by K E Osborn
I let out a small laugh, then cringe from the pain in my ribs. My eyes meet his, and he nods once, then stands.
“Thanks, Zero… for saving me.”
He waves it off. “All in a day’s work. You rest, get better.”
I nod as he leaves.
It was nice to have a one-on-one with the president, but I must admit, it hasn’t helped the worry flowing through me. Not only about Neon but my father as well. He’s been kept out of the loop for so long, I have no idea what, if anything, he’s been told about this situation I’ve found myself in.
Glancing to the table next to me, I see a phone. Grabbing the bed remote, I change to a sitting position then reach over, picking up the phone to dial my father’s number.
He picks up on the fourth ring. “Hello?”
“Daddy?” I almost whimper becoming emotional.
“Jesus, Nic! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”
Sniffling, I glance around seeing no one is within earshot. “I went into protection because the Heathens were after me.”
He groans. “Fuck! I knew they were no fucking good. Where are you? Let me come get you. I’ll take care of everythin—”
“Daddy, it’s taken care of. But Dad, I might be relocating from Dallas to Houston.”
There’s silence down the line, but then he explodes. “What the fuck, Nic. Tell me what’s going on!”
“I met someone. Someone I care a great deal about.”
Dad exhales. “What about racing?”
“I’ll come back next year. This season is a write-off.”
“But your sponsors, Nic.”
I exhale out a sigh. “There’s more to life than racing, Dad. I see that now.”
“I’m going to need to meet this boy. He must be a keeper for you to give up this season when you were doing so well. Racing’s your life, Nic.”
I laugh. “He’s a man, Daddy. And when he’s fighting fit, I’ll bring him down to meet you.”
“Fighting fit?”
“It’s a long story, I don’t want to get into details right now.”
“Nic?”
“Yeah, Dad?”
“I love you, baby girl.”
“Me, too, Dad. Me, too.”
We chat for a little while longer, and I end the call feeling lighter with that weight now lifted. Turns out, all my worry about my father was for nothing. He was the safest of us all.
Fort Worth Defiance protected him after all.
How could I have been so stupid?
Well, I know how to rectify that mistake. By moving to Houston to show Neon just how in this relationship I am with him.
I want to give us a go because together makes so much more sense than apart.
We’ll work through this Anna bullshit together, just like we got through this Rage crap together. Because we’re a team, and I work best when I’m part of a team.
And Neon and I are going to make the best damn team ever.
Now, I just need to convince him of it.
No more running.
No more hiding.
NEON
It feels like a thousand-ton weight rests on my chest. Even with the difficulty of breathing, air flows around me. I can’t quite place this half-awake, half-asleep state I am in.
My mind shifts dramatically.
Thoughts of Rage jumping out of a van.
Heathens grabbing at Oakley and dragging her inside.
The loud blast of a bullet fires in my mind.
I gasp, my hand clutching my chest as my eyes widen, and I shoot upright in the bed.
My entire body bursts into flames, my chest screaming at me as a set of hands instantly push me back down to the mattress. “Neon, stop. You’re okay!”
I grab at whatever the fuck is on my face making it hard to focus, and yank it off, throwing it to the side as more of my brothers move to my bedside to hold me down. “Oakley!” I scream, but it’s more like a murmur as it comes out hoarse and breathy, making me instantly cough. Pain sears through my chest as I crash back down to the bed in agony. “Fuck, ahh!”
“Neon, calm the fuck down!” Zero warns, standing over me. “Can we get Chills in here, like yesterday?”
I pant, rushed and hard, trying to stop the aggressive pain roaring through me as I glance down at my chest. Two giant bandages cover my flesh, and I grimace at the thought. “What… the fuck… happened? Where’s… Oakley?” I mumble through staggered breaths.
Zero sits on the edge of my bed. Instantly my adrenaline spikes. That’s not what someone does when there’s good news. I shake my head and close my eyes.
