We sat in silence and continued the wait. When the doctor came out asking for Miss Price, I stood up. “She’s in with Jed Stevens. Is McKenzie ok?”
“I need to speak with Miss Price.” He turned to walk away, and I followed to Gavel’s room. “Miss Price, I’m Dr. Weis. I was working on Miss McAdams.”
Phoenix got up from her spot on Gavel’s bed, crossed the room to the doctor. Her face was white and tear streaked. Her worry was a heavy weight upon her shoulders. “Yes, is she ok?”
“Can we speak in front of them?” He gestured to us.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Miss McAdams is stable at this time. She is still in a serious condition, but she’s stable for now. She sustained a punctured lung from a broken rib, and there’s some swelling in her brain.” He paused and shook his head. “She likely won’t remember much if any of the attack when, and if, she wakes up.”
“What do you mean ‘if she wakes up’?” I cut in harshly.
“It’s a possibility that she could be in a coma. We won’t know for sure until the anesthesia wears off.”
“Anything else doctor?” Abby said, her voice choked with fear.
“She’s a fighter, Miss Price, that I can tell by the fact that she is still alive.” He tried to reassure us all. “You can see her as soon as she is settled. I will allow one person to stay.”
“I’m staying,” Phoenix spoke up.
“No, you aren’t,” Grit and I said at the same time.
“I’m staying with her darlin’.”
“She’s my best friend, and-” The doctor held up his hands, cutting off the budding argument. “I’ll let the two of you stay, but no more.” He left telling us which room would be hers as soon as she got out of recovery, and with a promise to swing by before he left for the day.
“I’ll stay here with Gavel while y’all stay with McKenzie,” Grit spoke up. He looked at Phoenix. “When Gavel gets out of the hospital though, you go home with me. No arguments.”
She nodded her acceptance. I went over to talk to Gavel when Grit took her into his arms, holding her and offering what comfort he could. “How you holdin’ up?”
“When she gets out of surgery, do not leave her side, Titan. They know where she is now.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“I can’t tell you, attorney-client privilege, but they know where she is.”
“Damnit, Gavel, I’m fed up with this bullshit.” I was speaking louder than I thought because Phoenix came to my side. I looked over at her. “I don’t suppose you will tell me what McKenzie’s afraid of, and why Gavel says I can’t leave her side.”
“It’s not my place to tell.”
“You didn’t learn your lesson with your own shit coming down on the both of you, but now you’re going to let her shit come down on y’all too?” I looked over at Grit. “You?” The question was implied.
“I have no oaths or codes, so I’ll tell you what I know, but you aren’t going to like it brother.” He nodded his head toward the door.
We went into the hall, and he told me everything that he overheard from Price. I wanted to kill the bastards slowly, all of them, but now wasn’t the time for retribution. No, that would come soon when Richards and his son were within my grasp.
“When she gets out of here, we are going to call the brothers to church. Call Legend and have Hack start looking into the stepfather and stepbrother. I want everything from financials to rumors, leave nothing out. I want to know when they eat, sleep, shit, and who they fuck. I’m taking the bastards down. Call Philip, we may need him to use his connections and status to get us close to these assholes. See if he’s on board to help us bring them down. I’ll call Stone when McKenzie and I get out of here. Oh, and tell the guys to rotate bringing me food and clothes.” This would normally be a job for prospects, but I’d been dragging my ass about bringing new ones in. Mainly because we were in a college town and we didn’t have many guys clamoring to be in a MC and the ones that were, were pansy frat boys looking to party, not to mention they lacked any kind of military training, and that was something that would not be an exception. “Talk to Stone about sending us some prospects too.”
I turned to go back toward the waiting room, but paused halfway there. “Grit, have Phoenix give them permission to discuss McKenzie’s medical records with me. I’m not leaving her side, so I might as well know what the hell is going on.”
