by L. Wilder
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” With a smile, I teased her. “I kinda think you liked breaking the rules.”
“Maybe just a little.” A light blush crossed her face as she turned to me and added, “But I’m pretty sure it was because it was you. I don’t think it would’ve been the same with someone else.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” I chuckled as I pulled myself out of bed and went into the bathroom. When I came back out, she was trying to adjust her shirt, so I asked, “You want one of mine?”
“Yes, please.”
I opened up my dresser and found her a fresh t-shirt and a pair of sweats. After I handed them over, I went back and grabbed myself a pair as well, and by the time I’d pulled them on, she was already dressed. My clothes swallowed her, and she was doing her best to keep them from falling off. Trying to bite back my smile, I asked, “You hungry?”
She was tugging at the drawstrings when she answered, “Yeah, I could eat something.”
“Okay. I think I can scrounge up something.” She followed me into the kitchen where she found her ripped panties laying on the floor. Her eyes skirted over to me as she bent down and picked them up. “Hey. I told you I’d make it up to you.”
“That you did.” She giggled. “So, what are you going to fix us to eat?”
I opened the fridge and quickly realized I didn’t have many options. “How about a grilled cheese?”
“Sounds good to me.” She sat down at the counter, and as I turned on the stove, she said, “So … your tattoo? Does it have meaning?”
I looked down at my chest and smiled as I explained, “It’s basically a Celtic compass,” I told her as I started cooking our sandwiches. “A while back I went through some rough times and lost my way. I got the tattoo to remind myself to not let that happen again.”
“Was that back when Kevin had leukemia?” Her question caught me off guard, especially since she was right. She must’ve sensed that I was taken aback, because she quickly said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just blurted that out like that. It’s just … he told me about it at the hospital.”
“It’s fine. Really.” I brought our sandwiches over to the counter, and after I grabbed us a couple of beers out of the fridge, I sat down beside her. “It was pretty rough there for a while, but we got through it.”
“Kevin seems like a pretty awesome kid.”
“He is. I don’t know what I’d do without him.” I knew she must be wondering about his mother, so I told her, “His mother was killed in a car accident when he was three, so it’s just been the two of us for the past five, almost six, years.”
“Oh, wow. I’m really sorry.” Concern crossed her face as she said, “The two of you have had some pretty hard hits over the years.”
“Yeah, but we got through it”—I smiled and gave her a wink— “and things seem to be looking up these days.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” She smiled as she took a bite of her sandwich. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
After we finished our sandwiches, we talked for a little longer and then, Kenadee reminded me that she had to work the next morning. Reluctantly, we both got dressed and headed out to my bike. I’d enjoyed my night with her, like really fucking enjoyed it, and as she leaned her head into my back and slipped her arms around my waist, I could tell she did, too. When we pulled up to her apartment, I was disappointed that our night had to end so soon. She eased off the bike, and as soon as she took off her helmet, I could see that nervous look in her eyes had returned. So fucking cute. I placed my hands on Kenadee’s hips, pulling her close as I pressed my mouth against hers for one last kiss, and as soon as our lips touched, I could feel that familiar hunger building inside of me. I wanted her to know the effect she was having on me as the kiss quickly became heated. By the time I finally pulled back, we were practically breathless.
I shook my head as I looked down at her and said, “Damn, woman. You do things to me that I can’t begin to explain.”
Her lips curled into a sexy smile. “I feel the same way, but I kind of like it.”
“Yeah. I like it, too. I like it, a lot.” I gave her a quick kiss just below her ear, then said, “It’s getting late. You better get inside before I change my mind about letting you go.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Goodnight, wildcat. I’ll call you.”
I hadn’t meant to lie to Kenadee and had every intention of calling her, as she was definitely on my mind, but between the garage and the club, I was overloaded. With everything that was going on, I couldn’t get a free minute to myself. By the time I finally made it home, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep before I had a chance to call her. The next day, I had to take Kevin to his doctor’s appointment, and by the time we were done, I had to get over to the garage.
The guys and I spent the rest of the afternoon working on an engine breakdown that had to be completed by morning. We were just finishing up, when Murphy came over and said, “Gus just called us into church.”
I grabbed a rag, and as I was wiping my hands off, I said, “I gotta get Kevin. I’ll be over in a minute.”
“I’ll see ya there.”
Lowball and Crow had gone to the back, so I motioned to them as I shouted, “We gotta close up. Gus has called us in.”
They both nodded, and I went to pick up Kevin. When we got to the clubhouse, all the brothers were filing in, one by one. We’d all heard the talk about the shit that was going on around us with different street gangs being hit, and it was putting us all on edge. I couldn’t help but wonder if something else was going on. When I ran into Runt, I asked, “Something happen?”
“Fuck man. It’s about to get real around here.”
I had no idea what the hell he meant as I followed him into church. The others were already taking their seats around the table, and Gus was standing up front with Riggs and Moose. As I looked around at my brothers, I leaned back in my chair and inhaled a deep breath. Then, it happened. I suddenly caught a faint scent of her on my clothes, and the room stood still. It was only for a minute, but it was enough to make a lasting impression. Once everyone was settled, Gus sat down and looked around the room, taking his time to study each and every one of us. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers like he was about to pray.
