by Sierra Rose
"We all are." Elec shrugged and walked from the door, leaving before I got the chance to ask why he lied to the doctor. Him saying he was my cousin would have been just as good as saying he was my brother. There was no reason for it. It left too many unanswered questions in my head. Ones that I would be revisiting soon-- with him.
Chapter 8
Lucky
The search in the woods behind Johnny Pike's place was quick and successful. We found what we were looking for, from blood splattered everywhere to torn pieces of clothes, and even a patch of Kaylee Pike's hair. It was impossibly sad, and all I wanted was Lena to snuggle up on the couch at her Grandma's and let me hold her. I needed some warmth, her warmth.
We rode back to the lodge in silence as I pulled out my phone a million times, checking it for her message. I called twice and went straight to voice mail.
"We should go look for her." Dane's voice broke the silence as we pulled up to the lodge. "I know she does this shit a lot, but something isn't right. It's been all damn day, Luck. Let's go to your hangouts. You take the garage, and I'll check Grandma's."
"Yeah. Alright. I don't know why the fuck she hasn't called or texted me. She knows I'm terrified of something happening to her. It's just insensitive." I growled.
"Which isn't her at all where you're concerned. She might play pranks and act like a little shit when she's in a mood, but she'd never do anything to make you this upset." He rolled his shoulder and glanced up in the rearview mirror as his eyes widened.
"No fucking way." He got out of the truck, and I did too, shocked as shit to see Elec Delgado driving up behind us.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I pulled my piece from the back of my jeans and moved to stand just in front of Dane, who was holding his by his side.
"Lena's in the hospital. Rafael’s got her phone. You need to come on. She's a little frantic because she's worried about you." He spoke quickly, his voice tight with tension.
Ice water ran through my veins as I tried to digest what he'd said. "Lena's what? Why?"
"It doesn't matter. Just come the fuck on. She's alive and will get out in a day or so. Let's go." He turned and sped off, leaving me there in shock.
"Let's take the truck." Dane patted my shoulder.
"No. I need to ride. Meet me there." I turned and ran across the yard as every horrid thought I could muster ran through me. She was my everything, my world. "Please don't let anything be wrong with her. Please. I'll give anything."
"Hey boy. What's nipping at your ass?" Rusty stood up from his perched position and stretched.
"I let Lena out of my sight for five minutes today, and she took off. Now, she's in the hospital. Tell Blade and the others I’ll be in touch when I can." I got on my bike and took off, nothing on my mind but reaching my girl and covering her in kisses. The ass chewing would come later when I knew she could handle it. Right now, I just needed to know she was alright.
***
I walked into the hospital to find Elec standing by the ER door.
"Over here, man." He nodded toward the elevator. "Is your cop friend coming?"
"Yes." I glanced back to see Dane walking in and motioned for him to join us. "I'm a little hesitant to trust you. I'm sure you understand."
"Yep. Not my problem though. I'm not here or involved because of you." He pressed the button for the elevator and crossed his arms over his chest, turning to look me in the face.
Of all the Delgado's, he had to be the one I pegged as the soulless one.
"Did you guys rape and murder the Pike kids?" I asked quickly, hoping he would tell me who was involved and save us a little bit of time.
He shrugged and walked into the elevator as it opened. "Don't confuse my willingness to help Lena out as any loyalty to the Stone Wolves or either of you. I'm a Black Heart through and through. Sel's my only concern."
"I'll take what I can get for now." I put my back to him and shoved my hands in my pockets as nerves tore up my stomach. "I'm going in by myself at first. I want to see her and then you guys can come in."
"She's fine, just a little shaken," Elec mumbled. "She's a tough girl. You should stop treating her like she's not."
"She's my woman. I'll treat her however the fuck I please." I glanced back and narrowed my eyes at him. "What room?"
"Twelve-fifteen." He wasn't fazed at all by me or Dane. He was too far gone to pull back, and yet his voice softened just a tad when he spoke of Lena. Why? What was the sudden change of heart due to; had they always been close and I just didn't know it? She rarely talked about any of her family around me. Understandably so.
I jogged down the hall the minute I was given the opportunity and paused at the door, taking a deep breath, knocking and going in.
She sat up, her skin pasty and various tubes coming from her nightgown and arms. I closed the door behind me as my heart almost stopped.
"Lucky. Thank God you're okay."
"What the fuck were you thinking?" I walked toward her and reached down, wrapping my arms around her as my insides threatened to burst. It was hard to breathe all of a sudden and where I knew she was my forever love, it was as if I hadn't really realized how much she meant to me until that moment. There, in that big-ass hospital, holding her to my chest as I trembled, I realized that and more. There was no pussy-footing around it. I was one hundred percent lost to her forever.
"I didn't do anything, Luck. I promise." Her voice was frail, scratchy.
I pulled back just enough to press my lips to her in a frantic kiss. Wrapping my fingers softly around her face, I kissed her all over it, noticing that she flinched due to the swelling on her right cheek.
Tears burned my eyes and I couldn't speak.
"Baby. I'm sorry." She reached up and brushed away my tears before pulling me down and wrapping me in a tight hug. I hadn't cried many times in my life, but the possibility of losing her stripped me completely bare.
