Burn: Outlaw Romance (Hotter Than Hell Book 3)

by Holly S. Roberts

  Helen walks over to the nurses’ station, talks to them for a moment, and points at me before leaving with a small wave in my direction. Vamp, Rufus, and I take over some chairs in the waiting room and kick back. An hour later, Vamp heads off to get us something to eat from a vending machine. There’s a watercooler against the wall and we’ve stayed hydrated with the little cone cups. I walk over and check in with the nurses’ station.

  “I’ll go check, Mr. Acosta. It will only take a minute. Wait right here.”

  I watch her leave and for the first time since Sofia went missing, a smile tips my lips. Mr. Acosta. Karma at its finest. The nurse returns a few minutes later.

  “They removed the bullet first. They’re working on facial reconstruction now. It’s taking longer than expected because of bone grafts. She’s in serious but stable condition. Surgery should wrap up in the next hour or so. She’ll be in recovery for a few hours after that. As soon as she has a room, we’ll get you into see her.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief and walk away. Vamp comes back into the waiting room with chips and candy bars. “Take these and I’ll go back for liquid gold.”

  I relay what the nurse told me.

  “We’ll find him, Dagger. Don’t waste time thinking about that scum. He’s a dead man.”

  I nod and he leaves to buy coffee. Everything points to Oho. Until we know for sure, though, I won’t endanger the club by sending them after him. I also want the pleasure myself. Sofia holds the answers. She holds my heart too and I need her to come back to me. The thoughts of Savannah drag me under and I’m having trouble separating the two. If Sofia dies, I’ll spend the rest of my life in prison for what I do to the man who did this to her. My life will no longer matter.

  Sofia pulls through surgery. The doctor looks exhausted.

  “She’s in serious condition. She’s stabilized, but the biggest worry we have right now is the baby.”

  Baby?

  The doctor gives me a level look. “I’m not surprised you didn’t know. She’s most likely only a few weeks along. It’s standard to do a pregnancy test on women before we go into surgery. Her body is fighting to keep the baby. We discussed whether it was more dangerous to continue the pregnancy or let her body decide. I’m sorry. The possibility is very real that she’ll miscarry. These next forty-eight hours are critical if there’s any hope that she keeps the child.”

  I cover my eyes. Fuck, a baby. I look back at the doctor. “Her life comes first.”

  “Yes, it does, and if she shows signs that the baby is endangering her life, we’ll do what must be done.”

  I nod. I can’t say anything more, I’m emotionally wrung out. I keep thinking about my promise to keep her safe and never allow anyone to lay a hand on her. My fucking promise meant nothing. I told Savannah I’d take care of her too.

  They give Sofia a room a few hours later. It’s monitored by a central glass nurses’ station built in the form of an octagon with doors leading to four separate patient rooms. Sofia will be in here until she and the baby are out of the woods. There’s a single uncomfortable chair in the room, which I take over. She has so many wires and tubes that it’s hard to find a place to touch her. I settle on her cold fingers. Bandages cover her head and face, including one eye. They told me the pain meds will keep her unconscious until sometime tomorrow. I don’t even question what damage they could do to the baby. Sofia is all I care about. Sometime in the early morning hours I fall asleep with my head resting on the bed beside her hip. The nurses check her IV lines and vital signs every hour. They assure me in soft voices that she’s holding her own.

  A nurses’ aide brings me breakfast at seven and I send a text to Skull. He texts back that he’s out in the waiting room with Red. I scarf down the food, kiss Sofia’s fingers, and head out to speak with him.

  Red throws her arms around me when I walk in. I hold her tightly while she cries. Charlie is here too and she switches places with Red when Red gets herself under control.

  “Thank you for coming too, Charlie,” I whisper.

  “That girl’s family. We take care of family.”

  I sit and talk to them for about five minutes. They have two hotel rooms close to the hospital. I’m staying here. I don’t mention the baby. It’s between me and Sofia. If she loses the child, I’ll leave it to her to explain if she wants to. As horrible as it sounds, I can live with it if it means Sofia survives.

