Both looked at each other, then collapsed on the couch.
Soon after, John knocked on the door. Amy went to answer it. He came inside looking older than he had in a long time.
“Kima, I need a drink,” he said, looking indignant. “I was glad your cousin was behind me, because I felt like punching those two pigs! They had the nerve to ask me if I knew Rabid.”
Elena heard a car pull up and opened the door for Whiskey. As soon as he got inside, Whiskey wrapped his arms around Elena and nodded to John. Kima got up and grabbed two glasses and a bottle of JD. She smiled at Whiskey, who gave her a wink. He let go of Elena to hug Kima. As he held her, he remembered something Elena had recently said to him. He whispered into her ear, “Never have any remorse and no regrets.”
She whispered back, “Thank you,” and moved away, hearing another car pull up. She looked outside to find her mother’s car pulling up on her lawn. She jumped out of the car. Her mother had no coat on and she was running to the door. Jean opened the door and headed straight for Kima, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly. Kima stood still, not sure what to do. Her mother pulled her into Josie’s bedroom where Amy had laid her down for a nap.
“Kima. I called Richie as soon as I got the call. Are you okay?” Her mother ran her hands up and down Kima’s arms. “My poor baby. If they touched you, we’ll sue. Please Kima, answer me.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thank you for calling Richie so fast. I guess Jo told you to call?”
“Her girl did. Katri and I made the calls and rushed right over.”
“Thank you.” Kima couldn’t bring herself to smile.
“Kima, I’m sorry, I know I’ve been fussing over Jo, but—”
Kima shushed her at once. “Jo needs it. I’m fine and it’s all over with.”
Josie began to cry, so Jean walked over to the crib and picked her up. “I’ve neglected you too, beautiful, but that won’t be happening anymore. Just you wait and see what your grandma has bought you for Christmas!” Jean’s kisses rained down on Josie’s little cheeks as she smoothed her blonde curls over her head. “Kima, this child takes after you and me. I don’t see a bit of Veiko in her. Or your father. You always looked more like my side of the family.”
John had come to the doorway. Kima looked up at her father and rolled her eyes. Watching her mother with her daughter should have made her happy, but it didn’t.
She walked out of the room and went into the bathroom. Locking the door, she sat on the edge of the tub. She was angry. Rabid still haunted her and she knew it was never going to stop. She was angry her mother only came because Jo had called her. She didn’t want to be nice to either of them. She and Elena had their plan, and Jo could have fucked it up.
There was a knock on the door and she heard V call her name. She got up and ran the water before opening the door and letting him in. “Veiko, please tell my parents to go home,” she murmured tiredly. “I don’t want to talk to my mother. I want Elena.”
“You could make things better with your mom now,” he said, annoyed at her stubbornness. “What’s wrong with you? Stop being so bitchy.” Veiko had no idea why Kima wouldn’t grab this chance to make things up with her mother.
“V, I don’t need to make things better. I told you I was done and I meant it.” Kima knew he was going to get pissed off and didn’t care. “You never let me talk about what happened to me. You said it was over, and it isn’t. That bastard is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“Stop the drama, Kima, Christ. You didn’t get arrested or even taken in for questioning.”
“You know what, Veiko? As usual, you weren’t here for me. My cousin got me out of being taken in for questioning. You can’t promise me that it won’t happen again. I can’t even talk to you about what happened to me.” She looked at him with scorn in her eyes.
“Keep pushing me, Kima, until you push me right out of your life!”
Veiko regretted those words as soon as he said them.
After staring at him long and hard, she finally said, “I think you need to leave my house, too. I’m tired of people using me. What good is it for me to be with you if I can’t even talk about what your fucking club let happen to me?” she asked seriously.
Veiko knew when Kima didn’t yell, she was serious. A cold, dreadful feeling settled into his bones. Kima looked at him and he realized she meant what she was saying. He stood there waiting for the axe to fall.