“It’s been two damn days, why the hell isn’t she waking up?” I growled at the doctor. Rationally, I knew it was ridiculous to be blaming the man for her being in a coma, but I was functioning on very little sleep and McKenzie laying in that bed a mass of bruises and cuts wasn’t helping my anger at the whole situation.
Grit had come by earlier that morning, with Gavel just being released, to drag Phoenix home. That was a blessing because she would have freaked out when McKenzie had her first seizure. I went crazy enough for the both of us. Phoenix sure as hell didn’t need to see that shit. I watched helplessly as her body began to convulse in jerky movements. When her lips turned blue from lack of oxygen and the nurses were doing everything they could to keep her from worsening her injuries without getting in the way of her seizure as well, I about lost it. It was over in two minutes, but it might as well have been 10. After her seizure, they took her back for more tests to check on the swelling in her brain. It was well over an hour before they brought her back to the room.
The doctor came in with her chart about 30 minutes after they brought her back. “The swelling is receding, just not as fast as we would like. We reduced the excess fluid on her brain, but only time will tell when she wants to wake up. Her injuries are extensive, so the coma could be the way her body has chosen to deal with being that severely injured. She’s very lucky. I’ve seen people in a less severe condition not make it, but she is hanging on and fighting.” I nodded at his words, then took my seat by her side again.
Her bruises were getting worse, they were a violent black and deep purple. It hurt just looking at her. Those soft lips were swollen and cracked, her nose was bandaged, her cheeks were swollen and her eyes had no chance of opening due to the amount of swelling around them. They had told us the first day in that the rape kit had come back positive. The thought of any man touching her, period, made me angry, but to know that she had been raped, it sent blinding rage surging through me. We don’t know if it was Sam or Price, and frankly I didn’t care. I wanted to bring them both back to life so that I could beat the shit out of them and kill the mother fuckers all over again.
They say talking to someone in a coma could help. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I was willing to give it a shot if it would help her wake for even a second.
“Come on, McKenzie,” I said, even though I felt foolish for talking to an unresponsive woman. “Having a conversation with you when you can’t bite my head off or make me so mad I either kiss you or strangle you isn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. I’d rather have you irritating me so I can shut you up with a kiss. Do you remember that day?” I thought about the kiss we had shared in the restaurant. The memory of it made me smirk to myself and long to feel her lips beneath mine again. “You are the most frustratingly beautiful woman I have ever met. You absolutely drive me nuts. Fuck, McKenzie, I’ve never had to work so hard to get a woman’s attention, and you couldn’t wait to get away from me. I chase, and you run. It’s our own version of cat and mouse.” I leaned closer and spoke softly into her ear. “I’ve got you, McKenzie. I’m not going to let you go so you might as well wake up now.”
A gasp from the door brought my head around fast. “Oh my God, that poor girl.”
“Ma.” I stood up and crossed the room. It had been months since I’d last seen her. I wrapped her in a big hug. “How you doing? You shouldn’t have driven here by yourself.”
“Oh hush, I’m a senior not senile, honey. I can drive a car, pack my bags and brush my own teeth.”
&n
bsp; I chuckled. “I know, Ma.”
“So, what happened?”
I let Ma have the chair I had vacated and sat on the bed by McKenzie’s feet. “We don’t know everything yet. She’s still in a coma. When she comes out of it, it’s not even likely that she will remember.”
“Have you talked to the woman they arrested?”
“No.”
“Who’s Gavel?”
“Gavel is the club’s lawyer. He’s also responsible for Phoenix and McKenzie’s legal dealings. He was even the one that went to Stone about starting a chapter here in Belle.”
“Oh, so it’s him I have to thank for taking my son away from me.” She was smiling as she said it, but I knew that it was a change not having me around more.
“Yeah, Ma, if you want to gripe at anyone, gripe at Gavel.” I winked at her and she laughed.
“Well, you could have picked a worse town. Belle is quite charming. I saw a good part of it while driving here.”
“Yeah, we like it.”
She sighed. “Ok, well. I wish you would come home more often. It’s not the same without… She paused, letting her sentence trail off.
