Finding Patience

by Eden Rose

  “Everyone, get out!” Andre screams towards the crowd.

  I know he’s running at me because I can hear him screaming but nothing he’s saying is truly registering with me. His voice is this echoing thing that’s deafening me.

  And that’s when it happens.

  Before I know it, I’m thrown through the air and landing on my back effectively knocking the air out of my body. I fall the wrong way on my leg and feel it snap.

  “Patience! Are you okay? Where are you?” Someone screams from outside of the tunnel I’m in.

  I’m stuck in a tunnel where I can see just a little light but the smoke from the light is distorting my vision.

  The clouds of smoke are suffocating me. I gasp for air and suck it in as greedily as possible but nothing works. Breathing deeply in again but the air is too thick.

  Billows of smoke invade the air full of screaming people who are trying to figure out what happened. No one knows anything, but I do know this wasn’t an accident.

  People are screaming and crying out for help but no one is here to help. No one gives a fuck about the pop star whose concert got blown up. No one gives a fuck that people’s lives have ended.

  I roll to the side and the pain is almost too much for me to deal with. In my side is a stabbing pain that won’t go away.

  “Patience! Patience! Are you out there?”

  Knowing that someone is talking to me doesn’t do me any good when I can’t register my own thoughts. If this wasn’t planned, who would do something so heinous?

  I try to push myself up off the ground but it doesn’t work. My arms aren’t working and my ears are echoing. They are echoing in the worst way.

  “Well, if it isn’t the little fucking slut my son married,” a voice calls to me.

  When I don’t respond, a hand grabs the leg that’s broken and twists.

  RABIES

  I’m drinking a beer when I realize that something is wrong. I feel it in my body that shit just hit the fan and I need to get back to the hotel. I need to make sure that they are okay.

  Doing the one thing that I haven’t done in a long time, I call my father. I need to figure out what he thinks he’s getting out of this. What he thinks I’m going to give him because it’s nothing. He’s fucking with my family and I’m not going to let it happen.

  Dialing his number, I wait while it rings.

  “Hello, son,” he answers.

  “I’m not your son. No father would ever threaten their grandchild.”

  He chuckles. “Such a dumb kid you are.”

  “What is it that you want?” I ask him.

  “Money, I need money.”

  “How much?” I question him.

  Chuckling again, he responds darkly. “It’s too late, Brett. It’s way too late for this game. You lost.”

  Screaming into the phone just as the line goes dead, doesn’t do me any good. I chuck my phone down and chug the rest of my beer.

  Yelling out the door to The Bear, I draw everyone’s attention. “I’m gonna ride out to the concert hall to see if they’re there!”

  “Want me to come?” He asks me.

  “Yeah, please.”

  The plane ride to the city where Patience and Alexa is at, is extremely long and the most terrifying few hours of my life. If I could have figured out how to zap myself there, I would have done it.

  Armed with my brothers, The Bear’s contacting a chapter in the city and I’m waiting to hear if they can help us. We don’t have any weapons with us nor do we have anything to protect ourselves.

  Stupid airplanes.

  “Yes, thanks, Priest. Will definitely get in touch with you when we land. Thanks, brother.”

  The Bear hangs up the phone with a smile on his face. “I’m guessing that it went okay?”

  “Yeah, man. The Lucifer’s Angels are ready for us to come in. They’ve got their arsenal waitin’ on us when we arrive.”

  “What are they getting in return?” Flip questions with his phone in his hand. The guy has always hated flying… Which is why I’m guessing he has his phone in his hand texting Britney.

  ME: baby, I know you’re pissed at me but I need you to text me to tell me you’re okay

  ME: please baby

  ME: I love you and Alexa so much

  ME: Patience! Please tell me you’re okay

  ME: baby

  ME: I love you

  By the time we land, I’m beyond fucking stressed out with everything. Patience hasn’t texted me back or call me… Nothing. I want to know that she’s okay so fuckin’ bad right now.