“I’ve given and given to you,” she went on, “and the one thing I need, you refuse to help me with. I don’t want to be with you anymore. I helped you get the business. You can support Josie and yourself.” She pushed past him and bumped into her father in the hallway. “Daddy, please take mom and go home. I’m tired and V and I are having some problems. I want him to leave, too.”
Her father wrinkled his face, concerned. “Kima, I know today was bad, but your mother is trying to make amends with you. And what’s this crap about you and Veiko?”
Walking out to the living room, she saw Whiskey with his arm around Elena. She was happy her friend had found him. Briefly, she wondered how Darko was doing and remembered Dusty was with him. What a mess her life was: a husband who wouldn’t let her talk, was never there for her, and a mother who cared for an adopted sister more than her blood children.
She came up to them. “Elena, I need them all to go, including Veiko. I don’t want him here anymore.” Whiskey went to move away and Kima stopped him. “Thank you for helping me. I don’t mind you hearing what I say to Elena.”
“Kima, you need to sit down and think about what you just said,” said Elena, pushing her into the couch. She looked at Veiko and the Regans, hoping there wasn’t going to be a fight. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but Kima wanted them to leave. Veiko was angry and telling Jean off, and John looked like the world was ending.
Whiskey sat down next to Kima. “Are you and V having troubles?”
“I’m tired of always being the one that needs to understand. Veiko is never here for me. His club never helped me either. My grandparents left me this house. I own most of his business. V likes the life I give him, but the one thing I need, he refuses to give me.”
Whiskey could sense she was deeply troubled. “What do you need?”
Kima gave a short, bitter laugh. “I want him to know what happened to me, but I’m not allowed to talk about it. Why be with someone who you can’t talk to? I guess I’ll call my brother and get him to come over. Jack will make them leave me alone. He never cared for V too much, anyway.”
Whiskey wondered if Kima might be in shock, but she sounded like her mind was made up. He got up to join Elena, leaving Kima sitting there just staring at everyone.
Veiko was looking at Kima and trying to get John and Jean to leave without there being an argument. “If you’d both leave, maybe I can talk some sense into her, John, but I can’t if you don’t go.” He was close to losing his temper.
Jean plucked at John’s sleeve. “We need to go. Veiko’s right. I hurt Kima badly and I can only imagine what she is thinking. Come on, John. You can call her tomorrow.”
They left, with John looking at Kima forlornly as they made their way out the door. Veiko started toward Kima, but she moved to the kitchen to avoid him.
Whiskey stopped him from following her. “I think I’d leave her alone, V. Something is really bothering her and she wants you to leave.”
Elena looked at both men who were staring each other down. “I’ll talk to her and see what’s wrong. Please don’t kill each other.”
As Elena went into the kitchen, she heard Kima ending a phone call. “Yes, I’m sure, Tears. I want him out of my house. Are they on their way?” She hung up the phone and turned to see Elena standing there open-mouthed. “I’m done with this, Elena. I think Veiko should grab some clothes and leave before my brother gets here. He was at the Lodge so he’s coming with Thorn right now.” Kima had a faraway look in her eyes.
“Kima
, are you okay?” Elena was worried and hoped there wouldn’t be a big fight.
Kima let out a deep breath. “I haven’t been okay in a long time. I pretend to be, but I’m done pretending. I should have hooked up with Darko when I had the chance.”
Neither of them knew Veiko was listening. The sound of his fist hitting the wall shut them up.
Veiko looked like he was ready to strangle Kima. “You want Darko? Go for him. I’m done putting up with your bullshit. Fuck up one time and see what the fuck I do. Better watch those horses of yours real closely.”
Mad Jack and Thorn had already come through the door, hearing V’s words. Kima was ready to go at him, but Elena held her back. Mad Jack looked at V. “You just threatened my sister’s horses, motherfucker?”
“She wants me outta here and wishes she was with Darko. You think I wanna hear that shit?” V couldn’t believe that Kima had called her brother on him. “I didn’t threaten them. I said watch them closely. Big difference, Jack, and you know it.”
Whiskey had enough of the fighting. “Y’all need to stop this. V, your threats are making shit worse. Jack, Kima had the state police here today questioning her and Elena about Rabid. She’s a wreck.”
