Road to Freedom

by Piper Davenport

  I nodded into his chest and then released him, so we could finish dressing and get the fuck out of there.

  * * *

  We pulled up to the hospital thirty minutes later and headed straight for ICU. We found Kennedy and Michelle’s mother, Natalie, in the waiting area and made our way to them. Michelle’s dad must be traveling, which didn’t surprise me. He was a pilot and not home often.

  “Is she okay?” I asked, hugging them both.

  “We don’t know,” Kennedy said. “She came back to my place and collapsed. Heart attack.”

  “Jebus,” I whispered.

  “The drugs and chemo were too much for her system. It’s why she quit. But it had already done a lot of damage. Her system can’t seem to recover, and the drugs aren’t helping,” Natalie said, rubbing her arms.

  Before I could introduce Merrick, a doctor came out to speak to Michelle’s mom and we were left standing in the waiting area.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Kennedy.

  She shook her head. “I thought she was dead,” she whispered. “Do you know how hard it is to actually do CPR?”

  “No.”

  “I think I broke her ribs. She’s so frail, and I couldn’t get her heart to beat.”

  I wanted to hug her, but Kennedy was not a touchy-feely person. “That must have been terrifying.”

  I felt Merrick’s front hit my back and I leaned back against him as his arm slid around my waist.

  “She fell over, Remi. We were talking and laughing and then she was on the floor. It’s a miracle she didn’t hit her head.”

  I bit back tears. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, honey.”

  “There’s nothing you could have done,” Kennedy said. “The ambulance was there really quickly and the EMT’s took over.”

  “I could have given you moral support.”

  “That’s true,” she said.

  Natalie walked back to us and smiled. “She’s resting comfortably. It was definitely a heart attack, but it was a small one. They’re running tests to try and figure out exactly what’s going on.”

  “Can we see her?” I asked.

  Natalie shook her head. “She’s in isolation to avoid germs. We can’t see her for at least forty-eight hours.”

  “Does she know we’re here?” Kennedy asked.

  “Yeah, honey, but honestly, the doctor wants us to go home and rest. They will call as soon as she’s free for visitors.”

  “I don’t want to leave her,” I whispered.

  “I’ll bring you back the second she’s allowed to see you,” Merrick promised.

  I faced him and met his eyes. “I need to go home with Kennedy.”

  “Bab—”

  “I’m not leaving her alone, honey.”

  “The problem is, that when I leave you alone, you disappear,” he said.

  I smiled sadly. “Never again, Tweety. I promise.”

  “Club get-together tomorrow. You’re both coming.”

  “Can we play it by ear, depending on how Michelle’s doing?”

  He took a deep breath and stroked my cheek. I could tell he wasn’t liking the way this conversation was going.

  “Merr, I’m not saying no.”

  “Wouldn’t matter if you were, Rem. No’s not an option.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Tweety, take it down a notch.”

  “Want you with me, Rem.”

  “I know, but you’re gonna need to get over it for a day or two.”

  “Telling me to get over it isn’t the way to go here, Rem.”

  “I don’t know what to say here, Merrick. I have to go with Kennedy and I can’t be in two places at one time.”

  He frowned, but then kissed my forehead and nodded. “I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.”

  “I’ll take you both back to Kennedy’s.”

  “Okay.”

  Merrick made sure Natalie made it to her car safely, then we followed Kennedy to her apartment. The air was heavy in the car, and secretly, my heart was breaking. I didn’t want him to leave me at Kennedy’s. I wanted to go back to the compound and let him hold me all night. But I also wanted to be with Kennedy. She was the only one who truly understood what I was going through.

  We pulled up to a red light and Merrick linked his fingers with mine. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and tried to smile. I couldn’t. I was sad.

  Pulling up to Kennedy’s place, we climbed out and Merrick insisted on walking us up. Kennedy opened the door and walked inside, but I stood on the porch and wrapped my arms around Merrick.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Kennedy called out. “Your boy-toy can stay if it’ll stop you mooning over him all night.”

