by Wilder, L.
“Well, trouble is whatcha got, asshole.” I went over to the girl, and as I helped her up, I asked, “You alright?”
“Um-hmm. I think so.”
“Fuck this shit,” Brant shouted.
He started for the door, but quickly stopped when I took out my gun and aimed it towards him. “Stop right there, Brant. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Okay. Okay.” He held up his hands. “I’ll stay right here.”
I turned my attention back to the girl. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. Thank you for helping me.” Tears filled her eyes as she muttered, “I thought he was a good guy, but…”
“I know. Don’t worry about it,” I interrupted. “I’m gonna need you to go down to the lobby. Wait there until I can get someone to come take you home. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes. I can do that.”
“Gonna need you to do me a favor.”
“Okay?”
“You never saw me. Got that?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I got it.”
“Good. Now, get to the lobby.” Once she’d made her way out of the room, I turned my attention back to Brant. “You’re a real piece of shit, you know that? Bad enough that ya cheat on your wife while she’s got a newborn at home, but ya got a rough up a drunk chick?”
“How do you know I’ve got a wife and a kid at home?”
“I know all about you, Lucas Brant. I know you grew up in Nashville and was the star quarterback. I also know you got a thing for forcing yourself on women, and that shit don’t fly with me.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m a friend of Alyssa Hanson.” His eyes widened with surprise as I continued, “I know what you did to her, how you raped her and stole her innocence, and I know you didn’t leave things there. No. You just gotta keep coming at her, taking more and more from every time she has to see your stupid face, but that shit is about to end.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to stand there and listen to his bullshit. I reared back my fist and slammed it right into the side of his head, knocking him out cold. When he collapsed onto the bed, I took my phone out of my back pocket and dialed Hyde’s number. As soon as he answered, I said, “Hey, brother. I’m gonna need you to meet me at the Blue Nights motel on Second.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. And Hyde…Bring Landry’s car, and you need to come packing.”
“Got it. I’ll be there in twenty.”
When he hung up, I dialed Skillet’s number. I told him about the girl in the lobby and that I needed him to pick her up and take her home. Once he’d assured me that he’d take care of it, I put my phone back in my pocket and started looking around the room for Brant’s car keys. I found them, along with his wallet, on the table next to the bed. After I grabbed them, I went over and lifted Brant off the bed. I tossed him over my shoulder, then carried him out of the motel room and out to the parking lot. I used his keys to open his trunk and tossed him inside. As I stood there waiting for Hyde, I remembered my promise to Gus. I assured him that I wouldn’t make a move towards Brant without letting him know, so I took out my phone and gave him a call. Even though it was late, he answered right away. “Bone?”
“Hey, Gus. Sorry to call so late, but I need to tell you about something.”
“Okay. What’s going on?”
I took the next few minutes to tell him what had gone down with Brant. I also told him what I wanted to do about it. When I was done, Gus sighed and said, “Do what ya gotta do, Bone. Just be careful and make sure there’s no blowback on the club.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“And Hyde’s on the way?”
“Yeah. He should be here any minute.”
“Good.” I could hear the concern in his voice as he said, “You boys be careful.”
“You got it. Thanks, Prez.”
I hung up the phone and leaned against Brant’s car while I waited for Hyde to show. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. It had only been fifteen minutes since I’d call him when he came rolling into the parking lot. He pulled up next to me and rolled down the window. “What the fuck’s going on?”
“No time to explain. I need you to follow me over to the hole.”
I knew Hyde wouldn’t be happy when he found out what was going on with Brant and Alyssa. With his temper, I didn’t want to take a chance on him losing his shit in the motel parking lot, so that’s why I told him to follow me to the hole. He and all the brothers knew it was the place we went whenever we had a body to contend with. It was an isolated area on the outskirts of town near the Mississippi River. Usually, we’d either bury it or toss it into the river. Tonight, it would be up to Hyde to determine what we’d do with Brant. He gave me a nod, then waited as I got in Brant’s car and started towards the hole. It was about a twenty minute drive, so I wasn’t surprised when Hyde jumped out of Landry’s car and asked, “You gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“Yeah, but I’m gonna tell you now that you’re not gonna like it.”
“Just tell me, Bone.”
I took the next few minutes telling him how I’d been keeping an eye on Brant. That in itself came as a surprise to him. He’d been doing the same. Like me, he knew the guy was a piece of shit, but hadn’t got to the same extent that I had when it came to knowing everything he’d been doing over the past few months. I could tell by his expression that he knew what was coming when I started talking about Alyssa. A mix of anguish and rage crossed his face when I told him about seeing Brant talking to her at the restaurant, and how she’d threatened to shoot him if he came around again. That bit of information had him asking, “Alyssa had a fucking gun?”
“She did.” I let out a deep breath. “Seems Brant had been coming around a lot, and she wasn’t gonna take any chances.”
“Fuck. She never even mentioned to me.”
“I guess she thought she could handle him on her own.”
