“Blayze called.” Monica pauses and takes a deep breath. “They were riding to Salazar’s compound when a pickup came out of nowhere. He sideswiped Capone. I don’t know how bad he’s hurt.”
“What?” I whisper. My heart sinks to my toes and my breathing becomes erratic. This is all my fault. If I only did what Salazar wanted, no one would be hurt. My mind starts playing out every worst case scenario in my head. He’s bleeding out on the side of the road. He’s paralyzed. He’s dead and they’re not telling me. I snap out of the dark thoughts plaguing my mind and snap into the present. Monica is watching me, waiting to see if I’ll freak the fuck out or stay composed. “Let’s go. Red, I’m riding with you. Monica can ride with Derange. Keep your prospects here to watch over the girls.” I walk out of Monica’s room with her and Red hot on my heels. We hurry to the garage where Derange is waiting. He has his helmet on already and hands Monica and me ours.
Monica slips hers on and I put mine on. Derange and Red are on their bikes, firing them up. I climb on behind Red and Monica gets on behind Derange. The guys peel out of the garage and the rolling gate is already opened by the time we reach it so we don’t need to stop. The sun is setting against the horizon as we ride as fast as we can.
I send up a prayer to the biker Gods and hope they’re listening. I’m coming, Derek. Stay strong, stay with me.
Chapter 11
Danyella
It took us a few hours to get here in El Bajio, Mexico, a little Mexican town south of Tijuana. It was the closest hospital from the accident. If this little building is what you’d call a hospital. The sun set a while ago, making it eerie as we pull down the quiet road. Homes are nestled side by side with thick fencing around each. The rumble of the bikes causes people sitting outside to stop what they’re doing and watch.
Red and Derange park their bikes next to the other bikes sitting alongside the road. A man approaches us from the shadows and Red knuckle bumps him.
“They’re inside waiting for you,” the man says.
“Thanks, brother. Anything else?” Red asks.
“Nada. Quiet on the streets. I’m sure I’ll turn something up by morning.” I’m not sure who this man is but I’m guessing he’s on our side. Which is a relief to know. “His bike will be fixed and out front by morning also.”
“Thanks, man. Do what you can but stay safe.” Red praises him.
“Si, Senor. We’ll keep watch over your bikes while you’re inside.” He knuckle bumps Red and Derange and disappears into the shadows.
Red pops his kickstand down and settles the bike on it. He taps my leg and I hoist myself off and remove my helmet. Derange and Monica does the same. Before she’s even completely off the bike, Blayze appears from behind the hospital and scoops her up into his arms, her helmet not even off her head. Monica wraps her arms around Blayze’s neck and he pulls her against him, kissing her deeply. A deep pain laces my chest watching them and I hold my tears back.
Blayze breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against Monica’s breathing her in. “Thank fuck you’re OK. How’s my brother?”
Blayze’s eyes land on me and a sad smile crosses his face. He releases Monica and gives me a warm hug. I hold back the tears threatening to escape. Now isn’t the time for a pity party. My man needs me to be strong for him and for his Club.
“Come on, I’ll take you inside. He’s doing OK, considering what happened.” Blayze tucks Monica into his side and the five of us head inside. We walk around to the back of the building, under a blue tarp flapping in the breeze and turn left. The hospital just like the rest of the houses here is made of brick and mortar to keep them cool in the desert sun. From what I’ve learned in school, it’s a cheap and effective way homes are built down here.
Blayze takes us up a set of stairs and turns left. The distinct beeping of monitors fills the narrow hallway. He leads us to a waiting room where Torch, Trigger, Dagger, Tiny and Bear are sitting or pacing back and forth. All eyes land on us when we walk into the room. The looks of sympathy are etched on each of their faces. It makes me want to break down, but I don’t. I find strength in each of these men surrounding me to keep pushing forward.
“Have you heard anything yet?” I ask.
“Not yet. The Doc is in with him now.” Torch’s voice is gruff when he answers.
“What happened? How did this happen?”
