by Blue Remy
Stone shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you. We appreciate everything you’ve done for us and for Maggie.”
As the doctor left, Stone turned to everyone. “Axe, Talon, stay tonight. I’ll call in some favors with our support and get them to send a couple of guys by to watch her during the run. Mace, let’s get Amy home.”
* * * *
Numb.
She couldn’t feel a thing. Her mind was a blank slate that failed to render anything coherent. It was as if she went through the motions of showering, getting dressed and lying in a cold bed. The shivering wouldn’t stop, nor would the tears.
How someone could be so fucking vicious was beyond anything Amy could possibly understand. Maggie never deserved a life like this. When her parents died, Stone always watched out for her. She deserved the life of a princess, not to be left for dead like trash on the side of the road.
She felt Mace crawl into bed, curling up behind her. His arm wrapped about her waist and drew her to him, tucking her into his body and warm embrace. She didn’t need to speak. He knew she wanted silence, to just be held. No lies that everything was going to be okay, because it wasn’t. Nothing was okay.
If it was the Temer Gallo doing all of this, they were doing nothing more than attacking women. That was an insult to their MC. She knew about the president, but she also went to school with his ex Ol’Lady and he may fit his name more than anyone ever had, but he treated his women like gold. She couldn’t find it in her to believe he would sanction attacks on women. It didn’t make sense, but it was several men who hurt Maggie, not one.
She didn’t remember falling asleep. She woke to an empty bed. Sitting up, she heard Mace in the kitchen speaking in low tones with her father and Romeo. She knew their voices well enough to know they were discussing important matters not for her to hear.
Rolling out of bed, she slid on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt, tossed her hair into a messy ponytail and headed for a cup of coffee or tea. She didn’t care as long as it was hot. Stepping into the kitchen, the men quit talking about their business and looked to her expectantly.
Rolling her eyes, she grunted. “I’m not going to go all crazy. I’m fine.”
Stone and Romeo put their dirty cups into the sink, walked over and kissed her on the top of her head. “We’ll see you later tonight.”
“Okay, be safe.” She watched them walk out of the house, then turned to look at Mace. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t.”
“I know that look. It’s the ‘I may have to tiptoe around her in case she decides to go all praying mantis on my ass and bite my head off’ look.”
Mace laughed as he pushed off the counter and walked toward her. “I guess you’ll be at the hospital today?”
“You have to ask?” A single brow rose as she let her eyes drag over him. Long sleeved shirt, cut, Wranglers, boots, bandanna. He looked yummy and like a force to be reckoned with.
“Keep looking at me like that and we may never make it out of the house today.”
Amy giggled and cast her eyes downward. “You’re horrible.”
“And you love it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in why don’t you.” Amy looked at him.
“I’ve got to get to the shop and get everything ready.” He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. “Remember what I told you, Amy. Always.”
Amy leaned into the palm of his hand, finger hooking into his belt loop to tug him closer. “That you love me no matter what happens.”
“Yeah. I do and you need to always keep that close.”
When his lips met hers, she sighed against them. Eyes drifted closed as she welcomed the tender kiss, the tip of her tongue teasing his with gentle abandon. She couldn’t stop the whimper of protest when he pulled away. She pouted.
“Be safe, okay?”
“You know it.”
“I love you, Mace.”
Mace paused as he started to step past her, his smile hesitant, then lighting up his face, though it never met the sadness behind his eyes. “I love you more.”
When he shut the door behind him, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
CHAPTER 27
Beep, blip. Beep, blip.
The heart monitor was the only thing regular in the sterile room of the ICU unit, and it was going to drive Amy crazy. It was shrill in the silence, except for the labored breathing of her friend. Maggie wheezed a breath in, and almost choked it out as it was exhaled.
Amy was doing her best not to cry at seeing her best friend lying against the stark white sheet. The swelling on her face had gone down, but black and blue wasn’t her color. Sinking back into the chair, she plucked a tissue from a box and wiped her eyes. Nose crinkled as she threw it in the garbage. Even the damn tissue smelled sterile.
