by K. C. Stone
28
Jules
The beeping of the machine alerting me that Mom was still here was the only piece of comfort I had. Knowing I still had her made the thought of the long road to recovery bearable.
Dom’s warm hand squeezed my shoulder. I tilted my head and grazed my lips across his knuckles. He had been my rock through all this, the one person I’d been able to lean on.
Getting to my feet, I looked into his eyes. Sadness and sympathy loomed there. It broke me. I leaned into his arms as he wrapped them around me and sobbed. They were the painful kind of tears, the kind I couldn’t control. I cried for my mom, for my dad, for the love they’d had. A love cut too short. I cried for myself. I hadn’t been ready for him to leave. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. The inability to understand mixed with sadness and unanswered questions, fueling my rage and making the tears fall harder.
“Shh, baby. It’ll be okay. Cry all you need to. I’ve got you,” Dom whispered.
I pulled back, knowing he meant well, but unable to control the surge of anger. “No! It isn’t okay, Dom!” My voice cracked with emotion. “How do I do this?” I glanced at my mom lying in the hospital bed. “How do you tell someone that the person they’ve loved since they were nineteen is gone, and they can’t even say goodbye? How do I tell my mom that her husband, her best friend, my father, is dead?” I started to dissolve again when I heard a gasp. I spun around, covering my mouth with my hand. I rushed to my mom’s side. “I’m so sorry, Momma.”
Her face crumpled as tears poured down her cheeks. She shook her head. “No. No, it can’t be real!”
I sat in the chair next to her and grabbed her hand and kissed it. Leaning over, I gently pressed a kiss on her bruised cheek, trying not to hurt her. “I’m so sorry, Momma,” I whispered as tears ran down both our faces.
I held her as she cried for the love she’d lost too early. My already crumbling heart shattered. The brokenness she must have felt was something I prayed I never had to experience.
Mom cried herself to sleep. I sagged, laying my head down beside her. The sorrow and pain that came with the death of a loved one, especially a parent I was learning, took so much out of you. It drained you emotionally, mentally, and physically. I knew there were things I should be doing, but sitting here with her, I was unsure where to begin. What did I do? I wanted to take care of things for her so that she didn’t have to, but had no idea what those things were.
Placing my head in my hands, I fought the urge to break down again. I needed to find the strength and courage to help her, to help Grace. Oh God, poor Grace. She’d lost so many people and been through so much. And she’d gotten so close to my parents over the past few weeks. My brain was going a mile a minute, so many thoughts. The burden started to feel like too much.
I closed my eyes and tried to shut out everything around me. I heard Dom talking to the doctors and detectives that had come in, trying to figure out what had happened. I focused on the steady timbre of his voice, and soon it had me in a trance. I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep until Dom shook me awake.
For a moment, I’d forgotten where I was. I looked around and saw Mom asleep in the hospital bed. Everything came crashing back.
“What did they say?” I asked softly, trying not to wake her.
Dom rubbed my shoulders. “The doctor said she was lucky to make it out alive. The car almost crushed her. She has a couple broken ribs, a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and the laceration on the side of her face required sixteen stitches. But she should recover fully.” He sighed and kissed my head. “They have no idea what caused the wreck.”
I nodded and kept watching my mom. Something bugged me about the whole thing. It just felt off. Maybe it was just my grief. I shoved it down and focused on Mom. She was going to need me and I had to stay strong.
Dom
I walked back into the hospital room later that day after making some calls.
“I hate hospitals.” I said quietly to myself.
Seeing that Jules was asleep in the chair by her mom, I stopped at her mother’s bed. She looked up and I grabbed her hand. “Cara, I’m going to find out what happened. I promise.” I glanced at Jules. “I need to leave for a little while. Someone has to tell Grace.” Her face fell and her lip quivered. “I figured she’d handle it better coming from someone she was more comfortable with. The brothers are keeping her busy, but she’s getting suspicious.” She just nodded. I brushed the tears from her cheeks. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be back soon.”
I snuck over and kissed Jules softly before I walked out the door.
I called Ezra on the way downstairs, giving him a heads up that I was coming. He told me he’d already broke the news to her, because she knew something was wrong and was getting angry. He, Axel, Grace, Leah, Faith, and Viper are all on their way up to the hospital with Locke.
I sighed. If I couldn’t tell her, the only other people she really trusted besides Jules’ parents were Jules and Ezra, so I was glad he’d been the one to tell her and had been there for her. “Thanks for having my back, brother.”
“Dude, no problem. That’s what family is for. You have enough on your plate. Besides, Grace is important to me. You know that.”
“I do. Be careful on your way in,” I warned him, not needing to explain my statement.
“We will. Oh, and Tech is already trying to find any information about what the fuck happened.” I heard voices in the background and a car door close. “We’ll see you in fifteen, brother.” He hung up.
Since I was already downstairs and needed the air, I waited outside for them. When they pulled up, we all headed in. I had them wait in the hall while I made sure Jules and her mom were ready for company.
“Baby,” I kissed Jules’ temple. “Wake up, honey. The girls are here.”
She opened her eyes and I could tell when it registered where she was at. “Grace?” she whispered.