"I can't lose you. I wouldn't survive." I pressed my face against the side of her neck and worked to get a hold of myself.
"I know. Me, either." She turned her face and kissed mine until I shifted a little and pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was long and probing, but not filled with our usual carnality. It was a reconnection point, an acknowledgment that we were both scared shitless and yet we would pull through because of each other -- for each other.
I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes. "What happened? Why did you leave the house? Something upset you that bad that you left me that shitty text? I was right out back."
Moving back, I took her hand and sat down on the bed next to her. I'd promised myself I wasn't going to berate her just yet, but I needed to know. If we were going to make it through all the shit we had coming, thanks to her father still lurking around every corner, I had to convince her to stop going solo whenever she wanted. She needed freedom and she could have all of it she could handle, but not yet. Right now was about keeping each other safe until we could take Rafael out.
That day’s coming sooner than later. If that bastard touched my girl.
"I didn't send a text." Her brow furrowed slightly. "I was trying to get to Dante's old safe under the floor in the office just across the hall from my bedroom. I thought you came in behind me, but it was him."
I jerked up. "Him? Your father?"
"Dante." She reached up and pressed her hand to her chest as the heart rate monitor spiked a little. "He was rough, but I held my own. I was fine until he drugged me and then all bets were off."
"Rough how?" A darkness moved through me that begged for screams and blood.
"Not too bad. Just enough to scare me." She let out a shaky breath. "I woke up to my father in my face, popping me in the jaw."
"I'll fucking kill him. I swear it, Lena."
"I know, baby. He has to die for all he's done." She wrapped her arms around herself, and I didn't hesitate to kick off my boots and crawl up in the bed beside her.
After pulling her tightly into my arms, I whispe
red against the side of her head. "Then what?"
"He wants me to move back into the clubhouse to make sure people stay out of it." She shivered.
"No."
"I'm not asking. He's going to start killing people I love unless I do it. I'm going." She turned and pressed her lips to my neck.
"Then I'm going with you." I breathed her in, not quite sure I understood all the drama Rafael felt he had to pull just to get her to stay in the house. Why?
"No. He won't allow that. I need to do this until we can figure out what's up." She pulled back a little. "He's furious with me, and hit me several times, though I suppose mouthing off to him was a bad idea." Her smirk told me that she'd not played his game at all.
"That's not okay, Lena. I'm seriously going to massacre him for hurting you." I brushed her hair back. "How did you get to the ambulance?"
She stiffened and shook her head. "Just lucky, I guess."
I glanced down, studying her face. "You're lying. Don't do that to me. How did you get here? Did someone bring you? Elec?"
"No." She glanced down as tears started to drip down her face. My heart hammered in my chest.
"Lena. Tell me." I glanced up as the door opened and Elec stuck his head in.
"I have to go. I've been gone too long as it is." He walked toward the bed, stopping short as his gaze moved to Lena.
"Who brought her to the hospital?" I pinned him with a hard stare. Someone was going to fucking answer me.
"The ambulance." He gave me a 'you're such a dumb ass' look. "Who else would?"
"Who called them to come get her?" I glanced back down at her. "What aren't you telling me?"
"The fire department." Elec moved around the bed and touched the side of her shoulder. "I'll come by the house tomorrow morning. We need to figure out what you're going to do. You can't run forever, and he's not going to stop. I'd kill him myself if I thought I could survive the others coming after me."
"Why are you helping her?" I sat up and turned my full attention on him.
He ignored me, bent down and kissed the side of her head as she cried. "See you soon, tough girl."
I waited until he left to sink back down in the bed with her. "You have to tell me, baby. I'm here to help you."
"I know, Luck, but it was horrible. I don't want you going out there looking for him. He's far more of a monster than we could imagine, and he has a lot of scary mother fuckers with him." Her voice rose, as did the heart rate monitor again.
"I'm not going after him in the middle of the night. We'll figure this out, but what did the fire department have to do with anything?" I was almost terrified that I already knew.
"He made Mateo douse the place in gasoline and set fire to it." She tucked herself against me again as soft sobs left her. "I was tied to a huge chair that I couldn't get to work for me. I finally gave up and that's when they showed up."
"Son of a bitch." Numbness rolled through me as a light sweat broke out over my skin. "No more being without me. I understand the house, but I'll sneak in late at night or something. I'm not letting you out of my sight. I can't."
She nodded and continued to cry until she fell asleep in my arms. I rocked her softly and whispered soft promises against her hair, my heart tearing open each time I thought about all that Rafael had put her through. There wasn't a stretch of road long enough for him to outrun me. I'd told her that I would be careful, but the minute we found him... all bets were off. The fucker was going to beg for his life, and though some part of me would wilt at having to dive into the depravity that he thrived in, I was going in deep if I had to. Nothing or no one was coming near my girl again.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
Dane stuck his head in and whispered, "Can I come in?"
"Yeah. Sorry, bro. She was telling me about everything." I laid my head back and closed my eyes. "Dante found her in the house, texted me and drugged her. They had her in that old flower shop across from the house. I guess her dad is wanting her to promise to stay back at the Black Hearts clubhouse. He wants the place protected."