She took Maggie’s left hand into her own, gently cupping it as she patted the top. Her other hand had several pins in it to reset the obliterated bones to a semblance of a hand.
“Maggie, I know you might not be able to hear me, but you’ve got to be okay. You need to wake up, sweetie. I can’t do this without you.” Amy tried not to tear up, sniffling as she looked at the ceiling like it would stop her tears. Looking back to Maggie, she reached out and tenderly brushed a strand away from her bruised face. “You’re my rock, Mags. When I turn to run, you stop me. If you leave me, who’s going to look out for me?”
Beep, blip. Beep, blip.
“You’re so damn confident and make me do things I normally wouldn’t do and would totally miss out on. Like Mace.” Amy tried to smile as a tear slid down her cheek. Wiping it away, she gave a sardonic laugh. “I never would have fallen for him or would have even looked at him after I found out he was a prospect if it wasn’t for you pushing me. Who’s going to organize the herbs and teas? Antonia will screw it all up. I’ll have thyme in the oregano.”
Maggie moved!
Amy jerked her head up. Holding her breath, she stared at Maggie. She had felt her hand move, she hadn’t imagined it.
Had she?
She looked to the heart monitor; it was regular, no abnormalities. Same beep in the same timing as it had been since she walked in. “I’m going to kill whoever did this to you, Maggie. I promise you that.”
“N—no, you … won’t.”
Amy’s eyes grew wide when Maggie’s raspy voice answered her. “Maggie, shhh … let me get the doctor.” She jumped up to leave, but Maggie had a death grip on her hand. “Maggie, sweetie, they need to know you’re awake.”
“Sit down.”
Amy stared at her friend in disbelief. Her eyes were barely open, mere slits from the swollen flesh. She did as Maggie requested; squeezing her hand gently, dropping her voice in urgency. “Mags, they need to know.”
“Ames, shut up.” Maggie gasped, the heart monitor skipping a beat, then going back to its regularly scheduled programming. Her breathing was labored and sounded painful as she drew in short, ragged breaths. “Stop. The run.”
“Stop the run?” Amy asked in confusion, leaning closer to her friend. “I can’t stop it, Maggie, you know that.” Amy glanced at the clock. Looking back to Maggie, she frowned. “It’s nearly eleven; they’ll be on the road. There’s no way I can reach them.”
The blackened eyes pleaded with Amy, “Trap. Stop it.”
“It’s a trap? Maggie, I don’t understand.” That overwhelming feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach once more. She had felt it this morning when Mace walked out the door; now it resurfaced at Maggie’s accusations.
“Water.”
Amy let go of Maggie’s hand, scrambling to get her what she wanted. Amy couldn’t stop her hands from shaking, spilling some of the water onto her hand when she tried to pour it into the plastic cup. Placing the straw into the cup, she gently pushed her hand under Maggie’s head and slowly lifted it up, not wanting to cause her undo pain. Placing the straw against h
er lips, she watched Maggie take small, hesitant sips.
She couldn’t stop the icy tendrils of fear seeping into her veins at the thought of the run being some sort of trap. Feeling Maggie finish, she set the cup on the stand and took her hand once more, urging Maggie to continue.
“Listen carefully.” Maggie struggled to breathe, softly coughing. “Demon and his crew.” Her coughing grew more violent as she tried to raise her voice.
Amy bolted up, grabbing a tissue to wipe at Maggie’s lips, dabbing away blood. Frowning, Amy was near panic mode. “Maggie, please. Let me…”
“NO!” Maggie yelled as best as she could. Lifting her hand, she beckoned Amy closer, whispering to her. “They did this. Called me. I met him and he let them do this to me.”
Maggie’s breathing became wheezing as Amy glanced to the monitor, and saw her heart rate elevating. Maggie was determined to tell her what had happened. Amy searched for the nurses call button as Maggie continued her warning.
“Raped and tortured me. Information on run.” Maggie lifted her hand to grab the front of Amy’s blouse. “I heard them. Plan on killing Stone. Stop. Them.”