  I sleep off and on throughout the day. A low groan wakes me in the late afternoon. The nurse walks in. They have her vitals on a screen in the nurses’ station and I can see by the screen in the room that her pulse is racing.

  “It’s the pain,” the nurse tells me as she adds medication to one of the IVs. “It’s actually a good sign and we’ll taper off the meds as she starts responding. You can talk to her too. She needs to know you’re here.”

  The nurse checks her over and leaves the room. I sit back down and hold Sofia’s fingers again. “Hey, princess. Your family is here. Well, some of them stayed back at the club.” Fuck, I feel like an idiot. “I’m here. I’m not leaving you.” It’s all I can take and my tears spill over. I lean my head against her hand and cry. I want to tell her about the baby, but I’m too afraid she’ll lose it. “I love you,” I whisper instead. “I never told you about Savannah. I promise I will as soon as you’re back with me. She would have loved you too. She’s watching over you now. She knows I can’t lose another woman I love.” I allow the tears to flow for both women. I never cried over Savannah or my son. My anger at the world held the tears away. They deserved my tears. Sofia deserves my tears.

  It’s late that night before Sofia shows more signs of life. Her moan is longer this time and I begin talking to her right away. “You’re in the hospital, princess. I’m here with you, and Red and Charlie are out in the waiting room.” I think they left hours ago, actually, but I want Sofia to know her family loves her enough to be here with her. Her fingers move just a bit and I give them a squeeze. “The nurse will give you more pain medicine so you’ll sleep. You need to get better so we can take a ride with the club. We’ll go to the river and tube down.” A different nurse enters and smiles at me. I smile back while she administers more medication.

  Sofia’s fingers move against mine. “That’s it, princess. Relax, sleep, and get well. I’m not going anywhere.”

  The next day is much of the same. She still has the baby. The doctor told me it’s a very positive sign. I also know more about her injuries. Her jaw is wired shut and her shattered eye socket has been rebuilt. She has several broken ribs and they removed her spleen. The bullet was the least of the damage. She’ll have a scar on her shoulder. The plastic surgeon came in and told me her face will heal and there will be minimal scarring. Like I care. I just want her back.

  I’ve told her a hundred times over the last two days that I love her. I can only hope she hears me.

  Sofia

  THE PAIN PROVES I’M alive. Dagger’s voice keeps me that way. He tells me I’m in the hospital. He tells me he loves me. I can’t open my eyes and I can’t feel my body. It scares me. I focus on my feet and move them a few inches.

  “Relax, princess.” He’s holding my hand. “You have bandages on your face and covering one eye. Your other is still swollen shut. I’ve got you. The doctors and nurses are wonderful and they’ve taken good care of you.”

  I focus some more and squeeze his fingers.

  I hear another voice, a woman. “We can give you more pain medicine if you need it. Let’s try one finger for yes and two for no.”

  Dagger releases my hand and I concentrate. Two for no. My brain finally connects to two fingers and I move them.

  “I think she needs the medicine,” Dagger says.

  “We’ll give her a little time and then give the injection. She understands what we’re asking and that’s the main thing. Let her judge her pain.”

  Dagger’s rough skin wraps around my hand again. “That nurse is as stubborn as you are. I’ll give it fi
fteen minutes and then I’m lying for you.”

  I can’t make my brain work good enough to laugh. He tells me about my injuries explaining why I can’t see or move my jaw. I appreciate it and hope I remember what he tells me. Most of all, I love the sound of his voice. The pain gets worse and when he asks me to tell him if I need meds, I lift my middle finger.

  His rumble of laughter warms my heart. I drift back to sleep when the nurse leaves the room. Dagger holds my hand as my mind goes blank again.

  I have no idea how much time has passed. They move me to a private room. I fight the pain meds and try to make it as long as I can. Dagger is wonderful about everything but that. I can’t communicate with more than my fingers, but I can finally see out of my good eye. Dagger does a lot of pacing when he thinks I need meds.

