by Wilder, L.
“Been better.” Knowing they were probably wondering how I was doing, I asked, “My folks know I’m alright?”
“They do. I just had words with Dan.” I winced when he started to peel back my bandage, and as he examined my wound, he announced, “Looks like your girl did a damn good job. Don’t know what we would’ve done without her tonight.”
“And Murph and Gauge?”
“We’ll talk about them later. For now, you focus on getting some rest.” With that, he left the room and turned out the light. It wasn’t a good sign that he wouldn’t tell me how my brothers were doing, which didn’t exactly make it easy for me to rest. Every time I’d start to doze off, my mind would go back to them, and I’d find myself wondering if they were okay. A couple of hours later, I was relieved to see that Kenadee had finally returned. She eased over to the side of my bed and asked, “You doing okay?”
“Getting there.”
“That’s good. ’Cause for a while there, you had me scared half to death.”
“Why’s that?”
“You were out for a long time.” Her voice trembled with concern. “I was worried you might not wake up.”
I looked down at the bandage on my chest. “But I did, and from what Doc said, you did alright.”
“You got lucky. It wasn’t as deep as I thought.” She sighed. “There’s still a high risk of infection. This isn’t exactly the most sanitary place I’ve ever been.”
“Kenadee, I’m gonna be fine.”
She shook her head. “You’re not out of the woods yet.
“But thanks to you I’m getting there.”
“How can you be so calm about all this? You could’ve died tonight. And your friend … the one who was shot at the diner, he’s hanging by a thread in there. And Murphy … even though they aren’t as bad as I first thought, his burns need to be seen by a specialist,” she argued. “I just don’t understand. You should be in a hospital, a real hospital, and so should they.”
I understood why she would question the club’s decision to bypass the hospital, especially when things were as bad as they were, but we’d learned from experience, that it was too much of a risk to put our trust in people we didn’t know. The last thing we needed was for people knowing our business—like the club’s connection to the diner or the fact we’d just lost two of our brothers. We’d managed to stay off the cops radar by keeping all aspects of our lives guarded, protecting ourselves from any outsiders. An attack like we’d just experienced at the garage and Daisy’s would definitely send up red flags, and that was the last thing we needed when a war was about to erupt. It was simple. In our world, trust was not easily given. “We didn’t have a choice.”
“But why?” she pushed.
“I’ve already told you. It’s club business, and you don’t talk about club business. Period.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” she snapped. “I put my neck on the line for you and those men out there! With one slight infection, all that hard work will go up in flames. It’s just not right.”
I was still trying to clear my head from all the drugs, and with her pushing so hard, I let my guard down. “Like you, people at hospitals ask questions.”
“So?”
“Questions lead to more questions, and then we have a problem. It’s best not to have a problem. That’s why we have Mack. With him, we have less problems.”
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me with anger. “Seriously? That’s all you’re going to tell me?”
“That’s all I can tell you, and even that’s too much.”
“Well, that’s just not enough,” she huffed.
“I get that you’re upset, babe, but—”
“Oh, no,” she snapped. “Don’t you babe me, Sawyer Mathews! This whole thing is way over the top. Unexplained drive-by shootings, explosions, a clubhouse with an in-house doctor, and God knows what else, and I ask one question. One question. Babe—my ass!”
It seemed like such a simple thing to her, but it was far from it. The brothers kept club business under wraps for a reason. It kept the people we cared about safe, and whether they liked it or not, it was something we needed for their protection. I looked up at her and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “Have you gotten any sleep?”
“Don’t try to change the subject.”
“Answer the damn question.”
“No. If you must know. I haven’t.” She inhaled a deep breath. “But I have the next few days off, so I can sleep late.”
Damn. They hadn’t told her. When she found out, it was going to send her for another fucking loop. “Kenadee.”
“I know. I’ll go home soon. I just couldn’t leave until I knew you were okay,” she replied innocently.
“Kenadee.”
“What?”
I tried to keep my voice calm and steady as I told her, “You can’t go home.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The club’s on lockdown. No one can leave … Not now. It’s not safe,” I tried to explain.
“You can’t make me stay here, Sawyer.” She didn’t even sound mad. It was like she actually believed what she was saying. “I get that all of you are worried about all this gunfire and mayhem, but I’m not involved in any of that. There’s no reason for me to stay.”
“You’re not leaving.”
Her cheeks flushed red with anger. “Yes, I am.”
“Kenadee, there’s no way in hell that I’m letting you walk out that goddamn door when those men … the same men who’ve already killed two of my brothers and left two more fighting for their lives are still out there. Not a chance in hell I’m gonna let that happen. So, you might as well get that thought out of your pretty little head.”
“And who the hell are you to tell me what I’m going to do?”
“In this clubhouse, you’re mine, and I’m damn well gonna take care of what’s mine.”
“I’m not some kind of plaything, Sawyer,” she chided. “I can’t take any more of this right now. I’m too tired to think straight. I need to get out of here.”
