Accelerate

by Kay Marie

  “I made them from scratch.” he responds. I groan. A man that can cook. Can he get any sexier?

  “Is everything alright?” he asks. This time he’s looking at me. I look at him surprised.

  “Yeah, everything’s great. Everything tastes amazing,” I tell him and he turns back to the stove. So, that’s how today is going to go then. I finish eating and head back to my room to get ready.

  I take a quick shower and throw on some shorts and a tank top. This Texas heat can be brutal. I head out to the living room to find Raze to let him know I’m ready. When I don’t see him in the living room, I look in the kitchen and see him standing on the back deck. He has his back to me but I can see he’s on the phone. Saint is out there with him. I turn around and am about to go sit on the couch when I hear him walk back inside.

  “Hey, Kitty. Change of plans,” he starts. “Prez wants me to take you straight to see Jager. Then we can go to the clubhouse.”

  “Wait, what??” I ask confused. I was hoping to see Pops before having to go see Jager. I wonder what changed.

  “Jager isn’t doing good. Your Pops wants to make sure you spend some time with him in case something was to happen,” he tells me. I slowly nod my head— that explains it. I grab my keys as he starts for the door.

  “Why don’t you ride with me?” Raze asks. I shake my head.

  “No . . . I need this. I need to drive,” I tell him and he nods once. What I don’t tell him is how scared I am.

  Driving tends to calm me down. I won’t forget about him asking me to ride with him though. The brothers don’t let just anyone on the back of their bikes. Old ladies and sometimes family. I am neither to Raze.

  I get in my car and start it up, listening to her purr. That sound alone soothes me a bit. Raze’s bike starts up, and I look into my rearview and see him back his bike out of the driveway. I put my car in reverse and begin to follow him. Off to the hospital we go.

  The closer we get to the hospital, the faster my heart starts racing. We get there and I pull into a parking spot. I sit, foot on the break, hands on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready to say good-bye to another brother.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  I jump and look to my left. Raze is standing there. I put my car in park and turn it off and he opens my door.

  “You alright, Kitty?” he asks and for a brief second, I contemplate telling him the truth. I decide against it.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” I tell him as I climb out of the car. He looks at me like he’s trying to read me. Not being able to stand the silence, I start walking toward the hospital entrance. I get about halfway there before I stop and look behind me. Raze is still standing by my car.

  “Are you coming or what?” I say to him with more attitude than I mean. He shakes his head as he walks toward me.

  “I know you’re lying and that’s fine. We don’t have to talk about it right now. But hear me when I say, we will talk about it,” he says and starts for the door.

  Chapter Nine

  Raze

  I don’t sleep much these days. I was up by 7:30 this morning and decided to make some breakfast. Minx came in as I was finishing up and got herself a plate. After she left the kitchen, Saint and I ate and made sure there was something for Tink and Rivet to eat when they woke up.

  Prez called and updated me on how Jager is doing. He told me to go ahead and take Minx to see Jager before taking her to the clubhouse. Rascal must have called him last night after talking to Minx and let him know they were home.

  We get to the hospital and she’s being a little short and snappy with me. I know this is hard for her, so I let it slide for now. We walk into the entrance and a burst of icy air hits us.

  “Shit!” Minx whisper yells.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, looking her over to make sure she’s alright.

  “It’s cold as fuck in here and I didn’t bring a hoodie,” she explains. She’s a lot smaller than me and also wearing fewer clothes. I let out a little laugh. She tries to glare at me but is fighting a small smile.

  “Sit right here,” I command. “I have a hoodie in one of my saddlebags. I’ll go grab it.”

  Before she has a chance to respond, I walk outside. I jog to my bike and grab my hoodie. I’m about to head back into the hospital when my phone starts vibrating. I look at the screen and see that Saint is calling. I ignore his call and shove my phone back in my pocket as I walk back in. When I see Minx, she has her arms crossed and is visibly shivering. Goosebumps are covering her arms. I refrain from wrapping her up in my arms and warming her up.

  “Here, put this on.” I hand her my hoodie.