  Red and Charlie visit. They don’t stay long. They tell me the clubhouse is safe and the brothers are coming to the hospital in shifts to check on me themselves. I appreciate all they tell me. I’m exhausted when they leave. Dagger comes back in. His chin scruff is a short, mangy beard now. He needs to shave. With his hair, he looks like a mental asylum reject.

  I let them knock me out with pain meds because of him. He drives me crazy with his pacing.

  The next day, the plastic surgeon removes my facial bandages. He has me speak, which is extremely difficult with my jaw wired. They’ll remove the wires in about three weeks. It will be two weeks after that before I can use my jaw to eat. Today is the first time I’ve actually missed food, so it sucks and I’m crabby.

  “We want you up and walking around,” the doctor tells me. “A nurse will come in and remove the catheter.”

  Thank God. I’m tired of the nurses checking between my legs.

  “We’ll keep the IV in for at least another day,” the doctor says. “The most important thing is that you don’t fall and cause further damage to your face. If you have dizziness, sit down. Your husband can help support you today. Try a few steps on your own tomorrow.”

  “What about the pain meds?” Dagger asks the doctor.

  I growl.

  “As needed. You do need them.” He gives me a pointed look. “Your body needs a chance to heal and will heal faster with minimal stress. Pain medication removes the stress. A police detective has called every day to interview you about what happened. I’ve put him off but no longer have a reason to.”

  I nod and let the doctor know I’m okay with it.

  Dagger walks out with the doctor when the examination is over. I can see them talking in the hall. I can’t hear, though, and it pisses me off. Dagger comes back in and sits on the side of the bed.

  “What did the doctor say?” I mumble sloppily.

  Dagger leans over and kisses my forehead. “That I need to talk to you about the baby.” I stare into Dagger’s eyes trying to piece together what he just said. “I didn’t tell you before because there was a good chance you would lose the baby and I didn’t want you worrying about it.”

  My hand moves to my stomach as realization dawns. Dagger’s hand covers mine.

  “You aren’t far along, a few weeks only. They gave you a pregnancy test before surgery and a second one yesterday. This little tyke likes where he’s at and the doctor says everything should progress normally.” Tears run down my face and Dagger wipes them away. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t care about the baby. I was more worried about you. Doesn’t mean I won’t love him or her but you come first. Fuck, Sofia, I love you.”

  He leans in against me so my head is on his shoulder while I cry. A baby has never been part of my plans, and I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. I take a quarterly shot so I don’t get pregnant. I guess I was past due for the shot and it’s not like we ever used protection. Stupid, I know. Dagger releases me when my tears run their course. He takes the chair by the bed and rests his hand on my stomach.

  “I need to explain about my wife, Savannah, and also about our son.”

  Hell, Dagger has a son. I knew he was married before, but I knew nothing about a child. I place my hand on his and squeeze his fingers.

  “Savannah’s parents were wealthy and they hated me. She didn’t care…”

  Dagger tells me everything. His son who died, Savannah, and also killing the man who took their lives. I can’t help my tears. They say pregnant women cry. I’m learning it’s true.

  “I was a young man then, little more than a boy. I wish I could say I shouldn’t have killed that man but I can’t. He took everything from me. I missed her funeral service, though. My son was buried with her and I missed it. That I do regret. I never said goodbye.”

  Tears run down his face and I ache for his pain.

  “I need to know who hurt you. I won’t act irrationally. They will pay for it, though.”

  “Two bikers,” I manage to say. “No one I know.” I give him the best description I can.

  “I know who they are. We’ll take care of it so you and everyone else in the club is safe.”

  “No prison,” I mumble.

  He leans over and pulls me in close. “No prison, princess. I’ll be around for this baby.” His phone rings. He releases me and checks it. “Need to take this call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Dagger leaves me alone with my thoughts. My hand moves back to my stomach.

  Dagger’s baby.

  Dax

  GOMEZ WAS CALLING. I didn’t make it out of Sofia’s room and into the hallway in time to take it. I decide to walk to the parking area before calling back. I haven’t heard from Moon or Gomez since leaving their home. We have unfinished business and I’m hoping for an update.

