Retaliate

by M. N. Forgy

  “Fuck!” I cry, furious and angry.

  Raven’s department issued boots come into my line of sight as she casually walks into the kitchen, and I gasp in pain. Glancing up at her, her eyes fall to mine, and she just stares at me.

  “Go get him,” I heave but she just looks at me in silence. “Did you stop him?” I ask, but she’s stoic, just staring at me with narrowed brows. “Raven! Get help, do something!” I cry, the pain too much to bear.

  Sirens sound from outside, and Raven’s head snaps in that direction.

  “Sheriff’s department!” is hollered from the living room.

  “In here!” I cry. Raven suddenly falls to her knees and covers my wound with her hands.

  “Oh my God, what happened?” she asks in a tone of surprise. I eye her like she’s lost her mind. Did she black out or something? What the hell is going on?

  A man jogs into the kitchen and finds us.

  “Oh shit,” he gasps. Grabbing the radio on his shoulder he calls it in, and an ambulance.

  “I’m Chewie, and help is on the way. Is there anyone I can call?” he asks, looking oddly familiar. I think about calling Jillian, but that isn’t smart. She needs to stay hidden being the president’s ol’ lady.

  “What about Jillian?” Raven suggests like she read my mind.

  I grab Raven’s hand with my bloody one, my body trembling as warm blood pools under me.

  “Do not call Jillian. Don’t! She will freak out and come to the hospital,” I tell her. Her eyes flash, but she doesn’t say anything.

  “Promise me, goddamn it!” I demand, needing her to understand, but she just continues to nod her head.

  Seconds later an EMT is kneeling beside me, observing the slice in my side and pumping an IV of pain reliever into the crook of my arm.

  Everything is a little fuzzy from the kitchen floor to being transported into the ambulance. My vision blurred and blacking around the edges.

  I’m jostled back and forth as the ambulance bounces out of the driveway and onto the main road.

  The medicine begins to relax me, and my mind wanders like a ping-pong ball in one of those games I played when I was younger. How did Raven miss that suspect in the kitchen? Will I die?

  When did the suspect run off? I wonder if Rocky is okay at the club.

  No, she gave an oath to protect me, her family in blue.

  The sound of thunder vibrates the ambulance, and my skin prickles with the recognition. Using all my might I use my elbows to sit up and look out the windows of the ambulance finding Felix following us on his motorcycle, and a couple other club members. My chest fills with warmth that he’s here, but I’m also pissed because that means Raven fucking called Jillian after I told her not to.

  “Ma’am, please lay back down,” the EMT insists, as he begins to attempt to patch my wound.

  Lying back down, I can’t help the big grin on my face. Giddiness racing through me like a young girl with a teenage crush. I may be sliced like a fucking fish right now, but Felix and the Outlaws are escorting me to the hospital making sure nothing else happens to me. I feel like family being protected, someone important.

  A frown crosses my face, and I can’t decide if I’m over thinking things or it’s the medicine in my arm but which family do I belong to?

  Law enforcement or The Outlaws?

  Felix

  Riding next to the ambulance my heart beats in my chest faster than I can last remember. Jillian got a call from Alessandra’s phone informing her there had been an accident, and she needed to come right away. It took everything Zeek had to make her stay at the clubhouse.

  I stay right behind the bus making sure nobody else gets close to it. I don’t know what happened, but I swear to God if it has anything to do with the club there will be repercussions.

  My hand grips the throttle tightly as I hope Alessandra’s okay. I should have been watching her at work too, I never should have left. Zeek put me in charge of protecting her, and I feel like I failed. This could be work related, but it might not be.

  If anyone saw us together, any of our rivals could have taken my discretions out on her. Our club may dabble in law enforcement, but a lot of others find it as betraying the codes of an MC.

  The ambulance pulls into the hospital and I park right on the sidewalk not giving a shit about the parking laws, my boys Machete, Gatz, and Mac are right behind me. I jog up to the bus just as they begin to wheel her out. Blood stains her uniform, and a large patch is placed on the side of her beautiful stomach.

