by K. J. Dahlen
“S-so it’s going to hurt her?”
Mason sighed as he grabbed more things out from his bag. “Jaxson, you’ve had bullets removed. You know it will.”
Jaxson swayed on his feet a bit then seemed to snap out of it. “Okay.” He climbed onto the bed and got behind her.
I moved over as my gaze caught with Thunder’s and I bit at my lip as tears brimmed my eyes.
Thunder looked upset as he nodded at me.
Mason tore her bloody tee shirt from her shoulder and told Jaxson, “Okay, turn her.”
Jaxson did as sweat beaded on his forehead.
I felt so bad for him. He loved Chloe for sure, if I ever doubted it before I sure as hell didn’t now.
He bit into his lip as Mason cut through her skin.
Flinching, Chloe moaned.
I clenched my hands together.
Thunder came around and pulled me up to move me away from the bloody mess that was Chloe.
“No, I need to be here.”
Letting out an uneasy breath, Thunder just stood behind me holding me.
Mason dug further with his scalpel then he got the hemostats. He dug in deeper.
“Stop!” Chloe sat up as she screamed.
Jaxson looked bewildered.
“Jaxson! Hold her!” Mason yelled.
Jaxson then pushed her down.
Crying, she whispered brokenly, “W-why Jaxxx? Why are you h-hurting me?” Tears rolled down her face.
“Shhh, baby. Please…” he whispered to her ear as held her down.
Tears rolled down my face as Thunder caressed my hair.
“No!” Chloe screamed then she went limp.
Jaxson had tears in his blue eyes.
“Fuck…” Thunder breathed the word out as he tightened his grasp on me.
“I-s she okay?” Jaxson asked the doc.
He nodded. “She just passed out and that is a blessing.” He raised the hemos up showing us the bullet. Then he dropped it on the table.
The sound of the bullet hitting the wood made me jump. It echoed like a boom in my head. This was all because of me. I was never going to forgive myself for this. A man dead and Chloe hurt.
“Now I have to stitch her wound up.” Mason got out a square white package and opened it up. It held a huge needle and some kind of plastic looking thread. “This too, will hurt. So this time, hold her tight.” He then punctured the skin around the bullet hole with the needle.
“AHHH!” Chloe’s eyes popped open though her eyes didn’t look normal as they had a lot of white in them.
I shuddered violently as I bit into my lip so hard it bled.
“Dammit!” Jaxson swore as he held her. “Chloe, I’m here babe… Shhh…”
She then seemed to settle down. “Jaaxxx?”
“Yes, baby. I’m here it’s okay.”
“No, we left that man to die. Noooo!” she cried.
Jaxson let out a breath and looked up at Thunder. His eyes were so full of sadness. He looked almost like a little boy, lost and miserable.
Thunder shook his head. “It will be okay, Jax. She will recover.”
He held her tightly. “Will she?’ He shook his head. “She has endured so much because off me and my club.”
“She wouldn’t have it any other way, Jax,” I spoke softly.
He glanced up at me.
God, it hit me hard how this man looked. The usual good natured but tough President of the Black Devils… he looked like misery sitting there. He’d lost color in his face while his eyes were bloodshot and full of pain.
I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself.
“Blood will arrive in ten minutes,” Bruno announced from next to us.
“Good, good,” Mason replied distractedly as he finished the stitches. He then applied some cream and bandaged the wound.
We all stood quietly as he filled a needle.
“What is that?” Jaxson asked.
“It’s just an antibiotic, man.” Mason lowered it and injected it into her vein. “She will be in pain when she wakes up. I have these.” He raised a bottle and set it on the nightstand next to the bloody bullet.
All I could do was stare at that bullet—one that was meant for me.
A knock sounded on the door.
I jumped at the sound and Thunder patted my arms. “It’s okay, Bella.”
Bruno went and stood next to the door, instead of in front of it. “Who is it?”
“Marco!” a voice called.
He opened it.
