?” Spider asked.
“We all know it was him, but we can’t go ratting him out. There’s no way we can tell anyone about this shit.”
“Did you ever know Gash’s brother?”
Lash sighed, turning toward the Chaos Bleeds member. From what Devil had told him, Spider’s woman was missing, taken by Master. Her sister was handed back to them, but no word on his woman. They all knew if they didn’t get to her soon, her days would be numbered. Master wasn’t going to show mercy or kindness.
“I remember Andrew, yes.”
“Didn’t you have a thought to kill him? Take him out, stop all this bad shit from happening?”
“It was a long time ago. I wasn’t even a prospect back then. I was a fucking kid. The club made a mistake in letting Andrew get away, and we’re going to solve it.”
“How? How are we going to solve it? He’s taking us out one by one.”
“I know you’re hurting—”
“You don’t know shit. All the fucking Skulls know to do is sit around twiddling their bastard thumbs.”
Lash reacted. Grabbing Spider’s jacket, he threw him up against the nearest wall. “You think I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs? We fucked up years ago letting that monster loose, but no club has a rule of in or dead policy. Andrew didn’t make it to be a fucking Skull, he was gone, end of story. You want to start going for blame, you’re the one who brought him back to us. This is our problem!”
“Enough,” Gash said, coming to stand beside him. “This is what Andrew does. He ruins people. Gets inside their heads and fucks them over without even trying. This is what you want?”
Lash shook his head, followed by Spider. “No.”
“Then stop fighting each other. We’ve got to fight the fucker who put us here,” Gash said. “He’s fucked us over, I get that, but don’t let him win, not now.”
“He won today!” Spider said. “Every day that passes and I don’t have my woman, he continues to win.”
“We’re going to get her back.”
“When? How much longer?” Spider asked. “I promised I’d protect her, and he’s hurting her. This very second he’s hurting her, breaking her down until what remains? Nothing.”
“You don’t know that.”
“We all know that!”
Lash waited for Gash to hand him back his crutches before releasing him. Tears were in Spider’s eyes. “He’s going to be hurting her, every chance he gets. This is what he does. We can’t pretend otherwise, so don’t try. That’s exactly what he’s doing. We don’t have a clue how to stop him.”
“We will,” Gash said.
“Until then, Paris is being hurt, and we’ve got to deal with all the shit he’s going to throw at us. People are dying, and we’ve got to wait?”
“There’s nothing else we can do right now. We’ll get him, Spider, and you’ll be there with all of us, ready to kill the fucker, got me?” Lash asked.
Spider sighed.
It didn’t matter how many times they talked, none of them were going to get what they wanted, not today, not tomorrow—there was no limit to the trouble that surrounded them.
****
Sandy was exhausted, and once again the hospital was full of The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds. They really needed to stop doing this, coming to the hospital. It was more of a home than the clubhouse was. She didn’t know if she should be happy about that. The hospital had welcomed her back with open arms like always. She’d wanted to take a break from being a doctor, but being with The Skulls, it made it impossible to have a break from saving a life. Being a doctor that took a break was impossible. Every other week they seemed to be in some kind of trouble.
She was already in scrubs with her black hair pulled up into a band. Ever since Lacey had joined the club, she’d brought with her the enjoyment of experimenting with dyeing their hair. Even Angel had changed her hair color, much to Lash’s annoyance.
Sophia was stable, and had been operated on to repair the damage to her lung. The bullet had gone through, deflating her lung. Operating on her friends was starting to take its toll. Sophia was her friend. All of the old ladies were her friends. This was so fucking hard, and she didn’t want to keep going through it. This was the life she wanted, though. The Skulls were her family, and she would stand by them for the rest of her life.
Rubbing the back of her neck, she made her way into the main waiting room, which was covered with Skulls and Chaos Bleeds members. This had hit the club hard, and she was struggling to hold it together.
Gash was there, and he seemed to have taken the lead for The Skulls. Lash was with his woman, and so was Tiny. Alex was in surgery. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Stink getting to his feet. Ripper had also come forward as the guy for Chaos Bleeds.
“Sophia’s stable right now. I’m going to go and check on everyone, and I’ll bring you updates.”
“Does Lash know?” Gash asked.
“No. I’m going to go and tell him. Everyone is at different places within the hospital. I’m doing my best, but like everything, it takes time.” She smiled at each of them, taking a breath, and stepping away. “I’ll be back with more information.”
She moved toward the door, and Stink stopped her. “How are you doing?”
