“You still with us, Jinx?” he questions as he takes her pulse. “Her pulse is weak,” he says a minute later.
“Of course, it is! She has a fuckin’ knife in her gut!” I yell at him.
“Calm down, brother,” Sniper warns. “An ambulance is on the way.”
I grip one of the shelves and pull myself up to stand.
“She’ll be okay,” Sniper tries to assure me.
He doesn’t fucking know that!
First she was kidnapped and raped, and now stabbed and fighting for her life.
“Take a beat,” Braxxon orders when he enters the room.
Fuck them all.
∞∞∞
Chapter Thirteen
Jinx
There’s something to say about a good IV cocktail. I can’t feel my shattered ankle, my stitched-up arm, nor my stab wound. I don’t remember anything after Pyro found me in the Shadow’s office closet. After the ambulance rushed me to the hospital, I guess I went into surgery right away.
They first repaired the stab wound, and then they concentrated on fixing up my foot. I was kept in a drug-induced coma for a few days because the doctor was afraid any kind of excitement would cause me to reopen my stomach wound.
Fentanyl along with antibiotics and fluids drip non-stop in my IV. I’ve been warned I might have a little bit of withdrawing when I leave the hospital. I assure my surgeon I could survive a withdraw, I’ve been through the ringer and back, I’d be okay.
I have around the clock Breakneck guards.
While the women take turns visiting with me, two Breakneck brothers stand outside the room at the door.
They’re determined to protect me from any further danger.
I figured I’d be pissed my life was put in danger again, but strangely I’m not. I almost feel empowered. I survived, and I didn’t have a single panic attack during the whole ordeal.
“What are you thinking about?”
I gaze over at Piper and smile. “How I didn’t panic.”
Piper closes the magazine and puts it on my bedside tray and takes one of my hands. “Hell no, you didn’t.”
I laugh but then frown. “Shouldn’t I feel awful for taking a human life?”
Her face grows serious. “No, and when you have conflicting thoughts, remember what we went through in that basement. He was one of those men, do you understand me?”
I squeeze her hand. “Yeah, okay.”
I swallow. “How’s Pyro?” I ask because he only came to see me once when I was in a coma I was told.
I thought we were closer than that, my heart hurts knowing he only came to make sure I survived the surgery.
She looks to my hospital room door to make sure it’s shut before she answers my question. “When he’s not out hunting down cartel members, he’s dealing with Lana,” she whispers the first part of her sentence.
None of what she said relieves the ache I have in my heart.
“I miss him,” I tell her, and it’s true. We had grown close over the last month and to not have him here, even as my friend, hurts more than I care to admit.
“You have grown close with him,” she says.
“I thought I did,” I murmur and look into her eyes. “Not so sure now.”
She sighs. “He doesn’t care about too many women, J, and with Lana being back, and you getting hurt again, I’m not at all surprised he’s not here right now.”
I wish I could understand her reasoning for his absence, but I can’t. We agreed to be only friends, friends are there for one another, and he isn’t here for me.
His friend.
“You should know, Braxxon gave me an out,” I tell her.
I wasn’t going to tell anyone until I figured out what I was going to do, but I want off the subject of Pyro before I upset myself.
“What do you mean?”
She knows what it means, she wants to hear the words come out of my mouth to make it real.
“Can you sit me up first?”
Piper stands, adjusts my bed to sit up, and rearranges my pillow behind my head.
“After I’m released from the hospital, Braxxon said I have to go back to the compound to finish healing, and afterward he’ll pay to have me rehoused somewhere far away from Breakneck. A new life.”
Piper shrinks back to her chair. “You’re leaving?” she whispers, emotions clogging her throat.
“I am.”
She puts her face into her hands with a hiccup.
“I’m better now,” I tell her. “Not a hundred percent, but something happened to me in the closet, Piper.”
She drops her hands and tilts her head back up. “What?” she chokes. “You’re one of my best friends, J. You’ve gotta give me something.”
“I took a man’s life because I knew what could possibly happen if he were to get a hold of me. I didn’t give him a chance, I took his life without a thought. It gave me peace. It set me free.”
“Pyro isn’t going to be happy about you leaving.”
And… back to Pyro.
“If he gave a shit, he’d be here. I thought he cared, I honestly did. I won’t hear excuses about how he’s dealing with Lana and handling club business. An hour a day would have made a difference.”
I’m not some needy girlfriend angry with her boyfriend for not visiting. I was someone he trusted with his emotions, and he was somebody I trusted enough to touch me after what I went through.
To me?
That’s huge, and he’s shitting on it.
“It isn’t only Pyro. Sniper loves you like a sister, J. He’s going to be so upset.”
“I’ll miss you guys too, but I got to do what’s best for me, and what’s best for me is a fresh start.”
She stands up, her fists at her sides. “You don’t plan on keeping in touch, do you?”
“I’m sorry,” I say because I am.
We’re interrupted by a knock on the door before Shadow enters the room, he takes one look at the both of us and hesitates to say what he came in here to say, but after a moment he gives us some happy news. “ZZ and Storm’s baby was born.”
“I didn’t even know the girl was in labor,” Piper shrieks.