  I miss my woman.

  I press my head against the cool glass hoping to cool myself down.

  Once the plane has landed, I’m jumping out of my seat and out the door running to the waiting van that’s there for us. The other brothers from the other club, are waiting for us with bags and bags of shit. They arranged for the plan to land in a different place for us to get off in time.

  Priest, the president of the other chapter, is waiting for me in particular and he’s got a grim look on his face. “Brother, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but there was an attack at the fuckin’ arena.”

  My knees give out a little and I try to steady myself. “What kind of attack?”

  The Bear’s got his hand on my shoulder to help steady me. “Listen to what he’s gotta say before you launch.”

  “That’s my woman! That’s my daughter! I need to know that they’re okay.”

  “A bomb went off in the arena and someone left a note for you. It’s addressed to Rabies of The Lucifer’s Lair MC. I don’t know how they knew to do this or whatever.”

  “This is your city, man! How did you not know this was going to happen?” I demand while I’m shaking from rage.

  “Look, man. I’ve got enough to fuckin’ deal with in my own chapter. I’m here as a favor. You gonna drop your attitude?”

  “He is!” Slice exclaims. “We don’t need to lose another brother,” he warns me.

  “Fuck!” I scream.

  They walk off to the van and I follow them to get to Patience in time. I need my woman back.

  I’ve called Skin and Andre thousands of times and neither of them answered the damn phones. I’ve called the nanny’s phone and she didn’t answer.

  “We’re almost there,” Priest soothes me.

  Flip and Slice are sitting with me in the middle of them and each of them has their phones in their hands ready for whatever is about to happen.

  The second the arena comes into view, I see the ambulance pulling away from the side. “No! No!” I scream as they turn on the lights.

  “It’s okay, brother. We got this. We’re going to get them back,” Flip promises.

  My head’s shaking and I do the one thing I haven’t done in a long time, I cry. I cry for all the years that had been stolen from me and I cry for all the years I might miss.

  I cry for everything that I’ve ever wanted and that’s my family. Patience and Alexa are my family and I need them.

  I need my girls.

  An officer is standing between me and my woman and he’s about to get punched in the fucking face. “Patience. I need to see Patience Monroe-Booker, right now!” I growl while trying to push past him.

  The officer shakes his head and looks at me as if he’s pitying me. “Look, guy. I get that she’s famous but go home.”

  “She’s my wife!” I bark at him.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Skin’s sitting in the back of an ambulance with his arm in a sling and he looks pissed. “Skin!” I yell over the roar of the crowds yelling and screaming.

  It’s louder than shit out here and it’s got me more nervous than anything else. The roaring of the crowds and sirens makes me remember what it was like in Afghanistan.

  Someone places their hand on my shoulder and I grab it tightly in my hand to toss whoever’s dumb enough to grab a pissed off man over my shoulder. He’s flies over my shoulder and lands on the ground wit
h a thud.

  “Rabies! What the fuck is your problem?” The Bear yells at me.

  Looking down at the person on the ground, I see that I flipped a police officer. Fuck me.

  “I’m sorry, officer. I, uh. I’m Patience’s husband and I need to find her right now.”

  The guy winces while standing up to his full height and I see that he’s a little guy. Fuck. “I’m sorry. I need to find my wife,” I state again as he mean mugs me.

  “You assaulted an officer of the law!” He shouts at me with fake rage. I think he’s more upset over the fact that he got embarrassed.

  Priest and two of his men are there to save the day since they probably know him. “This guy just wants to find his wife. Can we let this go for a trade?”

  The officer reluctantly nods his head. “Go ahead and tell them where she’s at.”

  PATIENCE

  “Don’t move your head too much, baby. You fell really hard.”

  “Am I dreaming?” I murmur. I have to be dreaming if I’m hearing Brett’s voice. Maybe he’s an angel and I’m hearing him because I’m coming back to him.