Zero reaches out, placing his hand on my shoulder. “We have her…” My muscles relax slightly as I let out a long exhale. “But… she’s hurt.”
“H-How bad?” I hesitate in asking.
Zero sighs, cracking his neck from side to side. “She’s got a bed in the hospital a few rooms over from yours. A couple of cracked ribs, broken arm, fractured eye socket, and a hell of a lot of scars to contend with in the fut—”
“Motherfucker!” I sit up, not giving two shits about the agony tearing my insides apart, as I throw off the blanket covering me and slide my legs over the edge.
Zero stands holding his hand out, trying to placate me. “Don’t be a dickhead!”
I shove him, grabbing my IV, and yank the fucker out of my arm with force. My feet drop to the cold floor, and I take a step trying to stand, but my legs give way, and Zero catches me. Wraith steps to my side, helping lift me back onto the bed.
“I need… to see her… Zero!” I grunt as they lay me back down on the bed, even though, right now, I can hardly fucking breathe, and the main bandage on my chest starts to turn red with blood.
“You’ve gone and opened up your fucking sutures, you damn idiot,” Wraith grumbles, pressing the call button on the remote. “Where the fuck is Chills?”
“Right here. What in the ever-loving fuck? Neon! I’m glad you’re awake and all, but you need to stay still. You’ve just had major surgery.”
My eyes widen as I stop all movement, my eyes focusing on her. “Surgery?”
“Do you want the detailed version or the cut-to-the-chase version?”
“Cliff… Notes, Doc.”
Chills steps in beside my bed, grabbing the drip. Flips some things on the machine by the bed and starts playing with the needle, I guess to check if it’s okay. Then she opens the drawer next to the bed and starts replacing the pieces. “Give me your damn arm.” I glower at her, but she doesn’t even budge, grabbing a needle and staring right back at me. “I swear to God, Neon, if you make this hard for me, I’m gonna stab this needle in as painfully as I can.
Wraith snickers.
I huff. “The bullets did damage, didn’t they?”
Her kind eyes meet mine. “Unfortunately, yes. But… it could have been a heck of a lot worse. I removed a section of your lung. It’s why you’re having difficulty breathing. You’re going to need intensive physical therapy when we go back to the clubhouse to get you back on track.”
“And the other bullet?”
“Simple, nothing much to worry about. I can print out a full report for you to read over, seeing as you’re going to be in here for a couple of weeks.”
Groaning, I curl up my lip. “Oakley… I need to see… her.”
She chuckles. “You two are made out of the same mold. She’s desperate to see you, too. But you’re both on bed rest.”
“Then I’ll sit… on a sofa… in her room… Chills. I just… need to know… she is okay. Please!”
Zero stands, tilting his head. “Chills, a word?”
She bobs her head but first finishes inserting the IV back into my arm, then attaches the pulse and oxygen clip to my finger. She smiles down at me. “Leave it in this time, yeah?” She pulls off her gloves, throwing them in the trash as she leaves, following Zero out the door.
Staring at the damn ceiling, Wraith’s chuckling to himself. “Jesus Chris
t, brother. You scared us all for a minute there.”
I turn my head to face him. “Have you… seen her?”
His cheeky demeanor falls, and he nods once. “Yeah, man.”
“Is it bad?”
Wraith rubs the back of his neck, seeming uncomfortable about answering the question. “You’re not gonna be happy, but she is okay. Her spirits are high considering what happened.”
My stomach falls as I think about how long the Heathens had her for. About all the fucked-up things they could have and probably did do to her. My mind goes places I don’t dare want it to go.
I hesitate, but I need to know. “Wraith?”
“Yeah?”
“Did they… I mean… I know they hurt her. But did they… get physical with her… sexually?” The word feels like venom on my tongue, and Wraith steps over to my side, gripping my arm for comfort. His eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head, sending a rush of relief through me instantly.
“No… from what she tells us, Rage was just about to when we showed up.”
