by Bijou Hunter
“You’re a sick fucker.”
“True, but I’m good with dying today. Do you think your sons would say the same?”
Not wanting to die today, Bobby Bo lowers his gun and shrugs. “This is a whole lot of fucking nothing. You ought to be harassing the Mullens. They’re the violent ones. I heard the middle boy beat the shit out of a biker down in Nashville. He might be looking to self-destruct and take us all down with him.”
I return my weapon to its holster and step away from Bobby Bo. My gaze remains on him, seeming oblivious to the various threats I count around us. Cooper already has his gun put away by the time I pass him.
“If someone wanted to make you look guilty,” Cooper says to Bobby Bo, “timing the attack like they did, sure put a target on your family.”
“The only people around here with a problem with us are the Mullens. They’re animals,” Bobby Bo says and spits on the ground. “You ought to point your guns at them.”
Cooper smiles while gesturing for Vaughn, Tucker, and me to return to our Harleys. “The problem with the Mullens setting you up is that they’re not really known for thinking ahead.”
“Or for thinking,” Bobby Bo adds before returning to the porch swing.
With the danger now gone, Cooper walks away from the Roche family and joins us. He climbs on his Harley, gives me an unreadable glance, and then starts his hog. Without another word, he heads back the way we came. I follow the others, unsure if we’re done for the day or just getting started.
THE ODDBALL
My stomach doesn’t approve of the food I’ve eaten. Or it’s pissed about Pop and Quaid leaving to meet with a family of meth dealers. I wish I were with them, not that I’d be much help.
I never worried about Pop getting hurt before. Even when fights broke out at club-related get-togethers, I let the danger roll off my back. Pop was unstoppable. He hurts bad people. They don’t hurt him. Now I worry. The hole in my arm made everything very real.
Uncle Dylan makes small talk with me for all of two minutes before realizing I don’t want him to make small talk with me. He decides to sit in the hallway to keep an eye out for trouble.
“No one is going to show up here,” I tell Lily who sits in a chair next to the bed.
“People do weird things. Who would have thought someone would hurt you?”
“I always assumed someone might shoot Colton in the dick,” I say, and Lily immediately grins.
“Wouldn’t at all be surprised if someone did, but let’s not talk about ugly things.”
“I want Quaid to come back, and Pop to go home to Mom.”
“I know, but a watched pot never boils.”
“No,” I say, rejecting her grandma advice.
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“No.”
Pulling out a ball of yarn, she begins knitting. Only my sister would focus on winter scarves when the temperature outside rivals Hell’s.
“I’m making Audrey’s baby a blanket,” she says when I frown at her ball of yellow yarn.
“When I have a baby, don’t make it a blanket.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
Exhaling roughly, Lily plants a freaky smile on her pretty face. If she didn’t look so much like Mom, I doubt I’d tolerate her smiles at all.
“You have a boyfriend,” Lily says in her fake happy voice. “How exciting for you. Tell me about him.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m your sister and I’m curious.”
“I wasn’t curious about your dentist.”
“No one was.”
“Why did you want him?” I ask, remembering the boring guy with the big smile and goofy laugh.
“He was sweet to me.”
“He was sweet to everyone. His smiles were cheap and his compliments cheaper. You deserve a man who’s only sweet to you.”
Lily gets a faraway look in her big brown eyes, and I wish I could run out of the room while she’s thinking. That’s my natural response to my sister’s attempts at bonding. Now I’m trapped in this bed. The tubes in my body act as rope, tying me to this conversation about exciting stuff like boys. If Lily brings up hair or makeup, I swear I’ll take my chances with the attached machine and IV and just make a run for freedom.
“I’ll find someone one day, but let’s talk about you,” Lily finally says.
“No.”
“Quaid is older than I expected.”
“He’s younger than I expected. I always saw myself marrying a seventy-year-old hermit from the hills. Perhaps someone like the moonshine man from West Virginia that Audrey told us about. He seems to have his shit in order, and I bet he wouldn’t expect sex often because old men usually can’t get their dicks to perform.”
“Well, Quaid isn’t seventy.”
“No, he’s thirty-four. I checked his ID when we were making out at the river. He’s not even ten years older than me. I’m honestly a little annoyed I didn’t fall for someone more ancient.”
“I always feel as if you’re messing with me.”
“And I always tell you that I’m not. Why are our conversations so repetitive?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you feel sad that Audrey found a man and now I did, and you’re the oldest and very alone?”
“Now I know you’re messing with me,” Lily says, giving me a disapproving frown.
“I don’t want dating advice.”
“I’m not giving you any. As you pointed out, you have a man, and I don’t. Seems like you have things in order.”
Smiling, I nudge her with my foot. “I want to cook for Quaid. Is that weird?”
“No, probably not.”
“Did you want to cook for the dentist?”
“Yes. I liked taking care of him.”
“I hope Quaid and I don’t break up. I can’t imagine wanting to cook for anyone else. Or wanting to fold his laundry. Or wanting to see what late night host he hates the most. Quaid makes me want to share everything with him, and I never cared about sharing anything with anyone.”
“No, you were always running in your own lane.”
