by Franca Storm
Just as I was ready to relax for the first time in ages, something caught my attention in my peripheral vision as I approached the intersection.
A van traveling at such rapid speed, it was almost a fucking blur.
Split seconds passed, hardly anything to work with, as it came at my truck.
I tried to swerve, but there was nowhere to go except for the bank to my right.
It slammed into the driver’s side like a battering ram on steroids.
I lost control at the brutal impact, pain ripping through me.
The truck rolled.
And then everything went black.
***
My eyes opened slowly.
Pain radiated through my head.
As everything came back to me, I realized it was likely some kind of head trauma from the crash, a concussion probably.
I blinked hard to clear my blurry vision.
The second I moved, a brutal fucking pain shot through my left arm. I’d felt it before and knew it all too well. My shoulder was dislocated.
I was tasting blood in my mouth and as I reached up with my right arm that seemed in good enough shape and wiped my face, it came away wet with the stuff. Who knew where exactly I was bleeding from?
There was no time to figure it out.
Curses, roars and hefty thuds caught my attention, kickstarting a shot of intense adrenaline that flooded my system quickly.
My vision finally clear enough, I realized I was sprawled out on the edge of the road, several feet behind my overturned truck. I remembered being inside the truck before I’d passed out, so Python must’ve pulled me out. Where the fuck was he now then?
Groaning and rolling onto my good right side, I forced myself to my feet as I struggled to locate the source of the aggressive sounds coming from somewhere nearby.
I’d already been in a state before this fucking accident, so it took me a fight and a half to actually finally stagger to my feet. Even then, I was uneasy and lightheaded in my every step. At least I had adrenaline surging through me, or I’d probably still be down for the count on the dirt road. The side effect of the crazy-ass trembling hands, I could’ve really done without though.
I came up on the right side of the truck to see two bodies sporting Hounds of Fury cuts dropped, both of them with half their skulls blown away.
Stepping over them, I came around to the passenger side to see Python on his knees getting the shit kicked out of him by two more Fury members. He was wincing and clutching his chest with his free hand, the other being used to hold himself upright.
Fuck. It looked like he was having a heart attack.
And the Hounds of Fury assholes were taking full advantage of it.
One of them was yelling at him, “We’ve waited ages for you to step out from under the protection of Lone Outlaws. Just as we figured, you let your rage get the best of you. It makes you weak! You think we weren’t gonna take full advantage of it? You’re gonna die like a piece of shit in the fucking street, just like you deserve.”
“You just… declared… war,” Python rasped.
The two guys laughed. “The war’s already won. You’re a dead man.”
I launched myself at the closest guy.
With my good right hand, I grabbed him by the scruff of his cut, turned into him, and used his weight against him to throw him over my shoulder. He landed on his back hard, choking out a curse at me. As he started to get back up, I thrust my riding boot into his side, hearing a crack. His wheeze right after told me I’d broken a rib, or two. As I leaned in to pistol-whip him into unconsciousness, I heard the second guy running at me from behind.
I jumped back out of the way and he overshot me, giving me the opportunity to spin into a roundhouse kick that had him crashing to his knees. On my way over to finish him off, I kicked the cracked rib guy in the face, knocking him out.
With a roar, the remaining guy leapt at me, coming at my injured left side, slamming right into my dislocated shoulder. A curse tore from my throat as he smashed me back into the hood of my truck, jarring me against it painfully, making me lose my hold on my gun, the thing clattering to the floor. It was a level of agony that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Even Python’s beatdown last night was nothing compared to the searing pain threatening to take me down now. I had to force myself not to chuck of all over the place, it was that intense.
My gaze strayed to Python lying on the dirt road, fighting to stay conscious. There was fear there in his eyes, fear for me.
I knew then.
If I didn’t end it, the both of us were done for.
I’d be dead at the hands of the Hounds of Fury bastard and Python would die on the side of the road from a fucking heart attack.
The Fury asshole smashed his fist into my face, making my head snap to the side, then pulled on my injured arm. The sudden shock of it jarred me back to the moment in a real brutal way. It was exactly what I needed. My brain worked frantically to find a way out of the situation.
And that was when I saw it.
A knife holstered at his upper thigh.
While he was busy trying to mess with my arm again, I reared forward, smashing my skull into his face, fucking his nose up in the process. Blood spurted, his eyes watering, compromising his vision.
Just what I needed.
I slammed my knee into his gut, forcing him back.
I pushed off the hood, snatched the blade out of his holster, and brought it down, stabbing him in the gut. I twisted it for good measure, then jerked it back out and kicked him to the ground.
As he reeled on the ground, down for the count, I pulled out my cell and stumbled over to Python. I speed-dialed Wraith, thankful for him picking up right away, always the reliable guy.
“The Fury ran us off the road. Two of their guys are dead, another two are down. Python’s in cardiac arrest and I’m… not good.” I slumped to my knees beside Python. “Help, brother,” I rasped. “Help.”
And that was it.
My body finally gave in.
Lights out.
22
~Anarchy~
SICKLY-YELLOW WALLS.