His voice was low and threatening as he said, “There’s a war coming, boys. I can feel it. I don’t know when. I don’t know who. But it’s going to be big, and I’m afraid that some of you sitting at this table right now aren’t going to survive the hit.”
We all knew Gus’s instincts were always right, so I wasn’t surprised when Runt asked, “You want to tell us what the fuck you’re talking about?”
Moose turned to him and answered, “Gus has it in his head that someone’s trying to take over the territory. They’re wiping out the entire south side.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Gunner scoffed.
“Agreed,” Moose replied. “We all know it’s not just MCs that are getting hit. Several gangs have been completely wiped out. Killed every last one of them. All on the south side, by the river—like us.”
I looked over at Gus and asked, “So, it’s got you thinking they’ll be coming after us?”
“Absolutely.”
“Any idea who these motherfuckers are?”
Gus turned to his left. “Riggs?”
Riggs leaned forward as he looked at us and said, “We all know that crystal meth is back. It’s stronger, more addictive than it’s ever been, and it’s not your typical buyers getting this shit. Everyone wants a piece of it, so we know the demand is there.”
“Yeah. We’ve known this, Riggs. What are you getting at?” Cyrus asked.
“I’m getting there,” he told him. “This shit is coming from somewhere. It’s just a matter of figuring out who. I hacked into the DEA files, and they’re on the hunt for these motherfuckers, too. They don’t have much. They just know it’s
coming from outside the city limits.”
Lowball shook his head as he said, “That doesn’t tell us a fucking thing.”
“Here’s the way I see it. If I’m right, and the same people who are trying to stake claim on the south side are dealing the meth”—he paused and shook his head—“it only makes sense that they’d set up their distribution ring right here. They’d use the barges to take their shit down the Mississippi River and continue their distribution from there—a lot like we’ve done with the pipeline. Hell, I’d do the same fucking thing.”
“You’ve only got bits and pieces right now, and you can’t even be sure you’ve got the facts straight, brother!” Murphy spat.
“You’re right,” Riggs answered. “But you gotta admit, it all fits.”
“He’s right,” I agreed. “It makes sense.”
“So, these guys are knocking everybody off, so they can get access to the river without any interference?” Runt asked.
“Looks that way. They’re basically just working their way up the food chain,” Riggs answered.
“What about this guy who was fucking with the cameras?” I asked.
Gus snarled as he said, “I think he’s one of ours who’s turned on us.”
“What makes you think that?” Gunner asked sounding dumbfounded.
“Just feel it. You find him, and he’ll lead you to others. Guarantee it.” Gus stood up as he made his final order. “I’m calling a lockdown. Get your families together and get them over to the club. I know there are things that need to be handled. Make it happen. You have twenty-four hours to get everything in order.”
Kenadee
It had been days since I’d heard from Sawyer. I was trying my best not to let it get to me, but the fact was, it did. I liked him, and after the night we shared and the things he’d said, it hurt that he didn’t feel the same. I assumed that he’d changed his mind. We came from two totally different worlds, and I couldn’t say that I totally disagreed. While I knew very little about his club and what they were involved in, I’d heard the rumors. I knew they had a reputation. On the other hand, my life was simple, boring even, and I had little to offer a man like Sawyer. It was easy to see why he’d lose interest in me so quickly. Having no other choice, I tried to convince myself that I needed to move on. Thankfully, I’d been working lots of overtime at the hospital, and I’d been too busy to dwell on the fact that it had been almost a week, and I still hadn’t heard from him.
I was just about to finish discharging one of my patients when Robyn rushed over to me and asked, “Is it time for your break?”
I looked down at my watch and then said, “Yeah, but I need to finish this up first.”
“Make it quick. I need coffee ASAP.”
“Give me two minutes,” I told her as I went over to the nurses’ station. Once I was done, I went back over to her and said, “Ready when you are.”
I followed her down to the cafeteria, and as soon as we got our coffee and a bite to eat, we sat down at one of the tables. “This morning has been a killer, dude.”
“You’re telling me, and I’ve got two more days of it.”
She gave me a slight grimace as she asked, “Still no word from him?”
“Nope. Not a peep.”
“I don’t see why you don’t send him a message just to—”
“No,” I cut her off. “He’ll think I’m desperate or something.”
“Girl, times have changed. It’s not like that anymore. You just send him a quick message to get the conversation going. Trust me.”
Hope started stirring in the pit of my stomach as I reached for my phone.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
I took a deep breath as I pulled up his last message.
Me: Hey. I hope you’re having a good day. I’ve been thinking about you.
As soon as I sent it, I instantly regretted it. Robyn looked down at my screen and smiled. “Perfect. I bet he responds in no time.”
She was right. He responded alright.
Sawyer: Hey. Sorry I haven’t called. Got a lot going on. Bad timing.
That was it. That was all I got. I took my phone and put it back in my pocket, trying my best not to lose it in the middle of the hospital cafeteria. Seeing the look of disappointment on my face, Robyn asked, “What did he say?”