“We were riding in formation to Salazar’s compound when a pickup came out of nowhere and tried to take Capone out. He saw the pickup at the last second and swerved. Blayze laid his bike down to avoid hitting the pickup and Capone. Capone hit the box of the pickup with the side of his bike and went down, skidding across the gravel road. Before we could open fire, the driver took off. We haven’t been able to find him yet.” Torch retells what happened with vengeance in his voice.
“And when we do find that motherfucker, I have something special planned for him,” Blayze says, cracking his knuckles. The hatred in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. I forget these men are killers when it comes to taking care of people who hurt them or someone they care about. I chose not to see what they’re capable of but hearing my brother talk about what he’s going to do, it reminds me that they’re not innocent by any means.
“Can I see him yet or the doctor?” I’m impatient to find Capone and know he’s OK with my own eyes. They can tell me he’s fine, but I need to see him for my own peace of mind.
“Yes, you can see him.” A female voice says from behind me. I turn to find a beautiful woman standing in the doorway. She has long brown hair pulled up on top of her head and a white lab coat on. Her honey-colored eyes asses me and the rest of the men behind me. “I’m Dr. Perez.” She extends her hand to me and I take it.
“Thank you, Dr. Perez. How’s he doing?”
“He’s stable. Capone has road rash from the fall where his leathers didn’t protect him, some stitches in his head from where his helmet cut into it and bruised ribs from the handlebars on his bike. Follow me and I’ll take you to him.” Dr. Perez turns on her heels and walks out of the waiting room. Collective sighs release all around me. I hurry to keep up with the doctor, impatient to see Derek.
“He’s in here,” she motions to the door. “I have him hooked up on monitors to keep track of his heart rate for the night. If he has a good rest, he’ll be able to leave tomorrow sometime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some other things to do.” Dr. Perez disappears out of sight, leaving me alone in front of Capone’s closed door.
I inhale a deep breath and place my hand on the doorknob. Straightening my shoulders, I turn the knob and step into the room. Capone’s laying on the bed, his eyes are closed. The monitor beeps softly in the small room. He has bandages around both arms and his head that I can see. He has tubes in his nose and an IV hooked up.
I quietly step into the room, so I don’t disturb his sleep and sit in the chair next to Derek’s bed. I take his hand in mine and it’s cold to the touch. If it weren’t for the monitors beeping, I’d think he wasn’t sleeping. His tanned face is paler than normal. His larger than life form I’m used to seeing looks tired and sore laying here in the small bed. Derek squeezes my hand gently and turns his head in my direction. He opens his eyes and gives me a small smile.
“Danyella,” he whispers.
“I’m here, Derek. I’m here.” I squeeze his hand and he tries pulling me closer.
“Need to feel you next to me.” He releases my hand and holds my cheek in the palm of his hand.
“You’re hurt. I can’t lay down with you.” I shake my head.
“Yes, you can. I was scared I’d never get to see you again. Now get up here before I pull you onto this bed, injuring myself more.” His voice is raspy and he wipes a tear from my cheek. “Don’t cry, Belle. I’m fine, really. Just sore.”
“I’m so relieved you’re not hurt worse.”
“So am I, now get over here.” He pulls on my arm with strength I didn’t think he had and I climb onto the bed, being care
ful of his injuries. Once I’m tucked into Derek’s side, I lay my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, he relaxes. “That’s better. Now get some sleep and we’ll get out of here tomorrow.”
“Derek,” I pick my head up and look at his face. His chiseled jaw covered with a few days' old dark stubble, his perfect nose, his onyx eyes watching me. Even the bandage on his forehead, covering his black hair, Derek is my perfect man. The one I want to spend the rest of my life with, no matter what. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. It just took my head a while to catch up to my heart.”
“Belle.” My heart skips a beat when he calls me that. Derek pulls me up so we’re face to face. “I love you, too. No matter what, I want you by my side.”