I could see Miggs and Reaper standing in the hall, looking worried and tense. Reaper had a bandage on his arm. Miggs had bloody jeans.
Bruno stared at the pair his hard glint obvious to everyone. “You two stand guard here. One at a time. Miggs, you wait in the main room for the doc to look at your leg. Then get some sleep as you got second watch. Reaper, you have first watch. Have Demon and Cutter bring up some food and coffee for all of us.”
The men nodded.
Bruno shut the door.
Marco handed the doc a little foam bucket, like a small cooler you would keep drinks in.
Opening it, Mason checked the bag inside. He held it up to the light. Then he got out more needles and tubes. He set up an IV.
Jaxson sat on the bed smoothing Chloe’s hair, not paying any attention to what went on in the room. The world existed with only Chloe in it.
Bruno watched then he swung his gaze to Thunder.
I blinked. Did I see emotions in his eyes? Worry, pain? In Bruno’s eyes?
He sighed and then his expression went all business his eyes like flint again. “You four will be staying in this room from now on.”
I looked up at Thunder.
He nodded to Bruno.
“The room has been swept and as you know, only we three ever had the keys to this wing anyway. It’s clean.”
I felt confused as I looked around. It looked very clean and elegant even. “Swept? Why would it be dirty?”
Bruno gave a slight laugh. “No taps, no cameras, Bella.”
“Oh…”
“So, you all eat when the food gets here. Then get some sleep.” He nudged Marco and went to the door.
Mason finished up and set Chloe’s IV next to the bed. “I will be back to fill it with the saline mix.” He packed up his bag and left with Bruno.
Thunder ignored them all. He just kept staring at Jaxson, concern on his face.
Jaxson only looked at Chloe.
I let out a sigh. It was going to be a long night.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jaxson
I held her all night.
Thunder tried to get me to at least take my boots off. I refused to move. He then took them off for me. What the fuck did I care? My whole world was right here next to me. I would be right here when she woke up.
Mason had come a few hours ago and took her off the IV. He said very little except that her vitals were good.
Fucking Christ! My Chloe shot by a sniper! It tore me up. I couldn’t keep her safe. It had been all my idea to go outside in the first damn place.
All I heard in my head for an hour now, was Chloe saying she had earned her patch. Earned her right to know what was happening in the club. She had killed for the club, killed for me.
Now she had taken a bullet.
How the fuck had this all gotten so out of control?
I thought I would just die when the doc was pulling that bullet out of her. I was helpless to do anything. I couldn’t take her pain away nor her terror. When she asked why I was hurting her…I felt like I took a blow to my solar plexus. Yes, that was it too. Why had I hurt her? Allowed her to get hurt?
All I cared about was her right now. I could give a fuck about anything else—No, that wasn’t true. I did think of who shot her and finding his sniper ass, then slitting his fucking throat. Maybe that would be too merciful. I wanted this man in the dungeons down in the basement. I would torture the fuck out of him. Hear his screams as he begged for his
life. That was the only thing that would save my sanity.
As the sun rose, I was still in the same position. My arms wrapped around my girl.
She then began to tremble like she was cold. It grew to full out teeth rattling shivers.
I moved for the first time all night as I tugged at the blanket to cover her up. Dammit, we were laying on it and I couldn’t move it.
Something laid over us and I looked up.
It was Bella, concern on her face as she laid a blanket over Chloe.
Our eyes met.
She looked wide awake with dark rings under her eyes, her hair a mess. “It was my fault, Jax. All mine.” Her lips trembled as she stared down at Chloe.
My chest hurt. Maybe so. But the blame lay solely on me for not protecting her. Hell, it had been Reaper who covered her body with his own. A brother had protected her with his life when it should’ve been me.
Chloe was shaking hard as she moved in my arms. She then shot up out of my embrace and screamed.
I gasped.
Bella put her shaking hands up over her mouth.
“Baby. No, it’s okay,” I tried to soothe her.
