by Brook Wilder
He couldn’t be taken away from me, not now.
**
Two hours later, I paced the floor, finding it hard to stand still for more than a minute or so. Legion members lounged about the room, waiting to hear what we hoped would be good news. A bunch of men were back there getting put back together in various parts of the hospital. Some were in surgery, Gary among them.
Fox and Emilio conversed quietly in the corner, likely talking about the next steps now that the leader of the Rebels was dead. There would be things to consider, decisions to make and it would be up to the Cazadores and the Legion to decide if they would wipe out what was left of the Rebel threat, or lay out terms for their surrender that would allow everyone to move forward.
Of course, none of that really mattered to me. I wanted to see Gary. I needed to see him. Watching him being wheeled away on that stretcher was the hardest thing I’d ever experienced, and now I understood what he’d gone through when I’d been shot.
The terror in my body was indescribable.
Someone tugged on my arm, pulling me to a stop. I looked up to find Alice in my path, a cup of water in her hand.
“Here,” she said softly, pushing it in my direction. “You need to drink this.”
“I don’t want to,” I said, tired of people acting like everything would be okay. It wasn’t okay. Gary was hurt and I couldn’t fix him.
It was killing me inside.
She pursed her lips, forcing me to take the cup in my hand. “Well you’re going to and you’re going to sit down before you make yourself sick. It’s not good for the baby.”
I chuckled at the absurdity of her statement, knowing she was just trying to help. “Alright, I’ll sit for a minute.” I gave her some side eye. “For the baby.”
“Good girl,” Alice stated, leading me over to the cluster of chairs she and Nat had claimed. “He’s going to be just fine, Becky.”
“Gary’s a tough guy,” Nat added as I sat on the edge of a chair, holding the water in my hands, but not drinking it. “Just think. You’ll have matching scars now.”
I gave them both a half-hearted smile. “Well I hope that’s all he has.” I was constantly thinking the worst, like maybe they’d have to cut off his arm to save his life. Or maybe his heart would stop before they could get him filled back up with blood again, and they’d break all his ribs reviving him. My mind was whirling with what could happen in that operating room to my love. Of course, the worst thing I’d pushed to the far reaches of my mind was that he was long dead, and they were trying to figure out how to tell me.
That I couldn’t take. If he died and I never got the chance to tell him how I felt, I would never forgive myself. I should have told him I loved him the moment he’d rescued me from Marco and Misty, but I hadn’t, too afraid once the words were out, I wouldn’t be able to deal with the consequences.
But now, I wanted to shout them from the rooftop. Gary was the man I’d been waiting for all my life without me even knowing it, and I wanted to spend the rest forever with him. I wanted to have this baby with him, marry him, do all of those things I thought I wouldn’t care about in my life. My father had taught me I didn’t need those things, that I could live a life like him, taking it day by day and not caring if no one would be there to hold my hand at the end.
I didn’t want that. I wanted to have someone to love. Someone who would love me back. I wanted someone to share everything I had with.
Most of all, I wanted to be happy. I had two great women on my side and an entire room full of people who seemingly cared enough about me and Gary to be here this morning, even though I’m sure they’d all rather be passed out in their beds.
I had a family.
The door opened and I nearly upended dropped my water as I stood. The doctor walked in, his eyes scanning the room. “Who is the next of kin to Gary Holmes?”
I stepped forward, feeling the nerves build inside me. I’d refrained from calling his parents, not wanting them to freak out. He’d told me they worried constantly about him, and his loyalty to the Legion. Probably the last thing he would want them to know was that he’d taken a bullet for them.
“I’m his girlfriend.”
The doctor walked over and stuck out his hand, shaking mine firmly. “I’m Dr. Stone. We just finished Gary’s surgery. I was able to repair his shoulder and save his arm. He’s lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be fine with some rest.”
“Thank God,” someone murmured behind me.
My knees weakened, but I kept myself upright somehow, looking for any indication the doctor was sugarcoating the situation. “When can I see him?”
“Right now, if you would like,” he said, motioning for me to follow him.
I did so immediately, exiting the waiting room and moving through a few sets of double doors marked for staff only. “He’s still groggy from the anesthesia,” Dr. Stone explained as we walked down the hall. “But he’s oriented, so that’s good. We’ll keep him a few days until we can get his blood levels back up to normal.”
I listened to his words, feeling anxious about seeing Gary in this sort of state. He was the strong one, not me. How had he gotten through this agony of not knowing what was going to happen to me when I’d been the one with an uncertain fate? I couldn’t deal with this more than once. As soon as he was well, we were going to retire to the country where the only thing we had to worry about was what time to feed the animals. I would do anything to protect him, anything not to have to do this again.