  “Thanks.” she replies as she pulls it over her head and I grin. She’s fucking adorable, swimming in it. To a stranger, they would probably think she didn’t have any pants on— it’s that long on her.

  “You ready?” I ask her.

  “No, but I know I need to see him.” I’m a little taken aback by her honesty. I admire her for putting up the strong facade, and I’ll be right there by her side when she wants to let go. I don’t know what’s got me thinking like this. Worrying about chicks ain’t me. Sure, she’s sexy as hell and I wouldn’t mind fucking her. But that’s usually where it ends with a chick. Not Minx though. I worry about her, want to make her laugh, want to get to know her— all of it.

  “Come on, Kitty,” I say and I lead her to the floor where Jager is. We’re quiet the entire walk up to his room. We get closer and I see Mouse, one of our prospects, standing guard outside of Jager’s room. Any time a brother is in the hospital, we have someone outside of their room 24/7.

  “Hey, Mouse. Why don’t you go grab something to eat while Minx goes in to visit Jager,” I tell him.

  “You got it. Call if you need anything,” he says and I nod.

  “Do you want me to go in with you?” I ask Minx. She’s just staring at the door. She takes a minute before she responds.

  “No, I need to do this alone,” she tells me, still not looking in my direction.

  “I’ll be out here if you need anything,” I tell her and she doesn’t respond. She takes a deep breath and walks into Jager’s room. She closes the door behind her, but it stays open a couple of inches. I take my post next to the door to make sure no unwanted guests try to walk in.

  Chapter Ten

  Savannah

  I take a deep breath and inhale Raze’s scent from his hoodie. It smells like mahogany, jasmine, and musk, and has a bit of a calming effect on me. Wearing his hoodie will be like having him in there with me. I got this, I tell myself. I walk into Jager’s room and close the door behind me.

  It’s quiet except for the beeping of all the machines he’s hooked up to. I walk over to the chair next to his bed. Tears start pooling in my eyes. He doesn’t even look like himself. His cheeks are sunken in, he looks so frail. I sit down in the chair and hold his hand.

  “Hi, Jager.” I don’t even know if he can hear me or not, but I don’t care. I blink and the tears start falling. “I came home and I plan on staying for good. I missed you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t come home sooner,” I say between sobs. “I need you to wake up. I need you to make it through this. For the club. For Pops. For me. I need my big brother. I need you here with me, Jager.”

  I lay my forehead to his arm and cry. I’m not sure how long I sit and cry for. After a while, I hear a light tap on the door and I lift my head up. My eyes hurt from all the crying.

  “Kitty, the nurse needs to come in and check on Jager,” he says, coming up behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I sniffle, place a kiss on Jager’s hand and stand to get out of the nurse’s way. Raze puts his arm around my shoulders. I watch as the nurse starts checking Jager’s vitals.

  “Do you want to stay longer or are you ready to leave?” he asks softly, right next to my ear. “We’ve been here for a little over an hour now.”

  I think it over for a minute. I don’t really want to leave him, but I al
so want to get out of this hospital. My eyes burn from crying. I’m sure they’re pretty puffy too. Maybe it’ll be a good idea to go home.

  “We can go. I’ll come back tomorrow,” I tell him. I look at Jager one last time before I let Raze lead me out of the room. Saint is here with the other guy, who I now see is a prospect, who was here when we got here.

  “Do you think you’re okay to drive?” Raze asks me.

  “Yeah, I should be fine,” I tell him, stepping out of his hold. He nods, then looks to the guys.

  Chapter Eleven

  Raze

  I could hear her talking to Jager when she was in with him. Hearing her cry brought an unfamiliar ache to my chest. Once she started to cry harder, I was going to go in with her. I had this strong urge to comfort her. Then Mouse showed up with Saint, stopping me from going into the room.

  Saint brought word that the Iron Lords know that Minx and Rivet are back in town. Which means Prez is more than likely going to want them on lockdown. I know he’ll do whatever he needs to do to keep his daughter safe.

