The truth will set you free (Bitter Roots MC Book 1)

by Penny Anglene

  Lying down, I think of Samantha—her beautiful smile and her luscious ass. I miss her so damn much. I fall asleep with her in my head and dream, sweet dreams for the next two hours.

  Chapter Five

  Dog…

  I head out to go meet up with Spider, but first stop at the garage to make sure the car from a new customer went out today like it was supposed to.

  Walking in, I still see it up on the lift. “What the hell? Thought this was going out today? We’re going to lose business if we can’t get these out when promised,” I state crossly.

  “We went to take it out for a test drive, and the water pump went out. I called them to let them know. They were fine with picking it up in the morning. We’re waiting on the new one to get here. I’ll get it installed as soon as it’s here. I was just about to drop this one out so it’s ready to go,” one of our prospects, Jetter Boy replies.

  I nod, then ask him, “Where’s Doc?”

  “He ran to go pick up some other parts he needed. Should be back shortly,” he replies.

  “Ok. I got to go. Make sure you get that finished before you leave today,” I tell him.

  He nods as he turns around and goes back to work.

  I leave to meet up with Spider. Dammit, if he can help, I’ll listen to him. He’s my brother, but she’s my everything. Pulling into the bar, I decide I’m going to get something to eat too. I’m starving.

  As I am deciding this, I see Spider pull up. I nod as he backs his sled in.

  “I’m hungry. They got food here? I can’t remember,” I say.

  “Yeah, burgers and shit. You want something more we have to go elsewhere,” he tells me, sitting on his bike.

  “Here is fine. Just want a bite to eat. I’m hungry, actually starved.”

  He gets off his bike and we head inside the Bar and Grill. Opening the door and walking in, people part like the red sea, as we step in. We see Deputy Pete Parks after entering the restaurant. We step to the side as we speak to one another. He nods, asking, “How you doing, Dog?”

  “Not bad, you?” I return.

  “Not bad. Everything good for you all?” he inquires.

  “Peachy. Doing pretty good. Getting ready to buy a bar and restaurant. Trying to make a difference,” I reply.

  “Here if you need anything. You heard or seen Trent lately?” he asks me.

  “Nah, may need to make a trip down to see him.”

  “You all take care. Stay out of trouble,” he tells me.

  I nod as he makes his way past us to leave. We move to the right and ask for a table.

  “Just take one of the tables inside and I’ll get with you in just a second,” she tells us.

  Taking our seats, I can’t wait a second longer. “How is she? What has she been doing? Has she asked about me?” I ask without trying to sound desperate.

  “She’s crushed. Feels like she has no one in her corner. She told me that she feels like she’s back in that horrible place she was raised in. She hates lies. It’s all she was ever told. I know she loves you—like forever loves you—but you got a lot of groveling to do. You need to start now. It may take you a couple of years to get through to her,” he tells me.

  “I know I fucked up. Will she talk to me? Why in the hell is she talking to you for, anyway?” I ask.

  “We got close while you were gone. I took care of the ladies while you all were away. So yes, they trust me. At first, she wanted nothing to do with any of us. She’s a good person, inside and out. She’s been given a shit hand from her biological family. She thought she had a second chance with you,” he tells me. “Look, man, don’t give up. You’ll regret it if you do. I know I did. The only difference is, you still have a shot at all that goodness with her. Family, love, kids, and a home. Don’t ever give up on her. She’s so worth it,” Spider tells me with a sadness in his tone.

  “What’s your story? I don’t know much about you and your earlier years of life,” I say.

  “I don’t want to talk about my life before this one. Just know that if it weren’t for this family, I would have eaten a bullet long before now. That isn’t a lie either,” he tells me.

  I can see the shadows of ghosts in his eyes just like I’ve seen a little of that look in my Samantha’s eyes too. We continue to talk about mundane things for the club, waiting for our food to arrive. I eat it like there’s no tomorrow, not saying a word—neither of us did.