  My hands itch to fucking tear someone’s head off for this. It looks painful, and the darkness inside of me wants to cause the terror that Alessandra might be feeling.

  She’s drugged up and seems happy to see me with that goofy ass grin on her face. All I can feel is the urge for revenge.

  “What the fuck happened, Black Bird,” I whisper, gripping her cold hand. She interlocks her tiny fingers in mine, her blood staining my skin. She doesn’t reply, as an oxygen mask is slipped over her face.

  “Sir, are you family?” The EMT with long blonde hair asks me skeptically. I didn’t even notice she was there I was so involved with Alessandra. I look back down at Alessandra who stares at me longingly. She may be drugged, but I can see deep inside of those irises she’s hurt and scared.

  “Fuck yes, I’m family,” I state forcefully, not taking my eyes off of her. I’m not letting her out of my sight, not until I know if this is club related or not. Not until I know she is okay.

  “Well, okay then. Follow me.” The EMT laughs, pushing the stretcher into the entrance of the hospital.

  Looking over my shoulder to my boys I curl my hands into fists. “Someone will pay for this,” I grit through clenched teeth.

  ***

  Staring at Alessandra, she’s fast asleep and on the path to recovery. The cut was deep but it was a clean cut, nothing major was hit. She had a blood transfusion and a shit ton of stitches though. Bomber Jack is just outside the door keeping watch, but I’m still wound tight as it seems nobody saw anything when this happened. Her partner said she didn’t see anything. Shit like this doesn’t go without repercussion, not in my world, and it’s killing me to sit here idle. I’m bloodthirsty, and feeling like the fucking criminal I’ve been pegged for my whole life.

  The hospital door opens, and I jump alert, my hand reaching for my gun. It’s Zeek, with two cups in each of his hands.

  I relax, sitting back in the stiff as hell recliner beside Alessandra.

  “How is she?” Zeek asks, looking her over.

  “She’s good,” I mutter, running my palm down my face. I’m fucking exhausted.

  Zeek hands me a cup of coffee, and I take a small sip. It’s good, but I really want a bottle of Jack right now. My mind is everywhere, and my fucking emotions are even worse.

  Zeek leans against the wall, a raised brow in my direction. “Jillian is up my ass wanting to know what happened.”

  I sigh. “From what I got from her, her partner Raven checked the house and said it was clear and it obviously wasn’t,” I scoff. Nobody saw anything, or they ain’t talking.

  “The partner must have been the one who called Jillian. Has she shown up here?” Zeek questions.

  “Not that I know of.” I shake my head, setting the coffee down between my feet. Looking up at Zeek I clasp my hands together. “You don’t think it was club related do you?”

  Adjusting his stance, he blows out a steady breath. “Hard to tell at this point, we are all fucking targets. We need more information from her when she wakes up to tell for sure,” he shrugs a shoulder.

  “Well, when she wakes, I’m taking her back to the club. This place is a joke, she still has blood all over her,” I huff, pointing at her side that is stained with dry blood.

  Alessandra stirs, her hand flexing-looking for mine. Quickly I lace my fingers with hers, letting her know that I’m here and she settles.

  She’s pushing her way into my fucked up way of life. With her smar
t mouth, dark past, and sexy legs. I didn’t have a chance to begin with. She may look innocent and sweet, but she knows how to leave her mark on a man.

  “Have you told her yet?”

  “About what?” My tone vague, I know what he’s talking about but I’m not ready to tell her that. She has a past, and has a monster deep inside of her. I’m just not sure how dark that monster is once it’s been released.

  “You know what,” Zeek snaps.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I shake my head.

  “Not yet,” I mutter.

  “Just… Just, make sure you know what you’re doing brother,” Zeek’s voice is soft, but his point is sharp. His eyes on mine and Alessandra’s tangled fingers. I don’t like the way his stare makes me feel.

  I shoot my eyes to his, anger pumping my chest.

  “What does that mean?” I snap, wanting so bad to take Alessandra away from everyone so we can just be us and alone. Not having to worry about labels or what people think, what we think. Just us, doing what we fucking do best.

  “Means… I’ve never seen you like this.” Both of his brows raise to his hairline, his tone laced with surprise, maybe even a hint of fear.

