Roz hated being in this hospital. The doctor, Lance, had come in yesterday after Iron left to check on her. Thankfully she had stopped crying by then but the evidence was still on her face. He’d asked if she was all right and she’d told him she was fine, but she wasn’t sure that was true. Iron leaving without saying goodbye after she had told him the reason she faked her death had hurt her more than she would have thought possible. It felt wrong that Toby, her Toby, could treat her that coldly.
It felt like he had ripped open a wound she had thought long healed. Her chest throbbed with the pain of loss and so much fury that she wanted to just get up and walk out of this hospital and not look back. She didn’t think she could take seeing him walking away from her again like she didn’t matter without shattering.
Roz had awoken this morning just as affected by his disregard for her as she’d been when she’d gone to sleep last night. She almost wished that she’d never seen him again because then at least she could hold onto the memories. Now all she could think of when she thought of him was the fact that he had walked away from her as if she were nothing more than trash.
Standing at the window again with her arms wrapped around her waist trying to ward off the anguish that ate at her soul, she jumped when the door opened. She turned to see a woman about her height with hair that made her ache in remembered pain because it was the same color Iron’s used to be and just as beautiful. It flowed over the woman’s shoulders and Roz was momentarily jealous of her lustrous locks just as she had been so long ago as a child.
“Hello,” the woman said, smiling brightly at her. “I’m Sarah.”
Roz watched her carefully, noting that she wore a leather vest like the men did only it didn’t have anything on the front other than a patch that read Blue Bandits MC that rested over her left breast. The vest was a feminine version of the vests the men wore and it was laced up the sides with black cord in a crisscross pattern. Roz briefly wondered if she was Iron’s new woman but immediately pushed that thought away, unable to think about him with another woman; it hurt too much.
“Hi, I’m Roz,” she replied, waiting to see what the woman wanted because she had come here for a reason Roz could tell.
“I know. Laci and the others talk about you a lot.” Sarah grinned at her and Roz found herself returning the smile tentatively. She could tell that Sarah was sizing her up trying to get a read on her and she almost allowed a large knowing smile to spread across her face because she knew that Sarah would find things about Roz’s personality confusing.
“So, the other girls are still not accepting that we really are willing to allow them to head home whenever they’re ready and I thought maybe you might be able to help me with that. If you are willing to help calm them down, I would be willing to spring you from the doc’s tender care.” Sarah grinned widely and laughed a little.
Roz decided she liked her even if she was Iron’s new woman. Of course that thought made a sharp pain shoot through her chest almost taking her breath away. Ignoring it, Roz tried to get her thoughts back to the situation at hand instead of the hurt she was feeling over Iron.
“Sure, anything to get the heck out here. I hate hospitals and he said I needed to stay for another day because of the head injury and me being out for so many hours,” Roz told her grimacing. “Are you sure he’ll let you spring me?”
Sarah chuckled. “I’m Reaper’s old lady, I usually get whatever I want from his boys.”
Roz felt relief that she wasn’t Iron’s girlfriend rush through her, making her a little dizzy for a moment it was so strong. She only knew what the term ‘old lady’ meant because they’d had a biker in the clinic where she once worked who’d talked about his ‘old lady’. When she’d asked, he had explained that ‘wife’ was basically what the term meant to a biker.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked, suddenly looking sharp.
“Yes, I just got a bit dizzy for a second. Must have turned around too quick when you came in. I was daydreaming and you startled me,” Roz told her, not wanting to lose the chance to get out of this place that Sarah had offered because she was glad that Sarah wasn’t with Iron.
“Hmm, maybe we should let you res––” Sarah began, but Roz cut her off with a desperate plea.
“Oh, please don’t leave me in here. I can’t take it and I might try to escape and I am quite sure that Iron would get all bent out of shape over that,” Roz begged, because she really wanted out of this damned room.
