by River Savage
“You will if you want your woman to walk away with murder.” My mind blanks for a second, before clearing and realizing what he just said.
“The fuck you say?” I take two steps toward him. Nix moves to my right, Sy to my left. I know I’m fucking losing. I’m walking a steep precipice here. But fuck, I can’t seem to give a fuck.
“Rumors.” He raises both hands in surrender.
“Yeah, rumors, this fucker’s been spewing to anyone and everyone.” I point back to the piece of shit tied to one of the support beams.
“Let us take care of this, Nix. There are larger things at play here.” T ignores my anger and turns to the one person who can put a stop to it.
“Larger things you’re not gonna share with us,” I surmise, knowing before he even answers.
“This goes way up, Beau. Don’t fucking get yourself twisted in it.”
I don’t say anything for a while. The Mayor’s labored breathing is the only sound in the barn.
“He’s right, Beau. The less our hands are dirty, the better.”
I don’t want to agree with Nix so I argue back. “So when he comes back and fucks with us some more?” Men like Morre don’t give a shit about threats. He survives this, there will be hell to deal with.
“He’s not surviving anything. Trust me, Beau. This shit is bigger than all of us. It’s going to be dealt with,” T offers and it only appeases me a small amount.
“You clean this shit up like he wasn’t even here.” Nix makes the decision for me, before I can even question anymore.
“Nix.”
“Don’t push it, Beau. We have an out and we’re taking it. Let it play out in someone else’s territory.” I know he wants to keep us clean, but my anger is holding me here.
“You want me to trust they have our interests?”
“I want you to trust this is what’s best for the club. For our family.”
As much as I’d love to put a bullet through the fucker’s head, Nix is right. We’re better off letting this play out on someone else’s territory. For the sake of the club.
“Fuck,” I concede, not happy about it.
“You’re making the right decision here.” T reaches forward and taps my shoulder.
“Get the fuck off me, T.” I brush it off, and move back to Morre. “Looks like it’s your lucky day. Or maybe your not so lucky day.” I bend my knees and crouch down to his level.
“Please, don’t let them take me, I’ll give you whatever you want.” The Mayor’s eye grow wide realizing I’m going to hand him over. Now the fucker starts to plead.
“You give me the name, I’ll see what I can do.” I’m not short of lying to the fucker to get what I want.
“Brent Harrison. He’s a street thug.” It’s the first truthful thing he’s told us since we’ve been here.
“Where can I find this fucker?”
“He hangs down by the dock in Redwick.”
Knowing this is all I’m going to get from him, I give him one final gift. “I was going to enjoy what I had planned for you next.” He licks his lips, his nervous tell showing. “I wondered if you’d piss your pants as much as your son did when I had him tied,” I lie through my teeth. If this shit with T and the Warriors falls through, I want Chad’s death on me, not Mackenzie.
“You?” His brows shoot up for a second, before lowering into a scowl.
“Yeah,” is all I say before delivering my final punch, and knocking him out.
“You clean this shit up, no trace this fucker was here,” Nix orders T.
“Nothing will touch you. You walk out that door, we don’t talk about it again. He turns up in a few weeks, you don’t bat a lid.”
I don’t know if I believe T or whoever wanted Morre, only time will tell. But I am going to trust my Prez and his decision. Kenzie and the club are safe and we have a name.
Brent Harrison
That’s all that matters to me right now.
We will sort out the fucker who laid his hands on Kelly.
For Brooks.
For the club.
For Kelly.
Twenty-Nine
Mackenzie
“Darlin’.” Beau’s voice brings me out of the fog in my mind and back to the emergency room.
“Where the hell have you been?” I look up as he takes a seat next to me. It’s late. For over four hours, I’ve been sitting here in a ball of anxiety and worry.
“It’s done,” is all he says, and my panic only deepens as Nix walks in next, followed by Sy, Jesse, and Hunter.
