by L. Wilder
“Now?”
“Yeah. Bring Landry’s car, and Hyde?—you need to come packing.”
“Got it. I’ll be there in twenty.”
When he hung up, I dialed Skillet’s number. I told him about the girl in the lobby and that I needed him to pick her up and take her home. Once he’d assured me that he’d take care of it, I put my phone back in my pocket and started looking around the room for Brant’s car keys. I found them, along with his wallet, on the table next to the bed. After I grabbed them, I went over and lifted Brant off the bed. I tossed him over my shoulder, then carried him out of the motel room and out to the parking lot. I used the keys to open his trunk and flipped him inside. As I stood there waiting for Hyde, I remembered my promise to Gus, assuring him that I wouldn’t make a move towards Brant without letting him know. I pulled out my phone and gave him a call. Even though it was late, he answered right away. “Bone?”
“Hey, Gus. Sorry to call so late, but I need to tell you about something.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
I took the next few minutes to brief him on what had gone down with Brant. I also told him what I wanted to do about it. When I was done, Gus sighed and said, “Do what ya gotta do, Bone. Just be careful and make sure there’s no blowback to the club.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“And Hyde’s on the way?”
“Yeah, he should be here any minute.”
“Good.” I could hear the concern in his voice as he said, “You boys be careful.”
“You got it. Thanks, Prez.”
I hung up the phone and leaned against Brant’s car while I waited for Hyde to show. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. It had only been fifteen minutes since I’d called him when he came rolling into the parking lot. He pulled up next to me and buzzed down the window. “What the fuck’s going on?”
“No time to explain. I need you to follow me over to the hole.”
I knew Hyde wouldn’t be happy when he found out what was going on with Brant and Alyssa. With his temper, I didn’t want to take a chance on him losing his shit in the motel parking lot, so that’s why I told him to follow me instead. He and all the brothers knew it was the place we went whenever we had to contend with a body. It was an isolated area on the outskirts of town near the Mississippi River. Usually, we’d either bury it or toss it into the river. Tonight, it would be up to Hyde to determine what we’d do with Brant. He gave me a nod, then waited as I got in Brant’s car and started towards the hole. It was about a twenty-minute drive, so I wasn’t surprised when Hyde jumped out of Landry’s car and asked, “You gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“Yeah, but I’m gonna tell you right now—you’re not gonna like it.”
“Just fucking tell me, Bone.”
I took the next few minutes explaining how I’d been keeping an eye on Brant. That in itself came as a surprise to him. He’d been doing the same. Like me, Hyde knew the guy was a piece of shit, but he hadn’t gotten to the same point that I had when it came to knowing everything he’d been doing over the past few months. I could tell by his expression that he knew what was coming when I started talking about Alyssa. A mix of anguish and rage crossed his face when I told him about seeing Brant talking to her at the restaurant, and how she’d threatened to shoot him if he came around again. That bit of information had him asking, “Alyssa had a fucking gun?”
“She did.” I let out a deep breath. “Seems Brant has been coming around a lot, and she wasn’t gonna take any chances.”
“Fuck. Lyssa never even mentioned anything to me.”
“I guess she thought she could handle him on her own.”
“That’s fucking insane. What the hell was she thinking?”
“She’s the only one who can answer that, brother.”
After I told him what had gone down with the girl in the bar and what I’d walked into in that hotel room, I opened the trunk and reached inside to pull out Brant. Once he was on his feet, Brant looked over to Hyde and asked, “What the fuck? Clay? You have something to do with all this?”
“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”
Without giving Brant a chance to respond, Hyde started plowing into him. In a matter of seconds, the guy was nothing more than a puddled mess on the ground. Hyde gave him another kick in the side as he growled, “You should’ve never put your hands on my sister.”
I reached down and grabbed Brant by the arm, lifting him to his feet. As he staggered from side to side, he muttered, “I didn’t do shit to your sister. I don’t know why you aren’t getting the fact that the little whore wanted it.”
He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Hyde whipped out his gun and aimed it directly at Brant. “You were a piece of shit then, and you’re a piece of shit now.”
“Hold on, man.” Realizing what was coming, he started pleading, “You can’t do this. I’ve got a wife and kid at home. They need me.”
“I’m doing them both a fucking favor.”
Without saying another word, Hyde squeezed the trigger, putting two bullets into him, and Brant dropped to the ground. We both stood there, silently staring at his lifeless body, and a sense of satisfaction washed over me when I realized he wouldn’t be causing Alyssa any more heartache than he already had. After several moments passed, I looked over to Hyde and said, “We need to decide what we’re gonna do with him.”
“I say throw his ass in the fucking river and be done with it.”
“We could do that, but then his wife will report him missing and there’ll be a lot of questions.”
“All right then, what do you suggest?”
“We could take him and his car out to Frayser. Set it up like a drug deal gone bad. It’s not like the guy hasn’t been using. I’ve seen for myself that he’s got quite the habit.”
“You think it’ll work?”