That was what I woke up to.
I shifted my weight, surprised to find that there wasn’t much pain at all now.
Feeling resistance, I looked down, finding an IV protruding from my arm. I eyed the bag it was hooked up to. No wonder the pain had dissipated. I was hopped up on some strong painkillers. And tucked up in a hospital bed.
Hospital?
My injuries must’ve been more severe than I’d realized if the club infirmary hadn’t been able to cut it. The hospital was the last possible resort for us. The kinds of injuries that would put us in a state warranting a hospital would also draw the attention of law enforcement.
Fuck. Did I need to get out of here right the hell now?
“It’s all right,” a familiar voice spoke, drawing my attention to a couple of chairs underneath a window.
I took in a very tired looking Wraith sitting forward in one of the chairs, his hand reaching out and settling on mine, trying to keep me calm.
“What’s going on? Why am I here? In a hospital?”
“You’d already taken a big hit after Python’s beating, then the car wreck and dealing with those Fury members… it took a toll on you. You needed urgent attention. You were passed out when I got to the roadside. You had a severe concussion. We worried you’d slip into coma territory. We didn’t want to take any chances.”
Shit. “You pinged my cell, right? That’s how you found me? I never gave you our location. I was… I was too fucked up.”
He shrugged. “Don’t sell yourself short. You handled the situation well. I’m impressed.”
“For real?”
“Without a doubt. I can’t be calling you kid anymore now.” He rose to his feet. “By the way, you can also rest easy about Python. He’s not gonna be on your back anymore seeing as though you saved his life. In fact, he actually owes you one now.�
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“Right.” Yeah, I had saved him. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s had surgery. He’ll be fine as long as he takes it easy.”
“He declared war against Hounds of Fury.”
“Well, with the state of him, that’s not going to be happening. Not for a long time anyway. Lone Outlaws will be fine. Their security is top-of-the-line because of us. Plus, we’ve got their back and the enemy is well aware. They’ll be risking too much to come at them directly in their stronghold. So, as long as Python and his boys lay low for a bit, they’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t sure if he really believed that. It didn’t sound like the man that I’d grown to know. He, like Spartan, never believed safety could exist while a threat was still looming, no matter how far off it seemed to be. It seemed he was just trying to make me feel better, to put me at ease.
Before I could get into it, the door to the room opened and Spartan strode on in.
He gave me a tight smile as he reported, “The doc says you’re gonna be okay, but they’re gonna keep you here for a few days and you gotta take it real easy for a few weeks at least.”
“All right,” I agreed.
He crossed to the bed and lifted his chin at Wraith, who nodded in understanding, then rose from his chair. Clapping Spartan on the shoulder, he said, “Go easy, yeah?”
Spartan merely grunted.
He waited until Wraith had left the room, then folded his arms across his chest and gave me that look all the boys at the club knew all too well. It was the look that let you know you were about to get your ass handed to you.
Seeing as though I’d had that way too many times and from way too many people lately, I wasn’t down for another go around. So, instead, I cut to the end, telling him, “I’m sorry, Prez. I know I made a mistake.”
He scoffed. “A mistake?”
“Okay, yeah, a bunch. All part of the same thing though.”
“What was the biggest one?”
I didn’t need to think much about that. It’d been obvious early on. “Not coming to you.”
“Right.” Shaking his head to himself, he said, “You made the same kinda mistake I did, not that long back. Not pulling on the support of the club, of our brotherhood, and trying to go it alone instead. That ain’t what Iron Kings is about. We protect our own. We got each other’s backs, no matter what. Against all else.”
“With the alliance we brokered with Lone Outlaws, I thought—”
“You thought what? I’d choose a business deal over you?”
“It’s more than a business deal. The clubs are tied together now.”
“Iron Kings is Iron Kings, Anarchy. Our brotherhood comes first to our own. You’re a hell of an asset to the club. But it’s way more than that. You’re part of our family and you have been for over five years now. Your standing’s solid. I ain’t gonna let you go nowhere, unless you want that. You gotta get beyond all that shit of your past and know that’s over. It’s a new day now, a new life for you. None of us will ever abandon you. You’re with us for life and we’re with you. You getting me here? You clear?”
Talk about some heavy emotional whiplash. Damn, the guy knew how to give a speech. It was a major effort just to swallow down how choked up it’d gotten me. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m clear.”
He smiled, happy that he’d gotten through to me. But it faded in the next few moments as he took in the state of me in the hospital bed all bruised and fucking well battered. “I got pull over Python. It never had to come to all this.”
“Hindsight, right?”
“Shoulda been foresight.”
“Yeah. I know.” I shifted my weight in the bed, trying to get into a more comfortable position. It wasn’t exactly easy to do, given how messed up I was. Just that slight move had my head swimming and I slumped back against the pillows fast. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“You gotta take it easy for a few weeks. When that’s over and you’re healed, you’ll go back to doing what you do best.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “That’s it? You aren’t going to—”
“Looks like you been punished enough, don’t it?”
I couldn’t believe it.