“He’s in here,” the doctor was saying, moving aside so I could step into the small room. The sun was just beginning to rise high into the sky, shining brightly into the room and illuminating the still form in the bed. Gary was hooked up to all kinds of tubes and machines, the low beep of his heart tracing on the monitor over and over again.
Taking in a deep breath, I made my way to the bed.
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Dr. Stone said before shutting the door behind him.
I didn’t respond, sliding into the chair beside the bed, my hands trembling as I reached out and touched his.
Gary’s eyes snapped open and he turned my way, blinking a few times before giving me a small smile. “Hey there.”
“Hey,” I replied, my eyes straying to the heavy bandage covering his shoulder and part of his chest. “How do you feel?”
“Like a truck ran over me,” he groaned. “How do I look?”
I took in the man I’d fallen in love with, from the scar on his face to the bandage that covered his wound, and burst into tears, unable to stop the flood.
“Hey, hey,” Gary said, reaching with his good hand to grasp mine. “I don’t look that bad, do I?”
“I’m sorry,” I stammered through a laugh of relief, wiping my eyes with my free hand. “I… I just thought...”
“I was dead?” he finished with a chuckle. “Darling, it’d take more than one bullet to kill me.”
I pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, grateful he was in good spirits. Everything would be okay. “I love you.”
His smile grew as he looked at me. “Took you long enough, Beck.”
“I know,” I sniffed, clutching his hand.
His thumb ran over the ring on my thumb and I gave him a watery smile. “You want to get married?”
“Hell yes,” he answered, laughing. “But it’s the other way around you know. I’m supposed to ask, not you.”
“Who cares?” I answered, wishing I could crawl in the bed with him right now. “As long as we do it.”
“And we will,” he said in a low voice. “I love you, Becky White. I love that baby in your belly. I love the thought of being your husband and can’t wait for that day to come.”
Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I wondered whether they were because of his words or the hormones. “Me neither.”
Gary sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. “Hey, just think about the matching bullet holes we have now.”
“Are you serious?” I groa
ned.
He winked at me. “We can compare them later if you’d like.”
I eyed him, as my body calmed down. “Much, much later. I’m afraid you’re out of service.”
He grinned. “But you aren’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gary
A week later, I sat in the chair, Becky in my lap as we waited for the two presidents to address the small group. I’d been out of the hospital for four days, my shoulder barely hurt now thanks to some fucking awesome pain killers.
Of course, my brothers had riled me about the bullet hole, telling me next time to duck instead.
But while they gave me a hard time about it, I could see the gleam of respect in their eyes. They no longer looked at me like some kid who tagged along. I was a part of the Legion now in every sense, a true enforcer.
“Well I wish they would hurry the fuck up,” Derrek was saying, drumming his hands along the table. “I got shit to do.”
“Like cut the grass?” Alice asked, rubbing her rounded stomach. “Or build that shelving unit I’ve been after you to do for the last week?”
“Careful, woman. I’m a dangerous man,” Derrek growled, pulling her against him, his arm looped around her waist. “Do you really have to bring this shit up in front of the guys?” he added in her ear.
A bunch of us smirked at Derrek.
“Maybe you could help Fox out while you’re at it,” Nat said. “He’s got a shit load of painting to do at the house just as soon as we leave here.”
I groaned. “When did this turn into a man bashing session?”
Nat stuck her tongue out at me. “When all ya’ll do is this club thing, that’s when. The world does go on you know.”
“I have no complaints,” Becky announced, slinging her arm around my neck.
I nuzzled the tender skin at her collar bone, and she sighed happily, causing the room to collectively groan at the same time.
“You just wait, Kid,” Derrek said. “She’ll be on your ass in no time. The honeymoon doesn’t last.”
I winked in his direction. “Well then, I’d better enjoy it then.” I kissed her on the lips, right in front of all of them.
Derrek opened his mouth, but then the door opened, and we all fell silent as Fox and Emilio walked in together. The playful mood snuffed from the room as we took in the serious looks on their faces. I knew they’d spent a good part of the week I was in the hospital determining what they would do with the Rebel gang. They’d summoned us to this impromptu meeting to figure out where to go from here. Would they combine with the Legion, or would they go with the Cazadores? So far, no one from the Cazadores had stepped up to take ownership of the club and their members were scattered far and wide after the bloodbath at their ranch.
But it would only be a matter of time before someone would try to rise to power. The money, the authority, was too much for one to ignore for long, which was why we needed to nip this in the bud or we would have another war on our hands.
And I had no interest in getting shot again.
Both men sat in the empty chairs, Fox leaning forward to address us. “We’ve decided on the Rebel gang’s fate. They will be allowed to bring a leader of our choosing to the table. Otherwise, they’ll disband or face the consequences.”
