Colson (The Henchmen MC Book 20)

by Jessica Gadziala

  "You're going to be a great father some day, Huck," West teased as he walked through toward the front door.

  "Okay," I agreed, nodding. "But make sure he doesn't get into anything."

  "And here I was about to load him up with vodka and tell him the best porn channels," he said, smirking at me.

  Taking a deep breath, I checked my phone, then went down the hall toward my room, knocking.

  "It's me," I called.

  "Hey," Eva said after coming to the door and unlocking it. "Is everything okay?"

  "Reign is in the hospital. He's going to be okay. But shit is rocky right now."

  "Because of Miguel and his friends," Eva guessed, voice lowered to a whisper so Jacob didn't overhear.

  "Jacob, Huck said you can go hang with him in the common area while your mom and I talk. It's alright," I added, seeing his wide eyes. "You're not in any danger. I just need a couple minutes to explain everything to your mom. No big deal. Huck said he will feed you too, but I am going to advise you pick something that doesn't require cooking. I don't think the man could scramble an egg."

  "Okay," Jacob said, staid, withdrawn, but moving past us and into the hallway, shoulders hunched.

  "I don't think I've ever yelled at him like I just did while you were gone," Eva admitted. "My throat hurts," she added. "I mean, here I was thinking that he was just a little led astray, but a good kid. But he was there," she said as I moved inside, closing the door. "He was there where a man was being held captive and hurt. He was hurt, if he is in the hospital," she said, eyes filling up. "He was there. And he didn't come to you guys and tell you. No. He stole from him, then came back here to try to act like nothing happened. That's not something a good kid does, Colson. That's fucked up. God, I'm such a shitty mom," she decided, voice cracking.

  "No," I said, reaching out toward her, pulling her against my chest, wrapping her up tight because she seemed like she was falling apart. "You're not a bad mom, Eva. You're one person. They are a whole group. And they, no doubt, made him all kinds of appealing promises. And one of them is his uncle. That has to factor in. He's not a bad kid. He's young and easily influenced. Once he is away from those assholes for good, he will straighten back out. You will see to that. This is all. This is all fixable."

  "He was a part of an MC president being held captive and tortured, Colson. Nothing will ever fix that."

  "Alright," I said, grabbing her shoulders, pulling her back a few inches so I could look in her eyes. "I know Fallon lost his shit out there earlier, but he's young too. And his dad was missing. And there it was looking like there was no hope. Then Jacob was holding some of it hostage from him. I'm not saying it's okay, but I think we can all see ourselves doing something similar for someone we love."

  "That's true," she agreed, nodding. "I mean, I'm not even mad at Fallon. I... I get it. I wanted to wring my own son's neck out there. And I love him. They don't know him from Adam. But they're not just going to forgive and forget something like this."

  "No," I agreed. "But Reign is a good man. He will likely just make the kid wash bikes and do a sort of community service or some shit like that."

  "So, he's alright?"

  "He's in surgery," I corrected. "I don't know anything else, but Cash seemed optimistic. Reign has been through a lot of shit. He can survive this."

  "And then—" Eva said, trailing off.

  "And then," I agreed, nodding. "I don't think I need to explain to you that I can't give you the same kind of assurances for your brother as I could for your son."

  "Yeah," she agreed, nodding, exhaling hard. "I feel like a terrible person saying this, but I really don't care," she said, shaking her head at herself. "What happens to Miguel," she clarified. "I don't care. I'm sure he has it coming. I mean, it was bad enough when I thought he was just involved in drugs and pimping and in-fighting and beat-ins and shit like that. But this? Kidnapping and torture? No. I just... that can't be excused. He has whatever is coming to him. I don't know how Jacob is going to handle his fate, but that's a road to cross when we get to it, I guess. So what now?" she asked, looking up at me, eyes exhausted, face raw from tears she must have shed while we were off thinking we were saving the day.

  "Honestly, I don't know yet. Until Reign is out of surgery and talking, we are all at a standstill unless a fight comes to us. That means that you and Jacob are at a standstill with us as well."