“What did you do?” I look at each man and back to Beau. My eyes grow wide when I notice Beau’s bloodied knuckles.
“Not here, Kenzie. We’ll talk later.”
“Oh, God, what happened?” I ignore his warning and find my feet. “Please tell me you didn’t kill him.” I almost laugh, but I don’t. I’m still wired after this mess of a day.
“Calm the fuck down. Not here.” He stands and drags me down the hall of the hospital, out of earshot. “I will fill you in back at the clubhouse. Right now, you need to pull your shit together.” His grip on me tightens, not enough to hurt me, but enough to anchor me to his words. “Tell me what’s happening with Kelly.” I calm my breathing, focus in on what he’s asking.
“We don’t know yet. At first they thought it was just a concussion, but then the CT scan came back and they realized it’s worse. She hit the ground from falling or being pushed, fuck, I don’t even know, but she hit her head bad. She’s bleeding inside, something about a hematoma. They had to take her in for surgery to drain the blood.” The tears I’ve only just managed to bring under control start back up.
“She was hit with a baseball bat.” His nostrils flare and his lips curl.
“Oh, God, Beau.” My eyes well up. The first tear falls then the second.
“Shit, darlin’, wasn’t thinking.” He pulls me into his chest. That could have been me.
“Brooks coping?” He pulls back, and takes my face in his hands.
“He’s a mess. Won’t talk to anyone. Kadence just left to pick up Mia from the babysitter’s and bring Kelly’s parents down.” He nods, knowing Kelly’s parents are too old to drive.
“Bell get him back to see her?”
“He saw her briefly, but they rushed her back for surgery.” His eyes darken and his jaw ticks. “I don’t know what to do, Beau. Everyone is just so silent, no one’s talking.”
“Everything is going to be okay. This is Kelly we’re talking about. She’s going to come out of the surgery and everything is going to be okay.” He pulls me back into him, kissing the top of my head. “The woman is just as fucking strong as you, darlin’. I have no doubt she’ll pull through. I won’t accept anything less.”
“Please, tell me this is over for real,” I whisper into his chest. Even if I don’t want him to have blood on his hands, I need to know this is over. That we can live our lives.
“It’s over, darlin’. I promise.” He gives me what I need, what I’ve been searching for. “Come on, let’s go be with our family.” He reaches down and takes my hand.
“Okay.” I steel myself and try to keep it together as I follow him back over to where the rest of the club sit, silently waiting and offering Brooks their support.
“Any news?” He claps Brooks on his back before taking the seat next to him. I take the spare seat next to Beau.
Brooks has barely spoken a word to us girls the last few hours, so I’m surprised he answers Beau right away.
“Nothing. Not a fucking word.” He rests his elbows on his knees and drops his face in his hands.
“It’s gonna work out, brother,” Nix tries to reassure him.
“You find the cunt who did this?” He looks to Nix and Beau.
“We’re on it,” is all Nix says, before Brooks lets out a long deep breath and nods.
“Fuck, she’s gotta pull through. I can’t do this on my own.” His voice is shaky, and it touches me all the way down to my bones.
“I know, sweetheart.” The tension rolls off me as he accepts my comfort and I find myself letting out my own relief.
It was just a small gesture, but to me it’s the world.
Things might be still up in the air with Kelly, but everything out here is sorted. Beau made it so and I believe him. I have to believe him.
What other option do I have?
* * *
“How you feeling, Kenz?” Holly takes a seat next to me later that night when I stir from the most awkward nap of my life. We haven’t been home yet, deciding to sleep it out in the uncomfortable waiting chairs until we heard more on Kelly.
“Oh, God, what time is it?” I stretch, trying to relieve some tension in my back and neck.
“It’s after 2 a.m.”
“Have we heard anything yet?” I look around the waiting room. Nix is asleep four chairs down, Sy, Hunter and Beau are talking quietly across from me. Kelly’s parents are sitting two rows back with a sleeping Mia on their laps. Jesse and Bell are talking quietly between themselves, and Brooks is pacing the hallway. Waiting. Praying. Hoping.