  Jager’s nurse let Minx stay in there without being interrupted as long as she could. I walked her out of the room and asked if she thought she was okay to drive. Of course she told me she would be fine.

  She stepped out of my hold and walked a few feet away from us. She looks lost in her thoughts. I look back to Mouse and Saint.

  “Mouse, keep an eye on our guy. Prez will send someone to take your place in a few hours,” I tell him. He gives me a nod and I go to Minx.

  “Let’s go,” I say, placing my hand on the small of her back. We make our way down to the lobby with Saint following behind us. We get to the doors and are about to walk out to our vehicles. I stop Minx, hearing multiple Harley’s. The three Iron Lords go flying by.

  “Shit!” Saint says. I get on the phone and call Prez.

  “What the hell are the Lords doing here?” I hear Minx ask, but I don’t respond.

  “Yeah,” Prez answers, sounding like he’s already ticked off.

  “We got three Iron Lords riding around the hospital,” I tell him. He says something to someone on his end before responding.

  “You and Minx get in her car and get here as quick as possible. I don’t think they know her car. Have Saint stay behind with Mouse. I’m sending Thor, Trigger, and Ratchet to take care of those pieces of shits,” he explains to me.

  “You got it, Prez,” I respond and hang up. I relay his instructions to Saint and Minx. Saint leaves to go back to Mouse and I grab Minx’s arm. We head outside and stop, looking and listening for the Iron Lords. It sounds like they’re on the other side of the hospital now.

  “Let’s go!” I shout and we take off toward Minx’s car. She jumps in and gets it started before I can get in and get my door shut.

  “Buckle up, buttercup. You’re in for a ride.” Her strong front is back and she’s trying to lighten the mood. We’re out of the parking lot and headed for the clubhouse without any issues. Then I hear it. It’s one of the Iron Lords bikes. I know what the Savage Menaces bikes sound like. This one sounds like shit compared to any of ours.

  “Raze, I think one of the Lords is following us,” Minx tells me. She keeps checking the rearview mirror. She’s been shielded from any club drama growing up. Living in Arizona for the last four years, she wasn’t around it then either. Now, they may be trying to take her to use against Prez.

  “Just keep driving. Do your best to try to lose him,” I instruct. Her face breaks out into a Cheshire cat kind of grin, and we take off.

  She’s weaving in and out of traffic, and handling her car like a fucking pro. Now is definitely not the time for a raging hard-on but fuck, she’s sexy as hell. We’re coming up close on the car in front of us, with little room to get in the left lane because of the car next to us. She speeds up just enough to cut off the car next to us and we’re in the clear. She takes off and we lose the Iron Lord.

  We pull up to the clubhouse and Chains, one of our prospects, is manning the gate. I lean toward Minx’s window, her scent invading my senses.

  “Hey, Chains, let us the fuck in!” I yell at him. His eyes bug out.

  “Sorry, Raze! Didn’t see you in there!” Chains yells as he’s opening the gate. Minx pulls through the gate and parks next to all the other cages.

  “The fuck is going on?” Prez shouts as we get out of the car.

  “Hey, Pops,” Minx says with a small wave.

  “Minx.” Prez has a hint of surprise in his voice. Minx runs up to him and wraps her arms around him. I see his lips move and a sad smile paints her face.

  “We had one of the Lords try to follow us,” I tell Prez as I walk up to him. “Minx was able to lose the fucker though.”

  “That’s because my girl has skills when it comes to driving,” he says proudly.

  “She sure as fuck does,” I tell him. I wink at her and walk inside the clubhouse.

  “About time y’all showed up!” Lolita smiles, coming to Minx for a hug.

  “Women.” Prez shakes his head. “Raze, let’s talk.” He gestures in the direction of his office. I follow him. He sits down behind his desk as I close the door behind me. I sit in one of the chairs in front of him.

  “So, tell me. How is she holding up? How was her visit with Jager?” he questions me.