"Which can only mean one thing." He nodded to the couch as if asking permission to sit down.
I nodded toward it. "Something is in that house that's going to help us."
"Exactly." He sat down and moved to the edge of it. "Why is she here? They beat her up or what?"
"Tied her up in that flower shop and set fire to it." I swallowed the pain that laced the center of my chest at the thought of losing her.
Dane visibly paled as he slumped back. "Fuck. How heinous is this bastard? Who does that to their own kid? To their only daughter?"
"He does. We're going to have to figure out how to let her be in the place alone, and yet have full access to her. I want to be able to get to her in a matter of minutes if I need to. I need to think through how to sneak me into the house. He's got something up his sleeve. It's almost been a week since the shit at the church. He's coming back. Soon."
"Agreed. The fucker was here today." He ran his hands through his hair. "Was Dante looking for her, or something in the office?"
"I don't know. I would assume her, seeing that Rafael was waiting at the flower shop across the street, but he might have been after something in the house. Lena mentioned a safe in his office, which is just across the hall from her bedroom." I let out a weary sigh. "Did you wanna get that stuff that we found in the warehouse to your people? I'm going to stay here with her until she's released."
He stood. "Yeah. I can do that. Any clue on how long you guys will be here?"
"No, but I'll talk to the doctor then minute he walks in." I turned and kissed her head as she let out a little whimper and pulled me closer. "It's okay, baby."
Dane walked to the door and paused, turning and giving me a sad smile. "I'm here if you need anything at all. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, buddy. I know. I'm sorry for exploding at you this week. I just felt like--"
He lifted his hand, stopping me. "No. I fucked up. We all did. I just want to make it up to you. To both of you. Call if you need a lift."
"I got the bike out there." I nodded toward the door.
"I know, but I'm not sure they're going to release someone to ride on a bike." He chuckled and opened the door. "I'll be in touch tomorrow."
"Alright." I relaxed against my girl and watched her sleep as I brushed long silky black strands of hair from her beautiful face. Half-beaten up and dragged to the gates of hell and back and she was still the most intensely sensual creature I'd ever seen.
"Why do you love me? You could do so much better," I whispered softly and dragged my thumb over her lips. She was going to be a fantastic wife, a good partner at the shop and a loving mother. I didn't even come close to deserving a woman like her, and yet here she lay next to me.
Anger threatened to rise sharply inside of me at the thought of her father working so goddamn hard to take her from me, but I forced it back down.
He wasn't going to win the war. He'd won innumerable battles, but the war would be mine. Dane and I would get our shit together and figure out a plan that included every one of my Stone Wolves. They would stand beside me, around me and some of them even in front of me.
We wouldn't be caught off guard by the Black Hearts and their bullshit tricks. I was going to find out what was in that house and uncover it. Lena needed rest for the next few days, but after that, I was going to drill the information out of her and get her to help me uncover the secrets her father had been guarding forever.
Something told me that we wouldn't have to scratch too far below the surface before we hit gold. I only hoped that he would stay the fuck back until we had. Moving fast was our only hope.
Chapter 9
Three Days Later
Selene
My stay in the hospital was far too long, and I was bitchy and quite hostile by the time they let us out. Lucky had been with me the entire time, the handsome thing sleeping all curled up on the plastic couch next to the bed
for three nights in a row.
I would have to pack a bag at the Stone Wolves lodge and get out to my father's clubhouse that afternoon, but I could spend a little bit of time with my man before I did. A long ride together and then a good meal would do us both good.
The trauma of all my father had once again put me through was starting to dissipate. Part of me wanted to dwell on the unfairness of it all, on the terror about something else happening, but I couldn't. I couldn't muster up the emotion I knew would thrill my old man. That would be like giving into him and letting him win.
I just couldn't. Wouldn't.
"You gonna be okay riding on the back of my hog, baby? I can call Dane and have him come pick us up in the truck." Lucky took my hand, squeezing it softly as we walked from the hospital. I was in my jeans and one of his shirts, thanks to Dante filleting mine. Lucky nearly came out of his skin when I had to explain why my favorite silky blue shift was cut perfectly down the front.
I thought they were going to have to sedate him to get him to calm down some. It was good thing the blood pressure machine was on me and not him. He'd have blown the damn fuse in it.
"I'm good with the bike. I'm all better, so don't treat me like I'm not." I tugged my hand from him and got on his bike before giving him a hard stare. "Don't."
"Don't tell me what to do." He got on in front of me. "I'm going to put you across my knee tonight and spank your ass for good measure. You might be a tough ass Black Heart, woman, but you're my girl too. I get to treat you like a lady, even if no one else gets to." He put on his helmet, shutting down the conversation.
"Whatever." I pulled mine on, too and wrapped my arms around him, sliding my hands over his cock and griping it tightly.
He stiffened like he always did, but it was just what we did. He loved me because I was intensely sexual around him, and something told me that being so would keep our relationship lubricated for years to come. Besides, I wanted him between my legs later that evening. It had been a few days, and I was feeling better. Making love to him would be the last step in my healing and moving past the shit I'd been through.