He was letting me off scot-free.
“Prez, I—”
“Save it. We’re good here. You’re good.” He moved away. “Just rest up well, yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I will.”
As he started on his way out of the room, he told me, “The doc’s gonna be by to check on you again in the next hour. I’ll get you a TV set up in here so you ain’t going stir-crazy. You want your laptop too?”
“Yeah, that’d be great. Where’s Hayley? Does she know about all this?”
“Grim is holding her back at the Iron Kings clubhouse.”
“What?”
“Automatic security protocol when it comes to the club princess in these situations,” he told me. “This weren’t just any attack neither, Anarchy. It was an attempted hit on their fucking President. Hardcore. It calls for serious lockdown. Lone Outlaws is locked down right now too, nobody in or out. Grim and Hayley are all the way out here, though, so I offered up our compound.”
“She’s not gonna take well to that. People she cares about are hurt and in the goddamn hospital.”
He nodded his understanding, but said, “Ain’t my call when it comes to her. It’s Python’s.”
I was sick and tired of hearing that. I was fucking done with the Lone Outlaws crew overriding her free will without even a goddamn discussion about it either.
I knew how to end it. “She’s mine.”
“Yeah, I know. Fuck, everybody knows after all the shit that’s gone down over you two hooking up.”
“No. I mean, I’m claiming her. Right now. She’s my woman, my Old Lady.”
It didn’t come about often, but there it was. Spartan was shocked. “Balls out, huh?”
“That’s right.”
He smiled and I could see the pride shining in his eyes. “Well, that changes things.”
I knew it did. And, fuck, not long ago, it would’ve been one of the very few things in life that would’ve scared the living shit out of me. Now, though, now it was everything.
There was no denying it and didn’t want to deny any part of it.
She was mine. I was hers.
We belonged together.
23
~Hayley~
“YOURS, HUH?”
Looking weary and more than a little high from whatever painkillers they were pumping through his system, Damien still managed a self-satisfied smirk. “Damn fucking straight.”
I held his hand, gently running my fingers up and down the back, needing something to do in order to pull focus from the awful state of him lying in a hospital bed so beat up.
Adrenaline was still shooting through my body like dozens of livewires that felt like they were quickly approaching some sort of overload. I was doing my best to hide it, to repress the disconcerting sensation of trembling all over, to keep my panic buried deep enough so that Damien wouldn’t see it.
“Did you do it, just so I could come here without pulling a prison break?” I asked, tentatively and trying to keep it as casual as possible given the ordeal he’d gone through. Part of me hadn’t wanted to ask at all. But, the other part? Well, the other had needed to know where we stood after all the chaos and drama of the last few days.
“No, lovely. I did it for us. Because I love you and I want you with me in every way. Making it official solidifies all that.”
I smiled. “That was quite an answer.”
“Yeah?” he teased. “You liked that, huh?”
“As long as you don’t think for a second that I’m your property in any way.”
“Never. You know me better than that. It is how your dad and the guys of his club see it though. But, it doesn’t matter anymore, because me doing this frees you from all of that archaic bullshit.”
I grinned. “Good.”
“You know,
me and your dad were actually getting along before that attack went down.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we bonded a bit.”
I frowned. “Over what?”
“Our love for you.”
Oh. His heartfelt words cut right through the unemotional, cool façade I’d been struggling to hold up. It all shattered in one fell swoop and I broke down sobbing, “Oh my God, when I got that call telling me you and my dad had been hurt and rushed to the hospital… I just… I was so scared. I couldn’t even breathe properly, think, do anything. It was all too much, just thinking about the possibility of losing either of you two.”
He reached out weakly and clasped my hand. “I get it, lovely, and I’m sorry I put you through that. But I’m here healing up well and I’m going to make a full recovery. Spartan said the same goes for your dad. It’s all gonna be okay. I’m here. I’m here with you.”
I took his words in, soaking up the comfort, trying to pull myself together. “I’m here with you too, baby.
He smiled sweetly. “I know and I love you for it.”
“I love you too.”
As I was about to lean in and hug him as much as I really could in his injured state, anyway, the door flew open, jarring the both of us, and making me pull back automatically.
I looked to see Grim standing there.
It brought back instant flashes of the last time he’d walked in on Damien and me. Even though we hadn’t been doing anything this time and I was fully-dressed, just the memory alone had my cheeks heating.
Thankfully, Grim decimated the tension really quickly, as he announced, “Your old man’s awake and asking for you, princess.”
I looked at Damien. “Will you be okay here for a while?”
He gave me a big smile. “Go, lovely. I’m gonna sleep for a bit anyway.”
“Okay, baby.” I leaned in and kissed his forehead, then followed Grim out of the room.
He led me down the sterile, unwelcoming hospital corridor. We made a couple of turns, then came to a stop outside another room.
“He’s in there,” Grim confirmed, as if it wasn’t already obvious. I figured he was just as out of it as the rest of us right now. As security for the club, he had to have a million things running through his head and to take care of right now. There’d just been an outright attack against his president, for goodness sake. It was a huge deal.