“Wow, yeah, I heard about him running off with you and then not allowing anyone except Lance near you. But what I don’t understand is why. He’s not really the emotional type. As a matter of fact, had you asked me yesterday I would have said he didn’t have a heart when it came to women. His brothers, sure, but a woman? Not a chance,” Sarah told her as she leaned against the door. Her look was questioning as she watched Roz carefully.
“We’ve known each other a long time and he thought I had died so I guess his reaction was normal under the circumstances,” Roz said, unwilling to offer more to the obviously snooping woman.
Sarah tilted her head looking at Roz with an assessing gaze before she seemed to come to a decision and nodded.
Smiling brightly again, she said, “I guess you’re right. Let’s get out of here then.”
Roz didn’t have to be asked twice. She grabbed her shoes from beneath the bed, putting them on. She was still wearing the clothes Lance had brought her earlier, just a baggy t-shirt and the jeans she’d been wearing when she was brought here. Someone had washed them before returning them to her thankfully, so she didn’t feel like she was still wearing the thin layer of grime she had worn when she arrived. Roz winced thinking of how she must have smelled after six weeks in the hovel. They had used the sink to wash as best they could but it hadn’t really been easy and the dirt floor hadn’t helped.
They had bathed her while she was out and she wondered who had done that with heated cheeks, hoping it hadn’t been Lance despite him being a doctor. Shaking her head to dislodge the thoughts swirling inside it, she followed Sarah down the hall. Roz really expected Lance to stop them but he only shook his head and muttered, “If she has any dizzy spells she needs to be brought back here, Sarah.”
“Yeah, yeah, you already told me all that medical mumbo jumbo. Roz is fine and you’re like every other doctor on the planet, worried about nothing. You checked her for any brain bleeds and she didn’t have any. She’s fine,” Sarah told him, waving her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, and Roz found herself chuckling at the way she easily got her way.
“Come on, hon. Sammy’s out in the car and she is likely getting impatient. I thought it best if we didn’t both bombard you at once,” Sarah told her, motioning for her to get a move on it. Roz didn’t have any objections to that because she was more than ready to get out of this clinic.
“Thanks for your help,” Roz said as she walked past Lance.
“Yeah, but just remember if you have dizzy spells or headaches you come back here, all right? I would feel better keeping you here for another night but I was overruled.” Lance looked put out by that fact, Roz thought as she nodded and walked out into the bright sunlight, feeling relief at finally being able to walk out of the clinic. Although, she had faced her fear of hospitals and medical centers like this one years ago, she still wasn’t fond of being a patient in one. Funnily enough, she worked at the local clinic in Grandyville, the town she’d settled in, as a receptionist and she actually enjoyed it.
“Sorry, Lance wasn’t too happy I sprung you,” Sarah said, laughing as she walked ahead of Roz towards a little blue sedan. Roz saw another woman was sitting in the front seat with a little boy in her lap and the car was running. The little boy was blonde and cute as could be as he bounced up and down on the woman, who had strawberry blonde hair and grinned when the little boy got excited about seeing Sarah coming toward the car.
Must be the other woman Sarah had mentioned. She was sure that the little boy must belong to
the blonde woman but when they climbed into the car, the little boy cried momma and dove at Sarah.
“Hi, baby, did you miss me?” Sarah asked, laughing as she hugged him before climbing out to put him into the car seat beside Roz. When she had him settled she pointed to Roz and the little boy watched Roz for a second before looking up at his mother.
“This is Roz and this little guy is Josh,” she said, kissing the boy on the nose as he giggled and babbled about someone named ‘Eper and a new car.
“And I’m Sammy,” the blonde said, waving from the front seat with a smile. Roz smiled and waved back while Sarah got in the driver’s seat and started the car up.
“So you and Iron know each other?” Sammy asked, turning around to stare at Roz in the back seat. Roz wanted to tell her to mind her own business but she didn’t want to be rude to the woman.
“We do,” she settled for and didn’t elaborate.
Sammy’s brow furrowed and she stared at her hard, asking rudely, “And how well do you know each other?”