  “No promises,” I retorted, and pulled Merrick inside.

  Merrick frowned. “I’m not staying if it makes your friend uncomfortable.”

  “Her friend can speak for herself,” Kennedy said from the kitchen. “You’re welcome to stay, seriously. You’ll have to share the futon or bunk on the floor, but it won’t bother me.”

  “You sure, honey?” I pressed.

  “Yeah. I want to drink wine and watch some bad shoot ’em up, so you’ll have to deal with that, but it’d be nice to have the company.”

  I pulled her in for a hug.

  “What the fuck are you doing, you weirdo,” she said, and broke the hug.

  I chuckled. “Just saying thank you.”

  “Well, do it from twelve inches away from me,” she retorted. “Beer or wine, Finch?”

  “Beer’d be good. Thanks, Kennedy.”

  I smiled up at Merrick. “She called you by your super special biker name. She must like you.”

  “Babe, you’re the only person who doesn’t. Well, other than my family.”

  I patted his chest. “I’m in good company, then.”

  Kennedy returned with a beer for him and a glass of wine for me, and we sat down to watch her shoot ’em up. I ended up falling asleep on Merrick halfway through the movie.

  Remington

  I sat up with a gasp and found myself pulled onto a warm body. “You okay?” Merrick asked.

  I burrowed into him and shook my head. “My friend’s dying.”

  “I know, baby. I got you.”

  “It’s not fair,” I whispered. “She’s the nicest human being on the planet. Why her? Why can’t it be someone like...Vitaly. Jebus, if anyone deserves cancer, it’s him.”

  “No doubt,” he said.

  “I’m going to hell,” I said. “I shouldn’t wish cancer on anyone.”

  “No, I think you’re free to wish it on an asshole, degenerate like Vitaly.”

  “I need her to be okay.”

  “I know, baby. We’re gonna do everything we can.”

  “Thank you for staying tonight...or today, really.”

  “You’re gonna bring your stuff back to the club, baby, okay? The bed there’s more comfortable.”

  I smiled. “As long as Kennedy’s good with it, then yes. The club won’t mind?”

  “No, baby, they won’t mind.”

  “Now that I have my money back, I should look for a place.”

  He stiffened. “So you’re not coming back with me?”

  “I can’t leave Michelle, Tweety. Once she’s stable, we can talk.”

  He sighed, giving me a gentle squeeze.

  “Okay?” I pressed.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then why do you sound irritated?”

  “Because it’s not the answer I want to hear,” he said.

  “It’s not the answer I want to give.”

  “I know.”

  His phone buzzed on the side table and he reached for it, scowling as he read the screen. “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Another body’s been found.” He put the phone to his ear and sat up. “Hey, Alamo. Yeah, what the fuck? Damn it. Yeah, she’s here. Yeah, she’s coming back to the compound. Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
<
br />   He hung up and turned to me. “Need to lock you down.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Another woman’s been killed, and threats have been made, so I’m locking you down.”

  “What kind of threats?”

  “The kind that get you, Jasmine, and Quin settled safely at the compound where you’ll be guarded by me and my brothers until we find the asshole responsible.”

  I scrambled up on my knees. “They’ve threatened us?”

  “Yeah.”

  “By name?”

  “Yeah, Rem. By name.” He stood and snagged his T-shirt off the floor, pulling it over his head.

  “Oh my god. So, he knows us?”

  “Apparently.”

  “What about Kennedy?”

  “She wasn’t threatened.”

  “Unless this person is watching me and saw me come here.”

  “Fuck,” he snapped.

  “She has to come too,” I said.

  He pulled out his phone again and fired off a text. “Yeah, baby, she can come too.”

  “Can we eat first?”

  “I’d rather get out of here and eat at the compound.”

  I climbed off the futon. “I’ll go wake Kennedy.”