  “I’m sorry, brother, for hitting you the other day. It was my fuck up that all of that shit went down to begin with. Thanks for taking care of her while I was gone. I worry,” I tell him as I gaze off in the distance out the window. I see other men walking around, holding their women’s hands.

  “I really like this one, Dog. She’s a bit out there, but a good woman. She’s one that would have your back and not blink doing it. Be upfront with her. She isn’t going to say a word to anyone. That’s what I think,” Spider says.

  “I’ll remember that. Take that to heart, man, I do. I’ll see you on the flip side. I have a lot to think about and I want to make sure she got home okay before I head into the compound,” I tell him. I get up and pay before I head out the door. I nod at a couple as I pass them on the sidewalk. I get on my bike and head toward her place. I see her sitting on the porch. Slowing down, I stop in front of her house. She just stares at me for a minute, stands up, turns and goes into the house then shuts the door. I look down. My guts feel as if they’ve been ripped out of my body. I look up letting out the clutch and take off toward home. I know she’s home safe.

  Chapter Six

  Thirty-eight hours later

  Dog…

  I hear buzzing. As I wake up, I realize it’s my phone. I look at the clock and notice it’s about eight in the morning. I pick up, not recognizing the number.

  “This is Nurse Jackson at Deaconess Hospital. I’m looking for a Brett Jamison,” she says.

  “This is Brett Jamison, what can I help you with?” I ask.

  “We had a female patient by the name of Samantha Crane brought in by Air Evac and you were in her wallet as an emergency contact. Are you her family?” she asks me.

  “I’m her fiancé, is she okay? What happened and what hospital campus?” I demand. I feel like I’ve been sucker punched right in the middle of my stomach as all the air whooshes from me.

  “Does she have any family that I can call?” she asks me.

  “She doesn’t have any. She was raised in an orphanage. I’m all she has. Now please, tell me what the fuck is going on and where I need to go,” I hiss out loudly.

  “We need permission to operate. She’s at the main campus in downtown Evansville. Are you familiar with it?”

  “I know where it’s at. I’ll be there in thirty and you do what needs to be done to help her. Do you hear me? Whatever she needs done and now,” I tell her as I hang up.

  I jump up, already half dressed as I take off to the front of the clubhouse to leave. As I get close to the bar, I see Bossman and Spider as well as a few others.

  “Spider, Samantha was in an accident. She was life flighted to Evansville. I’m on my way there now.” They all get up and follow me out as we hop on our bikes. I’m the first to pull out with Bossman and Spider on my ass.

  We arrive at the hospital, parking our bikes as close as we can get, and go in through the ER. I stop at the information desk and ask the receptionist where Samantha Crane is. She looks it up and tells me to have a seat, that someone will be with me in a moment. It’s the longest five minutes of my life before a nurse walks up to us.

  “Hi, I’m Nurse Ramton. She was taken into surgery about fifteen minutes ago.” She looks around and starts to get nervous as she looks at us.

  “What happened? Is she okay?” I demand with a rough voice.

  “Give me a minute to answer and I will,” she states hesitantly.

  “All I know is she was in a single car accident. I don’t know the details of it. I do know that her condition is stable at this time. They a
re repairing some damage to the leg from the accident. It was a bad injury, but I don’t know all the details. I’m not in the surgery room. I’m giving you what I know from when she was first brought in.”

  When she gets done telling us what she knows, she tells us that someone inform me as to where to go to wait. She goes to walk away when I notice security coming down the hallway. She looks from me to them and shakes her head. She glances over at the receptionist, her lips getting tight in displeasure.

  Security is almost on us when I hear the ER doors swish open. I hear my guys behind me. Security stops and uses his radio to let someone know he’s here, as Bossman asks, “Any news?”

  I shake my head and mutter, “Nope, only what she knows from when she was first brought in. Before I could see if she could get me anymore information, the receptionist called the hospital po-po,” I tell him.