  "But.. no," she said, shaking her head. "I have a life. A job. A mom. Oh, God. My mom."

  "It's alright. Breathe," I demanded, giving her arms a squeeze. "I just checked my phone before I got in here. Your mom is fine. She has Ashley with her. She's a nurse from Hailstorm. As well as three armed guards. She couldn't be safer, okay? And I don't think she was in danger anyway. But Jacob? And, by extension, you? That, we don't know about yet. So you need to stay here until you're safe. Reign might decide to haul you up to Hailstorm. But for right now, we are on lockdown."

  "I have to work, Colson. I have a mortgage and bills. And next to no savings. I have to work."

  "We'll figure that out, babe, but you can't leave for right now."

  "How did my life get so fucked up?" she demanded, twisting away from me, pacing the small space.

  "Eva, it's going to be okay, alright? I will help you figure it all out."

  "Oh, my God. I can't ask that of you. You've already done too much for me. And now with my delinquent sociopath child, I imagine that once we are let out of here, you are going to ghost the fuck out of me. And I can't even blame you. Who wants to be a part of this?"

  "Okay, alright," I said, walking over toward her, grabbing her arms, pulling her down on the side of the bed with me. "That's enough of that self-pity shit," I told her, getting a snort. "First of all, you're not asking for my help. I'm offering it. Secondly, Jacob is going to be fine. And lastly, I'm still in this."

  "Christ. Why?" she asked, eyes wide as she looked over at me.

  "There's something here, Eva," I said, shrugging. "And I have gone a long, long time without feeling there was something between me and a woman. So I think that is worth exploring. Even if your life is a mess," I teased, nudging her with my shoulder. "Listen, from what I have seen of life, it shakes out. All the shit you are stressing about today, it isn't going to last forever. Eventually, it will work out. It works out more than it doesn't. And I get that you're in a weird place. And I understand if you want some space right now, you want to put your house back together. But when you're ready, I'm here. And I'm still interested."

  "What? Do you have a chaos fetish or something?" she asked, shaking her head.

  "Couldn't be further from the truth. I like safety and stability in my life."

  "Right. That's why you're an arms-dealing biker."

  "Well, you just got a bad crash course into what it is like when things are chaotic. But they aren't like this. It's like a job, honestly. I spend most of my time being a glorified security guard or a handyman around here. It's not as exciting as it seems right now. And it has given me and Jelly a lot of safety and stability. Believe that or not."

  "So, do you have, like, a belt?" she asked, glancing over at me.

  "I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

  "For these handyman duties? Do you have a belt? You know with wrenches and screwdrivers and hammers?" she asked, lips twitching.

  I felt my own curving up. "Yeah, I got one of those."

  "You know what would be really great?"

  "What's that?"

  "If you just randomly walked around wearing that. Saying words like 'quick-hardening caulk,' and 'drill shaft lube,' and 'self-centering screw hole locator," she said, eyes bright.

  A chuckle moved through my chest. "You're good at that."

  "Sexual innuendos? I'm a pro, actually," she boasted.

  "I meant finding something light in heavy situations. I haven't known you long, but you've managed it pretty much every time I've been around you."

  "Well, I had to have one good coping mechanism," she said,
shrugging.

  "To go along with all that Cosmic Brownie eating."

  "I'm still waiting on my lifetime supply of that, by the way. I haven't forgotten."

  "It's my top priority," I assured her.

  "Sure. Right after praying for your president. And protecting your clubhouse. And exacting vengeance, and teaching my son a lesson. And saving my ass again."

  "It's an ass worth saving, babe," I declared, watching as that usually so confident smile of hers went almost shy. I wanted too much to push her back on the bed, to show her that there wasn't a damn thing to be shy about. But it wasn't the time. Or the place. "Come on," I said, moving to stand, slapping a hand on her thigh, urging her up too. "Let's make sure Huck isn't letting your kid watch some raunchy shit on HBO," I said, making my way toward the door.