I looked toward the door and her eyes followed mine as the girls walked in. They crowded around Cara and Jules, lending them their strength. I watched Jules as she stood and embraced Grace. Clinging to Jules and to Cara’s hand, Grace’s face crumbled, releasing pent up tears of grief, mourning with her new mother and sister.
After a few minutes, I touched Jules’ back. “Baby,” I said, not really wanting to interrupt their moment. “Baby?” Finally getting her attention, I ran my fingers down her face and wrapped my hand around her chin. “I’m going to step out and let you be with your girls for a while, okay? There will be a couple guys at the door in case you need anything.” She nodded and I walked out, motioning the guys to follow me to the waiting room.
I leaned back on the couch in the waiting area, waiting for the rest of my brothers to get seated. I rubbed my aching temples.
Locke looked at me. “What do we know?”
“Let me get everyone on first.” I dialed Tech, putting the call on video.
He answered quickly. “What’s up, brother?” Tech said, getting settled in his chair.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks to a couple of cops that were in with Sal, this is what we got. Sal and Cara were headed to dinner. They only had a small detail with them, one man in the car ahead. Every Thursday night, they went to the same restaurant. It’s been their standing date night for the past five years. Anyway, they’d just left the restaurant, heading home, when witnesses say a dark, blacked out SUV drove through a red light and plowed right into them. Most of the impact on the driver’s side.” I tried to give as much detail as I could.
Viper tilted his head. “Sounds pretty cut and dry. At least it would to most people. Are the cops looking into this?” His tone had a hint of sarcasm in it. “With the Outlaw President dead, a lot of people will be trying to get a piece. I mean, that’s a big, powerful family.”
I nodded. “Yes, they’re continuing with the investigation. They have conflicting stories from some witnesses, and with Sal having some pretty high up associates, they seem to be ta
king this seriously. The problem is, I’m afraid that once they get the guy driving the car, they’ll stop. They just want a lynch man. They may not look into who made the hit.”
Locke raised a brow. “What makes you think this was a hit and not just an accident?” The look in his eye said he agreed with me but wanted to hear my reasons.
“Because eye-witnesses say the SUV was at the red light and was stopped with their hazards on, then out of nowhere guns it and smacks into Sal’s car. They said it was like the SUV was waiting for them to drive by.” I clenched my fist and took a breath. “I want the guy that put the hit out. I want the person that decided that it was okay to try and kill my girl’s parents.”
“What about the SUV? It just drove off?” Viper asked.
“How is that possible?” Ezra wondered out loud. “Seems like if there were so many witnesses, one would’ve gotten the plate.”
“It seems that some of the witnesses really don’t remember anything, and the details are fuzzy. Some say they never noticed the SUV, others say they didn’t see the accident, they only heard the crash.” I reached beside me for the brown bag I’d grabbed on my way out of the room. “We did manage to get pieces of the cars. Tech, I want you to run all the tests you can. Get Wizard to help you. He knows all that weird diagnostic car shit. See what you can find out about both cars. We also need to talk to the other witnesses ourselves. Press them for information. I have a bad feeling about this.” I shook my head and looked at Locke. “What are you thinking?”
“Who would want Sal and Cara dead? Or at least Sal. Because it seems like he might have been the main target, since they hit on his side, and Cara was just collateral damage.” Locke’s jaw tightened. “Sal has his share of enemies, like we all do. His list just might be a little longer.”
“What about John?” Ezra asked.
Viper frowned at Ezra. “Why would John kill Sal?”
“It’d make sense. It’d get Sal out of his way and start clearing his path to Jules.” Locke’s eyes darkened. “If this is John, he has people on the inside at Sal’s club for sure, and maybe some we haven’t found yet in ours. I don’t want this going out of this circle until we find out what the fuck is going on. Understand?”
“You got it, Prez,” was voiced from each brother.
I jumped up and started pacing back and forth as Locke started giving orders.
“Ezra, go get clothes for Cara and Grace. They’ll stay at the compound until all this is worked out. Viper and Axel, go with Ezra to get Grace and Cara’s clothes, and snoop around the house. Find out what the hell is going on in that club. Do whatever it takes. Something has to be going down in there. Nobody just accidentally kills the President of the largest MC in New York. This shit was planned, and probably with info from inside. Let’s get this shit done.” Everyone nodded. Locke watched me wear a hole in the floor. “Dom, you stay with the girls. They’re going to need you. And boy, don’t let your guard down for a minute. Who the hell knows who else is out for this family?” Locke said, his anger rivaling mine.
“If this is John, then he might want something else. This may not just be about getting Jules.” Viper remarked. He gave me a look of sympathy. “Sorry, brother, no offense, but no fucker is going to this extreme just for pussy, no matter how good that shit is.”
I turned on Viper, holding myself back from clocking him. “Fuck you, brother!” I shouted.
“Hey,” Locke barked. “Cut the shit!” he bit out through clenched teeth. He slapped Viper on the back of his head. “You don’t talk about another brother’s woman that way. You’re lucky I don’t let him gut your ass,” he quipped as he stood. “You all have your orders. Get the fuck up and get to them!” Locke demanded. “Tech, grab Mac and a prospect and get up here so you can get this evidence, then escort the girls home when they’re ready.”
