When we got inside several club members greeted us in the lobby. They hopped to their feet the second my dad made his grand entrance .
“Where is he? Is he OK?” my dad bellowed as if he was the only one in the hospital with someone in rough shape. Everyone in the waiting room and behind the reception desks looked at him .
Pike stood next to my dad as we walked down the hallway. He shook his head and tried to say something but nothing came out .
Stone and Pike had been close friend for as long as I could remember. I didn’t know Pike’s real name, but they had been prospects at roughly the same time. If I remembered correctly, they had been friends long before they were part of the MC .
Rager and Dust joined our little circle, and they didn’t look they wanted to talk either. Rager was shaking his head. He was a forty-fire year old man with thick-framed glasses and he looked as tough as nails, but even he seemed torn up .
I was about to freak out. What was going on? If he wasn’t OK someone should tell us. Rager looked at me as if he was confused about my presence but spoke to my dad anyway .
“They haven’t told us anything yet, man,” Rager said glancing at the receptionist briefly. “The ladies over there say the doctors will talk to family as soon as they can. Which I think means they won’t tell us anything .”
My dad looked around the waiting room as if he was doing roll call, “Where’s Stretch ?”
“We don’t know,” Rager said after a long pause. “Hoping Stone will know .”
“You know he was out there with him right?” my dad said the frustration and fear obvious in his tone. I could only guess he was worried about why only one of his men came back. And he came back via trip to the hospital. Hell, no one even knew if he was OK yet .
If either Stretch or Stone was dead, there would be a club war. There was no doubt about that .
“We know,” Dust said rubbing at his nose. Dust was the member I’d overheard my parents talking about. He was working on getting himself clean. My dad even footed the bill for one of his stints in rehab .
It works for awhile, but then Dust always seems to fall back into his old ways. Especially in times of stress. I wondered if this was one of those times .
“See if you can get in touch with Stretch. If you can’t, I want you and Dust to go and see what you can find out. Stay out of trouble and stay away from The Henchmen,” my dad said pointing his finger at them. “Don’t come back until you have something for me. Go !”
“Yes, sir,” Dust said yanking Rager’s leather jacket. I hope that they were going to take one of the club’s cars so that Dust wouldn’t be out riding his bike. Last thing the club needed right now was Dust getting into an accident when he was strung out .
After about ten minutes of pacing back and forth, my dad finally sat down next to my mom. She took his hand into her and rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb .
I grabbed a magazine, but I couldn’t read it. My fingers flipped at the pages as I glanced at the pictures. I was basically just going through the motions since I was too worried something was wrong .
My dad had gone up to the nurse’s station so many times that the last time they spoke to him, three nurses gathered together, and told him if they heard anything they promised he’d be the first to know. He practically growled at them before he hit the desk and walked away .
They probably had experience in dealing with my dad. This wasn’t the first time he’s had to come in because someone from the club was being treated. They were fully aware of the fact that he was the president of the well-known Brother’s Rebellion MC in Greenwood Pass. Everyone knew my dad even though many wished they hadn’t .
With all the ‘injuries’ and ‘accidents’ the club has had over the years the nurses were probably on a first name basis with my dad. But this time since he was close to Stone, it was different. And the nurses seemed to realize that .
“Mr. Vincent?” a man wearing blue scrubs said as he walked towards my father. I was pretty sure he must have been the doctor that had been treating Stone. He shook my dad’s hand. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find out that they had worked together outside of office hours if a club member got hurt and they didn’t want anyone to find out about it .
“Yes. Tell me doc, just tell me straight,” my dad said standing next to him as he towered over the doctor by nearly a full foot .
“Come,” the doctor said leading us out of the waiting room. He didn’t even question who I was or try to stop me from following along. It was OK with the doctor if it was OK with my dad .
30
Chapter 6
H e led us into a smaller waiting room and closed the door once I was inside. My looked at him with wide eyes. “What is it ?”
“Stone is going to be fine. We had to remove the bullet, and it’s going to take some time for him to recover. There wasn’t any major damage. He’s lucky it hadn’t been worse. Terry, these kids need to be more careful,” the doctor said using my dad’s name .
That confirmed my suspicions about them being well acquainted. No one used my dad’s first name. The only people I’ve ever heard use is name was his father, my grandpa before he passed, my mom and the Sheriff. It was as if someone had to earn it. Clearly the doctor had earned it because my dad didn’t punch him in the face for saying it .
“Oh, thank God!” my mom said hugging me. “You had us worried there, doc .”
It almost sounded as if my mom was scolding him which seemed a bit strange considering they were probably around the same age. He didn’t seem to be bothered .
“We can we see him?” my dad asked, but I knew he wanted more information about what happened. Information he hoped Stone would have. My dad and the club was desperate, they needed to find Stretch as soon as possible .
“Now, Terry, he’s going to have to talk to the cops about what happened. I have to report this… you know that,” he said tapping his clipboard .
