“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“And I don’t want you falling down because you’re so tired. We can meet back up for dinner.”
“What about you?”
“I need half the amount of sleep you do. There’s a big chair in there, so if I need to, I can curl up in that.”
Before I could respond, Hatch returned, his arms laden with food.
“Did you leave anything in the café?” I asked, and he grinned.
“Not much, no.” He gave Aero a chin lift. “How’s your mom?”
“She was awake but groggy. She just fell asleep, so I figured I’d update everyone.”
“Good,” Hatch said, handing him a bag of food.
“I thought I’d stick around. Do you mind taking Letti home so she can rest?”
“Course not,” he said.
“Figured we’d meet back up for dinner.”
“Sounds good,” Hatch said. “You give me a call if you need anything or you want to get out earlier.”
He nodded, and I wrapped my arms around him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, baby. I’m good. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Okay.”
He kissed me gently, then walked back to his mom.
“Come on, sweetheart. Maisie’ll get you sorted at home,” Hatch said.
I nodded and followed him to the car.
Aero
MY HEART BROKE as I walked away from Violet. The last thing I wanted was to be without her, but she needed to rest. I stepped into my mom’s room as quietly as I could, her tiny body looking so vulnerable in the big bed.
I needed to talk to her doctor and find out just what the fuck was going on, but she wasn’t due back in until after nine. It wasn’t even six, so I was gonna have to wait a few hours. Mom was still out cold, so I pulled the food Hatch had bought out of the bag, not realizing how hungry I was until I took the first bite.
“Stella?” Mom whispered. “Where’s Stella?”
“It’s just me, Mama. Jasper.” I walked to her bed and took her hand.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. You had a stroke.”
She frowned. “How can I have a stroke? I’m only fifty-six.”
“It happens like that sometimes.”
“Is my face droopy?”
“Nope. You look just as beautiful as always.”
She smiled. “You always were a charmer.”
“You raised me.”
“That’s true. Did I do okay?”
“You did great, Mama,” I assured her.
“Are you happy?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“I need you to be happy, Jassy.”
“I’m workin’ on it, Mama. Promise.”
“Where’s Stella?”
“She died, Mama.”
“What? When?” she demanded.
I filled her in on everything that happened, and she fell apart as I held her. Luckily, she fell asleep again easing her into oblivion. I checked her pulse just to make sure she was still with me, then tucked the blankets around her and stroked her cheek. Jesus, I couldn’t lose her too. I needed to figure out how to pull my head out of my ass and move through all this shit. I needed my mom again.
* * *
Violet
Hatch drove me back to his house. A gorgeous pacific northwest suburban dream home complete with daylight basement.
Maisie pulled me in for a motherly hug, then showed me to the guest room and insisted I take some time for myself. I showered, then grabbed my phone and texted Aero before falling into the queen-sized bed and drifting off to oblivion.
I didn’t wake for close to four hours and reluctantly climbed out of bed wishing I could crawl back in it with Aero.
I checked my phone and saw that Aero had sent me a couple of texts. Nothing I needed to respond to, but I did anyway, and he called immediately.
“Hi,” I breathed out, leaning back on the pillows. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s good, actually. The doctor thinks she’ll be able to go home in a few days.”
“That’s great. Do they know what happened?”
“Definitely a stroke, but minor, apparently. She should make a full recovery, but her memory’s gonna be spotty for a little while.”
“That’s good, honey.”
He sighed. “Gonna need to stick around for a bit.”
“Any idea how long you’ll need to be here?”
“No. We’ll figure it out once she’s released.”
I nodded, my heart racing. “Okay.”
“It might be a few weeks.”
“Yeah,” I rasped.
“Are you crying?”
I blinked back tears. “No.”
“It’s not gonna be forever, baby. I’m coming home to you.”
“I know,” I lied.
“Did you rest?”
“Yes.”
“Baby, you sound so sad.”
I shook off my melancholy. “I’m good.”
“Are you being brave for me?”
“I would never,” I retorted.
“Mom’s gotta have some testing done around four which is going to take an hour or so. How about you come by then and we can go somewhere for dinner?”
“Just us?”
“Yeah. Just us. Hatch said you could borrow a car.”
I smiled. “Okay. That sounds really nice.”
“I gotta go, sweetheart. Mom just woke up.”
“Okay,” I said, but he was already gone.
I sat up and dropped my bag on the bed, opening it in order to figure out what to wear just as my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen and smiled. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hey, baby. You doin’ okay?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
“Yeah, just got off the phone with Aero.”
“I don’t want to leave without him.”
“I know, but you got school and work.”
I sighed. “I’m aware.”
“He’ll be back before you know it.”
“Are you calling me to give me a pep talk or do you know something I don’t?”
“I’m not one for pep talks.”
“Dad, just spit it out.”
“Went through this with your grandpa. ’Course it was worse than what Aero’s mom’s dealin’ with, but he needed six months of rehab.”
“Six months?” I squeaked. “I’m not living without him for six months.”