“On it.” Tech hung up.
Locke turned for the door. “I’m going to make some calls and get some answers,” he muttered as he walked away.
29
Jules
The rest of the girls had just left, and Mom was asleep again, so Grace and I were talking about Dad. She’d only had a small amount of time with him, but his death had broken her just like the rest of us.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get a lot of time with him,” I murmured, looking at the photo of the four of us we’d taken last week in the antique frame by Mom’s bedside, which Grace had brought with her.
Grace gave a sad smile. “I’m just grateful I got to have any time with him.” She looked lovingly at the picture. “Growing up in foster care, I could always tell when the family really cared about me, or if they just wanted the check that came with me.” She swallowed back tears. “I could tell he really cared. For the first time in my life, I felt whole and truly loved. I had the perfect story book family. A mom and a dad and even a big sister.” She broke down then.
Mom squeezed both of our hands. “Oh, sweet girl, you still have us. We may not be the perfect family, but if you still want us, we’ll still be your family,” she finished on a whisper.
“I’ve always wanted a little sister to push around,” I quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
We talked for a few more minutes, and then Grace left with one of the guards outside the door to get some coffee.
Clearing his throat to make his presence known, Dom walked in and stood by my chair. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, then both eyelids. He placed one soft kiss on my nose before landing a steamy kiss on my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom smile.
“Are you okay, baby?” he whispered.
“Yeah. We were just talking about Dad. How did your meeting go?”
“Good. Baby, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Yeah, sure. Mom, will you be okay?” She nodded and I stood up. I saw Dom shooting a text to Grace, telling her to meet us in the waiting lounge.
“Dom,” my mom piped up. “Is Locke here?”
“Yeah, he is. I will send him in.”
“Thank you, sweetie.”
“Be back soon, Momma. Okay?” An unsettled feeling coursed through my body. I grabbed his elbow on the way out the door. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He led me toward the waiting room. “Let’s wait for Grace. Then I’ll tell you everything.”
We made it to the lounge just as Grace walked up with the same terrified look in her eyes I’d seen that first day in the hospital all those weeks ago. Reaching for her hand, I tried to reassure her with a squeeze and a slight smile.
Dom motioned us to sit on the couch and he knelt in front of us. “Okay, so here’s what we know. We’re still looking into it, but we think this might have been planned.” We both gasped but he went on. “There might be a chance that the accident was a hit on your dad. Unfortunately, it looks like your mom was just collateral damage.”
Reeling from what Dom just told us, numbness creeped into my body. I shook, unable to comprehend what Dom had said. I heard people talking in the hall, but everything was muffled. I fell forward as gravity grabbed me hard and fast.
“Shit, baby! I got you.” Dom’s voice startled me out of my trance. He grabbed my chin and demanded I look at him. I could tell by the worry in his eyes he saw the fear in mine. “Baby, I swear I’ll protect you with everything I have and everything I am. Do you trust me?”
As my strength came back, I rose to my feet. “Always.” I leaned up on my tip toes and gripped the collar of this cut. Pressing my forehead to his, I closed my eyes. I took a deep inhale of his scent, letting it run through my veins, calming as it travelled through my body. Opening my eyes, I looked into his. “I will always trust that you will protect me.” I kissed him fiercely, putting everything I had into a single kiss, trying to convey all my love and trust for him.
We only pulled away when we heard Grace clearing her throat. She fanned herself with her hand. “I mean, damn that’s hot!” she said on a laugh.
“We better get back before Mom star
ts wondering where we are and worries.” I grimaced.
“Yeah, she thinks I was just getting something to drink,” Grace said as we turned and walked back toward the room.
We skidded to a halt when we saw the doctor leaving her room.
Dom caught the doctor by the arm. “Hey, Doc, is everything okay?”
“Yes. I was just doing my rounds.” He explained. He looked at me. “Your mother is doing very well. Healing quite nicely. If she keeps up her progress, she can go home in a day or so. As long as she has someone with her. She still requires a good amount of rest. The fractures to her ribs and the concussion will take some time to heal completely.”
Sticking out his hand, Dom shook the doctor’s. “Thank you so much, Doc.”
We headed back in to give my mom the good news. We’d save the bad for later.
Cara
The words rattling around in my head that Sal was dead flooded me with relief and sadness. Years of secrets that had beat me down and made me feel like I was drowning. I needed to talk to Locke. He needed to know.
If anything had happened to me, he needed to know and she would need him. A knock caused me to jerk, pulling the line in my arm and sending a twinge of pain through me.
“You wanted to see me?” Locke asked, the ghost of our past haunting his eyes.
“Yes,” I said, barely above a whisper.
“Listen, Cara, I won’t say anything about us to Jules. If that’s what you are worried about. I would never. You just lost your husband. I’m only here to protect you and the rest of the girls.”
“Stop!” I said, mustering all the courage I could find.
“I need to tell you something, and I need you to do something for me,” I told him, trying to prop myself up in the bed.
Reaching for my hand, he wrapped his fingers around mine. “Cara, what’s wrong? His voice was rough and low.