She turned, and when she started for the door, she face planted right into Gus’s chest. When she looked up at him, he smiled at her and said, “And where you running off to so fast, darlin’?”
CHAPTER 12
Kenadee
My head was practically spinning as I stood there staring at the stranger’s face. Once I’d realized that Sawyer was going to be okay, every ounce of adrenaline that was racing through my body had vanished, leaving me completely drained and unable to think. After all the things I’d seen and heard, I knew there were questions that needed to be asked, but Sawyer had made it clear that I wasn’t going to get the answers that I wanted. I was beyond frustrated, angry even, and when I ran into the older man with the burly beard and bulging muscles, I wasn’t in the mood to meet another one of Sawyer’s brothers. I just wanted to get the hell out of that room. I needed a moment to take a breath and collect myself before I said something I might regret. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen, because the big, burly man I’d just run into wasn’t just another brother. He was head honcho of the entire club. Damn.
After Sawyer introduced me to Gus, I feigned a smile and extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Gus.”
“Mighty nice to meet you, too, Kenadee. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He smiled. “I wanted to thank you for all that you did to help our boys last night. Mack said you were really something.”
I glanced over to Sawyer, remembering how vastly different he’d looked the night before, and once again, my mind was bombarded with questions. While I wasn’t necessarily in love with him, I did care about him, and it did something to me to think that he could’ve died last night. I wanted to know who had caused that explosion at the garage. I wanted to know who was behind the drive-by shooting at the diner, and why there were so many secrets with the club. None of it made any sense, and as I turned back to Gus, the leader of all these strong, loyal
men, I could tell just by looking at him that he had all the answers. There was something about him, maybe his strong, confident stance or that fierceness in his stare that let me know there was no way in hell he’d ever share those answers with me. As far as the club was concerned, I would stay there left in the dark forever, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Angered by the whole situation, I crossed my arms and said, “I did what I had to do. I still think they all would’ve been better off at a hospital.” I shrugged. Before he had a chance to respond, I glanced back over at Sawyer with an angry scowl. “So, Sawyer just informed me that I’m not allowed to leave the clubhouse. Is that true?”
“He did?”
“Yes. He did, and considering all I’ve done to help, I don’t think it’s asking too much for you to let me go home. I’m not going to say anything about all this. Besides, it’s not like anyone would actually believe me anyway,” I scoffed.
“Come with me,” he ordered with a blank expression.
Feeling a little uneasy about his tone, I asked, “Um … do I have a choice?”
“No.” Without another word, he walked out of the room, and I followed him through a side door that I’d never seen before. It led into a long, interior hall, and when he came up to the third door, he stopped and opened it, motioning for me to go inside. “Sit.”
I was feeling like I’d been summoned to the principal’s office as I walked into the small room and was surprised to find that it looked quite different from the med-room. It reminded me of a quant, little hotel room with a mid-sized bed with a fluffy, gray down comforter and a small desk in the corner. There was a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a small bathroom to the side. I was a little shocked as I sat down on the edge of the bed. Feeling guilty about my behavior back in the med-room, I looked over to Gus and said, “I’m sorry if I seemed rude back there. I’m not usually like this. I’m just really tired and confused. I have a hard time when I don’t know what’s going on.”
His eyebrows furrowed, and I suddenly got the feeling it was time for me to stop talking. “I get that all this is a lot to take in, especially when you’re just thrown into it on a night like last night.”
“Um-hmm,” was all I could manage to respond.
“The thing is … you got yourself tied to Blaze. It might not have been something either of you planned, but it happened, and seeing that he’s a brother of this club, that means you’re also tied to Fury. Now, take a second to let that soak in.”
He crossed his arms as he leaned against the desk and watched as his words crushed me like a ten-ton weight. As I sat there thinking about what he’d said, I found myself wanting to argue with him. I’d only known Blaze a few weeks, so we weren’t actually a couple. I didn’t see how it was possible that I’d gotten myself tied to him or the club. Just as I was about to tell him that, he started to shake his head.
“Before you try to tell me I’m wrong, I want you to think about something. Last night, when Riggs came for you, you could’ve told him to fuck off, but you didn’t. You heard that Sawyer was hurt … a man you’d like to think you don’t care that much about, but we both know you do. You heard he was hurt and that was all it took … and you didn’t just help him, you helped Mack with Gunner, and then you did what you could with Murphy. Kenadee, whether you want to admit it or not, you are right in the center of Fury.”
I sighed as I dropped my head into the palms of my hands. “Damn.”
“We needed you last night, and you did everything you could to help our boys. That shit goes a long way in this club. The brothers will always be grateful for what you’ve done.”
I nodded.
“But, here’s the deal.” His voice grew stern as he continued, “There are bad men out there who are trying to kill us, Kenadee. They’ve been watching us for weeks. Honestly, I don’t know what they’ve seen and what they haven’t. I don’t know if they saw Blaze with you. I don’t know if they saw the two of you at your apartment. You can leave here if you choose and take your chances, but I can’t promise you that you won’t end up like Runt and Lowball, dead under a white sheet. No way I can know what’s gonna happen … or you can stay here where the men are grateful for what you’ve done for their brothers, and they’ll put their lives on the line to protect you. That much I do know. I’ll see to it.”