“Yeah, definitely. Just need to wipe the car down, plant him inside with an empty wallet and a quarter of meth at his side. You know the cops. They aren’t gonna put a lot of effort into investigating a fucking drug deal.”
“Let’s make it happen.”
We got a tarp from Landry’s trunk and used it to cover the front seat. We didn’t want him bleeding out in places that might draw undue suspicion. Once we’d gotten Brant positioned in the passenger seat, Hyde followed me to one of the rougher areas of Frayser. While I tended to Brant, Hyde went to track down a quarter of meth. I slid Brant’s body over to the driver’s side of the car, then removed the tarp. I took his wallet and removed all the cash, and once Hyde returned, he shot him once more, hoping it would be enough to derail the cops. I quickly wiped down the car, then tossed the baggie of meth onto the seat next to Brant’s body. I knew with a little bit of investigating, the cops would see that he’d been shot outside of the vehicle, but knowing that dirty drug deals happened here on a nightly basis, I found it highly doubtful that they’d take the time to even check the asshole’s wounds.
Once we’d gotten the stage set, Hyde looked over to me and asked, “You think they’ll buy it?”
“Yeah, I think we did good.”
“Should’ve done this years ago.”
“Can’t change the past, brother. At least now you can rest easy knowing he’ll never bother Alyssa again. It’s finally over.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
“You mind running me back to my truck?”
“Sure thing, brother.” I followed him over to Landry’s car, and as soon as we were both settled inside, Hyde looked over to me and said, “Thanks for this, Bone. I owe ya.”
“You don’t owe me shit, brother. Besides, I didn’t do it for you.”
“She still hasn’t reached out to you?”
“No. About given up on that happening.”
“Oh, come on, Bone. Didn’t figure you’d give up that easily.”
“Don’t get me wrong. If she wanted me back, I’d have her in a second, but something tells me that
time has come and gone.”
“I don’t know. I got a feeling that y’all’s story is far from over.”
18
Alyssa
“Is there someone you’d like me to call?” the nurse asked with a concerned look in her eyes.
“Is that really necessary?”
“They’re prepping you for surgery, Ms. Hanson.”
“I know. I heard what the doctor said.”
“It’s not the time for you to be alone.” She walked over and checked the monitor once again. “You need someone at your side. It’ll make you feel better. That is, if there is someone to call.”
“Yes, there’s someone.” I could’ve called my mother, but she was in Nashville and it would’ve taken her at least two hours to get to the hospital—leaving me with no other option. I had to call Clay. A feeling of dread washed over me at the thought of his reaction. He was going to lose his mind, and I only had myself to blame. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this day was coming. No, I’d known it for just over four months—since the day Jack finally convinced me to go to the doctor. I’d been feeling so bad. I was still having trouble sleeping and eating, and when I’d fainted at work, Jack had had enough. Scared that something was terribly wrong, he put me in his car and drove me straight to Convenient Care.
Even then, I thought it was just stress and the fact that I was worrying over the upcoming meal presentation with Boucher and Bisset, but that quickly changed the second the nurse asked me the date of my last period. At that moment, it hit me. I hadn’t had a period in months—four to be exact. I don’t know how I could’ve been so stupid to let something like that slip my mind. I guess it just never dawned on me that I could be pregnant. It wasn’t like Beckett and I hadn’t been careful. We had, but, apparently, not careful enough. I motioned my hand over to the counter. “My phone is in my purse.”
“Okay.” The little blonde nurse hurried over to grab it, then pulled out my cell. “Do you want to make the call or should I do it?”
“I think you should do it—if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want.” She looked down at the screen and asked, “Who is it that I’m calling?”
“My brother … Clay.”
As she dialed his number, I clamped my eyes shut and winced like I was waiting for a bomb to explode. It didn’t have to be like this. I could’ve told them. It wasn’t like I didn’t have the opportunity. While he’d done his best to respect my wishes about giving me space, he’d still stop by the restaurant or come by the house from time to time to check in. I’d always made sure to have on my coat or my work apron whenever I saw him to conceal my growing belly. At first, I just wanted the time to figure things out. I needed to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be a mother. I was a wreck. I had a new job, a good relationship with a man that I ruined by pushing him away, and I just didn’t know how to fix it. Instead of simply going to Beckett and explaining the situation, I made it all worse by keeping it a secret.
Looking back, I realized now how stupid it all was. Clay and Beckett were good men, and I knew in my heart that they must’ve had a legitimate reason to go after those guys like they did. Maybe it was the fear of admitting I was wrong to push them away or maybe it was the fact that I was afraid they wouldn’t forgive me for doing it. Either way, I doubted they’d ever trust me again. I just prayed that, in time, they’d both find a way to forgive me.
I held my breath as I listened to the nurse say, “Hello, this is Jessica Tandy at Memorial Hospital. Is this Clay Hanson?”
I could hear my brother on the other end of the call say, “Yeah, this is he.”