Thorn’s eyes met Kima’s and she put her chin up and went into her bedroom. She went into the closet behind her clothes where she kept the rifle she had shot Rabid with. It burned her hands to touch the damn thing, but she knew that was only in her mind. How dare he threaten her horses? She made sure it was loaded and went back down the hall.
Whiskey saw her first and backed away with Elena until they were in front of the playpen where Rhiannon was fast asleep. Chicks with guns weren’t a good thing in his mind.
Kima stood at the entrance to the living room looking straight at Veiko. “I want you out of my house. It’s mine. You come here again, it better be with a cop to get your belongings.” She moved aside and kept the rifle cradled in her arms. “Go get your clothes, take as much as you can. Jack will go with you.”
“Kima, put the fucking gun down!” Veiko yelled. “Have you lost your mind? Josie is in this house! Rhiannon is in the room!”
“Josie is in her crib. You can say goodbye to her on your way out. I won’t keep you from seeing her. Move it, V. I’m done talking.” She gave him a look that meant business.
Jack looked at his sister and knew she was serious. “Come on, V. She isn’t fucking around.”
Veiko gave her a furious look and followed Jack to get his clothes.
Thorn moved alongside of Kima. “Do you want to give that to me, Kima?” he asked gently.
“No, I’ve got this, Thorn. I’m good.” She looked around. “I won’t shoot anyone. I didn’t like V threatening my horses. As soon as he goes, I’ll put it down. He shouldn’t have done that, because if he comes back and touches them, I’ll shoot.” She looked at Thorn with a worried expression. “Tell him not to come back.”
Whiskey watched Kima closely. She was holding her own and she hadn’t screamed or acted like most chicks did. He whispered into Elena’s ear, “She know how to use that?”
“Yeah. Thorn used to take her hunting. She’s a very good shot, Hunter used to say, better than most men. Something went off in her head today.”
“She told me he won’t let her talk about what happened to her. That’s fucked up. Is it because he did nothing, or because he thought it was better for her to try and forget it?”
Elena whispered back, “I think maybe both. I don’t know how safe it is for her to be here tonight. Maybe I ought to take Josie home with me.”
“I think we need to stay here tonight. I’ll call Zero and let him know.” Whiskey went to make a phone call.
“Your sister’s lost her fucking mind.” Veiko was cramming clothes into a duffel bag. “She pulled a rifle on all of us. You trust her with Josie?”
“I think my sister finally wised up. Where were you today when all of this was going down? You work up the street, V. You didn’t notice state police cars, or nobody let you know they were on the road?”
“Tramp called me and I was meeting with him. Prospects said the cops came down the road, but we didn’t know they stopped.” Veiko looked for another bag, but Jack had heard enough.
“You fucker. You knew the cops were on the road and you didn’t get someone to check where they went? Asshole, let’s go. Don’t come back here tonight. Let her cool down.”
Jack knew V was looking for his guns and he wasn’t giving him the time to get them. Veiko tore down the hall, not even stopping at Josie’s room. He entered the living room and looked at his wife. She was staring back with no emotion whatsoever. This wasn’t the Kima he knew. His heart broke, seeing her looking so blank. Had he done this to her?
“Kima, I love you,” he said. “I don’t want to leave like this. We love each other. We’re meant to be—”
She cut him off quickly. “I swore to you, if I was always last, I’d end this. You didn’t balance everything out. I’m still last. You aren’t here for me like you promised. You don’t want to hear what I need to tell you. I’ve been pretending it’s all fine.” She looked at him with sorrow on her face.
“Kima, you were never last. If you want to talk about him, I’ll let you talk, I promise you.” V was frantically trying to reach her.
“I gave you so many chances.” She sighed, shivering with emotion. “Just go. Your club sluts can take care of your needs. Bound for fucking Hell comes first and always has. If you hurt my horses, I’ll fuck your bikes up. Play me dirty, V, and I swear on Josie’s life, I’ll do the same to you.”