“I know, Ma.” Damn, I felt guilty. Dad died shortly after I got out of the military, and then I officially joined the Demons with Legend and Grit. Now, here we are living in Belle, and she is still in Arlington. “Ma, you need to move here. There’s nothing for you in Arlington any more. I’m here, you don’t work anymore, if something were to happen to you, I couldn’t help you. Think about it.” It was the same conversation we’d had many times before.
“I do have a life outside of you, your father, and work, you know.”
I sighed at her tone. It was the same sarcastic tone she has used on me since I was a teenager. “I know, Ma. I just want to make sure you are safe, and I can’t do that from here.”
“I’ll think about it. How are Brice and Danny doing?”
“Grit is with Phoenix, and despite all the bullshit they’ve been through the last few months, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so settled.” Mom had seen us grow up together. She’d never really been around the club. Dad kept her away from everything, which seemed to suit her just fine. I don’t really know why, but for whatever reason the, club was ok for me but not Ma. “Legend is Legend, Ma.”
“So, tell me about you and McKenzie.”
And there it is, I thought to myself. “Not much to tell yet. I’ve made it clear I want her, and she has kept her distance. She’s aggravating and maddening.”
“Good. I like her already. Women have come all too easy for you over the years. You need someone to keep you on your toes.”
“She’d like you too. Phoenix should be here in a little bit. You’ll like her.”
We spent the morning talking quietly about what had happened to McKenzie and her condition. “I’m going to get you some coffee,” she said, when I yawned for the third time.
“Thanks, Ma. I appreciate it.” After she left, I took the seat she had been sitting in. I relaxed into the chair and closed my eyes. I must have dozed off for a few minutes because I heard the door to the room open and watched as Phoenix came in.
She set her purse on the counter and walked toward the bed. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself, Titan. You need to go home, get some good rest, food, a shower…”
“I’m not leaving her, Phoenix.” I can’t, I silently added.
“It wasn’t your fault, Titan. They told you about the text right?”
“Yeah, they told me, but had I not been dickin’ around, I would have noticed her. If I had noticed her, I’d have been by her side when the text came in. Fuck, had I seen her, I would have been able to stop all of this from happening. Gavel wouldn’t have been shot and McKenzie never would have gotten beat nearly to death.”
“It’s not your fault. The blame falls on my parents, Monica, and Sam. They made their choices and they are the ones responsible for her injuries. YOU are not, Titan. YOU saved her.”
I chose not to answer her, because no matter how much she said it, no matter how many times I tell myself the same damn thing, I feel responsible. The worst part of it is, though, I didn’t want Becky or Kitty that night. All I wanted was McKenzie, and instead of manning up and waiting for her or trying to show her that she needs and wants me as much as I need and want her, I gave up and went for the available pussy. I fucking took the easy damn way out. I told her I was done and walked away. She’s worth more than that. I fucked up, and it nearly cost her life.
“For what it’s worth, Titan.” She paused until I looked up at her. “I hate what you did, don’t get me wrong, but I’m rooting for you. Mac needs someone strong to help her fight her demons. I think you’re strong enough, but if you don’t think you are, do as Brice said and leave her alone.” I nodded my head in acknowledgement, but I couldn’t help the small smirk that crossed my face. I loved the fact that she was standing up to me, trying to intimidate me on behalf of her friend.
I looked back at the woman in the bed. God, she was short, but damn did she pack a punch. The first time I saw her leaning against the wall, asleep with drool on the corner of her mouth. I swear she looked like a grumpy angel when she called Phoenix a bitch for trying to wake her. I felt like I was kicked in the gut.
I heard the door shut quietly and knew I was alone with her again. “Come on, honey,” I said to her sleeping form. “We need to settle a few things between us, and soon, because like it or not, you are mine.”
My head was throbbing, and my body ached. Something was way off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I tried to swallow because my throat hurt, but I couldn’t. What the hell? I cracked my eyes and slammed them shut. The light, even dim as it was, hurt. I waited for the wave of nausea and dizziness to pass before I tried to open my eyes again, this time slower.