  “As good as can be expected, I imagine. She’s strong, but I can see the pain in her eyes. She has every right to be a complete wreck, but she puts on a good front. We were at the hospital for a little over an hour. I think she cried the entire time she was in his room. Once she left his room, her facade was back in place. I get the idea that she doesn’t want to appear weak,” I explain to him.

  “She is a bit bullheaded like her Pops,” he laughs out. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes though. I know he’s got a lot on his plate. He looks lost in thought.

  “You did a good job with her, Prez. She’s an amazing woman.” He looks me in my eyes.

  “Raze, are you attracted to my daughter?” he asks sternly. Shit. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ve never worried about what a chick’s parents thought of me before. It’s not just that he’s my Prez that has me worrying. She’s different. She makes me want to be different.

  “She’s a very gorgeous woman, sir.” I struggle with the rest of my response. “She’s different.”

  He laughs a full belly laugh. Getting a kick out of my struggling. “She did grow up in a clubhouse full of bikers. Don’t break her heart.”

  “Yes, sir.” I nod. He looks like he has more to say and I brace myself.

  “I haven’t decided if this is going to be talked about in Church or not, so this doesn’t leave this room. But there’s a possibility Jager was poisoned.”

  “That would mean someone close to him would have had to have done it.” It was meant to just be a thought, but Prez nods in agreement.

  “It would seem that way. Now to figure out who that person would be,” he tells me. We’re silent for a couple of minutes before he talks again. “Please tell Minx I’d like to talk to her now.”

  “You got it, Prez,” I respond. Our conversation has me thinking. Prez has a lot of trust in me for him to have told me what he did. My first thought is we have a rat in our house. I’ll have to talk to Prez again later and see what we can come up with. I head out to the bar to find Minx.

  Chapter Twelve

  Savannah

  “About time y’all showed up!” Lolita smiles, coming to me for a hug. I laugh and squeeze her.

  “Yeah, we ran into a small problem,” I tell her with another light laugh. She gives me a questioning look and I wink at her.

  “Barely home a week and you’re already getting into trouble.” She smiles and shakes her head. I sit at the bar next to Rivet.

  “How is he?” She’s asking me about Jager. I rest my head on her shoulder and sigh.

  “Not good, Riv. Not good. I barely even recognized him. I’m so mad at myself for staying away for so long,” I tell her. And I am.
I should have come home sooner. I’ve missed my family but some things prevented me from coming home. I’m not sure I’ll ever tell Pops about that though.

  “Don’t do that. We’ve talked about this, Minx,” she warns me. If I didn’t have her, Buster, and the guys, I may never have gotten through the shit I did. I’m thankful for their friendships and owe them the world. Lolita is behind the bar now. She must be bartending tonight for some extra cash. She leans over the bar to whisper to us.

  “So, Minx. What’s going on with you and Raze?” She gives a knowing look, when really she doesn’t have any idea. I can’t help but laugh. I adore my friends, I really do.

  “Absolutely nothing,” I start. “Riv and I went racing last night. Ran into Rascal and the guys. Ras was pissed that we didn’t call and tell anyone we were home. Then he put Raze and Saint on us to babysit us.”

  Lolita nods in understanding but doesn’t respond. “Hey, Raze! What can I get you to drink?” she asks him. He sits on the bar stool next to mine.

  “I’ll take a beer,” he tells her, then turns to look at me. The intensity of his stare, paired with his blue eyes has me squeezing my thighs together. “Prez wants to talk to you,” he says and looks away. It’s like he dumped a bucket of ice water over me. I get up without saying anything to him and go to Pops.

  “Hey, Pops, you wanted to see me?” I close the door behind me and sit on the couch he has in here.

  “Minx, I’m happy you’re home but I’m not happy I had to hear about it from Rascal.” I can feel a lecture coming on. I brace myself. He sighs. Pops looks tired. He looks defeated.

  “The doctors don’t think Jager will make it through the next 48 hours. You can visit him as much as possible while he’s still with us, but you will have to have two, maybe three, brothers with you at all times,” he tells me. 48 hours and he could be gone. Pops gets up from his desk and sits by me on the couch.