I clench my eyes shut tight—nothing but hatred and guttural vengeance flowing through my veins. I’ve never wanted to hurt a man so badly in my life. Knowing he was going to violate what’s mine, kills me—vengeance will be mine.
“I need… to see… her, Wraith.”
“I know, brother. I know.”
Suddenly, the sound of wheels being dragged alerts me to the door, and I turn my head to see Zero, Ax, and Frost all dragging a bed. I lift my head a little as they wheel the bed in beside me. My heart rapidly fires when I see it’s Oakley, but then disintegrates into a million pieces when I notice how she looks. Her eyes meet mine, and her bottom lip quivers as Zero slides the two beds close together.
I reach my hand out for Oakley, and she takes it, our fingers threading together instinctively.
“You’re okay?” she almost whispers like she can’t believe what she’s seeing.
Anger scorches my darkened soul as I take in the black and blue face before me. The swollen and cut lip. The cuts and welts covering her arms, not to mention the cast on her left one. Fuck knows what’s on the rest of her body that’s currently covered by the blankets. I want to strip her and study every inch of her beautiful body. See the harm that menace caused her. I want to take all her pain away, but I see in her eyes, she’s looking at me the exact same way.
Gritting my teeth, I try to keep my anger in check.
Not at her.
At the damn situation.
“I’m so… fucking sorry… I couldn’t stop… him, Oakley.”
Her glistening eyes blink a few times, then overflow. “Stop. You were outnumbered. There was nothing you could have done. I’m just glad you’re a-alive,” she sobs on the last word.
“Let’s give them a moment. C’mon guys,” Zero offers.
I turn to look at my best friend and give him a curt nod. “Thanks.”
He dips his chin in acknowledgment. “I know if this were me and Cherry, I’d fight like fuck to see her, too. You weren’t gonna quit. It’s just lucky we have connections in the hospital. We’ll be back. So don’t go doing anything fucking stupid like getting out of your bed again.”
Oakley snaps her head to me, her eyes darting down to the red and bloody bandage. “Did you?”
I smirk in answer.
“I’m coming back to look at that after you’ve had a moment, Neon. I’m giving you fifteen minutes. Not one minute more, then I’m coming to look at your wound,” Chills instructs me.
“Appreciate that.”
Everyone walks out of our room, leaving us alone in the wake of Hurricane Heathens.
My fingers tighten on Oakley’s as I stare at her. Even with all the damage that’s been done to her, she’s still the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. “We’re good… right?”
Her face lights up, and even with her split lip, I see her contagious smile. “We’re great. I’m sorry… about everything. It all seems so meaningless now.”
I shift closer, not that it’s much use because I wince with the pain in my chest. “The fights… the drama over Anna. I was so… fucking wrong… to think… it was you… who betrayed me. I was so… fucked—”
“Stop! Save your breath. I overreacted too. We were both at fault. If I didn’t take off like a brat, none of this would have happened.”
Grimacing, I cling to her hand tighter. “I couldn’t move… when he shot me. I tried… to reach for you… but my body… wouldn’t work.”
“We’re together now. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
“Good to know ‘cause I’m not letting you go. Not for a single second.” She smiles again, propping herself up, then leans over, planting a gentle kiss on my lips.
Adrenaline surges through me. That icy spark that always shoots right through me, smashes into my chest, making it harder to breathe. My pulse monitor starts beeping a little faster, so she draws back, grabbing my oxygen mask, and puts it over my face.
A slow grin forms on my face as I relax back on the bed.
Knowing Oakley is here beside me is an instant relaxant. I feel so much calmer with her here, knowing she’s by my side.
While we’re together with my brothers outside, nothing will happen to her, and it’s all the comfort I need right now.
Chills opens the door again. “Your heart monitor was registering high. Everything okay?”
“Everything’s… just fine.”