“I’d like that.” I place a soft kiss on his lips, savoring the warmth of his skin against mine. Capone grips the back of my head, holding me to him. A soft moan escapes his throat and he kisses me again. My body is on fire from his touch alone but I tamp it down. A hospital in Mexico while Derek is bandaged and sore, is not a place to have sex. I break the kiss and lay my head down next to Derek’s. His heart monitor is beeping like crazy and I know if I put my hand against his chest, his heart would race under my touch.
Derek opens his eyes and the look of love and desire etched deep into the depth. “I’m happy you’re here. Now I can sleep better with you next to me.”
“Get some rest and we’ll head out tomorrow.” I carefully run my fingers over the top of his head where the bandage isn’t covering his dark hair. He settles his head on my chest, his body against mine. I can feel his hard cock against the side of my hip. Stuffing the want and desire down, I settle into the bed with Derek and try to get some sleep. He needs it to recover and I need it from all the emotions I’ve been through today. Derek’s soft snoring and warm body against mine lulls me into a deep sleep. The worry about Salazar and what he’s trying to do slips from my mind with Derek next to me.
Sunlight streams through the windows and I stretch my arms over my head. My body is stiff from sleeping on this bed. Derek nuzzles his head between my breasts and it sets my body on fire with want.
“Good morning.” Derek’s voice is raspy from sleep, making him sound sexier than he normally does.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?” I run my hand through his dark hair, playing with the soft, silky strands.
“Better but stiff elsewhere if you keep doing that.” He mumbles into my chest, vibrating my body. He pulls his head up, staring into my eyes, hypnotizing me. “I’m grateful I get this time with you again. I thought for sure that was the end yesterday.”
“You have no idea how scared I was.” I kiss him lightly on the lips. “What are we going to do now?”
“Now, I’m getting out of here and we’re going to finish what we started before the accident.” Derek carefully sits up, testing his muscles.
Now’s the time I should tell him. I need to tell him, but fear holds me back. Fear of how he’ll react. Fear of what he’ll do when he finds out.
I can’t live in fear anymore. I can’t keep hiding from my problems and issues. I have to face them head on. I have to be strong. In order to be by Derek’s side as his Ol’ Lady, I need to tell him.
“Derek,” he stops getting dressed and turns to look at me. He has his jeans on but unbuttoned, no shirt and he looks sexy as hell even with bruised ribs and road rash. I inhale a deep breath. Time to rip the band-aid off. “Salazar is trying to blackmail me. He must have found out about how we felt for each other and now he’s been trying to contact me. I’ve been ignoring his calls and texts, but I can’t forever and I don’t know what to do.”
Derek’s nostrils flare and his jaw ticks at a rapid pace. His sign he’s pissed the fuck off. “How long has he been doing this and where’s your phone?”
“About a week after you rescued me an unknown number popped up on my phone. I answered it without thinking who it could be and he told me if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d come after you and the club. I didn’t say anything and after that, I ignored all calls and texts. My phone is full of unheard voicemails and unread text messages from him.” I grab my phone I left on the stand turned off last night and hand it to him. “I don’t know what to do and I have a feeling this is all my fault.” Tears well up in my eyes as Derek takes my phone and powers it on. The dings of notifications come at us in rapid successions making my heart skip a beat. Shit, this is really bad.
“Who else knows about this?” Derek asks through clenched teeth.
“I only told Monica about it yesterday before this happened. She doesn’t know the extent of anything just that Salazar has contacted me.”
“That means Blayze will know soon.” He scrolls through my phone and the fury in his eyes is undeniable. Derek can usually remain composed and unaffected but this is something he can’t control. “You didn’t answer or read any of these?”
“Not a single one. Why what do they say?”
“Nothing you need to worry about right now. I’ll take care of this. Can I keep your phone?” Derek looks me in the eyes. The fury is still there, but something else is too. Something he’s promising without saying it.
“Yes, you can keep it. I don’t want anything to do with it.” Derek pockets my phone and offers me his hand. I grab onto it like a lifeline.
“I will keep you safe but we can’t have any more secrets. Is there anything else I need to know about?” Derek rubs his thumbs along my knuckles soothing me.