Me either.
“Go,” I tell her, we have nothing left to talk about, and this baby is Storm’s miracle, she needs Piper right now.
“We’re not done discussing this,” she says with a point of her finger before hightailing it out of my hospital room.
Shadow lingers behind. “Discussing what?”
Even though Shadow has only visited on his watch, he was present and kind to me during his scheduled shifts at my door. “My leaving.”
Shadow stuffs his hands in his pockets, utterly uncomfortable with the direction our conversation is headed.
I smile because I’ll miss how he avoids female emotions at all cost.
“After I’m released from the hospital I have to finish healing at the compound, and Braxxon is going to pay for me to start over fresh somewhere.”
Shadow shuffles his feet, and I smile even bigger. “You don’t have to say anything Shadow. I’m good.”
“I’m a little pissed.”
I shrink back. “Why?”
“You survived all of this fuckin’ shit only to run.”
“I’m not running, Shadow. I’m moving on.”
His feet stop shuffling, and he untucks his hands from his pockets. “Are you sure about that?”
How dare he!
“You were taped to a freaking chair while I was climbing through the ceiling,” I screech. “It’s why I’m in the hospital, I was trying to help you, you of all people should respect me!”
He puts his hands in the air. “Stop, you’re workin’ yourself up.”
I’m working myself up?
He’s the one working me up.
“Jinx, I’m grateful you tried to help, I am, but you have somethin’ with Pyro. I see it, hell everyone sees it. He’s the only one who doesn’t, he’s blinded by Lana right
now, and when his blinders are off, he’s gonna come runnin’, and you won’t be there.”
My mouth drops open in shock.
“Close your mouth. He’s my brother, I want all my brothers to be happy, and you are what can make him happy, you already have since you guys became friends.”
I shake off the surprise of his statement. “You care about their happiness, but not your own?” I raise a brow with my question.
“Tea has some growin’ up to do, our shit is more complicated,” Shadow says with a shrug.
“More complicated than a dead girlfriend coming back to life?” I smart off.
Shadow has nothing to say to my response, I’ve made him speechless, so I look away at the blank television. “I’m getting tired.”
I don’t hear his footsteps as he leaves the room, the door clicks shut, that’s how I know I’m alone.
∞∞∞
Chapter Fourteen
Pyro
“You gonna go meet ZZ’s new baby?” Fox questions me when I’m standing near Jinx’s hospital room door.
“Later,” I tell him as I lean my head against the frame, watching as she sleeps.
“You know blowback with the cartel is comin’.”
“I know.”
They’re probably on their way, we’ve killed a dozen of their men, we’d be able to strategize better if we knew which cartel we were at war with, but all the men we’ve killed stay silent, and they aren’t marked with any brand logos that we can find.
“Is she gonna be okay? She took a life.”
“Yeah, Shortcake’s strong.”
“There’s definitely a ton more goin’ on here than our old chapter.”
I snort. “No, shit. Never a dull moment.”
I pull my head off the frame, give the beauty one more look, and turn. “You got her?”
“Yeah, VP. I got her.”
I shoot off a text to ZZ telling him I’m on the way over to the maternity ward. If I don’t make an appearance to meet his new baby, I’ll never hear the end of it.
I run my hand through my hair, pissed I’m getting stares from everyone.
I fucking hate hospitals.
If it isn’t nurses checking me out, its people judging the fuck out of us. If they only knew the kind of trouble we try to keep from their doorsteps.
Sure, we deal in drugs and guns, but we don’t ever sell to kids, and we don’t fucking let others come into town to do it either.
When I get to the newborn gallery, ZZ, Storm, Tea, Braxxon, Winter, Sniper, and Piper are standing at the window.
“Which one’s yours?” I ask.
ZZ points to a tiny mixed baby.
“I have a little sister,” Tea says with awe. “She’s so cute.” Tea turns to Storm. “How does it feel to be a mom?”
Storm puts a hand on the viewing window. “Like my life puzzle is finally complete.”
I’m not an emotional guy, but fuck does it make my heart skip a beat when she replies to Tea’s question.
“How’s the birth mother, was she good when she signed the papers?” Winter questions ZZ and Storm.
“We were a little worried,” Storm says with a sigh. “It was unwarranted though.”
“Why?” I ask.
“She was more than good to sign the papers, hunting down the nineteen-year-old who got her pregnant was a little bit of a task,” Storm replies with a frown. “I almost thought it wasn’t going to happen.”
As if ZZ would let the kid get away with it, he’d do anything for Storm, including smashing some kids face in if he fucked up Storm’s chances of being a mom.
“Did you decide on a name?”
“Miracle, we’ve named her miracle.” Storm hiccups.
“I want one,” Piper whines to Sniper, and his body stiffens. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Sniper’s stayed firm with his decision, he’s told us all he doesn’t want a child until shit clears up, says he doesn’t want another heart to protect while we handle our business.
Can’t say I blame the guy, we have a woman in a hospital bed recovering from being stabbed.
“Cute kid.”
“Thanks, Pyro.” Storm says without taking her eyes off her daughter.
“Sniper, we’ve got watch.”