“Not yet, but it can’t be much longer.”
“Where’s Kadence?” She was here before I nodded off, with both Low and Z.
“She took the kids home. It was getting too late. She’ll be back up in the morning.” I nod then glance back over at Brooks.
Seeing him like this, I can’t help but be mad at myself. I shouldn’t have left her. We should have left together, or called one of the guys to bring us something to eat.
Turning my head away from Brooks, I lock eyes with Beau. He stands to come to me after noticing I’m now awake.
“You okay?” He hands me a bottle of water and takes the spare seat next to me.
“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I take a sip of the water before handing it back to him. I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since this morning.
“Don’t be silly. Everyone is tired.” Holly rests her hand on my leg and gives it a gentle squeeze. Ever since I told her and Kadence what happened and why it happened, I’ve been worried they would pull back from me, maybe blame me for everyone being here. But they haven’t. If anything, they’ve rallied around me even more than before, offering comforting smiles, reassuring words and even their shoulders to cry on.
“It can’t be too much longer, right?” I look up just as a doctor appears, stopping in front of Brooks.
The room becomes a flurry of movement and questions as we all stand and step forward, all desperate for good news.
“—An induced coma to help with the swelling.” I miss the first part, but manage to catch up. “She’s stable, but still in critical condition. The next three days are going to be precarious.” The doctor is young, almost too young and I wonder how long he’s been doing this.
“A coma?” Brooks’ panicked voice spears me while I take it all in. “You said the surgery would be enough.”
“Yes, the surgery helped relieve some pressure, but we are concerned with the swelling. We need to control it. Our best chance for it to happen is to let her brain rest.”
Brooks’ hands run through his hair as he takes a step back. “So that’s it? We just wait?”
“I know it’s not what you were expecting, but the next few days will tell us more.”
“Can I see her? I need to see her.”
“Soon. She’s being moved to the ICU now. Someone will be down shortly to take you back.” He offers a comforting hand on Brooks’ shoulder before leaving us alone to process.
We all stay silent, letting Brooks take the lead.
Induced coma.
Swelling.
It doesn’t sound good. It sounds downright scary and judging by everyone’s faces, they all feel the same way.
“It’s gonna be okay, Brooks. Dr. Dawson is thorough. She’s in good hands.” Bell steps forward and wraps her arms around his neck. He accepts her embrace, holding her while his body shakes in sobs.
“I can’t lose her, Bell. I can’t.”
I almost come undone watching him.
Nix steps in next, wrapping his arm around his back and whispering low in his ear.
Wanting to give him privacy, I turn back and notice Kelly’s parents holding each other. Hunter now holds Mia, looking so much younger than I’ve ever noticed.
It all becomes so real. Our world is spinning out of control.
How are we going to survive if she doesn’t pull through? The thought weakens my knees, and before I meet the ground, Beau has me, holding me up.
“We need to take you home,” he tells me, moving toward a free chair and sitting me down.
“I can’t leave, Beau. We need to stay.”
“Beau’s right. We should get some rest. Brooks and Kelly are going to need all the help they can get.” Holly steps in and stops me from arguing. “We can’t be of any help with no sleep.”
I don’t want to leave, but I understand where they’re coming from.
“You guys head out. I’ll stay with Brooks until he goes back to the ICU. We can meet back in the mornin’.” Nix comes to stand near us, as Jesse and Bell move in to console Brooks.
“Are you sure?” Beau asks him.
“Yeah, you take her home.” He nods down to me.
“What about Mia?” I ask, looking back at her sleeping form. “We can take her.” I look up at Beau, hoping he agrees.
“We’ll take her back to the clubhouse,” Holly offers. “She’ll be better off waking up there.” Nix nods, deciding it’s the best decision for tonight.