  It’s a little after two in the afternoon and sweltering heat rises off the black asphalt. There’s a bench under a tree and I head in that direction. I don’t bother sitting. I’ve done enough of that over the past few days.

  The doctor said they’re discharging Sofia in the next few days if she keeps improving. I haven’t dwelled on what this will cost. It’s the least of my worries right now. I stand in the shade and call Gomez.

  He answers immediately. “We have her and a little extra baggage. Can you talk?”

  “Yes.”

  “Our guys picked Pauline up in Casa Grande. One of her dealers up north pointed them in the right direction after a small amount of persuasion. They found her in a trailer with two men. Strange thing is they thought my guys were there in retaliation. Apparently they messed with the wrong Latina lady.”

  I’m surprised my clenched hand doesn’t break the phone. “You have them?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m at the hospital. My old lady won’t be leaving for a day or two. If you hold them, there’s nothing you can’t ask of me.”

  “I don’t think you were listening before. I owe you. I don’t take that lightly. These guys are going nowhere. Do you want us to go ahead and take care of Pauline?”

  “No. Keep her wherever you’re holding them. She needs to understand what happens if she decides to return.”

  “What hospital are you in?” he asks.

  “Phoenix General. Sofia’s fucked up and lucky to be alive. So is our baby.”

  Gomez is silent for a moment. “They won’t enjoy the time they have left. Take care of your woman and the baby.”

  “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” Something occurs to me. “I gave the cops the name of the guy I think is responsible. I don’t want it falling back on you.”

  “Thanks for the heads up. Won’t be a problem.”

  The call ends. It’s hard to believe it’s this fucking easy. I burn to take a ride to wherever they have Oho and Candy. It pains me that they’re still breathing air.

  I make it one day without added blood on my hands. Sofia is improving quickly and the next day they tell us she’ll go home tomorrow. I don’t say anything to Sofia about Oho or Candy. I won’t tell her until we’re home and I’m sure we can’t be overheard.

  She gives the police detective nothing. He isn’t happy, but looking at her it�
��s easy to believe she remembers nothing. Even though it’s a lie. She has refused to look in the mirror since the first time she went to the bathroom. I practically held her up while she examined the damage.

  “Good thing I’m not a vain person,” she mumbled with her wired jaw.

  Any other woman would scream the place down. Sofia is like no other woman I’ve ever known and that includes Savannah. It felt good to tell her about my wife and baby. She needed to know.

  I leave the hospital after she falls asleep with the aid of some pain killers she grumbles about taking. I know part of the reason she’s reluctant to take pain meds is her mother’s addiction. Sofia is so stubborn I doubt she’s at risk. I admire her for holding out as long as she does.

  I call Gomez and he gives me directions to the downtown warehouse where he’ll meet me. It takes about twenty minutes to get there. Gomez and Rack are waiting. Rack hands me the handgun I requested. I enter the building, walk to the back, and walk into the room where I first met Gomez. Fond memories, or maybe I should say painful ones.

  Oho and Candy are on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs. Pauline is tied to a chair a few feet away. She looks worse than she did the last time I saw her. I’m surprised her skin doesn’t split open. I doubt she weighs eighty pounds.

  I walk in front of Oho holding the gun at my hip. He knows what’s coming.

  “You fucking dick,” he says while Candy cries. “Fuck you and fuck the woman we killed. I hope she meant something to you. Fucking brown bitch should never have been alive to leave the clubhouse. The guys will turn on you. Every fucking one of them. They won’t hold with no spic.”

  I kick him in the stomach and he goes down. I nod at Rack and he pulls Oho back to his knees. Pauline is crying too but even she isn’t as big a pussy as Candy.

  “Shouldn’t pick on women or children, asshole,” I say before lifting the gun and putting a bullet between Candy’s eyes. I didn’t come here to play games. I turn the barrel of the gun to Oho. “My old lady is alive and so is my child. Two of you pussies couldn’t kill her. We’ll never think of you again and neither will a single member of the Crows. I’ll see in you hell one day, though, and you better run and hide.” I pull the trigger.