Amy froze, hovering over Maggie. Demon wanted to kill Stone. It was all a trap set up by Temer Gallo. "Their phones will be off.” Amy said more to herself than to Maggie.
“Get to Mace, Amy. Tell him. Set…” Maggie jerked as a gargled breath was quickly inhaled. Her body went rigid, then slumped and began to violently shake against the bed.
Amy yelled for help while the heart monitor wailed warnings. She ran to the door screaming for the doctor, for anyone to come help. Shoved aside as an arsenal of scrubs and white coats filled the room, Amy could only watch from the sidelines, trying to detach herself from it all. It wasn’t working.
Orders were barked by doctors, defibrillator cleared and used, an airway shoved into her mouth and down Maggie’s throat. A solid shriek from the heart monitor followed another order to clear.
No. No, this wasn’t happening. Maggie wasn’t allowed to leave her. She was all Amy had. It became hard to breathe. Amy clutched her heaving chest, her vision blurring as the doctor shook his head and took a step back, pulling off the latex gloves. Amy’s whole body sank to the floor and an anguished scream tore through her.
They were supposed to have a double wedding one day. Have their children together. Grow old living next door to one another. This wasn’t supposed to happen!
Scrambling to her feet, she launched herself at Maggie, her fists beating against her chest. “No! Damn you, Maggie! Do not leave me!”
Amy wrestled the grips trying to take her from Maggie, clawing at hands that pinned her, finally falling on top of her friend’s chest, her sobs muffled against the hospital gown as she clung to the only true friend that she ever had.
“Please, Maggie.” Her voice waivered with her tears as she looked up at her. “Please don’t go. I love you, damn you. Please.”
She looked around at the faces staring at her, full of pity and sympathy for what she was going through. She didn’t want pity. She wanted to kill the ass who did this to her friend. She had to get to the meeting place. She didn’t know where it was, but she knew who did.
Charging out of the room, hands wiped at her tears. She needed to steel herself against the hurt, turn it into anger. She would murder that son of a bitch before he hurt Stone or anyone else. He had killed her best friend, the only person she ever trusted next to her family. Demon was going to pay dearly for his sins.
Rounding the corner to Thorne’s room, Dalton looked up from the couch and scrambled to his feet as she stalked toward him. “Where is the meet taking place?”
“I don’t know what—”
“Fucking save the bullshit for someone else. Where is the meet?”
“Amy, you know I—” Dalton yelped and jumped, his hands flying for his nuts.
Amy pulled the .380 from her concealment bra Stone made her promise to carry, shoved it against Dalton’s groin and pushed. “I. Will. Shoot. You. Where the fuck is the meeting taking place? They’re in danger.”
The urgency in her voice, mixed with the gun pressing against his jewels, must have triggered his memory as he spilled out the exact address of the meeting. Amy didn’t care that it was against the rules to tell her. Everyone in the club was in danger and she may be one woman, but she needed to get there and get to Stone before Demon did.
The Jeep sped down the highway, hot tears stinging her eyes as she fought breaking down and losing her mind. Why the hell would Demon do this? He had to be trying to bring down SOMC, but why? He was the one who turned against them, not the other way around. It didn’t make sense. He was a fucking psycho. That made perfect sense.
He raped, tortured and killed her best friend. He let other men rape her friend and torture her. Demon said he loved her? What kind of love was that? One that needed a bullet between the eyes, and she aimed to do just that.
How the fuck was she supposed to tell Thorne? The girl wasn’t even healed herself and now she had to put her sister in the ground? She didn’t want Thorne to know what happened. She had to be kept from that. The club was all Thorne would have looking out for her now. The hospital hadn’t made the connection between the sisters, and she hoped it stayed that way.
Amy glanced to the clock through her tears. Eleven forty-five. The meet was in fifteen minutes. Looking back up, Amy jerked the wheel to the left, nearly driving off the road into a mountain side. That would have been fucking great. “Get it together, Amethyst James!” Amy yelled at herself, trying to stay focused on the road. She would be no help if she hit a rock wall and burst into flames.