“Understood. Get the Sheriff.” My dad nodded in a strange way. It was almost like it was some kind of secret code. Maybe something the doctor would pass along to the Sheriff to get this sorted out in a way my dad would be OK with .
I didn’t even want to know. Besides, maybe I was just imagining it all. Maybe there was no secret code .
The doctor gave us directions to Stone’s room, and I followed my parents as they twisted through the hallways. When we finally got to Stone’s room I paused not sure if he’d even want to see me .
I probably shouldn’t have come. I was developing a bad habit of showing up where I didn’t necessarily belong when it came to Stone .
My mom and dad walked into the room but I waited in the doorway. When he saw me standing there, he waved me forward. He was smiling although he looked a little under the influences of whatever painkiller the hospital had given him during the bullet removing procedure .
“You scared the shit out of us there, Stone,” my mom said hugging him gently and placing a light kiss on his forehead .
“Don’t do it again,” my dad said pointing his finger at him. He looked angry, but I knew he meant well. Stone knew it too because he was grinning at my dad .
“I’ll try my damnedest not to ever do it again,” Stone said glancing at me. “Glad you came .”
“And I’m glad you’re OK,” I said quietly. My mom looked back and forth between us but then turned back to Stone as if she was dismissing whatever thought had crossed her mind .
My dad’s phone buzzed before he could question Stone about what had happened. He quickly dashed out of the room. I wondered if it was because he didn’t want to talk about Stretch in front of Stone. He didn’t want him to know he was MIA. At least not yet while he was recovering from a gunshot wound .
“I’m going to go check on him,” my mom said as she held Stone’s hand and kissed him on the forehead in the exact same spot. “Do what the doctors say, you hear? Be good, Stone .”
“Yes ma’am,” Stone said watching my m
om as she walked out of the room .
Stone started to lift his arms so he could put them behind his head when he remembered he’d just been shot. He winced and slowly put his arm back down. I couldn’t help but smile at him .
He grimaced, “Aw fuck .”
“Does it hurt?” I said stupidly asking a question I was pretty sure I knew the answer to. I stepped closer to make sure he hadn’t messed up his bandages .
“Yeah… it really fucking hurts,” he said as he reached over and grabbed my hand. “But I feel so much better when you’re close to me sweetheart .”
“Oh please,” I said rolling my eyes at him. “I know that’s the painkillers talking .”
“No, I mean it,” he said and pulled me down so I was sitting on the bed next to him .
“I shouldn’t sit here,” I said trying to get up. “I don’t want to cause you any pain .”
“The only pain I’m in is when you are away,” he said putting his finger on my chin .
I narrowed my eyes at him, “What do they have you on ?”
“I’m not sure but I hope I can some of this shit to go,” he said with a laugh. “Drugs or not, the truth is… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I think when I was out during surgery I was even dreaming about you .”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked as my heart fluttered against my will. After he’d stopped things telling me this just didn’t seem fair .
“Christ Josie,” he said looking deep into my eyes. His eyes were glassy, and I didn’t know if he’d even remember anything he was telling me. “If I could physically do it, I’d bend you over this bed right now and finish what we’d started .”
His words were like fire. They ignited my blood, and it started flowing quickly through my veins. Every part of my body was started to fire up in response and he hadn’t even had to touch me .
When I looked down to avoid eye contact with him, I could see that he was feeling the same. His body was working just fine even though he was on pain killers and was just out of surgery .
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his being careful not to pull on any of the tubes or wires he was connected to. My fingers lightly twirled into his hair before I pulled myself away .
It felt like I was losing my mind. I wanted him so bad, yet I wasn’t going to let it happen. I couldn’t. Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. I was helplessly falling for him and I knew it the minute I had heard he was in the hospital .
“I need to get back to work,” I said standing up and awkwardly moving towards the door .
“But your dad is the boss. He’ll give you time off,” he said as if that would somehow change my mind. Instead, it only reminded me of every reason this should go any further .
What it my mom and dad would have walked back in and caught us kissing? My dad would have tried to strangle him right on the hospital bed. At least he would be in the right place for when my dad attempted to murder him. But my dad was probably quicker than the hospital staff and Stone would be dead before their monitors even alerted them to his distress .
“Sorry you were shot… get well soon,” I said and slipped out of the room. I wanted to hit myself for saying something so dumb. Thank God he was drugged up and probably wouldn’t remember anything I had said anyway .
Since my parents had been my ride to the hospital I had to wait for them in the waiting room. Some of the Brother’s came in and out but no one went down the hallway to see Stone .
The hospital probably wasn’t allowing them back to see him because they weren’t technically family. They had only made an exception for my dad because of who he was. But it wasn’t like they could let the whole club in .
I was about to call my dad when Pike sat down next to me. “He left with your mom like thirty minutes ago,” Pike said as he adjusted his bandana .
“Oh… great. Of course they did,” I said trying not to show just how pissed off I was that they just left without telling me .
“He told me to bring you home,” Pike said in his low, gruff voice. “Whenever you’re ready .”