Chloe’s eyes were wide open as she stared all around. She looked like a wraith. Like her skin was almost translucent. “Oh, Gooooodd…”
I tried to enfold her into my arms.
She fought me. “N-nooo! Jaxxxsooon?”
“I m here. I’m here.”
Her chest was heaving as she fought for breath. “No they shot him. They shot him in the head!” She then fought me hard. “Let me go! He needs me! Where’s my gun? Nooo! Jax! Noooo!”
Thunder was now next to Bella. “What the fuck, man?”
I struggled with her. “Chloe, I’m right here!”
“They killed him!” she screamed.
“Chloe!” Bella shouted.
Chloe stilled. Then she called out, “Bell? Where are you? Did they hurt you? Bell?” She was gasping.
“Oh God, man. What do I do?” I asked no one in particular.
“Bella?” Chloe called.
Bella climbed up on the bed and grabbed her hands. “I’m right here, Chloe. Jaxson is too and Thunder.”
Chloe blinked her eyes and looked all around. “W-what is happening?”
“Shhh, babe. Shhh, everyone is safe. We’re all here,” I soothed as I stroke her hair.
She then seemed to focus on my voice. “Y-you didn’t get shot?”
“No, babe. We are all okay.”
She then gulped for air. “I-I need…”
“What baby? Anything, just tell me,” I said.
“I have to go to-to go— to the bathroom?”
I let out a breath and nodded my head.
“Jaxson, let me go with her,” Bella offered. “Chloe, I’m here. I will help you.”
I got up and went around the bed to grab her up and carry her to the bathroom.
Bella was right behind me.
Thunder was there at the door and opened it for us.
I carried her in.
“I got her,” Bella stated firmly.
I shook my head and unsnapped her jeans. Under the light in the bathroom, I could see the blood smears on her pants. “How could we not have changed her clothes?” I asked in a low tone.
“I’ll get her some,” Thunder offered as he left the bathroom.
“All right, set her down on the seat, Jax then leave.” Bella grabbed my arm.
I shook my head. “I can’t leave her!”
“Jax, please? She wouldn’t want you to—”
“God dammit Jax… leave!” Chloe swore breathlessly.
I shook myself and let out a heavy breath as I stood up. “Call me to carry her back.”
“Here’s a large shirt,” Thunder said as he laid it on the counter then grabbed my arm. “Come on, Jax.” He moved me out.
The door closed in my face as I just stood there and stared at it.
“Jax, come on.” Thunder patted my arm.
I shook my head.
“I’ll get us some coffee?” he said.
I didn’t answer. My world was behind that door. I could’ve lost her last night. I didn’t want her out of my sight.
He sighed and patted my shoulder. “I will get breakfast and she could need like juice or something? Orange juice, yeah.” He turned away.
I refused to move.
After many minutes had gone by, a knock sounded on the bathroom door.
I opened in and strode in.
Bella had her shoulder under Chloe’s arm and held her steady.
Chloe looked pain stricken, though it looked like Bella had cleaned her up and even brushed her hair out.
“I got you sweetness.” I took her from Bella and hefted her up into my arms.
She was crying now into my neck.” I w-woke up and I th-thought y-you were dead,” she sobbed into my neck.
I felt like hell. Here she was shot up and all she thought about was me. I carried her to the bed. “Everyone is good. You are the one who was shot, baby.” I gently laid her down.
Bella was there as she propped pillows behind her, then covered her up.
Chloe groaned. “God dammit, it hurts.”
“Yes, it will. For a while.” Thunder held a glass out with a straw in it.
“Here, here,” Bella said as she grabbed the pill bottle. She shook two out into her hand and held them up to Chloe.
Chloe shook her head.
“Take them Chloe. You will feel less pain,” Thunder urged.
I swung my gaze up. Thunder was anti-drug all the way. Always had been. He said once it was from his childhood. I never knew what he meant. I looked over at Chloe. “Yes, baby, come on I can’t stand to see you hurting.”
She gulped heavily as her hands shook and she took the pills.