“Nothing.” I stood up, and as I turned to leave, I told her, “I need to get back to work.”
She got up and chased after me. “If he didn’t kiss your ass, then he’s a complete idiot, Kenadee! You’re an amazing catch.”
“Apparently, he didn’t think so.” As we got on the elevator, I grumbled, “Apparently, it’s bad timing or some bullshit like that.”
“Well, screw him. You’re the bomb.com, girl. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.” She nudged me with her elbow. “It’s his loss.”
I wanted to believe what she was saying was true, that it was his loss, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on something pretty great, too. With a heavy heart, I made my way back to the nurses’ station and grabbed the next patient file. When I read the name Kate Dillion, it looked familiar, but it didn’t register until I pulled back the curtain and saw the young blonde holding a crying baby in her arms. “Back again so soon?”
“Something’s wrong with her,” Kate replied with panic in her voice. “Her fever is really high, and it’s like she can’t catch her breath.”
I rolled my cart over to the gurney and started checking her stats, and Kate was right. The baby’s fever was high, and her oxygen level was low—too low. Worried that she might have RSV, I told her, “I’ll be right back.”
I called Dr. Sheridan into the room, so he could make a diagnosis. After looking her over, he turned to Kate and said, “I need to run some tests. It shouldn’t take long.”
With a worried look on her face, she nodded and said, “Okay. Whatever you need to do.”
I followed him out into the hallway after he ordered a round of bloodwork, and while we were waiting for the results, he prescribed her an IV of fluids and a breathing treatment. Just as I was getting her taken care of, all hell broke loose in the ER. Over the scanners, we heard that there was a shooting at one of the restaurants downtown, but the dispatcher’s voice was jumbled, and I couldn’t make out what he’d said. Seconds later, I could hear the sounds of ambulances approaching the back door, and in a blink of an eye, paramedics were charging inside with one gunshot victim after the next. Sadly, it wasn’t exactly anything new. Over the last few weeks, it was like we’d entered some kind of war zone with all the gunshot victims who had been coming into the trauma center, but unlike today, most of them were DOA.
I rushed over to Charlie, one of the paramedics I worked with on a daily basis, and asked, “What do we got?”
His shirt was covered in blood, and his voice was strained as he answered, “Female in her late forties. Critical gunshot wound to the left side flank. Blood pressure sixty-two over forty. Heart rate forty-six.”
As I pushed back the curtain, he and his driver wheeled her into the room. Several orderlies and nurses came in to help us move her over to the gurney, and as soon as we had her settled, I moved to the head of the gurney to check her airway. As I looked down at her, covered in blood, clothes cut away, and shattered glass all around her, she asked, “Where’s my daughter?”
“It’s okay, ma’am.” Charlie placed his hand on her shoulder as he said, “She’s right in the next room over. She’s going to be fine.”
She managed to nod, and then, we got to work. While we were busy stabilizing her, I could hear the commotion outside the room. It was a madhouse as the other doctors and nurses rushed around helping the other incoming patients. Curious to know what went down, I turned to Charlie and asked, “What happened this time?”
“A drive by at Daisy Mae’s.”
I’d been working at the hospital a long time, seen and heard a lot of things, but hearing that a place li
ke Daisy Mae’s had been hit by a drive-by shooting in broad daylight took me by surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Damnedest thing.” He started towards the door. “Makes you wonder what they’ll do next.”
The next few hours were a complete blur as I moved from one patient to the next, and just as the adrenaline started to wear off, it was over. All of the patients had either been sent off to surgery, admitted to their own room, or discharged with minor injuries. Every muscle in my body ached as I sat at the nurses’ station and tried to catch my breath. It wasn’t until that very moment when I remembered Kate and her daughter, Lacie. With everything that had been going on, I’d totally forgotten to go back and check on them. I got up and rushed over to the room, and when I walked in, I found Kate with her head propped against the wall, and Lacie sound asleep in her arms.
“Hey. How are you two doing?”
“Not so good. One of the nurses just came in and said that Lacie has RSV.”
Remembering her high fever and low oxygen level, I wasn’t all that surprised by the test results. “Are they admitting her?”
“Yes.” She sounded terrified as she said, “They’re about to take us to her room.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll take great care of her.”
I was about to slip out, when her brother came barreling into the room. “Kate?”
“Terry! Where have you been? I’ve been calling you for hours.”
His face and clothes were covered with dark smudges, and there were rips and tears in his jeans. His hand was tucked protectively at his armpit as he grumbled, “I already told you. I had something I had to take care of.”
“Are you okay? It looks like you’ve been in an accident or something.”
“I’m fine.” His beady, little eyes skirted over to me, and I knew he was lying when he said, “Wrecked my bike is all.”
“I told you that thing was dangerous,” she scolded. “I don’t know why you ever bought it.”
As I listened to the banter back and forth, I became more and more uncomfortable. I just wanted to get away from them both, so I made up the excuse, “I better get back to work. I hope Lacie gets to feeling better.”