I heard the beeping of a heart monitor, so I figured I was in the hospital, but I wasn’t sure exactly why. I felt a numbing pressure on my right hand. When I tried to move it, it wouldn’t budge. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down at my hand. The sight before me brought an overwhelming sense of loss.
Jason was holding my hand, and his head was resting on it. He was going to be so sore when he woke from sleeping hunched over like that. His glasses skewed on his face from sleeping with his head resting on me. There is a book perched on the bed, a popular horror author’s name was printed in bold red letters. I studied him for a moment before leaning back and shutting my eyes. Greedily, I soaked in the moment, the peace and serenity of being here with him. No outside world bothering us, and no arguing. I longed for this always, but knew it could never be.
I silently pressed the nurse button on the bed and waited for assistance. When the door to the room opened, Jason’s head popped up from the bed. “You hit the call button,” she asked him. Her voice basically purred at him, which irritated me, but whatever. It’s not like he was mine anyway.
“No, I didn’t.” His head turned to look at me. His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face, “Hey darlin’. It’s about time you came back to me.”
I shut my eyes. If only, if only I could be with him, but he couldn’t want me. I remembered what happened, vaguely at least. I know that I got the text from Phoenix’s number saying she and Brice had broken up. She wanted me to get to the bar so she could talk and we could drown her sorrows in a drink. Should have thought that shit through better. It didn’t sound like her way of speaking, and when we had left, Grit seemed to be fine. I mean he was in definite alpha mode and pissed, but he was fine. They were about to rip each other’s clothes off, so it should have occurred to me that something was way wrong.
“Water,” I rasped out. I was so thirsty. My throat felt so damn dry, like I hadn’t had water in days. I was craving it. Jason beat the nurse to handing me a cup of ice water. My eyes met his briefly, before I looked away. I didn’t want to see the concern written in his eyes, and I sure as shit didn’t want to see anything else
either.
“Miss McAdams, sip that slowly. You’ve got a lot of drugs in your system, and we don’t want you to get sick.” The nurse came to my head when I moved the cup away from my parched, cracked lips. She unwrapped the tube that was hooked around me and in my nose. “Take a deep breath and hold it. This is going to feel weird.” She pulled the tube from my nose and it brought tears to my eyes. Damn that stung. It was worse than when water or soda goes out your nose, but the sensation was the same, just way more intense. “You ok?” she asked when I hissed.
“Yeah.” My voice was raw. “How long was I out?” I asked.
The nurse looked to Titan, I couldn’t help but follow her gaze. He came back toward the bed, and picked my hand up again. “How much do you remember, honey?”
“Not much. I remember Monica and Sam attacking me. Are they in jail? Please tell me they are in jail?” I rasped out despite the pain. I had to know for sure what all happened.
“What else do you remember?”
I thought back. “Abby’s parents. They-” I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. “Does Abby know they were a part of this?”
“Yes, honey, she knows.”
“Don’t call me honey.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes again. “I’m tired,” I whispered as the blackness took me under again with my remaining questions left unanswered and the memories of what happened plaguing my dreams.
I woke again sometime later to the murmur of voices. I recognized Abby’s immediately. She was alive and safe. Thank God. I could hear her and Titan and Grit talking – the three voices were unmistakable. “She’s not going to go for that,” I heard Abby say.
“She won’t have a choice. At least for a while. Her other option is to move in with me at the clubhouse.”
“Hell no, she is not going to the clubhouse.” Abby’s voice had risen, and I silently agreed with her. No way would I ever want to step foot in that clubhouse again. I had seen enough to last me a lifetime the last time I went there. I remained silent and listened. They didn’t know I was awake so I just left my eyes closed and tried to find out what all was going on. “I have an idea so she won’t be alone anyway.”
Ember's Burn: A Steel Demons MC Novel Page 2