“That’s it. Nothing else.” I shake my head. “Where does this leave us?” I ask the question I’ve been afraid to know the answer too.
“This changes nothing between us. You’re mine and I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” Derek pulls me against his warm, naked chest and I wrap my arms around him, grateful he isn’t tossing me aside.
“I’m so sorry for not telling you or anyone sooner. I was afraid, Derek.” He runs his hands down my back in soothing motions.
“I get it, but in order for me to protect you, there can’t be anything else between us. I can’t protect what I don’t know about.” Derek cups my chin so I’m looking into his dark eyes. “You are mine.” He kisses me hard. I open my mouth allowing him entrance and his tongue plunges inside. We battle back and forth with so much passion and chaos, I’m breathless and dizzy by the time we pull apart. I whimper, missing his mouth on mine and Derek gives me another soft kiss.
“Let’s get out of here. I need to fill the Club in on what happened.” He tries to put his shirt on, but grunts in pain. I stand up and take his shirt from his hands. I help him pull it over his head and he tugs it down. “That sucked. I’ll be fine in a few.” Derek is winded from putting his shirt on, but I have a feeling no matter how bad he’s hurt, nothing will stop him from going after Salazar.
Once he’s dressed, he offers me his hand and together we leave his hospital room. We go into the waiting area that’s full of all his brothers, his club, his family. No one left last night. A look of relief passes across all their faces when they see Derek. Monica approaches him and hugs him hard, making Derek wince in pain.
“I’m fine, Monica. Thank you.” Monica releases Derek and touches the bandage on his head. He removes it and reveals a line of perfect stitches starting at the top where his ear connects to his head, across his temple, leading into his hairline.
“Prez, that’s going to be gnarly.” Trigger admires Derek’s stitching. It’s puffy and red but it doesn’t change how I feel about him.
“Thanks? I think.” Derek shakes his head. “We need a secure place to stay for a few days where the girls will be safe. We have business to finish down here with Salazar and it’ll be tricky to take them back home and come back undetected. Any word on who that was that tried to hit me?”
Blayze speaks up, “I have a trusted friend of the Club down here. He’s arranged a place for us to stay and has his ear to the ground trying to find out who that was. We should know something soon.”
“Then
let’s get the fuck out of here and regroup where it’s secure. We have a lot to discuss.” Derek wraps his arm around my shoulder and we leave the hospital with the rest of the Royal Bastards behind us.
It’s still early in the morning but the humidity is unbearable. Derek and I walk under the blue tent flapping in the light breeze and around the corner that leads to the street. The same man who spoke to Red and Derange approaches us. He looks tired but offers his hand to Derek and then Blayze.
“Thanks for being on watch last night. It’s appreciated and you have the protection of our club.” Derek offers the man.
“Thank you.” He looks around before handing Derek a piece of paper. “There’s an address to a safe house down here and the name of the man you’re looking for. When you end these assholes, I’ll be able to rest easier.”
“Thanks, man.” Derek takes the paper and puts it in the inside pocket of his cut.
“One more thing you need to know before I disappear.” The man looks around again before continuing. “I found Layla. Well, technically I found info about Layla. You’re not going to like it. All the info you need is at the safe house. I know you said you didn’t care what happened to her, but you need to know.”
My shoulders stiffen at the mention of her name but I try not to show any reaction. Derek squeezes my shoulders in an attempt to reassure me.
“I didn’t ask for anything on her. She’s a part of my past I want to keep buried.” Derek’s voice is gruff with anger.
“I know you didn’t ask about her, but you need to know. It’s all there when you’re ready.” The man leads us to where the bikes are parked. Derek sees his and his jaw drops.
“I’ll forgive you for that because she’s fixed.” He releases me and walks over to his bike, looking it over. “How’d you get it fixed so fast?”
“I know a guy.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Listen, I want to apologize for what my sister did. She was in a bad place at the time and didn’t know any other way out.”
Capone's Chaos: Royal Bastards MC Los Angeles Chapter book #2 Page 10