“I’m ready,” I said standing and taking several steps away only to notice he wasn’t following me. “Pike ?”
He forced a smile. His mind was probably on his best friend. I wasn’t even sure if anyone updated him on Stone’s condition .
“He’s going to be fine,” I said softly .
“You know he talked about you the other night,” Pike said keeping his eyes focused on the floor .
“He did ?”
“Yeah,” Pike said with a sigh. The way he was acting it didn’t seem like whatever they had talked about had been good. “I don’t want him to get in trouble with your old man, you know ?”
“Of course. I don’t either,” I said with a nod. I didn’t really understand what they had talked about, but I did know my dad. I didn’t want there to be trouble in the MC .
This just solidified everything I had already known… getting involved with anything MC related would be a mistake. Pike knew it too. He was just trying to warn me… what he didn’t know was that I already knew better. He’d probably seen women go down this path with Stone a thousand times. But I wouldn’t .
“Ready?” I said gesturing towards the door. The sooner I was out of here the better .
31
Chapter 7
I had been managing to avoid everything club related and Stone related for several days until I heard my dad talking to someone in the hallway outside of the office. There was a pile of work waiting for me and I tried not to listen but I couldn’t help it .
“He’s been released. I want you to head over there later to check in on him… he’s got no one you know?” my dad said trying to keep his voice hushed. I couldn’t hear the response of the person he was talking to, but I assumed whoever it was would go because my dad asked him to .
I was glad Stone was well enough to be at home, but I didn’t like the idea of him being there alone. There wouldn’t be anyone there to help him. It wouldn’t hurt anything if I stopped by to offer him help or bring him some food .
When lunch time rolled around, I went into the kitchen to make a couple sandwiches. I packed them up as I ignored the voice in my head telling me to go back to work .
The voice told me that if I went I was breaking my rule. If I was done with Stone, I had to really be done. I told the voice to shut up, this was different… he needed help… he’d be shot .
My car almost didn’t want to start when I turned the key. It was almost as if it was trying to send me a message. But I had already made the sandwiches, so I felt committed. I didn’t want the food to go to waste. At least that’s what I told myself .
When I pulled up to the curb, I saw his ex storm out of the house. I could even hear the door slamming from inside my car. She was shouting something as she walked away from his house .
It wasn’t a big deal that she was there again. I wasn’t jealous. It was probably a good thing she had stopped by to check in on him. He needed people to help him right now. Although of course I didn’t know how helpful she’d been if she was leaving this angry .
I stayed inside my parked car slouched down until she turned the corner. The last thing I wanted was his angry ex bombarding me with questions. Maybe she knew my dad, and she’d tell him I’d went to Stone’s house. It was better to just wait until the coast was clear to bring him his lunch .
A random car came down the street and I waited until that one was out of sight too before I jogged over to Stone’s place. I knocked on the door and tapped my foot wondering why it was taking so long. But then I realize he probably wasn’t up and about to answer the door .
I knocked again, harder and opened the door a crack, “Hello ?”
“Who is it?” he said, sounding as if he was in a bad mood .
“It’s Josie,” I said trying to keep my voice soft. I felt paranoid everyone in the neighborhood was documenting my visits. It wasn’t like I was doing
anything wrong by coming here to help. It was purely innocent .
“Come in,” he said and I let myself in. He wasn’t on the couch so I figured he was in his bedroom. His house wasn’t very big so it would probably be easy to find. “I’m in here .”
I stopped in the doorway and saw him laying uncomfortably in bed. His pillows were all over the place and there were beer cans scattered all over the floor. It looked as though a small tornado had gone through his bedroom .
“Yeah, sorry,” he said with a small frown .
He was laying there shirtless which only made the blood that stained his bandage stand out even more. At first I was distracted by all of his muscles. Muscles I didn’t even know a person could have, but then I came to my senses and set down the plate of wrapped sandwiches in front of him .
“Is someone going to help with that?” I said gesturing towards his bandage .
“A nurse is going to check on it later. It’s fine,” he said waving his hand as if he barely even noticed it was there .
My eyes went back to his solid abs, down to the sheet draped over his hips. I wondered if he was wearing pants, or underwear for that matter. It would have been difficult for him to get dressed, or at least I imagined it would have been. But I tried not to think about any of that as I unwrapped a sandwich for him .
“I’m fucking starving,” he said as he took a large bite .
“Can I get you something to drink?” I said unable to resist looking at the aluminum cans strewn about .
“Water,” he said between bites. I left the room to go into his kitchen and search his cabinets for glasses. He had three glasses and a mug inside, so I took one of the glasses and filled it with water from his sink .
I walked back to his room and handed him the glass. He grabbed it and drank down the whole thing in one drink .
“Was thirsty too,” he said with a smile .
I took the glass from him and set it on his nightstand. Without giving it much thought, I started to pick up the beer cans off of the floor and stacked them next to the glass .
Caught - A Brother's Best Friend Romance Page 13