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Lily
One month later...
IT WAS FOUR a.m., and I was three and a half hours away from crawling into my awesome, comfy, warm bed—I yawned just thinking about it—when frantic screams came from the ambulance bay, and I was wide awake once again.
“Lily, you’re with me,” Doctor Walker bellowed.
I nodded and donned gloves as I followed him outside.
Maverick and I had had a blissful month. No threats, no one watching us (that we could see), and the wedding planning was going remarkably smooth. Our wedding date was in five weeks, and I couldn’t wait to make everything official. I also couldn’t wait to have babies. I was tempted to go off the Pill now, but we’d decided to wait two years before we tried for children.
EMTs dragged a gurney from the back of an ambulance, pulling me from my thoughts. The victim was a mess... but when they rolled him, I saw the Dogs logo on the cut. My breath left my body, and I stared up at the doctor. “He’s... um... he’s family.”
Doc frowned. “Who is he?”
I leaned forward and glanced at his patch.
No, no, no, no, no!
“Lily?” Doc pressed.
I bit back tears. “Billy,” I rasped. “Billy Jameson.”
“Okay, get back to the desk and wait for the next one.”
I nodded and rushed back inside, picking up the desk phone and calling my dad. “Hawk.”
“Daddy,” I whispered.
“Lil, what’s wrong?”
“Flea. He’s been shot. He’s bad, Daddy.”
“Okay, we’re on our way.”
I hung up and fell into the chair next to me. Flea wasn’t “on” me tonight. Train was. Flea was supposed to be enjoying a rare night off. He’d met a woman, and they’d had plans tonight.
Sarah, the shift manager, walked up to the desk and gave me a gentle smile. “I think you should take a break.”
I nodded and made my way to the nurse’s area, grabbing my phone from my locker. I needed to talk to Maverick.
I dialed his number, and he answered immediately. “You okay?”
“Yes. But Flea’s...” I swallowed. “He’s bad, Möosh.”
“Okay, baby. I’m on my way.”
“Please be careful,” I begged. “I don’t know who shot him or where he was when he got shot.”
“I’m good, Lil. Knight’s with me.”
“What about Ace... or... anyone?”
“No, baby. It’s just us. It’s okay. We’re coming from the clinic.”
I bit back tears. “Be careful.”
“We will. I’ll see you soon.”
He hung up, and I headed to the emergency room waiting area where I knew the Dogs would come first. Train was pacing the room, but when he saw me, he opened his arms. I walked into them and bit back tears.
“Okay, Lil. Flea’s a tough motherfucker. He’ll pull through,” he said.
“He looked bad, buddy.”
“Fuck,” he rasped and held me tighter.
Train was six-foot-six and probably three-hundred pounds of pure muscle, which matched his name perfectly. Funnily enough, he’d gotten his nickname as a scrawny kid. He’d been tall and lanky and couldn’t keep weight on. But then he got into bodybuilding and bulked up.
We stood there for a few minutes until another, much more familiar set of arms pulled me away. “Let’s go talk,” Maverick said, and I nodded.
He led me down the hall to a more private waiting room. When he wrapped his arms around me, I felt free to burst into tears. He held me and stroked the back of my neck while I cried.
“I think he’s going to die, Möosh.”
“He’s not gonna die, baby. Flea’s tough.”
I looked up at him. “I could not make out his face, Maverick. He’d been beaten beyond recognition and then shot. I had to identify him by his cut.”
“Was he breathin’?”
I nodded.
“Then he’s gonna be fine,” Maverick avowed.
I buried my face back in his chest. “He’d better be.”
“Lily?” Dad called.
“In here,” I called back.
He rushed in and pulled me away from Maverick, hugging me tightly. “What happened?”
I filled him in while stepping back into Maverick’s arms.
“Okay, baby girl.” Dad nodded. “He’s gonna be fine.”
“You both keep saying that, but you didn’t see him,” I cried. “It’s bad.”
Dad nodded. “Come with me. Mom’s in the other waiting room.”
“Great, pass me off to the ‘women,’” I droned sarcastically.
“I’m not goin’ anywhere, Lil,” Maverick promised.
“Like I said...” I retorted, and Maverick chuckled.
“Nice.”
I sighed. “He’d be the first one to say something snarky.”