“Don’t be jealous. Being normal is okay too. It’s just not as fun.”
Lily grins. “Audrey is driving up to check on you.”
“Why?”
She’s worried.”
“Why?”
“She loves you.”
“I think baby hormones made her weak. She didn’t seem so clingy when I last visited. In fact, I got the distinct impression she wanted me to leave so she could be alone with her giant.”
“She’s in love, and all she can see is him.”
“You didn’t seem that way with the dentist.”
“Yes, I know, Rando,” my sister growls, sounding like our pop.
“My name is MJ now. Why are you so angry?”
“You know why I’m angry.”
“I’m only pointing out how you didn’t have anything good with the dentist. You should understand how you aren’t missing anything by no longer being with him. He was like a practice husband, not the real deal. When it’s real, you’ll never let go, and he’ll never compliment another woman without feeling as if he’s cheating on you. That stupid dentist complimented me all the time.”
“He was very proud you could form full sentences.”
“Remember when I bit him?” I ask, laughing.
“And you explained how he should let you smell his hand before he pet you.”
We share a laugh at the dentist’s expense. “Do you wish you could bite people, Lily?”
“Sometimes. Following the rules can be dull.”
“I imagine so. Then again, you aren’t in this bed with a hole in your arm.”
My sister’s smile fades. “Colton thinks someone shot you to get to Pop.”
“No, someone shot me because they don’t like me.”
“Who?”
“If I knew, why would I tell you and not Pop?”
/> “I don’t know.”
“Well, there you go,” I say, feeling grumpy about Quaid and Pop leaving me.
“Seems weird that you got shot right after meeting Quaid. Maybe they were mad at him.”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t. I just feel like the answer should be no. Just like I feel the person shot me because he didn’t like me.”
“I hope they kill the bastard.”
“They will. Pop is good at his job. It’s why we never got shot at before.”
“People today are so rude,” Lily mutters, sounding like a grandma. Not our grandma who is cool, but like some lame grandma who knits.
“Yeah, no one ever shot anyone in the olden days.”
Lily shoots me her pissy Pop look. “I know you’re in pain, but you’re acting like a real pill.”
“I miss Quaid,” I say, blinking back the sudden heat in my eyes. “I spent my entire life not knowing I needed him to breathe. Now he’s all I can think about.”
Setting aside her knitting, Lily wraps her thin arms around me, careful not to hug me too tightly. “He’ll be back soon. I can’t imagine he’ll want to be away from you for too long.”
“I have a lot of qualities that he enjoys in a woman.”
“I’m sure you do,” she says, kissing my head.
“A long list.”
Returning to her chair, Lily snickers. “No doubt. I wonder what’s on the top.”
“My people skills.”
We share a grin, but I can’t shake my unease since Quaid left me. I think of him out in Ellsberg with no one watching his back. Pop only cares about hunting down the shooter. No one in town views Quaid as one of the Reapers because he’s never bonded with any of them. He’s a stranger, an outsider, the last guy to care about if trouble goes down.
Right that moment, I feel as if I’m the only person in the entire world who cares if Quaid lives or dies. I’m burdened by the responsibility of loving him alone against billions of indifferent people. Never before have I held someone’s heart—not to mention fate—in my hands. Quaid deserves every drop of effort, and I plan to spend the rest of my life giving him everything he never got from anyone else.
THE OUTSIDER
Cooper sheds Tucker and Vaughn near Whiskey Kirk’s—the club’s main hangout. I don’t know how they know we’re done, but I keep on the top dog’s tail until we arrive back at the hospital. He parks but makes no effort to climb off the Harley.
“What if Bobby Bo shot you?” he asks once I join him.
“Then I’d be dead, but we both know he wasn’t pulling that trigger.”
“You didn’t know shit.”
“What’s your beef with me, boss?” I ask, shoving my hands into my pockets. “You know I’m not some kid off the street who kissed ass into your club. I’ve seen shit you can’t fucking imagine, so I’d appreciate if you stopped treating me otherwise.”
Giving me a dark side-glare, he mutters, “My daughter deserves to be with a man who won’t piss away his life over a man like Bobby Bo.”
“Your daughter wouldn’t want me bowing down to a piece of shit trying to wag his dick when he’s sporting two inches,” I say and then cross my arms and smirk. “I noticed you didn't step up and stop me from pissing away my life over Bobby Bo. You knew he needed to back down and remember who he was dealing with.”
“I don’t need a cocky fucker in my club or my family.”
“I’m not looking to hook up with you, boss. If you want me out of your club, get it done or don’t, but I’ll only leave MJ if she’s the one to tell me to fuck off.”
Cooper climbs off his bike and clenches his hands into tight fists. He glares me while I unflinchingly hold his gaze. Two large men ready to pound each other outside a small country hospital. Though I expect him to throw a punch, he kicks the ground instead.
“Fuck this shit!” he hollers. “I’m Cooper Fucking Johansson! I make men piss themselves and women cream their panties! I own this fucking town! So why the fuck can’t I get my daughters to listen to me?”
“You should have beaten us,” a voice says from nearby.