“Oh, would you stop. She doesn’t have to talk about it if she doesn’t want to. It’s none of your business. How would you like it if she stared asking you awkward questions about you and Animal and how well you two know each other?” Sarah grunted, coming to her rescue. Roz was grateful for her intervention but Sammy just laughed.
“Well you know me, I would likely tell her way more than she wanted to know about it and then she would blush like you do,” she replied, her smile wicked and her brows moving up and down making Roz laugh at the other woman’s antics despite her discomfort with this line of questioning.
“I only blush because the shit you do is just wrong. I mean who has sex in a freaking sex club while tied to a table?” Sarah said and Roz felt her cheeks heat. It wasn’t that she was a prude, she knew about such things, but she had only ever been with Toby and that was when she was eighteen years old so to her, talk about sex clubs was shocking.
It wasn’t that she didn’t have a healthy sex drive and a vibrator, she’d just never felt that connection with another man like she had with Toby. No, Iron. She had to get used to calling him that now because Toby wasn’t who he was anymore. He was Iron now. These thoughts had her running a hand over her chest where the ache and loss had settled.
“See, you’re the one making her blush and don’t act like you haven’t done some kinky shit with your man too, Sarah.” Sammy chuckled and punched Sarah in the arm.
“Ha, my kinky isn’t your kinky, let me tell you!” Sarah said laughing.
It was obvious that these two women knew each other well and had been friends for a while. They kind of reminded Roz of Tara and herself. Tara was the other receptionist at the clinic and she and Roz had been friends for years. That thought led to another and she knew that by now Tara was likely worried about her. Roz knew she should find a way to call Tara soon to let her know she was okay and would be returning home soon. The achy feeling in her chest intensified when she thought of leaving Iron behind, but she couldn’t stay here and watch him with other women while she burned for him.
Iron leaving without a word yesterday proved that he had moved on because he thought she was dead. Now to him she was just a reminder of his childhood love. That hurt and she wanted to cry again but she managed to hold it inside even when she wanted to scream and rage at the world over the loss of the one man she knew she could have a future with. Only that connection that had bound them together was gone and she needed to accept that.
Chapter 6
Roz pressed back into the seat hoping that Sarah and Sammy continued their argument about who was or wasn’t kinky as she looked out the window at the passing scenery trying to get her emotions under control.
“ ’Eaper, momma, want dada,” Josh suddenly piped up from next to her, having grown bored with staring out the window and driving his toy truck over the arm of his booster seat.
“Sweetheart, I told you earlier that Reaper is busy today. He had to go take care of some stuff and we will see him tonight.”
“Want ‘Eaper.” Josh’s lip quivered and he looked on the verge of tears when Roz looked over at him. He threw his toy to the floor and crossed his arms, looking even cuter than he had a moment ago with the little scowl that covered his face.
“Sorry, baby, I know you like going to work with Reaper and seeing everyone but you had to come with me today,” Sarah said from the front, looking into the review mirror and smiling at the scowl on the little boy’s face. “Sammy, grab his truck, please. Josh, you know not to throw toys. Now you will have to wait to get that one back till later.”
Sammy’s arm reached between the seats lifting the truck from the floor where the boy had tossed it before setting it in a bag that was between her and Sarah. Josh scowled at the disappearing toy and kicked his legs before his face cleared and he peered intently at Sammy.
“An’mal? Ant Sam, see An’mal,” Josh asked, his face looking hopeful suddenly.
“Sorry, buddy, but Uncle Animal is busy too. He had to go with Uncle Iron and Uncle Pansy somewhere,” Sammy told him, looking back over the seat at him with a grimace on her face.
Roz wanted to ask where Iron had gone but she held her tongue. It wasn’t any of her business where he was anymore. She stared out the window again as Josh pouted and started crying. Thankfully they were pulling into a parking lot because she wasn’t sure how much of the crying she could take. She liked kids but in small doses and not when they were screaming their heads off like Josh was.