“That’s fucking insane. What the hell was she thinking?”
“She’s the only one who can answer that, brother.”
After I told him what had gone down with the girl in the bar and what I’d walked into in that hotel room, I opened the trunk and reached inside to pull out Brant. Once he was on his feet, Brant looked over to Hyde and asked, “What the fuck? Clay? You have something to do with all this?”
“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”
Without giving Brant a chance to respond, Hyde started plowing into him. In a matter of seconds, the guy was nothing more than a puddled mess on the ground. Hyde gave him another kick in the side as he growled, “You should’ve never put your hands on my sister.”
I reached down and grabbed Brant by the arm, lifting him to his feet. As he staggered from side to side, he muttered, “I didn’t do shit to your sister. I don’t know why you aren’t getting the fact that the little whore wanted it.”
He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Hyde whipped out his gun and aimed it directly at Brant. “You were a piece of shit then, and you’re a piece of shit now.”
“Hold on, man.” Realizing what was coming, he started pleading, “You can’t do this. I’ve got a wife and kid at home. They need me.”
“I’m doing them both a fucking favor.”
Without saying another word, Hyde squeezed the trigger, putting two bullets into him, and Brant dropped to the ground. We both stood there silently staring at his lifeless body, and a sense of satisfaction washed over me when I realized he wouldn’t be causing Alyssa any more heartache than he already had. After several moment passed, I looked over to Hyde and said, “We need to decide what we’re gonna do with him.”
“I say throw his ass in the fucking river, and be done with it.”
“We could do that, but then, his wife will report him missing and there’ll be a lot questions.”
“Alright then, what do y
ou suggest?”
“We could take him car out to Frayser. Set it up like a drug deal gone bad. It’s not like the guy hasn’t been using. I’ve seen for myself that he’s got quite the habit.”
“You think it’ll work?”
“Yeah. Just need to wipe the car down, plant him inside with an empty wallet and a quarter of meth at his side. You know the cops. They aren’t gonna put a lot of effort into investigating a fucked drug deal.”
“Let’s make it happen.”
We got a tarp from Landry’s trunk and used it to cover the front seat. We didn’t want him bleeding out in places that might draw undue suspicion. Once we’d gotten Brant positioned in the passenger seat, Hyde followed me to one of the rougher areas of Frayser. While I tended to Brant, Hyde went to track down a quarter of meth. I slid Brant’s body over to the driver’s side of the car, then removed the tarp we’d used to protect the passenger side. I took his wallet and removed all the cash, and once Hyde returned, he shot him once more, hoping it would be enough to derail the cops. I quickly wiped down the car, then tossed the baggie of meth onto the seat next to Brant’s body. I knew with a little bit of investigating, the cops would see that he’d been shot outside of the vehicle, but knowing that dirty drug deals happened here on a nightly basis, I found it highly doubtful that they’d take the time to even check the asshole’s wounds.
Once we’d gotten the stage set, Hyde looked over to me and asked, “You think they’ll buy it?”
“Yeah. I think we did good.”
“Should’ve done this years ago.”
“Can’t change the past, brother. At least now you can rest easy knowing he’ll never bother Alyssa again. It’s finally over.”
“Thank fuck for the that.”
“You mind running me back to my truck?”
“Sure thing, brother.” I followed him over to Landry’s car, and as soon as we were both settled inside, Hyde looked over to me and said, “Thanks for this, Bone. I owe ya.”
“You don’t owe me shit, brother. Besides, I didn’t do it for you.”
“She still hasn’t reached out to you?”
“No. About given up on that happening.”
“Oh, come on, Bone. Didn’t figure you’d give up that easily.”
“Don’t get me wrong. If she wanted me back, I’d have her in a second, but something tells me that time has come and gone.”
“I don’t know. I got a feeling that y’all’s story is far from over.”
CHAPTER 18
Alyssa
“Is there someone you’d like me to call?” the nurse asked with concern in her eyes.
“Is that really necessary?”
“They are prepping you for surgery, Ms. Hanson.”
“I know. I heard what the doctor said.”
“It’s not the time for you to be alone.” She walked over and checked the monitor once again. “You need someone at your side. It’ll make you feel better…That is, if there’s someone to call to come be with you.”
“Yes. There’s someone to call.” A feeling of dread washed over me at the thought of calling my brother. He was going to lose his mind, and I only had myself to blame. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this day was coming. No. I’d known it for just over four months—since the day Jack finally convinced me to go to the doctor. I’d been feeling so bad. I was still having trouble sleeping and eating, and when I’d fainted at work, Jack had had enough. Scared that something was terribly wrong, he put me in his car and drove me straight to convenient care.
Even then, I thought it was just stress and the fact that I was worrying over the upcoming meal presentation with Boucher and Bissett, but that quickly changed the second the nurse asked me the date of my last period. It was at that moment that it hit me. I hadn’t had a period in months—four to be exact. I don’t know how I couldn’t been so stupid to let something like that slip my mind. I guess it just never dawned on me that I could be pregnant. It wasn’t like Beckett and I hadn’t been careful. We had, but apparently we hadn’t been careful enough. I motioned my hand over to the counter. “My phone is in my purse.”