The exit loomed ahead and she took it at twenty miles over the posted speed limit. She still had a ten minute drive after the exit. Amy prayed no guards were at the gate. Flashers on, she put the pedal to the metal and opened up the Jeep like she never had before.
“Fuck!” Amy screamed at her windshield when she spotted the looming gates. They were locked shut.
Oh well.
Dropping a gear in the Jeep, she screamed loud and long as she drove right through the wire fencing, not caring that it crashed against the doors and the top, thundering to the ground behind her. Her windshield splintered, making it difficult to see. She spotted the trailer with the product in it. Slamming on her brakes, her back tires locked, sending the Jeep sideways to a stop.
Jumping out, she ran for the set of warehouses she heard Romeo and her father talking about this morning. Rounding the corner of the furthest set, she stumbled to a stop.
Demon and Stone were arguing. It looked heated and full of anger as Demon pulled a gun and pointed it at Stone, who held up his hands in defense.
Why was he not pulling out his gun? Her dad always carried. “Dad!” Amy screamed as Stone lurched toward Demon, a loud bang reaching her ears.
Stone was still, then he crumpled to the hard black ground.
CHAPTER 28
How much more was she going to have to take?
How many more people she loved were going to get hurt?
Seeing Demon shoot her father at point blank range had put her feet into motion, though it felt like slow motion. With no thought for her own safety, she threw all of her weight into Demon, who looked shocked to see her. Her weight forced him back, but didn’t make him fall.
Instead, Demon laughed and threw her at her father’s lifeless body. “You’re too late.”
“You fucking bastard!” Amy snarled at Demon, crawling over to her father. Picking up his head, she brushed her lips against his forehead. “I’m here. Stay with me.”
Stone remained unresponsive to her.
“Call 9-1-1!” Amy yelled at Demon, who stood there, his gun on Amy.
“Let him die. He was a worthless piece of shit anyway.” Demon snorted and shrugged, leveling the gun on Stone. “Here, I’ll solve our little problem.”
He pulled the trigger again.
Stone’s body jerked, then stilled as Amy’s frightened screa
m pierced the air. “Dad!” Amy shrieked when the rise and fall of her father’s chest came to a sudden end.
She felt for a lifeline against Stone’s veins and icy fear twisted around her heart. A large gasp brought her attention to Stone’s face; wild pain filled eyes stared up at her. “Dad! Stay with me!”
“Lucky bastard. Well, you know they say three is the charm.” Demon pulled back the hammer of his gun, pointing it once more at Stone.
Stone grasped Amy’s hand, tears squeezed out of his eyes as he grimaced in what must have been pain. “Amy, everything I did, was for you and Romeo. Keep that close. Never forget that—or let anyone tell you different.”
“Oh boo-fucking-hoo.” Demon dramatically rolled his eyes, moving the gun around in over exaggerated movements. “Cry me a fucking river with this shit. Just fucking die already!”
Another gunshot rang through the warehoused area, blood splattering in Amy’s face as the bullet tore into Stone.
Amy cried out in fear as she frantically wiped the blood off of her face, terror taking hold of her sanity and turning it against her. Panic like she had never known before welled in her throat when she looked at Demon and saw the madness in his cold, onyx eyes.
Frantically checking her father, she couldn’t get a pulse or feel him breathing. “Dad!” Something inside Amy broke. She felt the snap of whatever held her together. Her body and mind became a maelstrom of anger and devastation no one should ever feel. This so-called man had just taken two people from her and showed no regret in doing so. Breathing in, Amy looked to the heavens and let out a bloodcurdling scream that could be written down in books as a woman whose soul was taken from her. A wail filled with so much grief it could shatter even the Hand of Death’s heart.
Through blinding tears, Amy thrust her hand into Stone’s vest and pulled his gun from the shoulder rig. In one fluid moment, her body turned, her arm swung her father’s gun up and aimed at Demon’s head.