This was what made it hard for her to turn Stink down. He was always concerned about her. She’d never known a guy be so totally caring about her. Her life had been about being the pussy of the club. She’d fucked many guys in her time, and at nearly forty years old, she truly didn’t know if she was settling down kind of woman. Stink never looked at any other woman. She couldn’t even be sure if he’d been with another woman since he’d taken her in. He didn’t care about the past, and he only ever saw the future. How could she not love a guy like that? Stink was one of a kind. Most of the time he seemed to be overlooked by so many, but that wasn’t true.
A few years ago she had stopped being club pussy, but Tiny hadn’t kicked her out. She was as much part of the club as anyone else.
Her loyalty had been shown many times over the years, and she loved all of the club. They were her friends. They were her famil
y.
“I’m doing okay.” She took another deep breath, trying to prove that she was more than fine.
“You don’t have to pretend for me, Sandy. This is me.”
“I’m trying not to fall apart right now. Crying won’t help.”
“I know. I know.” He went to hug her, but she shook her head, taking a step back, holding onto the door. She really couldn’t handle it right now as she struggled to hold it all in.
“I can’t right now, and if you let me, I’m not going to stop. I’ve got to stay strong right now, and I won’t be strong if you hold me.”
Stink nodded. “I’ll be here.”
She forced a smile, and left him alone, going through the door. Next stop for her was the children’s ward. Out of all the places to go the children’s ward was the worst. One of the things she hated about being a doctor was death. When it came to children, death was even worse. They’d not had the chance to live, and for Sandy it had always been hard to say goodbye to young patients. Many a night she had gone home in floods of tears, wondering why the hell she’d become a doctor in the first place. Simon and Tabitha, they were two sweet children that hadn’t been given the real chance to live. Sally was also there as well. She was still considered a child even though she’d been through her own kind of hell. Sally had been adopted by Lacey and Whizz, who couldn’t have any children of their own. Sandy really felt for Lacey. For all of Lacey’s faults, there was one thing Sandy couldn’t fault her on and that was her ability to mother.
Outside the door, Sandy washed her hands in the anti-bacterial solution, and entered. She nodded at the nurses and staff as she passed them by. No one stopped her.
“The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds kids, where are they?” she asked, stopping at the main desk in the room.
“Over there,” the nurse said.
Sandy made her way down the far corridor and saw the large room that was big enough to fit two patients. On one bed lay Simon, on the other, Tabitha. Eva and Tiny sat by the bed of Tabitha holding her hand. Devil and Lexie were next to Simon. They knew they didn’t have to worry about their other babies. It was why being part of The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds was so good. There was always someone willing to help. They were all a family at the core.
“What’s going on?” Sandy asked.
They all turned to her.
Tubes were hooked up to both children, and Sandy found herself collapsing against the doorframe. “Fuck!” This was not a sight she ever wanted to see. Simon and Tabitha, they were good kids. Their affection for each other was truly startling, and at times, Sandy found herself wishing she’d had that growing up. Then she’d look toward Stink, and she’d see it in his eyes.
“Simon stood in front of Tabitha, took a bullet, but it went straight through,” Devil said.
“They were both hit with the same bullet?” Sandy asked.
“Yeah. Fuck, Tiny, these are our kids. I’ve got a man who is at the end of his fucking patience. Spider is losing his shit. This shit can’t be happening for much longer. Andrew, he’s got to go, and we’ve got to hit him hard. This is just a distraction. He’s keeping us busy.”
Tiny nodded. “We’re going to pay him back. Andrew is going to know what real pain is like.”
Sandy entered the room and picked up Simon’s chart. She forced herself to keep on going, to keep on moving. The only way they survived was to keep on moving forward. She read through the transcripts seeing that he’d been in surgery to repair the damage the bullet had caused. There was also a note of a concussion, and Simon needed to be checked on every few hours. She did the same to Tabitha, seeing the young girl had the same problem. Staring at the two kids, Sandy wondered what it was that connected them. From when they were kids, they’d gravitated to each other, always by each other’s sides whenever they had the chance. Even during the fight between Devil and Tiny, the two kids had found ways of contacting each other. Their determination rivaled most marriages.
Ever since they were babies, there had been this hold that gripped the two. Everyone saw it, but no one understood it. It was just there. Tabitha and Simon were convinced they were going to be together, married, and she’d even heard them both planning it. No matter how many times their parents thought this would go away with age, it never did. If anything, the connection between the two had only gotten stronger. She had to wonder what it would be like for them when they reached their teenage years.
“They’re stable,” Sandy said, letting out a breath.
“What’s going on?” Tiny asked.
“Sophia’s stable at the moment, but she got shot, and it pierced her lung.”
“How is that possible?” Lexie asked. “She was checking on the kids.”