  After getting an earful from Kennedy about her need for sleep, she saw reason, and packed a bag, finally agreeing to come with us. Mostly because she said she was horny and being in a building with a ‘shit ton of hot bikers’ might assuage that horniness.

  I rolled my eyes and made my way back out to the living room. I didn’t really care why she was coming with us, just that she was.

  After loading our bags into Merrick’s rental, we headed back to the compound...although, Kennedy insisted on following us.

  “Are they going to let Kennedy in?” I asked.

  “Who?”

  “The badass biker brigade.”

  Merrick glanced at me. “The badass biker brigade?”

  “You know...the guards.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, baby, they’ll let her in.”

  “Why are you laughing at me?”

  “Because you’re adorable and you amuse me.”

  “Excuse me?” I said, shifting to face him. “I amuse you.”

  “All the time.” He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I love your view on my world, Rem. It’s refreshing and funny, and...adorable.”

  “You’re lucky you’re good with your mouth or I’d take offense at your patronizing tone.”

  He laughed and released my hand as we pulled up to the compound gates. “Gonna show you just how patronizing I can be later...and I’m gonna use more than my mouth. That I can promise you.”

  I shivered with anticipation while he spoke with Stump about letting Kennedy through and then we were inside the compound gates and I found myself relaxing.

  “You okay?” Merrick asked.

  I nodded. “I didn’t realize I was on edge, to be honest, until we drove in.” I leaned forward to kiss him gently. “Thanks for always making me feel safe.”

  He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “I love you.”

  “Love you back.”

  We climbed out of the car, grabbed our stuff, then led Kennedy inside. We walked in to find Jasmine and the rest of the ‘old ladies,’ already putting a dent in a bottle or two of wine.

  “I’m gonna drop your stuff off, then we got a meeting,” Merrick said. “You good hangin’ with the women?”

  “Yeah, honey, I’m good. I plan on drinking a lot, just so you know.”

  He squeezed my chin gently. “Not too much, okay? I want you lucid.”

  I bit my lip and nodded. “I’ll be lucid.”

  “Good.” He leaned down and kissed me, then left the room and I joined the women. Quin was sitting on the floor, playing with the cutest little girl I’d ever seen.

  “Kinsey, honey, can I sit on the sofa now?” Quin asked.

  “No, Mama, it’s wava.”

  “I thought the coffee table was lava.”

  Kinsey took a deep breath, placed her hands on each of Quin’s cheeks and shook her head. “You’re not wistening, Mama.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Quin said and put on a serious face. “Tell me again.”

  I bit back a smile as I watched the exchange. Kinsey was apparently very good at schooling Quin on how lava worked.

  “Wine?” Jasmine asked, and I nodded.

  “Got beer?” Kennedy asked.

  “Kitchen,” Jasmine said. “Help yourself.”

  As Kennedy headed to the kitchen, a tall, gorgeous blond man walked in the room with a just as gorgeous dark-haired man and Kinsey no longer cared about Quin or the lava. She made a run for the blond who scooped her up above his head and grinned. “Hey, princess, how’s my girl?”

  “Mama’s on wava.”

  “Jesus.” Quin dropped her head back with a dramatic groan, hauling herself off the floor. “I thought the sofa was lava.”

  I deduced this was Badger, which meant the other man was Dash. I hadn’t met them yet, but Merrick had filled me in on who everyone was attached to...sort of.

  Willow raised her head as Dash kissed her upside down. “You good?”

  “We’ve been here for less than hour, how un-good could I get in that time?” she retorted, then grinned. “But I love you for checking in.”

  Kennedy walked back over to me holding a beer and sat on the sofa.

  “Have you met Remington and Kennedy yet?” Willow asked Dash.

  Dash raised his head and gave us a chin lift. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” I said at the same time Kennedy did.

  Merrick and Alamo arrived, and Merrick made his way to me, lowering himself onto the couch and wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

  “You can’t be done, right?”

  “Nah. Doc’s dealing with something so we figured we’d order pizza while he’s working.”

  I smiled. “Pizza sounds amazing.”