Bella put the straw to her lips. “You need to drink a lot of this. You’re dehydrated.”
Chloe, for once did as we said without a word. She swallowed some juice and looked around with round eyes. “Where the hell are we?”
Bella smiled. “I know, right?”
Chloe blinked her eyes like she didn’t believe what she was looking at. “Looks like the fucking Ritz Carlton or some shit?”
We all laughed a little.
“I mean really. I am in a mechanic’s bay, grease and smoke. Then I wake up at the fucking Ritz?”
Thunder chuckled as Bella smiled.
“Babe. It’s the VIP wing,” I told her.
She blinked several times. “T-the Club has a VIP wing? Since when?”
I shrugged. “Always.”
She swung her bewildered gaze to me. “I-is it…”
I shook my head. She was wondering if it was bugged.
“Swept clean,” Bella interjected.
Chloe swung her confused gaze up. “What? It looks almost too clean.”
Bella laughed. “That’s what I said!”
Thunder laughed with her.
“Big ass Bruno said that and he meant no taps or cameras.” Bella smiled.
Chloe shook her head and laid into the pillows. “Fucking Bruno. Making us sleep in those bunk rooms. When we could’ve…” Her eyes closed and she was out again.
I smoothed her hair and let out a heavy breath.
“She’s gonna be okay now, Jax.” Thunder nodded at me. “By tonight, she will be driving you crazy again.”
Bella giggled from next to him.
I nodded. “Good. I cannot wait.”
They laughed some more and went over to the kitchenette.
I kept smoothing her hair and traced my finger down her cheek. My mood wasn’t that good. She had been hurt and traumatized. I needed to speak to Bruno as soon as I could.
We needed to fucking kill someone… and right fucking now.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dino
Chloe slept through the morning, Jaxson finally slept too, though he never let go of her.
Bella and I just spent a couple of hours napping. I now lay awa
ke. That could’ve been Bella lying there bleeding. I could only imagine what hell Jaxson had felt when Mason took that bullet out of her. I never wanted to imagine it. I hugged Bella close to me.
I needed to stay here and protect her, but I also needed to go and take this freak out of existence. Until he was dead, I could never relax again.
So, how to assassinate a Mob Kingpin and get away with it? My mind worked several angles. I could put the club at risk if I ever got caught. I knew this too, but I just wanted him dead so badly.
A soft knock came on the door.
I gently unfurled myself from Bella, taking a second to brush her red hair strands from her cheek. God, she was so beautiful. It struck me all over again. That same feeling I had the first time I laid eyes on her, I knew it somehow back on that day while I was leaving Dagger’s MC compound…This girl was for me.
The knock repeated.
I rose up, grabbed my 9mm from the nightstand, then padded quietly to the door. I swung it open, my gun barrel on whoever stood there.
Bruno grinned and put his hands up. “That glad to see me?”
I shook my head as I lowered it.
He peered in through the door. “We need a talk,” he whispered.
I turned to look over at the bed. “Just me, as Jax won’t leave her yet.”
Bruno nodded. “Room next door.” He waved his huge arm. “Miggs is right here, loaded for the kill.”
I looked out at the huge wall of a biker. Yes, he was strapped with two magnums on shoulder holsters and he held a fucking Uzi. My eyes widened a bit. The man was pissed about getting shot I imagine and Chloe hurt on his watch. I could almost pity the fucker who tried to get into this room without an invite…almost. I nodded at Bruno. Then turned and grabbed my boots. I shut the door quietly behind me.
We stepped to the next door. I suppose I could be okay with this if Bella was in the next room. I entered behind Bruno and noted the door connected between the rooms. Yeah, I could get to her fast.
I walked over and sat in the chair.
Marco sat in the other, his laptop on the table.
I nodded at him.
“Thunder.” He nodded back.
I put my boots on then looked up.
“Ready?” Marco raised a brow.
I looked over at a stone faced Bruno.
He shook his head and did not look pleased. “Someone is fucking with us.”