“Kima!”
“OUT,” she barked, and Rhiannon let out a wail in response.
Jack and Thorn got Veiko out of the house and escorted him to the Bound for Hell clubhouse. As Elena tended to a crying Rhiannon, Kima put the rifle down on the dining room table and walked down the hallway. Whiskey heard a knock and opened the door to his vice president.
Zero looked at Whiskey. “Everything okay now? I saw V leaving.”
“Elena and I will stay here and you can take the couch. Fucking V threatened Kima’s horses. Who knows if he’ll come back. Easier if we stay here. You bring a bottle of whiskey?”
Zero handed him the bottle. “I gotta take a piss. Bathroom down the hall?”
“Yeah, down that way. You’ll find it.” Whiskey got up to get a glass.
Zero knocked at a door and finally pushed it open. He was shocked to see who he assumed to be Kima laying in a pool of blood on the floor. He backed up and hurried to the living room. “Whisk,” he shouted. “Chick’s in the bathroom bleeding on the floor. You better come and check this out!”
Elena ran down to the bathroom and Whiskey followed. She knelt beside Kima. “She’s bleeding through her pants, could be a miscarriage. We need to get her to the hospital right away.”
Whiskey looked at Kima and grabbed towels. “Zero, you’re going to have to watch the babies. Elena, I’ll carry her, and you open the door so we can lay her on the seat. Grab more towels. Better call Bound’s clubhouse and tell Veiko. Tell her brother what happened when he comes back.”
They got Kima into the back seat and she didn’t talk. She was pale and covered with a blanket. Whiskey drove with Elena giving him directions. Elena kept looking over the seat and praying Kima was going to be alright.
Once they pulled up at the emergency room entrance, Whiskey got out and yelled for help. Kima was quickly taken inside with Elena giving what information she knew. She told them Dr. Allan was her doctor and, luckily, the doctor was in the hospital. Whiskey got them coffee and they sat down to wait.
“You don’t want to call her family, Elena?” He pulled out his flask and dosed both their coffees.
“Kima wouldn’t want them,” she said, knowing. “Veiko will come and he can handle it. I guess he’ll come. I hope I’m right and it’s a miscarriage. I can’t think of what else it could be.” She sipped the coffee. “Damn, that makes this coffee drinkable.”
“Damn. She’s so young. How’d she lose a baby?”
“Accident on Veiko’s bike,” she answered tiredly, rubbing her head. “That’s when everything went bad. Rabid got her while Hunter and I were on vacation.” She sipped more coffee and a tear slid down her cheek. “Kima has the biggest heart. I love her so much. She was close to Hunter too, took his death really hard.”
Veiko came barreling into the ER followed by Jack and Thorn.
“Elena, what the hell happened?” Veiko demanded.
“Zero found her on the bathroom floor. Was she pregnant, V?”
V sat down heavily in the seat next to her. “Not that I know of. I kept asking her to have another baby, though.” He sat there staring into space.
Jack paced and Thorn went to get more coffee for them. Soon, Dr. Allan finally appeared and Veiko got up to talk to her.
“Veiko, Kima had a miscarriage. She needed a D and C, but she’ll be fine. You can go up and sit with her if you want. They should have her in a room now.” Dr. Allan nodded to Jack and waited to see if V had anything to ask her.
“I didn’t know she was even pregnant,” muttered V miserably. “Can she have more babies?” V was praying the answer was yes.
The doctor nodded. “I don’t see why not. She’s young and healthy. She came in last week for a test. Come with me and I’ll take you up to her room. Do you want to call her parents?”
Veiko motioned to Jack to come over. “Do you think Kima would want your parents called?”
Jack thought a moment before answering no. “Veiko, tell Kima that I’ll be by in the morning. Don’t say anything to upset her. I’ll let Elena know what’s going on. Go be there for Kima.”
As Veiko followed the doctor, he saw Jack talking to Elena and hoped they’d all go away. He wanted to be the one Kima saw when she opened her eyes.
The Winter of Regrets Page 21