The last two weeks have been rough, but considering I could have died, I guess I can consider myself lucky. Only having a small portion of lung removed is a blessing, I suppose. It could have been much, much worse. The thing that really makes it hard is watching Oakley in pain every time she moves to help me. Seeing her recovering from her injuries only makes the ache in my chest so much fucking worse.
Fuck! I should be helping her, not the other way around.
But my time in the hospital is now over, and it’s okay for me to continue my recovery back at the clubhouse.
With Oakley helping me inside, I can’t help but feel like everything is as it’s meant to be. Oakley and I are back to how we were pre-Anna meltdown. Now, it’s like we’re connecting on a much more mature level.
As we walk inside the clubhouse, everyone cheers in celebration. I take in all the banners and streamers they’ve put up around the main room, giving it a party atmosphere.
Zero rushes over. “Glad you’re home, brother. You worried us for a minute there!” He pulls me in for a gentle, man back slap.
I pull back, gripping his shoulder. “Thanks for saving Oakley when I couldn’t. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
“I do know because you’d do the same for me. So, no need to thank me, Neon. It’s what family does. It’s how the brotherhood works.”
We back slap each other again. “Has anyone told Anna?”
“Nope. She’s still in the treatment facility. We didn’t want to upset her progress.”
“Good. I think that’s for the best. I’ll tell Anna when she comes out. When she can handle it a little better.”
“Good idea,” Zero adds. “There’s something Cherry and I wanted to talk to you about.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Oh, yeah? Everything all right?”
Zero signals to Cherry. She walks over, sliding into Zero’s side. “With everything going on, we realized there’s no good time to get married so, we’re bringing it forward. Neon, there’s one man I want by my side as my best man.”
A large smile lights up my face, my eyes flick to Wraith, but he simply nods at me. “You sure, man? I mean, we’ve been through some shit, but—”
“I’m sure, Neon. You were there to save my ass ever since we were scrawny little pip-fucking- squeaks. Wraith will be up there. too, but you’re my right hand.”
“Thanks, man. I’m gonna do you both proud.”
Zero smirks. “I know but, for now, there’s celebrating to be done.” He sla
ps my shoulder, then walks off with Cherry as Oakley ushers me over to a seat while the guys automatically get rowdy.
“That was nice,” she says.
I grin from ear to ear. “He chose me over Wraith.”
Oakley grips my knee, adoration in her eyes. “Well, you’re easy to want, Neon.”
“So, you want me around then?”
Her eyes fall, like she’s nervous. “I told my dad I’m relocating.”
“What do you mean?”
Her eyes slowly peep back up at me through her long, sexy lashes. “I’m moving from Dallas to Houston.”
“But your team?”
“Will relocate, if they want to stay with me. If not… I’ll find a new crew.”
“Jesus, Oakley, are you sure?”
She turns to face me, complete seriousness on her face. “Neon, I want to be with you. Thinking you died was the worst moment of my life. I don’t want to live another day without you in it.”
I lean to kiss her. “All that shit I put you through… yeah, I’m sorry.”
“I apologize for telling Anna.”
“She manipulated you. She manipulated me. We both fell into her deceptive trap. I just hope she’s getting better.”
“Have you checked in on her at all?”
“I checked in, but I haven’t spoken to her. Her psych says she’s making progress. It’s why she’s been in there for so long. She’s not moving at the speed they would like.”
“Are you okay? This can’t be easy on you.”
“Honestly, having her being taken care of by someone else right now is what I need. It means I can focus on my health.”
“Which is so important.”
“How about we ditch this party and head upstairs?”
“You’re supposed to be relaxing.”
“Think of the stairs as part of my rehab. Besides, what better way to relax than have you help relieve my tension?”
She narrows her eyes on me. “Fine, but we’re taking it real fucking slow.”
“Okay with me.”
Two Months Later
It’s been two months since my surgery, and I am getting fitter each and every day. I can’t box or exercise like I used to. I probably never will be able to again, but it’s the price I’d pay every time if it means Oakley’s okay.