“You won’t have to, Letti. I’ll set you up somewhere out there if it’s gonna be longer than a few weeks. But you gotta come home and ace your finals.”
I frowned. “Have you run this by Aero yet?”
“No.”
I was relieved. I don’t know why I was relieved, but I was. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight.”
“Maybe I should do that.”
“Um, no. No back room deals,” I said. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Okay, baby girl, that’s fair,” he said. “You stick close to Hatch, got it?”
“I’ll stick close to Aero.”
“Want you to stick close to Hatch when you’re not with Aero. Or someone Hatch trusts.”
“I will,” I promised. “How’s Wyatt?”
“She’s nesting to the point of ripping up the house, but otherwise, she’s good. She only curses my name every other day or when she has to get up off the sofa.”
I smiled. “That’s good.”
“Love you, baby girl.”
“Love you too, Daddy.”
“I’m keepin’ my phone on me at all times. If you need me, call me.”
“I will.”
“Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I said, and hung up.
I took a little extra care with my appearance because I had a feeling I was going to get limited time with Aero over the next few days and I wanted dinner to be special.
Grabbing my purse,
I headed downstairs and found Maisie chatting with a gorgeous man who looked a little younger than me.
“Oh, Violet, love, you look beautiful.”
Exactly what I was going for with my dark skinny jeans and knee-high boots, and V-neck T-shirt.
“Thanks, Maisie.”
“This is Razor,” she said. “He’s going to be driving you.”
“Oh. I thought I was driving.”
“Hatch felt better if you had a recruit drive you where you need to go,” Maisie explained.
“He and my dad talked, apparently,” I grumbled.
Maisie gave me a sympathetic smile. “Not just your dad, love.”
I shook the recruit’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He gave me a chin lift. “You too.”
Maisie handed me a key. “This is for the front door. Just in case you come in late.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be that lucky.”
She chuckled. “I’ll cross my fingers for you.”
“Thanks.”
“You ready?” Razor asked, sliding off the bar stool.
“Yep,” I said, hugging Maisie, then following Razor out to a beat-up truck in the driveway.
He held the door for me, which was a bit of a shock, but I rolled with it. Not all bikers were Neanderthals and I liked gallantry, especially when it was unexpected. Razor wasn’t the most talkative guy, so our short ride to the hospital was quiet. Pulling into the parking lot, I shifted to face him.
“You can just drop me off,” I said.
“Nope,” he replied. “Deliverin’ you to your man.”
I sighed. “Of course you are.”
I saw his mouth twitch in an almost smile, and waited for him to park before unbuckling my belt and opening the door. He made his way to my side of the truck and made sure I didn’t fall as I slid out, then we headed inside.
Arriving to chaos.
Harmon was on the ground, Aero above him, his fist slamming into his face over and over again. With all the commotion, they were bound to draw the attention of security.
“Aero!” I squeaked, just as Razor made a run for my man, dragging him off Harmon.
I went to Harmon and helped him up, grabbing tissues from my purse and handing them to him.
“Thanks,” he said, through his bloody mush mouth.
“Don’t fuckin’ talk to her,” Aero growled, trying to pull away from Razor, but the man seemed to have a good hold on him.
I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Look at me.”
It took a few seconds before Aero relaxed enough for Razor to release him, then he finally met my eyes.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Hatch told you not to come,” Razor admonished Harmon.
“Didn’t think he’d still be here,” Harmon grumbled.
“Jesus, you’re a fuckin’ asshole,” Razor hissed. “Hatch said not to come, period. That’s not gonna go over well with the prez.”
I watched Aero’s face and it was suddenly a mottled red. “Are you fuckin’ prospectin’ with the Dogs?” he growled.
“Not yet,” Harmon said.
“Not fuckin’ ever,” Aero snapped.
“You’re comin’ with me,” Razor said to Harmon. “Hatch is gonna want a word.” He faced me. “You got my number. Text me when you need a ride.”
I nodded, keeping my arms firmly around Aero and waiting for Razor to drag Harmon away.
Aero seemed to collapse, wrapping me firmly in his arms and pulling me close, his face burrowing in my neck. “Hi.”
“Hi, baby,” I whispered, sliding my hands up his back. “What’s going on?”
“Not sure,” he admitted. “But I mean to find out.”
I grabbed his arm as he moved toward the ICU nurses’ desk. “Don’t scare anyone.”
“Someone needs to be scared, Violet. I’m done with this shit.”
“Stop!” I snapped, tugging on his arm. “Honey, please. Let me talk to the nurses. You’re way too keyed up.”
“I want him banned.”
I gripped his cut. “I will let them know that he shouldn’t be near your mom.”
“Banned, Letti. From the whole fuckin’ building.”
“Okay, honey. I’ll deal with it.”
He glared, but then relaxed and gave me a nod.
“Don’t move,” I ordered, and made my way to the nurses’ desk. An older woman smiled up at me from behind a computer and I smiled back in an effort to appear friendly enough that she’d do what I needed her to do.