  "Well, at least it isn't porn," I said a moment later when we walked out to see Huck and Jacob watching someone get a leg sawed off.

  "Oh, look at this bullshit," Huck said, waving a hand at the screen. "Diamond teeth don't work that well. Carbide all the way for cutting off limbs like that."

  "Ah, Huck," I called, drawing his attention. "Maybe telling a fourteen-year-old what blades work best for dismemberment isn't a great idea."

  "Is there some kind of book about what I can say to a kid? Christ," he said, shaking his head.

  "That's a fair question," Eva agreed. "They really do need to make some kind of rulebook up. Can I maybe make some food?" she asked. "As an apology for my son's behavior. And a thank you for letting us crash here," she added.

  "Think we were just gonna order pizza," Huck said. "We are getting low on supplies.

  "Well, let me call then," she offered, desperate for something to do. "I give good phone," she said to me, eyes dancing.

  "Yeah, that will work," Huck agreed. "Ten pies? Eleven? something like that."

  "Oh, honey, you're cute," Eva declared. "Four slices? That's all you're allocating for each of these guys? Come on now. See, this is why men need women around," Eva added, shaking her head.

  "Tell them to put it on our saved card," I told her as she moved into the kitchen to get away from the screaming on the TV.

  "Alright, kid, tell me how long the couple who were fucking live. It's never long," Huck added, standing. "What?" he asked, shaking his head at me. "It was just some tits and grinding before the rock went through the car window. Relax."

  "Have you heard from Cash?"

  "Yeah," he said, nodding as we moved toward the bar. "Looks like he broke his shoulder. That's why he's in surgery. He has a busted rib and a small fracture in his jaw. He's covered in bruises and has stitches in his temple, but the hospital told Summer that he was conscious and demanding they call his woman. Sounds like he's no worse for the wear."

  "Good," I said, letting out a breath I hadn't been aware I'd been holding.

  "Yeah, and knowing Reign, as soon as he's weaned off the anesthesia, he's going to be signing his stubborn ass out to get back here to start handling shit."

  "Sounds about right," I agreed.

  "Probably for the best. It's damn near impossible to secure a hospital. We can protect him better here. Cash said Lo was sending some reinforcements too. Just in case. I can't imagine we will need it. Third Street sounds like your average street gang, right? Not something to rival what you guys have going here."

  "We didn't think they would even try to come at us. They're usually too busy in-fighting. I guess they have a new leader with higher ambitions. I mean... to put a mole in here?" I said, shaking my head, feeling validated for not being a fan of the prospect from the jump.

  "You have a good thing going here. More money than you know what to do with. Of course people want a part of that. Reign has his old allies, yeah, but new players are always coming up. Can't get too complacent."

  "How are things down by you?" I asked.

  To that, he snorted. "It's gonna be a while until we feel like we can take a deep breath. But we will get there."

  "If you ever need any help," I extended the offer.

  "So you can bring your kid and that kid up in my house and tell me I can't say 'pussy' and 'fuck' and watch some bastard get his cock cut off and shoved down his own throat? No thanks," he said, but he was smiling. "You two work it out?" he asked, nodding toward the kitchen where Eva was repeating herself to whomever she was on the phone with, someone who clearly thought she was trying to prank them or something.

  "It's complicated."

  "Everything is in this fucking incestuous town of yours," Huck said, reaching behind the bar for a bottle of whiskey. "Everybody in bed with everyone else, everyone fucking everyone else. Nothing is ever easy here."

  "Yeah that busted ass face you showed up with said it's all sunshine and roses down in Florida. Shit is new for you. Who knows, in five years' time, you might find yourself in bed with all sorts of other organizations."

  "Christ, don't say that shit," Huck said, lip curling.

  "Well, I ordered," Eva declared, waving the phone in the air as she walked back in, doing a double-take at the TV before walking up to us. "There's a fifty-fifty chance they will bring it judging by the disbelieving chick I got on the phone. Are you sharing?" she asked, jerking her chin at Huck's bottle of whiskey.