  Glancing back at Alessandra the look of her hits me in the chest. That unfamiliar feeling taking hold of me again. It’s a mixture of feelings that don’t even belong in the same sentence let alone to feel all at the same time. Lust, fear, dominant, protector, jealousy, vengeful, love.

  “That makes two of us brother,” I whisper.

  I’ve never had someone care about me, or to teach me how to love someone outside the club.

  I’m not normally scared of new things, it comes with the territory of an outlaw. But this, I’m fucking terrified because I don’t think I can give Alessandra what she deserves.

  A man that is capable of normal emotions. I’m biker trash, and that’s all I’ll ever be able to give her. A world of chaos and demons.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Alessandra

  WAKING UP I FEEL stiff and very sore, and my hand is sweaty and cramped. Opening my eyes, I follow my arm down to my hand finding Felix asleep in the chair holding it.

  As if he can sense me awake, his eyes snap open, and he sits up straight.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks huskily, rubbing his face with his free hand.

  “Like someone stabbed me,” I croak. I shift in the hard bed, not very comfortable and I’m starving for something greasy.

  “I want to get you out of here, take you back to the club,” Felix states, wasting no time to tell me what he’s thinking.

  “Then what?” I shrug. Curious where we go from here.

  “You ask a lot of a fucking questions.” He raises a brow, his tone un-amused.

  “Is that a problem? To ask questions?” I tilt my head to the side. He rubs at his chin, his long caramel colored hair falling into his face.

  “It is when I don’t have the answers, especially the ones you’re looking for, Dirty Bird,” he replies honestly, and that slice in my side begins to burn.

  “Has Raven come to see me?” I ask, trying to sit up. Felix shakes his head and I can’t help the look of confusion that crosses my face. Why wouldn’t she come see me?

  Noticing my confusion, Felix stiffens. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Taking a long breath, I rub at my forehead nervously. “She checked that room and said it was clear—”

  “Yeah, you told me when you were half drugged up yesterday,” he informs.

  “So, is she just a shitty cop, or did she set me up?” I ask myself rather than state to Felix.

  Felix’s shoulders rise as if he’s about to explode with rage, his thick brows slicing inward.

  “Let’s get you out of here, and I’ll look into it,” he mutters with so much force I can tell he’s ready to draw blood. Something warm surfaces knowing he’d go to lengths for me, but then again I don’t want to be the reason for another blood bath. Besides, I can handle my own shit.

  “Felix,” I shake my head with hesitation. “Don’t. I’m just paranoid. Obviously I’ve been hanging around you too much, scared everyone is out to get me.” I roll my eyes for effect.

  Felix stands, looking down at me with heated eyes. They pin me where I lay, making my body come back alive in a heartbeat.

  “That’s because I’ve learned from personal experience to trust very few people in my life. You get to throwing your loyalty around too easily and that is when you get stabbed in the back.”

  My eyes snap to his, his words making so much sense. Especially since I was just literally stabbed.

  Holding the crook of my arm, he pulls the IV out and presses his finger down where a trickle of blood tries to escape. A slight sting races up my arm from the IV being torn out.

  “What are you doing?” I ask with alarm.

  “Getting you out of here,” Felix informs as if it’s obvious.

  He throws the blanket off of me and I notice I’m wearing a hospital gown and it covers very little. My thighs are showing, and it dips down low to my breast. I try to pull on it, but it does no good.

  “Shouldn’t a nurse check me out, or I need to sign some papers?” I squirm.

  Felix flinches with my suggestion. Like I’m being ridiculous.

  “Fuck that. I’m taking you back to my club, to my bed, and nobody is stopping me from that,” he retorts.

  He slides his arms under my body and lifts me from the bed. I wrap an arm around his neck and pull him in close out of instinct. The feel of his warm, hard body against mine is all I need to know that I’m safe. His strong scent of leather and spice bringing me home.

  Felix steps outside my room, and I notice Machete and Gatz standing guard.

  “Get the truck, we’re leaving,” Felix orders, his voice rumbling through my body.