“Well, I’m calling about your sister, Alyssa. She wanted me to let you know that she’ll be going into emergency surgery here in the next hour or so. The baby is showing signs of distress, and the doctors don’t want to take any chances—”
“Wait ... Baby? Emergency surgery? What the hell are you talking about?” he roared.
“I know this must come as a shock, Mr. Hanson, but it’s important for you to remain calm. Your sister’s life and—”
“I want to know what the hell is going on!”
“I’ll explain everything when you get here. We’re in room five-oh-three.” Before Clay could say anything more, Jessica said, “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Hanson.”
She hung up the phone, and in a matter of seconds, my phone started to ring. Knowing it was Clay, I extended my hand and said, “I’ll take that.”
I quickly declined the call and put my phone on silent. Jessica looked over at me with her brows furrowed. “I take it that he didn’t know you were pregnant?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“And the father?”
“No, he doesn’t know either.” I let out a deep sigh. “I’ve really made a mess of things.”
“Well, you don’t need to be worrying about that now. You just focus on you and that sweet baby of yours, and everything else will work out.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“That’s because I am.” She gave me a warm smile. “You aren’t the first patient I’ve had who’s kept her pregnancy a secret. It actually happens more than you might think, and every time, things have a way of working out. I have no doubt that the same will hold true for you.”
“I certainly hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.” She gave me a light pat on the leg, then said, “I’m going to go check in with the doctor and see how much longer it’ll be.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jessica.”
Once she’d walked out of the room, I ran my hand over my round belly and my chest tightened when I thought about my son being in distress. I had no idea what that meant. I just knew it couldn’t be good, especially since they were doing a C-section. I knew it was too soon. He was a month early, and there was a chance his lungs wouldn’t be fully developed. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I even wanted a baby, but now I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. My eyes filled with tears as I whispered, “Hey there, little guy. I need you to listen to me. I want you to be strong and hold on for your momma. You hear me? I love you and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms.”
My abdomen tightened with another contraction, taking my breath away. They were coming closer and closer, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before they took me to surgery. The pain had just started to subside when there was a light tap on the door followed by the sound of footsteps entering the room. When I glanced up, I found Beckett and Clay standing at the foot of my bed. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there looking like they’d seen a ghost. It had been almost eight months since I’d seen Beckett, and he looked just as good, if not better, than I remembered. I’d often wondered if my feelings for him had changed, but as I lay there gazing at him, I realized I loved him just as much as I had when we were still together.
The tension in the room kept growing until finally Clay cleared his throat and asked, “So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with all this?”
“I know you’re angry with me, but—”
“Angry doesn’t begin to describe what I’m feeling right now, Alyssa.” He motioned his hand towards my belly. “You’re about to have a fucking kid, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“I was going to tell you, but...”
“Does Mom know?”
“Yes, she was there when I found out, but she wasn’t thrilled with the news.”
“So, you tell Mom, but you decided to keep the news from me?”
“Can we please not do this right now?” Another contraction hit, causing me to wince in agony. I took a few deep breaths, and when the pain started to subside, I muttered, “Something’s wrong with the baby, and they’re gonna have to take him early.”
“What do you mean by ‘something’s wrong’?”
“I don’t know. His heart rate isn’t as strong as it should be.” I glanced over at Beckett. He hadn’t said a word. Instead, he just stood ther
e staring at me in utter shock. I couldn’t blame him. If I was in his shoes, I would be furious with me. “I’m so sorry, Beckett. I’m sorry about everything. I should’ve told you. I just didn’t know how.”
“I just don’t understand.” His voice was filled with hurt as he asked, “I thought we had a good thing. I thought I was good to you ... that I made you happy. What did I do so bad that you’d keep my own kid from me?”
“You were good to me. You both were.” Another contraction rippled through me as I groaned, “I was there that night. I followed you…I saw everything.”
“You were where?” Clay pushed.
“In ... uh ... Frayser.” I stammered. “On Jackson Street.”
Clay’s eyes widened in horror when he realized what I was talking about. Before he could say anything more, Jessica and two other nurses came charging into the room. “All right, Ms. Hanson. It’s time to get you down to surgery.”
Like three little bees, they buzzed around the room, unplugging devices and lifting me over to the hospital bed that they’d use to transport me down for surgery. Once they had everything together, Jessica looked over to Beckett and Clay. “You want to take one of them to the delivery room with us?”
“Beckett ...Will you come?”
He nodded slowly like he was still in shock, then he and Clay followed as the nurses pushed my bed out of the room and into the hallway. We hadn’t gotten very far when Jessica looked over to Clay and said, “You can stay in the waiting room. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
“Thank you.” Clay knelt down and kissed me on the forehead. “Love ya, Sis.”
“I love you, too, Clay.”
My heart started to race as they pushed me down a long hallway and through the doors of the delivery room. Everything was happening so fast that I was barely able to make sense of what was going on. As soon as they had me in the room, they started prepping for surgery while they ordered Beckett to put on surgical garb and a mask. The anesthesiologist came over and asked, “How are you feeling?”