“May I help you?”
“My boy…ah, fiancé’s mom, Marlene Campbell, is here and he’s having a difficult time with the gentleman who seems to be visiting when he shouldn’t.”
She frowned. “Let me have a look.”
“Thank you.” I glanced over at Aero who was pacing, his hands fisting and unfisting at his sides.
“It says here that Ms. Campbell specifically gave permission for three people. Jasper Campbell, Connor Wallace, and Harmon Rivera.”
I sighed. “Is there a way Mr. Rivera can be taken off that list?”
“Only if Ms. Campbell requests it, or she gives power of attorney to someone else who can request it.”
I sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of. Okay, thank you.”
I walked back to Aero and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Dinner?”
“What’d the nurse say?”
“Let’s go ahead and go to dinner first and then I’ll fill you in.”
“What the fuck did she say, Letti?”
“You need to stow that tone, Jasper. Way down deep in your ballsac because I will not be spoken to that way.”
He rubbed his hands over his face and then palmed his eyes, and I envisioned him sending his anger all the way down to his groin so that he didn’t make the same mistake twice.
I slid my hand up his chest. “Now, dinner?”
“At the risk of pissing you off further, Let, I need a minute.”
I forced back a smile and waited until he’d pulled himself together. It took a few minutes, and although I didn’t get an apology, he did pull out his phone and order a car without any further snarky comments.
Taking my hand, he led me to the elevator, and we rode down to the first floor where we met the rideshare. The car brought us to a restaurant close to the hospital that was known for its steaks and the fact you could throw peanut shells on the ground.
We were seated at a booth for two by the window and the server took our order right away, then walked away. I didn’t like how quiet Aero was, so I slid my hands over the table and tapped my fingers in front of him. He took the hint and settled his hands in mine. “I love you.”
He sighed. “I love you too, baby. Sorry I was shitty.”
“Forgiven.”
“What did the nurse say?”
I squeezed his hands. “That unless your mom gives you power of attorney, only she can ban people.”
“Fuck,” he hissed.
“We’ll talk to Hatch,” I said. “He’ll sort it out.”
“He apparently doesn’t have any control over him, Letti, so I don’t think that’s gonna work.”
“We’ll ask him anyway,” I said. “How’s your mom?”
“Confused,” he said, finally focusing back on me. “She knows who I am, but can’t seem to remember Stella’s dead.”
I gasped. “So you have to tell her every time she asks?”
“Yeah,” he rasped.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“It is what it is.” He tried to pull his hands away, but I held strong.
“Don’t hide from me, honey.”
“It’s a lot, Violet.”
“Yeah. Too much for you to carry by yourself.”
He met my eyes. “You really want to do this?”
“Hell, yes, I want to do this,” I hiss-pered. “I mean, I’d really rather none of this happened, but if you’re dealing with it, I
’m dealing with it.” I squeezed his hands again. “I’m in all the way, honey. Do you need me to say it again?”
He smirked. “I might.”
He finally relaxed, squeezing my hands back. “Thanks, baby.”
“You’re welcome.”
Our food arrived and Aero held my pinky with his while the plates were set in front of us.
“Thank you,” we said, and the server walked away.
Aero released my hand and we dug into our food. We’d just cut into our steaks when his phone buzzed, and he answered immediately. “Jasper. Hm-mm, ah, really? Yeah. Ah, okay, yeah. Sure. Okay, thanks.” He hung up and sighed. “They’re releasing her tomorrow. She doesn’t have enough insurance to cover more time.”
“Isn’t it illegal to kick her out.”
“They’re not,” he said. “The doctor really thinks she can do her rehab outpatient and it will save her money.”
“That’s nice, right?”
“Yeah, actually, they’ve been really fuckin’ cool,” Aero said. “But it means I have to stay.”
“Yeah.” I bit back tears. “For how long?”
He dragged his hand over his beard. “A few weeks, maybe a month.”
I sniffed, wiping the tears from the corner of my eyes.
“Baby, it’s not forever.”
“It is forever. A month is forever,” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I was hopin’ it wouldn’t sound so bad when I said it out loud.”
“You were wrong.”
“I was so fuckin’ wrong.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to go home and finish out finals, then I’m coming back and staying with you until your mom is well.”
“What about your job?”
“You’re more important.”
“Baby, you can’t just tell your job to fuck off. We also need to find a place to live. I can crash at the club or with Mom, but—”
“Dad said he’d set us up.”
“What the fuck?” he whispered.
“Dad said—”
“No, I heard you, Violet,” he growled. “But there is no way in hell another man’s takin’ care of my business.”
“Don’t get mad at me,” I snapped. “I’m just the messenger.”
He dragged his hands down his face again.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I know this is a shit sandwich.”
“I need you to go home, Letti. If you blow up your life because of this, I’ll be pissed.” He reached for my hand. “And if you even entertain the thought that I don’t want you here, I’ll be doubly pissed.”
Primal Hunger (Primal Howlers MC Book 4) Page 10
