HANDS OFF MY BRIDE

by Claire St. Rose

  Ariana nodded. She was especially aware of that now that her father was sick. “Well, I’m glad he’s doing well. Actually, that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about. My father seems a lot better today, and there are some circumstances that seem a bit questionable around that since we just moved him out of St. Pete yesterday.”

  “What do you mean?” Sal asked, a frown making deep creases in his forehead. He opened the door to the balcony and held it for Ariana to go first.

  Stepping out in the brisk wind, which wasn’t all that cold but blew much stronger up in the balcony, Ariana wasn’t sure where to start. Sal was the right person to talk to. He had friends and contacts at the hospital, but he was also very private and didn’t spread rumors. She could trust that he would listen and not repeat a word, and he might have some advice on how to go about filing her lawsuit.

  Crossing her arms against the force of the wind, Ariana told him everything—from Vince going thirteen rounds with Vince Beam to transporting her father and moving in with Vince. When she was done, she rounded back to her father’s condition. “I’m telling you, Sal, if I didn’t know any better, I’d call it a miraculous recovery. Two days ago, I would have thought I would be making funeral arrangements this week. Today, he was sitting up, eating oatmeal. This nurse told me straight up that his IVs hadn’t been cleaned in a week in her professional opinion. I had my suspicions, but she confirmed them. And the bed sores…” She trailed off, shuddering.

  She glanced at Sal, whose expression was distant and thoughtful. “So, you’re saying you started out with neglect, which is bad enough, and now, you may have evidence of abuse that could even be construed as attempted murder.”

  Ariana’s heart seized. She hadn’t even thought that far. “Why would someone purposely want to kill Dad? And if they did, why not just give him enough Dilaudid to take him in one dose?”

  “Because that would look more suspicious.” Sal rubbed his face. “When it builds up in the body over time, it just looks like his liver caused it not to process right, instead of the huge amount in his system showing on a tox screen.” He shook his head and stared at his feet. “Christ, Ariana, the allegations are big and bad, and they’re going to try to stomp all over you, but they’re valid accusations. Even without the excess meds, he was obviously neglected. He didn’t get fed properly, he wasn’t treated properly, and he wasn’t even cleaned.”

  She nodded, a knot forming in her throat. “The question is, how do I get this started, and how am I supposed to afford a lawyer who can take on an entire hospital?”

  Sal didn’t say anything, but his face contorted into a mask of rage. “The first thing we’re going to do is get the records that give the name of every individual who’s been tasked with caring for your father since the day you took him in.”

  Ariana raised her eyebrows. “We?”

  He nodded. “I’m behind you on this, and I have the contacts to get us the information we need to secure the attorney I know. Once he sees the evidence you already have, he’ll start measures to get the rest of the information, and he’ll have a suit so big you won’t have to pay a dime. Even if St. Pete’s were to settle out of court and this guy took a 15% fee, you’d be paying his entire salary for the year and then some.”

  It sounded much bigger than she’d first thought. Ariana hadn’t figured on a large sum of money. In fact, she mostly wanted the place cleaned up and enough money to finish school so she could move on in her career. However, if Sal was right and if there was any kind of attempted murder charge that could be leveled, there would also be specific individuals named in the lawsuit. Then, the hospital would be liable for an outrageous payment, simply for hiring anyone who would treat a patient so poorly or purposely cause them harm.

  The wheels in Ariana’s head were turning a million miles an hour, and she couldn’t even form words clearly. It took several long minutes to organize her thoughts to a point that she could ask Sal, “Who is this lawyer?”

  “He’s a guy I knew in high school, who’s an absolute genius. He’s already won two settlements like this, and his track record is untarnished. As soon as I give him even the smallest detail of what we’re looking at, he’ll hop on board.” Sal turned to face her. “How soon will those lab results come back?”

  “Kendra said tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay. I’ll get the records from the hospital unofficially. Donald, the lawyer, will have to request them officially once he’s on the case and files the lawsuit, but this will also give us something to compare—in case those records get doctored. I’ll call you in the morning, as soon as I have the paperwork in hand.”

  Ariana hugged him. “You are the best friend a girl could have, Sal. Thank you, for everything. You’ve always supported me, no matter what anyone has said or done, and that means a lot to me.”

  “Well, you’re a pretty damn good partner and friend yourself. Now, get out of here. Go spend the afternoon with your father and enjoy your new home.” He chuckled and pushed her away, turning her toward the door. Ariana waved over her shoulder, and she wondered what was going through his head right now since he didn’t follow her inside. She knew she’d just dropped a heavy load, and Sal had picked up some of the slack. It wasn’t fair, and Ariana hadn’t meant to get him that involved; but, that was just the sort of guy Sal was.

  Like Vince.

  She sighed and looked at her watch, as she got in her car and cranked the engine. It was still only midafternoon. Based on her estimations and when the storm was going to hit the mountain pass, she expected Vince to be home sometime around midnight or one—depending on if he had to stop at the clubhouse or his office first. The hours were going to crawl by.