“Okay.” The little, blonde nurse rushed over and got my phone out of my purse, then asked, “Do you want to make the call or should I do it?”
“I think you should do it, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want.” She looked down at the screen as she asked, “Who is it that I’m calling?”
“My brother… Clay.”
As she dialed his number, I clamped my eyes shut and winced like I was waiting for a bomb to explode. It didn’t have to be like this. I could’ve told him. It wasn’t like I didn’t have the opportunity. While he’d done his best to respect my wishes about giving me space, he’d still stop by the restaurant or come by the house from time to time to check in. I’d always made sure to have on my coat or my work apron whenever I saw him, making sure to conceal my growing belly. At first, I just wanted the time to figure things out. I needed to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be a mother. I was a wreck. I had a new job, a good relationship with a man that I ruined by pushing him away, and I just didn’t know how to fix it. Instead of just going to Beckett and explaining the situation, I made it all worse by keeping it all a secret.
Looking back, I realize now how stupid it all was. If I had just been honest with both him and Beckett, then maybe I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Not that it mattered now. In a matter of seconds, Clay would know everything, and I’d have to face not only him, but Beckett as well. Damn. That wasn’t something I was looking forward to—not in the least.
I held my breath as I listened to my nurse say, “Hello. This is Jessica Tandy at Memorial Hospital. Is this Clay Hanson?”
I could hear my brother on the other end of the call say, “Yeah. This is he.”
“Well, I’m calling about your sister, Alyssa. She wanted me to call and let you know that she will be going into emergency surgery here in the next hour or so. The baby is showing signs of distress, and the doctors don’t want to take any chances…”
“Wait…Baby? Emergency surgery? What the hell are you talking about?” he roared.
“I know this must come as a shock, Mr. Hanson, but it’s important for you to remain calm. Your sister’s life and …”
“I want to know what the hell is going on!”
“I’ll explain everything when you get here. We’re in room 503.” Before Clay could say anything more, Jessica said, “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Hanson.”
She hung up the phone, and in a matter of seconds, my phone started to ring. Knowing it was Clay, I extended my hand and said, “I’ll take that.”
I quickly declined the call and put my phone on silent. Jessica looked over at me with her brows furrowed. “I take it that he didn’t know you were pregnant?”
“No. He didn’t.”
“And the father?”
“No. He didn’t know either.” I let out a deep sigh. “I’ve really made a mess of things.”
“Well, you don’t need to be worrying about that now. You just focus on you and that sweet baby of yours, and everything else will work out.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“That’s because I am.” She gave me a warm smile. “You aren’t the first patient I’ve had that kept her pregnancy a secret. It actually happens more than you might think, and every time, things have a way of working out. I have no doubt that the same will hold true for you.”
“I certainly hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.” She gave me a light pat on the leg, then said, “I’m going to go check in with the doctor and see how much longer it will be.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jessica.”
Once she’d walked out of the room, I ran my hand over my round belly and my chest tightened when I thought about my son being in distress. I had no idea what that meant. I just knew it couldn’t be good, especially since they were doing a c-section. I knew it wa
s too soon. He was a month early, and there was a chance his lungs wouldn’t be fully developed. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I even wanted a baby, but now, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. My eyes filled with tears as I whispered, “Hey there, little guy. I need you to listen to me. I want you to be strong and hold on for your momma. You hear me? I love you. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms.”
My abdomen tightened with another contraction, taking my breath away. They were coming closer and closer, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before they took me back to surgery. The pain had just started to subside when there was a light tap on the door followed by the sound of footsteps entering the room. When I looked up, I found Beckett and Clay standing at the foot of my bed. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there looking like they’d seen a ghost. It had been almost eight months since I’d seen Beckett, and he looked just as good, if not better, than I remembered. I’d often wondered if my feelings for him had changed, but as I laid there looking at him, I knew I loved him just as much as I did when we were still together.
The tension in the room kept growing more and more intense until finally Clay cleared his throat and asked, “So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with all this?”
“I know you’re angry with me, but…”
“Angry doesn’t begin to describe what I’m feeling right now, Alyssa.” I motioned his hand towards my belly. “You’re about to have a fucking kid, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Can we please not do this right, now?” Another contraction hit, causing me to wince in agony. I took a few deep breaths, and when the pain started to subside, I muttered, “Something’s wrong with the baby, and they’re gonna have to take him early.”
“What do you mean something’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. His heart rate isn’t as strong as it should be.” I glanced over at Beckett. He wasn’t saying a word. Instead, he just stood there staring at me in utter shock. I couldn’t blame him. If I was in his shoes, I would be furious with me. “I’m so sorry, Beckett. I’m sorry about everything. I should’ve told you. I just didn’t know how.”