  He chuckled. “I love how much you love food.”

  “Well, I don’t get to eat like this when I’m dancing, so I’m taking advantage.”

  “I like what it does for your ass,” he whispered.

  “Stop,” I ordered.

  He buried his face in my neck and I shivered. “Stop what?”

  “Tweety,” I warned.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  I faced him with a frown. “Stop, or you’re going to have to take me somewhere—”

  “We got time,” he interrupted.

  “Finch,” Alamo called.

  “I jinxed it,” he said, and kissed me before standing. “Yeah, man.”

  I watched him walk toward the men...well, I watched his ass walk that way. Merrick had an incredible ass, then they headed to the kitchen, Badger still carrying Kinsey.

  “I kind of wish my kid wasn’t so smart,” Quin complained, flopping onto the sofa. “She’s way too much like her daddy.”

  I was confused by that statement, because Michael was kind of a creep, and I knew Quin was divorcing him, so it seemed weird that she’d say something somewhat positive about him.

  “If you’re not here in twenty minutes, Liv, I’m gonna fuckin’ collect you myself,” Doc growled into his phone as he walked through the great room.

  I raised an eyebrow and Jasmine rolled her eyes, while Willow covered her mouth hiding a laugh.

  “Don’t give a fuck,” he continued, “You’ve got nineteen minutes now.”

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away. His body was locked, his face was contorted in irritation, but he also looked like he was enjoying her side of the conversation a little more than might be normal.

  “Olivia,” he said, slowly. “Either you’re here in eighteen minutes or I’ll send Stump to pick you up.” He shook his head. “No, me gettin’ you is now off the table. Yeah, I can make that call, ’cause I’m the fuckin’ president of this chapter.” He cocked his head. “Oh, you don’t think so? Get your pretty ass down here, baby. I’m hangin’
up now.”

  He hung up and then seemed to notice we were there watching him. He grinned his signature charming smile. “Ladies.”

  “Hey, Doc,” Jasmine said. “Everything okay?”

  “Golden, babe,” he said, then nodded and walked toward the kitchen.

  Willow finally let her laughter go and Jasmine grinned and took a sip of wine.

  “What was that all about?” I asked.

  “Olivia won’t give him the time of day,” Jasmine said.

  “Well, that’s not entirely true,” Willow countered.

  “Oh, she’ll give him her pussy on occasion, but nothing else and it’s driving him insane,” Quin said.

  “Quin,” Willow admonished. “It sounds like you’re slut shaming her.”

  “Not at all,” she argued. “He’s just way more into her than she is him.”

  Jasmine snorted. “Don’t think that’s true.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because she’s in love with him.”

  “No she’s not,” Quin said.

  “She so is,” Willow countered.

  “Then why is she so cold to Doc?”

  “Gee, Quin, I don’t know,” Jasmine deadpanned. “Why is she so cold to Doc?”

  Quin rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I am not cold to Knox.”

  “Who’s Knox?” I asked.

  “Badger,” Willow provided.

  “Ah,” I said.

  “You feel free to live your fantasy,” Jasmine said.

  “It’s complicated,” Quin said.

  “I don’t doubt that,” Kennedy piped in.

  Doc stalked back through the room looking ready to kill, and my focus was pulled to him again. I sipped my wine and sat back to watch the show that was sure to come.

  “Stump!” Doc bellowed outside.

  I knew for a fact Stump was watching the gate, so Doc had to yell for him again.

  “Oh, shit, it’s about to get real,” Kennedy murmured.

  There was silence for several minutes and then a very frazzled, very pissed off looking blonde stomped into the room, dropping a duffel bag on the floor.

  “Goddammit, Liv,” Doc snapped, following her.

  “I’m here,” she growled out. “What more do you want, Tristan?”

  “I swear to Christ, I’ll—”

  “What? What will you do, Tris?” she challenged. “Huh? I’m here.”

  “You’re late.”

  “I’m here!” she snapped.