  With that, we had drinks.

  Then we, eventually, after Pagan called to bitch, ate pizza.

  Reign made it out of surgery.

  And there was a collective sigh of relief.

  Until, as predicted, Reign signed himself out and came home the following afternoon.

  TEN

  Reign

  The lack of pain was welcome. Even as I felt the anesthesia wearing off, I let my eyes stay closed, enjoying the couple moments of calm and rest while I could have it.

  I knew what would come after I woke up.

  Doctors.

  Police.

  My kids.

  Summer.

  But as soon as I learned the extent of my damage, gave the police the bare minimum, held my woman, and reassured my kids, I would need to be back in business mode.

  I would need to talk to my brother, to learn what the fuck was going on, what they knew, what they didn't know.

  Then I needed to sign my ass out of here, brushing off doctor's orders, my wife's concerns, and my own desire to give my body a rest.

  Because shit had to be handled.

  People had to pay.

  We had to take our power back.

  We had to get our supply chain back.

  I needed to figure out the plan for the future of the club.

  So I let myself have the extra twenty minutes.

  "There you are," Summer's voice said, soft, but I could hear the tears she was holding in.

  Turning on the pillow, I found her sitting in the chair at my side, a worried smile tugging at her lips.

  I didn't know how many years we had in—Summer was better with that shit than I was—but I never got sick of waking up to see her there. And I would never get used to the way she worried about me, fretted over me when I was sick or injured.

  "Missed you," I told her, going to lift my hand to reach toward her only to realize I couldn't.

  "That's your bad shoulder," she told me, reaching across my body to take my other hand. "I missed you too. How are you feeling?"

  "High," I admitted, getting a watery chuckle out of her as the first tear fell. "Is everyone okay?"

  "Yes," she told me. "Well, your son is about to burn down all of Navesink Bank, but other than that, yes."

  "He's a good kid."

  "He pulled a gun on Colson, I hear."

  "He what?" I asked, feeling a lot more sober with that information.

  "It's a long story. And I'm sure Cash will be happy to tell it. But right now, I'm worried about you. So let's talk about you. Before they transfer you and the kids and your brother and the police all steal you from me."

  "Okay," I agreed, nodding. "What about me?"

  "I know that something has to
happen because of all this," she said, waving over my body. "But I am going to need something from you."

  "What's that?"

  "I'm going to need you to come back to me," she told me, eyes leaking freely. "I knew what I was getting into. I did. And I think I have been pretty damn good about all this so far. And I know you are angry. And your men are angry. And you need to do something about that. But I need you to be fully you first. And I need you to plan it out really carefully. Because I need you to promise me you are going to come back to me."

  "Babe..."

  "Nope. Don't 'babe' me. I want a promise."

  "I always come back to you."

  "Not good enough."

  "I promise I will let myself heal and that we will be smart." She knew that was all I could give her.

  "Can I interest you in semi-retirement in the near future?" she added, reaching up with her free hand to wipe off her cheeks. "You're not as young as you used to be, you know. And you are a mess right now."

  "Been a while since I've had my ass handed to me," I agreed, nodding. "Can't say I was a fan. This though," I said, jerking my chin toward my shoulder. "That was from falling on it. I could fall at home too, if I were semi-retired."

  "I think we both know that you didn't just—" she started, getting interrupted by the nurse.

  Then the doctor.

  And then I was being moved to a normal floor.

  "Cash is chomping at the bit to get in here," Summer said, fussing over my blankets and pillows after shooing the kids out after they all got a good look at me, were sure I was going to make it.

  They looked beat.

  It was an interesting transition in life.

  To go from worrying sick about your kids to having them get worried sick over you.

  "You should eat," I told her, knowing it had been a long night. "But stay with someone."

  "Wolf is here," she told me, giving me a tired smile.

  "That'll do." If there was one person I knew would protect Summer like she was his own, it was Wolf.

  "I'll be back in half an hour. And then you need to sleep."