  Turning and looking at security, I ask, “I’m just trying to find out where my fiancé is? That’s all I want to know. I don’t want any problems, but I will be told where she is.”

  “You need to calm down, have a seat, and wait for your turn. We have some in here that are really sick. Just sit your drugged ass down and wait your turn,” he mutters under his breath.

  “What the fuck did you just say to me?” I roar.

  “You heard me. Sit your ass down and wait,” he tells me with a smirk.

  “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but I’m gonna kick your ass, motherfucker,” I snarl. I see a man standing behind the asshole. Great, now I have two assholes to deal with.

  “I wanna know what you said Charles,” a man with a long white coat asks.

  The security guard turns and stutters, “D-Dr. Sutherland. I didn’t see you there. I was just telling the gentleman he needed to calm down. He was causing a ruckus,” he tells him.

  My mouth falls open and my hands go into a fist. I am ready to plow him one. Doctor Sutherland looks at him, blinks, then shakes his head.

  “That’s not what you said. I heard you. You’ve been warned before. Go home. Go tell Gordan that you’re being sent home and will be home until you go before the board. Do you understand me?” he snaps out. I can see him take a couple deep breaths before he continues.

  “Mr. Jamison, I’m sorry. You can follow me. I’ll take you up to the surgical floor. You can wait there until they come out. I was the attending doctor until the surgeon took her into surgery. She took trauma to her head, but she should be okay. Her leg was messed up really badly. They’re in there now trying to repair the damage. She will need a plate and screws to fix it. She will be off her leg for some time. Does she have someone that will be able to take care of her when she’s released?” he asks me.

  “She has all of us. We’re her family,” I tell him. “She can stay with us. I can get it fixed up.”

  We stop at a door. He turns to look at me and says, “She kept asking for Dog. Do you know if she had a pet with her in the accident?” he asks me.

  “I’m Dog. She was asking for me. Do you know how long she might be in surgery?” I ask.

  “It could take up to a couple of hours, depending on the damage. At this time, that’s all I know. If the phone here on the wall rings, answer it. It will be the nurse with updates,” Doctor Sutherland tells me.

  I nod. “Thank you, Dr. Sutherland,” I say as I walk into the room and sit by the phone. We’ve been here for about forty minutes waiting. I can hear the others talking but I have no desire to join in until I can find out how she is. The longer I sit and wait, the more I sweat, and the more agitated I become. I finally get up, pacing close to the phone. I keep looking at it, willing it to ring. I glance up when I see more of the brothers show up. They all come over, letting me know that they are there for me and Samantha. I just nod, while I stare at the silent phone.

  I see Spider walk over toward me, “She’s going to be okay. She’s a stubborn one and no matter how mad she is at the moment, she loves you Dog.”

  “What if—” I gulp down the lump in my throat.

  “There is no what if. She will get through this. You need to keep positive in this. She will fight with everything she is. You know this, Dog,” Spider tells me.

  “Okay, I will. God, I love her so much. I just need to know how she is. That’s all I need right now.”

  We both lean back in the chairs, not talking. I know he’s there for me and Samantha. He cares about her too.

  When the phone finally rings about ten minutes later, I jump about a foot. I look up and everyone is staring at me. I reach for the phone, and I can see my hand shake as I pick it up.

  “Family of Samantha Crane, please,” someone from the other end says.

  “That’s me. Brett Jamison. She okay?” I ask. I feel like I’m in a tunnel with no way out—almost like there’s water surrounding me and all the noises are muffled.

  “Mr. Jamison, she’s doing okay. She is stable. Her leg is taking a little longer to repair, but her vitals are stable, and she seems to be doing good at the moment. We’ll give you an update in about forty-five minutes.” She hangs up the phone.

  I gaze at the phone. I just want to see her. I look at all the brothers who are staring at me.