  A hand is tugging on mine and I wince from the movement. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry I left like that and left you all alone. I will never fuckin’ forgive myself for doing it.”

  Carefully, I snap open my eyes to the face of the man I’ve loved forever. “You’re really here?” I whisper. “Am I dreaming?”

  “No, Patience. You’re not. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

  Our fingers are entwined together giving me a shock of hope. “You’re here.”

  He leans over to kiss me on my lips. It’s just a brush of his lips, but it’s amazing.

  “Of course, I’m here. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

  I shake my head gently. “Don’t be sorry. You warned me and I didn’t listen. I wanted to be at my show more than anything.”

  That’s when the realization of everything that happened kicks in. “Oh, god! Is everyone okay?”

  After the bombs went off and I was taken, I have no idea what happened to everyone. What if someone was severely hurt at my concert?

  He brushes the hair out of my eyes. “Everyone’s gonna live.”

  “Hot damn! Maybe I should go to concerts more often if this is what happens during them!” Slice yells while strolling into my room with a bundle of flowers.

  “You mean besides fuck your woman during the concert?” Flip calls him out.

  The guys have no shame and it’s a great distraction to see them bickering back and forth.

  “You’re just jealous because my woman likes it in public. She wants this dick!” Slice taunts.

  “Would you fuckers stop talkin’ about your dicks? No one wants your needle dicks. We’ve got to talk about what happened,” The Bear referees.

  “Baby, tell us what happened,” Brett begs.

  “I don’t know what happened. All I know is that we’re in the middle of the show and all of a sudden something loud goes off. The shock from it sent me flying back and I landed wrong on my leg. Then your dad came out of nowhere and picked me up. Something about how you’re a deadbeat or whatever. I was in and out of consciousness at this point.”

  “He’s lucky he’s fuckin’ dead!” Brett growls from next to me.

  “Dead?” I question. “What do you mean?”

  The guys get closer to the bed and I see new faces in the room. “No! Everyone needs to get out of here. I can’t have paparazzi on me already!”

  My husband’s hand tugs mine a little closer to him. “I wouldn’t let the paps in even if they paid me to let them in. These are some of the brothers from the other chapter that helped us today.”

  One of them, a really cute guy with a blue mohawk and muscles, clears his throat and winks at me. “Man, my daughter would kill to meet you,” he gushes.

  I blush. “How old is your daughter?”

  “Patience, this is Priest. He’s the prez over here for the other chapter. He’s one of the reasons why we got to you,” Slice fills me in.

  Priest, what an odd name, nods his head. “It was no biggy. Amanda is ten and she sings your songs all the fuckin’ time!”

  “What’s her favorite song?” I question to make conversation… Anything to draw the attention off me and on someone else.

  “That’s not important right now,” The Bear spits with his signature growl.

  “Prez, she just got blown up at a concert! Would you ease up?” Flip comes to my defense.

  Slice’s head is thrown back in a laugh. I can see why Jen likes him so much; he’s got a great laugh and smile. He’s so mercurial and I have only seen his face like this when he’s looking at Jen.

  “Everyone has been disposed of,” Trip states while strolling into my room and takes his vest off.

  What is with these hot bikers and them getting me all hot and bothered?

  Not knowing what he’s talking about, I ask a dumb question. “Who?”

  Brett rubs his thumb over mine. “We need to concentrate on getting you better before we worry about this.”

  “I’m fine,” I counter.

  “You’re not fine,” someone says from the door. “Guys, can you give me a minute to talk to my patient?” A man in a white coat asks politely as he walks into my room.

  “We’re her family,” The Bear states with authority. I can see why he’s the president. The man is intimidating as fuck.

  Hard to believe he’s a husband.

  The doctor raises his eyebrows and stares at me for a minute. “Are you sure you want them to hear this?”

  I shrug. “When can I get out of here?” I ask.