“We’ll stay at the clubhouse, too.” Beau agrees. “You call us if you need anything, Nix.” Nix nods, and then claps Beau on the back, before turning and doing the same with Sy.
“Come on, darlin’.” Beau helps me up and holds me close as we say our goodbyes to everyone. Brooks accepts my hug, and our promise to take good care of Mia before leaning in and kissing her sweet little face.
“You ride with Holly. I don’t have a helmet with me,” Beau tells me as we follow Sy and Holly out of the hospital. “We’ll ride behind.”
I nod and take his kiss before planting my ass in the passenger side of Holly’s car.
After settling Mia into her seat, we set off, and before I can fight it, my eyes turn heavy, and I’m out again, the warmth of the car lulling me back to sleep.
“Darlin’,” Beau’s soft voice calls to me as he releases me from my belt. “You fell asleep,” he whispers as I come back to myself.
“It wasn’t a dream.” I start to cry. The day’s events finally catching up with me. “It’s still real, Beau.” I shake my head, fighting to escape the darkness.
“Come on, you need to sleep. You okay with Mia, Sy?” Beau asks, and I think I hear him reply, but I can’t be sure. Every second of the day, every action, and reaction washes over me as it all plays out in my mind over and over.
Kelly is in a coma. Beau has done something bad, and it’s all because of me.
* * *
“Are you ever going to tell me what happened?” I ask Beau three nights later when we climb into bed at home. We just came back from the hospital; it’s been seventy-two hours since the doctors put Kelly in a medically induced coma. Every day we’ve woken up, had breakfast, dressed and headed over to see her. Every day we’ve prayed for her to heal and be okay, but as of today, she’s not ready to come out. As devastating as it is, the doctors assure us it’s for the best. Her brain function is good. Her vitals are strong, but the swelling is still a factor, they’re not prepared to bring her out of it yet.
“The less you know, the better, darlin’,” Beau tells me the same thing he’s told me the last three nights before he flicks off the lamp and curls into me with his front to my back.
“Beau, please don’t keep this from me. I can’t han
dle it. With everything else going on, I don’t need this between us.” I try to roll to face him, but his hold is too firm.
“He’s not going to give you more trouble,” is all he gives away while pulling me tighter against him.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?” He doesn’t answer me, the room growing eerily quiet. My hands move to his arm that’s holding me and I pry it off me. “Don’t you dare keep this from me.” I sit up and look down at him. “Please.” I’m just shy of pleading, but I don’t care. I need to know.
He lets out a frustrated sigh, before rolling back over, flicking on the lamp and coming to sit up with me. “If he’s not already, then he will be soon,” he says casually, like he’s just given me the time.
“No, Beau.” I shake my head, not okay with this at all. His hands come to my face, stopping my freak out.
“Mackenzie, he fucking put Kelly in the hospital. In a fucking coma. Don’t make this out to be anything more. He fucked up.”
“But what if it comes back on you?” I push, hating that this is all because of me. Two days ago, Jackson came to the hospital to take my statement regarding what I knew. Unless Beau knows and hasn’t told me otherwise, the man responsible for hitting Kelly with the baseball bat is still out there. The cameras at Missy’s didn’t get his face, so until she wakes up, we won’t know who we’re dealing with.
“I promise you it won’t.” He sounds so sure, I don’t know if I should be scared, or relieved. I know Beau is capable of being a dangerous man. I know who his club deals with sometimes, but I also know deep down in my soul he would never hurt me.
“I’m scared, Beau. I’m scared for Kelly. For Brooks. For Mia. For you.” He drops his hands and pulls me into his lap. I don’t fight him. My need to be close to him only grows stronger the more reality seeps in.
“I know you are, darlin’, and I wish I could reach in and take your fear from you, but I can’t. I can only tell you I have your back. Nothing will touch you. You have to trust me.”
“I did this. I made you do this. It’s already on me, Beau.” Bile creeps up the back of my throat, but I force it back down.