  “Um, sir.” A concerned nurse rounds the nurse’s station. Her hair a frizzy mess, and her Looney Tunes scrubs wrinkled. “You can’t just take her without a doctor’s consent!”

  Felix’s grip tightens around my body as he holds me close. He lowers his head, his eyes hooded and daring. Little hairs on the back of my neck stand seeing a darkness cross him. His body stiffens beneath me, and his heartbeat throbs in his temples.

  “You going to stop me?” Felix growls, challenging her. The nurse stops, her hands fumbling with the bottom hem of her top as she looks the other way. “I didn’t think so,” Felix clips.

  He stomps toward the entrance, and I can’t help but nuzzle the crook of his neck.

  There is nowhere else I would rather be.

  It both disturbs me and excites me.

  Felix

  When Machete parks the SUV, I scoop Alessandra up and slide out of the back seat. We don’t even make it to the front door before Jillian rushes out in complete panic.

  “Oh my God, Alessandra, I was so worried. Me and your mother wanted to come, but they wouldn’t let us…” I step passed her into the club, and she continues to follow us blubbering in tears. Her mother is trying to dance with Mac, who is standing on the couch with a broom to keep her back. I can’t help but smirk at the scene, until my eyes fall on Zeek standing by the bar with his arms crossed, eyeing me. That look of hardness, judging me as I hold onto Alessandra. I return the ‘fuck you’ stare, and make my way down the hall where I run into Machete.

  “Get the doctor to come check her out, make sure to get whatever fucking meds we need and shit,” I tell him.

  “On it,” he gives a curt nod.

  “Are you okay?” Jillian asks, stepping up behind us.

  “I’m fine, Jillian. I promise,” Alessandra tries to soothe Jillian over my shoulder, as I ain’t fucking stopping. Making it to my door, I kick it open and shut it. Locking it.

  “You couldn’t even stop and let me talk to her?” Alessandra snaps hatefully. I glare at her tone.

  “Nope.” Stopping means questioning. Questions from my boys wanting to know why I’m stuck to Alessandra like a love-struck boyfriend, an
d I ain’t ready to find the answer to that.

  Slowly I lay her on the bed and pull out of my cut and jeans. Grabbing my shirt, I tug it over my head and slide in beside her, tearing the cheap hospital gown off of her. Her cheeks turn a shade of red, but I don’t give a fuck about her humility. It took everything I had not to slide into that shitty hospital bed and feel her skin against mine. To feel her heartbeat and know she was going to be okay.

  Hovering over her, my hands slide along her bare arms, my lips and nose brushing against her silky skin. The smell of honey and coconut taking me to a paradise that is in the sun and not cold darkness that has become my life.

  Sliding my hands along her side, I stop at her wound and slowly lower my head. Gently kissing around it as if the remedy to her pain is held in my lips. Her fingers tangle into my hair in a caring matter as I continue to kiss her body.

  “Felix,” she whispers.

  “Yeah?” I glance up at her.

  “Us, this? What does it mean?” I’m so sick of that question, as I don’t fucking know and don’t want to think about it. It scares me because my biggest fear is I don’t deserve this, and it will be taken away from me.

  “That’s what I plan to figure out, and we ain’t leaving this bed until we do,” I tell her, sliding up beside her I pull her into me. Her ass fits into my body’s curve perfectly like she was made for me.

  Who knew someone so wrong for me, so opposite would break everything I ever knew. Demolish the code of Outlaw and rebrand the criminal that I am.

  Two Days Later

  Music from the bar is loud and thumping “Wrong Side of Heaven” by Five Finger Death Punch. It makes me wonder how Jillian gets those kids to sleep with all of the noise. But that isn’t what wakes me up. Alessandra crying does.

  “No, I don’t want to!” she wails, and I take a hand right to the mouth.

  “What the fuck?” I sit up and find her face clenched tight with fear, and she’s covered in sweat.

  “Black Bird,” I whisper loudly, trying to shake her awake. She begins to slap at me, screaming no, and I become frustrated.

  I take a fist to the jaw, a knee to the chest, and slap to the face in the process of trying to wake her from her nightmare.