  “She’s stable, and they’ll check back in about forty minutes from now. Do we know what happened?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, Dog, but we have some of the guys checking in on it. Does anyone know where she was coming from?” Bossman asks.

  No one seems to know the answer to these questions. We need to find out. “Call Jax and see if he knows. He may or maybe Ria does,” I tell the guys. Some of the guys scatter, some I see on their phones. I just look back down. I pick up my phone and call Jenny myself.

  “Do you have any idea where Samantha was last night? Where she may have been going?” I ask Jenny.

  “No, I don’t, why?” she asks.

  “She was in an accident. She’s in surgery now. We have no idea of where she was or what happened,” I tell her.

  I’m not on the phone with her for very long before the hospital phone rings again. I drop my phone and it lands on the floor as I reach for the hospital phone. My hands shake as I pick it up. “Samantha Crane’s family, please,” I hear from a female voice.

  “This is her fiancé,” I tell her. “How is she doing?”

  “They’re closing up now. She’ll be going into recovery for a while, and once she is in ICU, I will have someone come and let you know. The doctor will be out to speak with you shortly. Wait here until he comes out, please. You can then go to the ICU waiting room,” she tells me.

  “Thank you,” I whisper. Hanging up the phone I reach down picking up mine from the floor.

  I continue to stare at the floor, tears in my eyes. I don’t care what anyone thinks. She’s alive and going to be okay. I do need answers though, most importantly what happened. I just want to see her for myself. I look up when I feel someone put their hand on my shoulder. Jenny as well as Ria are standing there. I didn’t even hear them come in.

  “She’s out of surgery. They’re actually closing her up now. Shortly, they will be taking her to recovery. The doctor will be out soon to talk to us,” I say. Jenny burrows into my arms and sobs. I bend down, whispering, “She’s going to be okay. You hear me? I won’t stand for anything different,” I tell her. I glance up and see Ria in Jax’s arms.

  “I love her, Ria. She’s my everything. I can’t live without her,” I tell her with a scratchy voice. I see Ria nod her head, acknowledging what I’ve said. I don’t want to live without her.

  Even after getting several updates in the last three hours, I’m still on pins and needles. When they checked in the last time, they said that the surgeon would be out to see us shortly. It wasn’t until he actually came out and talked to me that I let out a deep breath of relief. He explained that she would be in a wheelchair for a little while, then on crutches for the remainder of the healing process. She would also need physical therapy to help her to heal and recover her mob
ility. He told us where to go to wait to see her.

  It wasn’t until three hours later, after speaking with the doctor, that I was able to see her. We were only supposed to be in there ten minutes every hour on the hour, with only two visitors while she was in the ICU, but the doctor made the exception when he saw her responding to my voice. She calmed down when she heard and could feel me by her. I didn’t leave her side until it was time to bring her home. She ended up in the hospital for nine days. Things became complicated a couple of times with her blood pressure dropping too low. Although all this time I wanted her to talk to me, I would have rather of gotten hurt so she wouldn’t be suffering as she is now.

  Chapter Seven

  Samantha…

  I’m not sure about staying at the clubhouse. I was in the hospital for nine days and it felt like a lifetime. I really would prefer to stay at my house but understand it’s better to be in a place where there’s someone always around. I don’t remember any of the accident and when the police came to question me, there was nothing I could tell them. They had to sedate me because I got so fucking agitated and had one of the worse headaches ever. I know that Dog hasn’t left my side since my accident and he lost it when I got so agitated. He refused to leave and take showers at home. He did all of that at the hospital in my bathroom. He has a lot to make up, and I’m not sure I want to trust my heart one hundred percent with him but it melts my heart that he hasn’t left my side. On the one hand, he had made so many promises and broke almost all of them. On the other hand, when it mattered most, he was there. I understand that it’s different with bikers; I need to remember that too. I also know my heart is happy and feels so full with him by my side. I don’t know what to do with myself. I know I can’t work, my car is totaled, and I don’t have a lot left over to cover my bills for more than two months.