  She made one more stop at the store, picking up some salmon to sear and all the ingredients for a very robust salad. She’d make a nice dinner to share with Kendra before the nurse headed home for the evening, and maybe it would help ease the anxiety Ariana felt at the thought of simply waiting around.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  “Family, my ass,” Pound muttered irritably, as he stood next to Vince outside the barn. It was hotter than the seventh level of hell this side of the mountains, and Vince wanted to climb on his bike and ride, mostly to cool off but also to get back to Ariana. The trip out had been flawless, and they’d gotten the bills and blanks into the barn without too much hassle.

  There had been a matter of blanketing the floor to keep it clean and covering it with more sheets to avoid sun damage from a few cracks in the roof. With the stack of cash he was leaving with the people who owned the barn, those cracks had better be fixed by week’s end.

  However, their mousy little Russian brother, Udov, had generously exaggerated by referring to the woman who owned the barn and her brother as family. When they’d arrived around three o’clock this morning, Udov had lifted the woman—Vince thought her name was Estelle—into his arms, carried her into another room, and had his way with her so loudly they could hear it out in the barn.

  Vince didn’t care, but at this point, he agreed with Pound and wanted to get the hell out of Spokane. However, Udov and his little bed buddy were in the midst of a very passionate, very public, and very disgusting make out session on the front patio of the house. In fact, Vince was on his third cigarette since the two had started the long, drawn out goodbye. He had half a mind to demand that Udov stay out here and protect their livelihood for a couple of weeks, just so the rest of them could take off; but, the truth was, the little man was one of the few from their club that the Kingsmen were willing to meet with. That meant Vince needed him.

  He’d send him packing to come back here as soon as the guns exchanged hands.

  “Hey, Udov! I’m gonna melt into a puddle of stagnant water that’s perfect for breeding flesh-eating mosquitoes! And when I do, I hope they attack your face and leave you without lips and a tongue!” Vince couldn’t help but laugh at Traunch’s graphic and impatient demand. He wished he’d thought of it himself and decided to sav
e it for a rainy day.

  He threw his leg over his bike and made it a command. “It’s time, Udov, and no one rides alone. Break it up, or I will, and I’ll use a bullet to do it!”

  Reluctantly and with a scathing look at all of his brothers, Udov walked heavily toward his bike. “The prodigal son returns,” Pound muttered.

  Vince rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Udov,” he assured. “I’m sending you back to stand guard in a few days. But if we don’t get out of here now, by the time we fill up down the road and get to the pass, we’re going to be knee-high in mudslides and flooding, and we’re going to catch our deaths in the freezing rain.”

  “I get it,” Udov growled in a squeaky voice. He was such a pussy on the outside, but he’d proved himself long ago as a prospect that he was one of the most ruthless of his bunch. He remembered what Ariana had said about seeing what’s inside, and he smirked as he revved his engine, thinking that perhaps she’d think his teddy bear insides would be more appropriately housed in a body like Udov’s. Of course, then she wouldn’t get anywhere near the pleasure out of their physical relationship.

  They pulled into a gas station on the west side of Spokane to fill up the shipping truck and the bikes, and Vince headed to the restroom, calling Ariana. “Hello, beautiful. Guess what?”

  She made a humming noise like she was thinking. “You met someone else and you’re leaving me here to be a sad and lonely old woman with my father?”

  “Never,” he said adamantly. “But I am on my way back to put a smile on your face and keep you young and vibrant as long as possible.”

  “That sounds enticing.”

  “Good, that was the point. Anyway, we’re just leaving Spokane, so I’m hoping to be by your side a little after midnight. I’m going to task a couple of my boys with getting the truck back where it belongs safely since they live in Olympia anyway. That way, I can cut out the extra hour.” He patted his pocket with the signed delivery papers, which he’d file tomorrow. Tonight, he had one goal, and that was to find warmth, comfort, and release in his bed with his woman.

  “Just be careful, Vince. They’re saying the storm’s going to be the worst one so far this year. If it starts to get dangerous, pull over and stay somewhere safe. I’d rather have you a few hours later than not have you at all.”

  The sentiment grabbed at his heart, and he smiled. “You have my word. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Now get off the phone and get on the road,” she giggled as she hung up. Shaking his head, Vince stuffed the phone deep in the inside pocket of his jacket and hurried out to join his brothers for the home stretch.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  “Thanks for dinner. You know, I’ve been on this nasty cleansing diet for a week now, and I haven’t felt any better,” Kendra told Ariana, as they cleared the dishes together. “In fact, I just feel empty instead of bloated; but, that was a good, healthy, solid meal that settled my hunger without making me feel heavy.”

  Ariana smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She eyed Kendra, as the nurse wrapped up the leftovers and stuck them in the fridge. It was interesting sharing the kitchen space with another woman. She never had—since her mother refused to cook. Plus, she’d never roomed with anyone while having a kitchen. She rather liked splitting the responsibility and wondered if it would be this homey when Vince came home. “Why are you on a diet anyway?”