“Sorry, Roz, he’s not normally so fussy but he’s cutting his last few teeth and it’s making him cranky,” Sarah said over the screaming child, who Sammy was trying to calm with a little bear she was making dance on the console between the seats.
“It’s okay,” Roz said even though she really wasn’t okay with the piercing screams the child next to her was making. She was glad that they came to a stop in front of what looked like a large warehouse about two minutes later.
Getting out of the car, Roz looked at the warehouse while waiting on Sammy and Sarah to get out. Sarah grabbed Josh from his car seat and tried to distract him by pointing out trees, which was odd although it seemed to be working. The little boy had popped his thumb in his mouth and laid his head on his mother’s shoulder while looking at the trees she pointed out.
Roz followed them inside, surprised to see that it wasn’t just an empty warehouse. The inside looked like a rec room. There were two pool tables, a small kitchenette, a large holo TV, and several couches. A hallway was off to the right and what looked like several smaller rooms lined the hall. Roz figured they were bedrooms, which explained why they’d brought the women here to stay.
Bull stood nearby along the wall just inside with two other men. The women were sitting or standing around the room, most of them watching a holo vid that was playing on the TV but a few were in the kitchen cooking.
Josh wiggled in his mother’s arms trying to get down and yelled “Burn, mama, Burn.”
Sarah sighed and let the little boy go. He took off running towards one of the three men as fast as his little legs could carry him. He was scooped up by one of the three men and he began to babble animatedly.
The man was grinning and asking the boy questions, obviously just as excited to see Josh as he was to see the man. Roz was reassured that these men weren’t going to hurt them by the sight. Any man who had time to talk to a child in such an animated and patient way was not likely to be cruel to women. Sarah shook her head, muttering under her breath about difficult children, smiling while she watched Josh being tickled.
Roz turned back to look around again, noticing Laci was sitting on a bar stool beside the small kitchen. Laci turned to see who had arrived, a large smile spreading over her face as she got up to rush over to hug Roz.
“Thank goodness! I was so worried that grim-faced biker who didn’t want me around was going to hurt you,” Laci told her, clinging to her and nearly choking her with her hug. Roz laughed, a little u
ncomfortable.
“I told you she’d be fine, damn it!” Bull growled, a scowl on his face as he neared them.
“You’re a man, why would I believe you?” Laci snapped back at him, surprising Roz because Laci was usually such a sweet girl. She’d been with her for six weeks and never heard her talk to someone in such a snide tone even when she was stressed and nearly starved.
“What? That’s crazy! Just because I’m a man you think I’m a liar?” Bull demanded, obviously upset that the girl was calling him a liar. Roz wondered at the way Laci seemed to like making the large man angry.
Laci smiled sweetly and replied, “Well it’s been my experience that all men are liars so yeah, because you are a man you must be a liar.”
“Ok, well let’s just stop right there before this gets out of hand, shall we?” Sarah said, obviously trying to hold back the laughter Roz could hear quivering in her voice. “Let’s go talk to the women and see if we can’t get some of them home. I know that many of them want to go but are afraid it’s a trick to separate them from the group. Bull, go back to lurking near the wall please.”
Bull glared at first Laci and then at Sarah, who just stared at him with a raised brow until he let out a gruff grunt and turned, walking back to where he’d been standing with the other two men, his body tense and his look grim as he leaned on the wall propping his foot behind him. His glare was directed towards Laci who ignored him completely and linked her arm with Roz’s as she led her across the room.
Karen and Thea both hugged her and several of the others came over to greet her. She’d tried to keep her group calm while they were in the hovel scared and unable to escape despite their repeated attempts. Roz had been the mastermind in most of those attempts so she could understand why those five women looked up to her. The others must trust her because she’d tried to save Thea from the men raping her despite it being a hopeless attempt.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Thea said, smiling at her wanly and Roz returned her smile. Several of the other women voiced similar sentiments and Nancy gave her a one armed hug when she finally joined the group having appeared from somewhere down the hall a moment ago.
Melted Iron (Blue Bandits MC Book 3) Page 6