“We’ll also allow them refuge in either club if they so choose,” Emilio added, his posture relaxed as he reclined in the chair. “But we will not tolerate any uprisings or attempts to tear the clubs apart. Any of that shit will be dealt with swiftly, without mercy.”
Derrek, a grim look on his face, asked, “Who is going to be the leader? Have you picked someone?”
Emilio arched a brow. “Do you want it?”
Derrek chuckled. “Hell no. I’m content with my position thank you very much.”
“Good answer,” Alice said, pressing a kiss to his temple.
Derrek turned to her and touched her stomach. “I aim to please.”
“Good God,” Emilio muttered, wiping a hand over his face. “Get a room, will you? What am I surrounded by? Lovesick fools?”
“Pretty much,” I answered, drawing a laugh from the group. Becky’s hold tightened on my neck and I gave her a squeeze, knowing I was a lovesick fool for her. Now I understood what my parents had between them, how they couldn’t stand to be apart. Becky and I’d had many discussions over the last week, since that was all we could do, and she’d come to a decision regarding the Gallery. It was time to turn it over to someone else, like Jan or another one of the girls who had been there from the beginning. I’d stayed out of the decision, not wanting to influence her one way or another. The Gallery was her legacy, and if she still wanted to be a part of it, then she would. I wasn’t going to stand in her way.
Though she’d ultimately decided to turn over the reins, her plan was to remain primary stakeholder, which would still give her the authority to make business decisions regarding its future. It was a damn smart move, one I supported wholeheartedly.
“Back to business,” Fox said, drawing everyone back to the task at hand. “We have another matter to discuss.”
Emilio leaned forward, a blank expression on his face. “I’m pulling out of Greenwood and taking whomever wants to go with me from my club. It’s time for me to move on, to establish roots with my cousin in California.”
Surprised, I looked around the room, seeing the same sentiments in other faces. Emilio had mentioned he’d planned on leaving, but I hadn’t expected him and the Cazadores to do it so soon.
“As previously discussed,” Fox added, looking at the president, “any Diablo who wishes to stay behind will be welcomed into the Legion. We’ve fought side by side, lost many good men, and we both feel the two clubs can co-exist.”
“Of course,” Derrek answered. “But what’s stopping them from infiltrating our ranks and starting an uprising?” He looked over at Emilio. “No offense, but I have to ask.”
Emilio waved a hand at him. “None taken. We’ve also discussed this, and it will be handled just like any other revolt. I’ve given my full approval in my absence for Fox to make the call.”
“Well then,” Derrek said, the tension in his posture giving way to relief. “This calls for a drink! For the men at least, excluding the Kid over there.”
I shot him the middle finger, knowing I wouldn’t take it if he offered. Not with all these pain killers on board. “Fuck you, McMurray.”
“Back at ya,” he laughed, patting Alice’s side before pushing out of the chair. “I’ll get the whiskey.”
“And pizza, babe,” Alice called after him.
Nat perked up, sliding into Fox’s lap. “Pizza sounds great.”
“You’re right about that,” Becky echoed, laying her head on my good shoulder. “I’m starving.”
The room laughed as the men just shook their heads, wondering what they were going to do with their pregnant women for the next few months.
“Didn’t you eat before we left?” I asked, tightening my hold on her.
“I did,” she answered with a sigh. “But I’m hungry again. God, I am going to be as big as a house at this rate!”
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I would love you anyway, even if you can’t fit through the front door.”
She laughed. “Same here, pal.”
I looked around the table at the people who were like family to me, to us. I couldn’t believe just a few short months ago I didn’t know if I would ever fit into the Legion. But now, I belonged.
There was only one person missing. Jared. I’d called him earlier, listening to him bitch and moan about being stuck in the bed, his wife threatening divorce if he dared move an inch. I’d told him to listen to her, glad to hear he was starting to feel like himself again. It seemed we would all carry scars from this past few months, but we would move forward, press on to what lay ahead.
And I knew what my future held. There would be a diamond ring on Becky’s finger as soon as I could get one, and she would have my last nam
e before the month was out. We’d already discussed buying a house from my parents together. While I would remain with the Legion for now, there would come a time, likely after this baby was born, that I would scale back my duties and try to stay out of the way of gunfire at least. Becky had told me not to think about it now, but it was all I thought about. I wanted to be there to watch my kids grow up. I wanted to grow old with her, in our rockers on the front porch, and not have any regrets.
Most of all, I wanted more in life than the Legion had to offer.
Looking about the table, I knew nothing would be the same again. We all had kids on the way, save Emilio, and he was about to set out for himself, to find his own future. We were all going our own way, with our clubs the one tie that kept us all together.