  Kendra sighed loudly and stretched her arms over her head. “It’s not so much a need to lose weight—although I do want to drop about ten pounds. It’s just because it’s more comfortable for me. It’s more the health factor. I’m a nurse, and I lead a very unhealthy lifestyle. I used to smoke, and when I quit, I started eating horribly—junk food, mostly, and large portions that were more suited for men three times my size. I was starting to feel lethargic and unmotivated, and I couldn’t have that. So, this is the third cleanse I’ve tried. I’ll say this, it definitely cleaned me out, but it also left me without any energy at all.”

  Ariana nodded, drying her hands and leaning against the counter. “I get it. Well, if you want, I can help you with a diet plan that will get you back on the bandwagon. There’s no hunger strikes and no all-liquid days, and it’s not bland or boring.” Kendra raised an eyebrow at her, and Ariana smirked. “I sort of don’t tell people that—aside from getting my EMT—I’m also a licensed dietician. I figured it was something to fall back on if my father’s reputation ruined my chances at a medical career.”

  “You’re father’s a good man. I’ve heard a lot about him, and even though he was drinking, he was top notch. It’s not fair for people to remember a phenomenal person’s demise. That’s part of the reason I want to help you with this whole lawsuit. I hate more than half the staff at St. Pete’s, and I want to see them fry for their bad attitudes.”

  Ariana burst out laughing, just glad to have someone on her side. “Well, I’ll take all the help I can get. There should be a bigwig lawyer calling in the next couple of days, and my partner is getting some information we can use to start the process. If that blood test comes back shady, the hospital is toast.”

  “Good. Just don’t lose focus on the most important things.” It was Ariana’s turn to frown at Kendra, confused. “You’re father’s here, and he’s doing pretty well. All his vitals are up, and he’s eating again. He might even put on a few pounds. I’m no doctor, but I’d say he’s still got months left. Forgive me for gossiping, but your father wanted to talk this morning, and he told me about you and Mr. Larson. It’s new and special, and this is the time to enjoy the bright and flashy of it. So, take advantage of what you have, even if you have to go through a crazy court battle.”

  “I intend to,” Ariana said. Like Vince had said, she had her father, for now, and she wasn’t going to do anything to ruin that. She saw the nurse out, and she actually looked forward to seeing her the following morning, a foreign emotion considering she didn’t really get along with many women. She sort of hoped that Kendra would be her first girlfriend, and a part of her wondered if the fact that the nurse was a little older helped. Ariana tended to feel that women her own age were immature, and aside from that, she was beginning to think that Kendra resembled the sort of woman she wished her mother had been and the woman she wanted to grow to be.

  Too anxious for the hours to pass to continue her analysis on a deeper level, Ariana went to her father’s room, finding him half-awake and smiling at her. “Hey, Dad. What are you reading right now?”

  “Kendra was reading Lonesome Dove to me. I don’t know how she knew it was my favorite or—for that matter—how Vince knew to get it in here. She just went to the shelf and picked it randomly.” He pointed to the book. “I like her voice; but, I want to hear my daughter’s voice tonight. You care to read to me?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t pass up that invitation for ten million dollars and free passage to the moon,” she told him, her grin broad and her heart full. She took a seat in the chair by his bed, picked up the book, and found where they had left off.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  It wasn’t raining yet, but the wind was whipping hard, and Vince was tempted to pull over and button his jacket. It was zipped, but the extra flap at the neck was open, and he’d hold in a lot more body heat against the chill if he closed that access point. He could also slip on his gloves while he was at it.

  He waved to Pound, riding next to him, to let him know he’d pull off and get right back with them. Pound signaled back that he’d slow down and wait for Vince to catch up. Not even bothering to wait for an exit, Vince pulled over on the first wide open shoulder and turned on his hazards. This pass wasn’t made for anyone to stop on the side of the road, especially in the dark, and he had a limited amount of time to be relatively safe.

  He snapped the neck, pulled on his gloves, and turned on his signal to get back in the lane, the whole stop taking less than three minutes. However, traffic was heavy, and the lanes were narrow and wet from last night’s rain, so he couldn’t weave
in and out safely. It was funny; a year ago, he wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Now, he had a promise to keep, and he wouldn’t let Ariana down.

  He cursed, realizing it would take him a good fifteen miles to catch up to his brothers at this rate. He didn’t feel particularly conspicuous or concerned; he’d ridden alone so many times it wasn’t a problem for him. However, it had become a regular practice for no Claw to ride alone, especially with a war brewing. He just wanted to catch up to Pound, and then they would work together to catch up to the caravan.

  Someone honked, and he looked to his left, just as the rain started coming down, a slow patter that promised to become harsh and heavy in a very short time. Then, he heard a rumble of thunder overhead, as a lightning bolt hit and another bright light blasted in front of his eyes. His bike swerved, and he felt the blowout on his back tire. He needed to skid off to the side before he toppled in the middle of traffic, but he was already going down.