“Can I ask you something?”
His eyes narrowed as he replied, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”
“If these men might have been watching my apartment, what about my roommate Robyn? She’s still there, and she has no idea about any of this.”
“We’ve got her covered. Got a prospect watching her. If anything comes up, he’ll bring her here,” he explained as he walked over to the door and opened it. “What’s it gonna be, Ms. Brooks? You staying or going?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a very persuasive man?” I smiled.
“A time or two.” He chuckled.
“I don’t have any clothes or anything to take a shower with … or even a tooth brush.”
With a knowing smile, he replied. “I’ll get one of the girls to take care of it.”
“Okay.”
Before he closed the door, he said, “Start your shower. I’ll have your things to you in a minute.”
As soon as he closed the door, I sat on the edge of the bed, frozen in dismay. I wanted to convince myself that I’d just agreed to stay at the clubhouse because there was a chance my life was in danger, but truthfully, as I sat there listening to Gus talk, I found myself actually wanting to stay for other reasons—reasons I couldn’t even begin to explain. Hoping that it was just the fatigue and that I hadn’t gone completely mad, I got up and went into the bathroom. Just as I’d turned on the hot water, there was a knock at my door. When I went to answer it, there was a young woman standing in the hall with her arms full of clothes.
“Hi! I’m Sadie.”
She walked right past me and into my room, then dropped the bags of clothes and towels onto my bed. “Uh… Hi.”
“Gus told me to bring these things over for you. He said you and I were about the same size, but you might be a little thicker around the middle than me … but it’s all good. I think these will fit you just fine.” She peeked into one of the bags as she rambled on, “I brought shampoo and conditioner, soap, a hairdryer, a toothbrush, towels, and umm… I can’t remember what’s all in here. If I missed anything, just let me know. We’ve got plenty of stuff in the stock room.”
I nodded. “Okay. I appreciate it.”
“So, you’re Kenadee, right?”
She was young, maybe twenty-one with pretty, red hair and freckles, reminding me of Isla Fisher with her bright smile and youthful demeanor. I smiled at her and replied, “Yes. That’s right.”
“I heard some of the guys talking about you last night at the bar. They said you were Blaze’s new girl.” I could tell that she was fishing when she added, “I didn’t realize he was seeing anyone.”
Something told me this was a conversation that I didn’t need to have, especially with someone I didn’t know or trust, so I told her, “I better get to my shower before the water gets cold.”
“Oh, yeah, of course.” She started towards the door and just before she left, she turned back to me and said, “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“I will. Thanks, Sadie.”
Relieved that she was gone, I grabbed everything I’d need for my shower and went to the bathroom. As I started to undress, I glanced up at the mirror and gasped when I saw my reflection. My hair was all over my head, there were blood stains all over my clothes and face, and the heavy, dark circles under my eyes made me look like I was at least ten years older.
“Shit. I look like I’d been to hell and back,” I grumbled to myself as I tossed my dirty clothes onto the floor and stepped into the shower. Thankfully, as soon as the hot water hit my shoulders, I forgot about my horrid appearance and let the tension start to ease fr
om my body. I started to think back over everything, and I was hit with an epiphany. I’d spent the last few years trying to do what I could to save the world and make it a better place, while the men of Fury and the people they were associated with were out there destroying it. I didn’t know how I’d gotten myself caught up in their world, but I knew when the coast was clear, I’d have to get the hell out of there before it was too late—otherwise, everything I’d worked for would’ve been in vain.
After I got out of the shower, I went through all the clothes that Sadie had brought and managed to find something to put on. Once I was dressed, I crawled into bed, and the minute my head hit the pillow, my exhaustion took over and I fell fast asleep. I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping, but it hadn’t been long enough when I heard a light tap at my door. I was so tired that I just rolled over, trying to ignore it, but when I heard it a second time, I forced myself out of bed. I eased the door open, and nearly had a coronary when I found Sawyer standing there. “Sawyer. What are you doing here?”
He was wearing a pair of low-hanging sleep pants that showed off his well-defined V and a pair of white socks with nothing else. A bandage was covering most of the left side of his chest, leaving the rest of his gorgeous, muscular torso bare. There was sweat beading across his brow. “I came to check on you.”
“But, you should be in bed!” I fussed.
He glanced over at my bed, and as he slowly started to hobble towards it, he replied, “Okay. If you say so.”
I watched with surprise as he slowly started to lay down in my bed, propping the pillows behind his head as he made himself right at home. Once he was settled, I asked, “Are you comfortable?”
“Yep. This is good.” He grinned.
“What in the world were you thinking, Sawyer? You just got out of surgery. You could’ve pulled your stitches out by getting up too soon.”
I could tell by his blank stare that he didn’t like my reaction. “I just told you. I was checking on you.”
I inhaled a deep breath and tried to lose my mothering tone and asked, “And why exactly are you checking on me?”