“The bullet hit the window, and got her,” Sandy said. “There’s, um, there’s a lot of our people in the hospital. I’m going to go and check on them. I’ll be back soon.”
“How is everyone?” Devil asked.
“They’re down in the waiting room. It hasn’t been a good day today.” She did her best to smile, but once again, she couldn’t find a reason to. Today was not a good day. “Happy died,” she said, looking at Tiny. “We had a lot of loss today.”
Before the tears threatened to take over, she left the room and held her stomach as she made her way toward the older section of the children’s ward. Standing at the window she saw Sally lying in a bed with Whizz and Lacey on either side of her. Lacey had been injured with a grazed arm, so a few stitches, and she’d been discharged. Sandy knew it wouldn’t take Lacey long to be by Sally’s side.
“You’ve got to go see Daisy,” Sally said.
“Daisy will be taken care of. She knows we love her,” Lacey said.
“She’s younger than me. Please, just, for me, go see her,” Sally said. “She must be frightened, and I can’t stand the thought of her being frightened. Please.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Sandy said, entering the room.
“Are you sure?” Whizz asked.
“I’m sure. Please, Daisy’s younger than me. I get it. I’d be with her myself, but I can’t leave.”
Whizz and Lacey both left the room, and Sally released a sigh.
They turned back at the door. Sally smiled at them, and Sandy took a seat. “What’s going on?”
“They’re so worried about me, and I’m not used to having someone worry about me. It gets a little overwhelming at times. Kind of scary.”
“Don’t be scared. They love you. What happened?” Sandy asked.
Sally removed the blanket, showing off her bandaged leg. “Bullet went straight through my thigh, just above my knee. I can’t feel it right now. I heard the doctor say that it shattered my knee or something. I don’t know, I was a little out of it. I’ll have one hell of a scar though. Makes wearing skirts trouble.” Sally forced a laugh.
“You look scared. What’s up?”
“I heard them talking, and they repaired my knee as best as they can.” Sally looked down at her thigh. “They could take my leg. I mean, I could have imagined the whole thing, but I see the way they looked at me. I don’t think I was imagining much.”
“What?”
Sandy grabbed the file and read through the damage that had been reported around her knee. Sally kept on talking, and Sandy listened as she read.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Sally?”
“Just, please tell me I heard it right. They could take my knee, but it’s a last resort, right?”
Sandy sighed. “It’s a last resort, but, Sally, you could be in pain for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t want to lose my leg. Please make sure they don’t take it. I like my leg.”
“Honey.”
Sally shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes. “I can’t do this. I can’t have no leg, and I can’t—I’m not strong enough to survive that!”
“You’re strong enough.”
“I’m not. I’m really not. I can’t do this, Sandy.”
&nbs
p; Sandy got to her feet and pulled Sally into a hug. Just as she was about to speak, there was a knock on the door, and then Steven entered. “Is this a bad time? I just wanted to check in.”
Holding her hand up to stop, Sandy shook her head. “No, it’s not a bad time. I’ve got to go check on the others. Everything will be all right, I promise.” She pressed a kiss to Sally’s head, and left Steven to deal with that.
Coward!
There was a reason she had never had kids, and one of those reasons was how helpless she had just felt.
Chapter Two
Stink sat in the waiting room chair, sipping his coffee as he listened to Miles read. There was a selection of toys, and all of the kids were sitting in the circle the clubs had created, playing. It was moments like these that Stink wondered why the clubs had gone their separate ways. They had always gotten along beforehand. Then something stupid had been said, by Tiny no less, and everything had fallen apart. He hoped nothing like that happened again. They were much better as friends than as enemies. Stink didn’t even want to think about them being enemies.
“I heard you and the good doctor have a thing going on?” Sinner asked. He was a Chaos Bleeds member.
“You heard right.”
“She’s a hot piece of ass.”
“I’m not going to hurt you in front of the kids, or while we’re in the hospital, but you continue to talk shit about my girl, and I will hurt you.” Stink wasn’t afraid of a fight. He’d proven himself over the years.
“I heard she was a club whore.”
“Again, I won’t forget your shit. Be careful.”
Sinner held his hands up. “Just thought I’d use this time to talk, seeing as we’re going to be here a while.”
“Are you an asshole on purpose?”
“Nope, that is my job,” Dick said, taking a seat beside him.
“Am I just the unlucky one today?” Stink asked.
“Nope, you’re the only one not looking freaked out,” Martha said, coming to sit on Dick’s knee.
Stink was freaked out, but over the years of being part of The Skulls, he’d come to see that reacting on his feelings never helped anyone. “What’s that got to do with anything?”