Still pissed, Cooper turns around, ready to attack. His youngest daughter smiles at his raging face.
“Colton especially needed more ass-whippings,” Audrey says to her father. “Why do you look surprised to see me? I called you this morning to say we were driving in.”
Cooper hugs his youngest daughter and sighs loudly. “I expected you later in the day.”
“Hey, Pip!” a giant man calls out from a nearby SUV. “Why is he throwing a tantrum in the parking lot? Do I need to call for help?”
Audrey snickers at her husband’s taunting, but Cooper only glares over her head at the man who stole her away. Using their arrival as a chance to sneak away, I soundlessly move away from Cooper and toward the hospital entrance.
“Who’s your friend?” Audrey asks her father. “Is he why you’re screaming?”
“I don’t scream,” Cooper says with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “This fucking shit fuck is Quaid Reynolds.”
“The biker banging MJ?”
“How do you know she’s MJ now?” Cooper asks, ignoring the “banging” part.
“Mom called earlier to let me know,” Audrey says and reaches her hand out to shake mine. “It’s so exciting to meet someone who likes MJ.”
“She says only good things about you,” I lie.
Audrey grins, clearly realizing I’m full of shit. Her giant man joins us and gives me a head nod. Audrey gestures toward me and says, “He’s the one who likes MJ.”
“Is the old man crying about that yet?” the giant asks me.
“Fuck both of you,” Cooper says and begins walking with Audrey toward the hospital. “How are you feeling?”
The youngest Johansson rubs her belly. “Bloated but Cap Junior is kicking a lot.”
“That’s not an acceptable name.”
“What about Cooper Junior?” Cap asks after exchanging handshakes and hellos with me. “He’d be Cooper Hayes.”
The older man says nothing, but I swear I hear him growl before his daughter giggles in response. I follow the three of them while they speak about baby showers and how impossible naming a boy turned out to be.
Once inside the hospital, I ditch them near the elevator and make my way up the stairs—two at a time—to ensure I reach MJ first. The nurse looks at me as if she might call security, but no one stops me from entering the room where Lily sits on the bed.
“Where’s MJ?”
“In the bathroom. They pulled out her…” Lily trails off after realizing her sister might not want a man to know about her piss tube. “She’s in the bathroom.”
“Pulled the catheter, huh? Where’s your security?”
“Dylan’s outside.”
“I didn’t see him.”
“He’s there. Earlier, I caught him sitting near another door to give him a better view.”
“Smart. Your father, sister, and brother-in-law are on their way upstairs. One of the three isn’t in a good mood,” I say before knocking on the bathroom door. “MJ, I’m back.”
“I have to pee on my own now,” she announces. “I cleaned up, though, and washed off the blood and stink. You’re going to like the way I smell.”
Her enthusiasm makes me smile, despite her father entering with a pissed expression.
“Cute,” he tells me, but I refuse to react.
With their father fuming nearby, Lily and Audrey discuss the latter’s belly. Cap stands by the window and checks his phone. Soon, MJ appears from the bathroom. After scanning the newcomers to the room, she focuses on me, and her lips curl into a smile.
“You look sweaty,” she whispers before shuffling out of the bathroom and using her IV stand for balance.
“I’ll explain later.”
After giving my chest a quick caress, she hobbles toward her youngest sister. “I’d ask how the meeting went,
but I assume your lack of confetti means nothing good happened.”
MJ reaches out for Audrey’s belly. Suddenly, her hand flinches back, and she steps away from her sister.
“What’s wrong?” Audrey asks.
Her smile gone, MJ whimpers, “I don’t want to be here.”
Cooper hears the change in his daughter’s tone. His immediate response is to glare at me as if I’ve upset her. Audrey reaches for MJ who backs away and nearly trips over her IV. I steady her as she shakes her head.
Breathing in fast, short bursts. Cheeks flushing red. Eyes darting around the room, unable to focus.
I’ve seen these signs on plenty of guys over the years, and I’ve been in the grip of the same feelings. I don’t know what triggered her panic attack, but I know she won’t be able to calm herself. After twenty-four hours oblivious to how someone tried to kill her, my girl is now blinded to everything else.
THE ODDBALL
This morning, the doctor reduced my pain medications so I could remain awake and alert. I already feel more like myself by the time Lily arrives. So pumped by my less groggy mind, I decide to clean up with my sister’s help. I can’t take a full shower, but I’m able to wash off the remaining blood and change my hospital gown. Holding onto the sink, I brush my teeth and use the tap water to force my back cowlick to behave.
“Quaid kissed me even when I was gross,” I tell Lily who brushes the rest of my hair.
“He seems like a special fellow.”
Glancing back at Lily, I wish she were Audrey who would respond with fewer generic happy thoughts. My older sister is a loving creature, but she can’t let loose in a way. Something about her always feels unapproachable. While I never edit my words, that’s all she does.
“Woah,” I say, feeling lightheaded. “I need to sit down.”
“I’ll help you to the bed.”
“No, let me sit on the toilet.”
“Do you want me to get Dylan?”
“No.”
“So you just want to sit here.”
Staring up at her, I ask, “Lily, why do you want to move out of the house?”