Sniper says goodbye to Piper and follows me out of the building, silent, and a silent Sniper is never a good thing.
“You’re on your bike?” he questions when I dig out my keys.
“I am. The leg is always gonna bother me.”
“Alright, I’ll meet you over there.”
I palm my keys and watch him walk away. Sniper has always been the outgoing brother, always smiling, never worrying about anything, this whole kid thing is bothering the shit out of him.
Everything was so much fucking easier when we didn’t have women or babies to look out for.
*
“Pyro, that’s enough, brother.”
I ignore Sniper and cut off another one of this fuckers’ fingers, and yes, he’s still alive.
For the moment.
“Pyro!”
“Shut the fuck up, Sniper!”
Snip.
There goes the ring finger, I wiggle it in the cartel goffers face and drop it to the ground and crunch it with my boot.
He won’t stop screaming, and I’m developing a headache, so I knock him out cold with a right hook.
“What is wrong with you!”
If I had an answer to his question, I would answer him, but I don’t fucking know what’s wrong with me. All I know is whenever I get a hold of one of these assholes, I see red. I have all these damn emotions circulating around, and I have no clue what to do with them. Torturing these cartel runners seems to be the only way to quiet the storm inside of me for brief periods.
“Pyro, you’re outta control.”
I pull the rubber gloves off, toss them on the lap of the asshole who is down to four fingers, and nod for Sniper to pick up the gas can. “You should want them all dead, too. This is the same cartel who violated Piper.”
“I do want them all dead, but fuck man, we’re wastin’ time with torturing, they don’t fuckin’ talk.”
“Fuckin’ light him up already.”
I move back when Sniper covers the guy in gasoline, steps back, lights a match and tosses it onto the runner.
It takes a millisecond for him to wake, screaming as the fire burns through his flesh. I should experience remorse for how many lives I’ve taken in my lifetime, but I don’t. I don’t kill unless it needs to be done, and this shit needs to be done.
I’m not racist nor do I discriminate, but if you come across the border, start your dealings somewhere that isn’t ran by a crew already. I’m all for equal opportunity when it doesn’t fuck with my life. Forge your own fuckin’ path, don’t try fucking with someone else’s shit, and don’t hurt innocents.
Greed.
It’s everyone’s downfall.
“Somethin’s wrong with you,” Sniper says as I watch the guy burn.
He wants to go there? Fine. I’ll fucking go there.
“Our president helped someone I love fake her fucking death. I almost killed myself drinking, and my leg is fucked up for life.” I tick off. I’m not going to add Jinx to the mix, my feelings for her make this an even bigger shit show because I don’t understand the nature of them.
“You’re a mess.”
If he only knew all of it.
“I’m not excusin’ what our Prez did. It’s fucked up.” Sniper agrees as we walk through the desert back to our bikes. “What’re you gonna do about, Lana?”
I straddle m’lady. “I don’t know. What would you do?”
“I have no fuckin’ clue, brother. If Piper faked her death to get away from me,” he says while climbs onto his bike, “and came back to life when I was movin’ on, I’d be a fuckin’ mess, too.”
Sums it up.
“Honestly, I’m shocked you haven’t beat the shit out of my brother.”
>
I am too.
I’m more hurt than angry.
He was my best friend and what he did is unforgivable.
“Me too,” I say.
I don’t care to share my fucking feelings.
Don’t be afraid to feel, Stefan.
Fucking ironic since she’s the one who gasped those words when she was shot and decided to fake her death.
Now look at me, feeling way too much shit.
“Let’s ride. I need a shower.”
“No shit, I can smell myself.” Sniper sniffs. “Fuckin’ heat.”
∞∞∞
Chapter Fifteen
Pyro
It’s day eight of Jinx being in the hospital, and she finally comes home today. The only reason the doctor is releasing her is because we have Ripley, a registered nurse here to take over her care.
I went to the hospital a few times. Once when she was out of surgery and every night when she was asleep. I told the guys not to tell her I was stopping by. I don’t understand the turmoil going on in my head right now, and the last thing Jinx needs are my mixed signals. I’m supposed to be her friend, but she’s more than a friend to me, she’s become my family.
A piece of her is stuck inside of me and isn’t going anywhere; and with Lana being back and my heart still beating quick when she’s near, I’m lost on what to do.
I’ve just come back from burying another cartel member in the desert when Lana stops me at the door of my bedroom.
“Can we talk?”
I gesture to my bloody clothes. “Do you not see I’ve been busy,” I growl.
I really need her to walk away right now.
“Stefan,” she whispers with that fucking voice I loved so much; I snap, all irrational thought obliterated with the sound of my name coming out of her mouth.
I mash my lips to hers and push her into my room, kicking the door shut. Her lips are not as soft as I remember. I pull away, studying her eyes, not the baby blue’s I’ve come to admire. Still, I find my hands ripping her dress from her body while my heart beats rapidly in my chest. “This is what you want,” I growl. “Fine.”
I toss her dress to the floor. “Take off your underwear,” I order as I remove my bloodied clothes. Another reminder of who I was seeking revenge for, but I still can’t find it in me to stop what is about to happen.
Reconstruct Me (Breakneck Book 5) Page 11