  “You’ve got a broken leg and a fractured rib. I want you in here for a little bit so we can get you back to normal. Also, we’ve contacted a therapist, too.”

  What? “Why? I’m fine,” I insist.

  “Baby, you’re not fine. You haven’t ate in a few days. The lack of food didn’t help you today,” Brett explains.

  Defending myself, “I eat.”

  “No, you don’t. You need to get healthy. I want you to be healthy.”

  The doctor steps through all twenty or so bikers in my room before coming up to me. Once he’s in front, he shows me X-rays. “You see this?” He points to what I’m guessing is my leg. “The lack of food made it easier for your bones to break. Your body is trying to eat itself to get nutrients.”

  “No, it’s not,” I argue. “Why are you talking about this? Can’t I go home?” I ask.

  Brett slips out of the bed and nods his head at his brothers. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a few. I need to be in here.”

  “No, he doesn’t because nothing is wrong.”

  “Glad you’re okay, P.” Flip encourages me with a smile before leaving.

  “Don’t do that again,” Trip says with a wink. “We need you around to keep the big guy in line.”

  The Bear’s next and what he says makes me feel dramatically better. “We take care of our own. Welcome to The Lucifer’s Lair.”

  RABIES

  Patience has been home from rehab for a couple of days and I think she’s doing okay. We’re all watching her to make sure she still eats and everything she promised in order to get out of the place.

  I watch her do Alexa’s bedtime ritual.

  Our daughter missed her mother something horrible but Patience needed to go to rehab to gain control over her eating disorder. The first few weeks she was gone, Alexa would cry every night because she wanted to talk to her mom.

  Now that she’s back, Alexa hasn’t left her side for one minute.

  Not even to let her use the bathroom without a five-year-old watching her.

  “Did you check under the bed, mommy?”

  From outside the room, I can see everything and it’s the cutest fuckin’ thing ever. I know that we all missed her and she missed us, and it’s great to have her home.

  “Yes, sweetie.”

  Patience is carrying a big black bag that’s half ful
l of the toys Alexa believes are monsters.

  “Did you check my sheets?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about my closet?”

  “Yes,” Patience fires back. “Everything is good to go and I’ve got the alarm set in the house so no one can get in.”

  When we got back home, Alexa was too scared to be in her room by herself. Even though she wasn’t present at the concert when the bomb went off, I know it still freaks her out. Of course, the news keeps playing it over and over.

  The rest of her concert tour got canceled and I’m not sad about it. I’m happy that she gets a break to get better and cope with what happened.

  Her leg is healing and so is her rib but it’s the eating disorder that will stay with her. It’s the fact that the bombing hurt about fifty people but she’s covering the hospital fees. She refuses to let them pay for it themselves.

  “Did you check-”

  Deciding to step in to end this line of questioning, I open the door all the way. I’ve still got my cut on from church a few hours ago and I love that Patience looks like she wants to eat me up.

  “Alexa, mommy checked everything. Everything is okay.”

  She hobbles a little over to me with her leg still in the cast.

  “Daddy!” Alexa screams and runs over to me like she hasn’t seen me in days.

  I open my arms from her to run into them and she climbs up my body. “Hey, baby girl. You ready for bed?”

  “Yes!” Patience chants like she’s about to win something. “Everything is checked and ready for you to go to sleep.”

  “I want daddy to put me to bed,” she informs us.

  The hurt look on Patience’s face has me stuttering a little. “Okay, I love you. Good night, baby.”

  Walking past me, I grab her gently by the elbow to stop her. “You’re the best mom in the whole world. You know that? I fuckin’ love you,” I whisper to her.

  THE END

  A Secret Sneak Peek of Keeping Trip!

  Trip

  She’s everything that I want and more. The way she sways her body back and forth has me captivated. I’m so enamored by her that I don’t even realize that the chick that had been sitting on my lap in now on her knees in front of me.