“Yeah, he definitely would,” Dad agreed as we walked back down the hall.
I had taken several deep breaths before we faced the group. Most of the Dogs (the ones not guarding one of the girls) were there, along with Mom, Cassidy, Kim, Cricket and Katie. Cricket wasn’t just Hatch’s sister, she was also Katie’s best friend, and she was with Katie who was currently at the nurse’s desk demanding answers about Flea’s injuries—information Sarah wouldn’t have.
Despite Maverick’s arm wrapped around my waist, I rushed forward. “Kate,” I called.
Both women turned to me, Katie’s eyes filled with tears. “What do you know?”
“We don’t know anything yet. He just went back. He came in fifteen minutes ago...” I filled her in on everything I knew, giving Sarah a chance to escape to the back to see what she could find out. Since Katie was also a nurse, I was able to give her frank and honest answers, without having to filter too much.
The doctor walked out a few minutes later, a reserved expression on his face.
Shit. Flea didn’t make it. I fell against Maverick but forced myself not to cry.
“Who’s the family of Billy Jameson?” Doc asked.
“I’m his sister,” Katie said.
“I’m sorry. He didn’t make it.”
She cried out, and Train caught her before she hit the ground.
The doctor reached out and squeezed her arm. “If you’d like to see him, I can take you back.”
“I’ll go with you,” I offered, earning a growl of denial from Maverick. I glanced up at him. “I’m okay.”
“I’ll go,” Cricket said.
I nodded, and Maverick gave me a squeeze. I let him guide me back to where the rest of the Club was, and we waited for Katie to come back.
Sarah approached and waved me to a private corner. “Go ahead and clock out, hon. Shift is over in less than an hour. We can take it from here.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Family’s important—more important than the job—so I’m sure.”
“Thanks, Sarah.”
She smiled and walked away. I headed back to Maverick. “I’m being released, so I’m going to clock out.”
“I’m coming with you,” Maverick said.
“I’m just going—”
He crossed his arms. “Not up for discussion, Lil.”
I nodded and led him back. I clocked out, grabbed my bag, and then we joined the club again in the waiting room. We were there for less than five minutes before Cricket and Katie rushed out.
“It’s not him!” Katie said.
“What?” I asked with a gasp.
“It’s not Flea,” Cricket confirmed.
“But he was wearing his cut,” I countered. “The guys never take off their cuts in public.”
“He was wearing Flea’s cut, but it’s not him.” Katie shoved her phone at Knight. “See?”
“Shit,” Knight said and passed the phone to Dad.
“What the fuck is goin’ on?” Dad snapped.
“Where is my brother?” Katie demanded.
“What if it’s one of the Spiders?” Maverick suggested.
“Let’s take this outside,” Dad said.
“Or you can quit talking like I’m not here,” Katie snapped, “and tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Katie, let us figure this out first,” Dad placated. “We’ll head back to the house, grab some beers, and see what we can do.”
“It’s five thirty in the morning, handsome,” Mom countered.
“Then we’ll grab coffee,” Dad ground out.
She patted his chest with a grin. “I’ll make it.”
He rolled his eyes but smiled. “Thanks, baby.”
I bit back a yawn and leaned heavily against Maverick. I was happy to go home, although I doubted I’d be able to sleep.
Maverick kissed my head. “I got you, baby doll.”
I nodded, and we headed to his truck.
* * *
I awoke with a start and sat up, realizing quickly I was in our bedroom in total darkness.
“Babe?” Maverick grumbled and pulled me back down.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“With what?” he asked, wrapping his arm around my waist and snuggling close.
“Flea,” I snapped.
“Right.” Maverick yawned. “He’s good.”
“What?” I squeaked, and sat up again.
“Baby, can we sleep a bit longer and talk about it later?”
“No, we absolutely cannot,” I hissed, and smacked his leg.
“It was worth a shot,” he grumbled.
“Start talking.”
Maverick tugged me back down and kissed me gently. “Flea’s fine. He’s currently at the compound with the woman he’s currently seeing.” He kissed me again.
I growled in frustration. “Stop kissing me and tell me what the hell happened.”
“He and Lori were at the Brass Frog. Apparently, some moron dumped a pitcher of beer all over Flea, which meant he had to take his cut off to wipe up. The cut was stolen, so obviously the asshat did it on purpose.”
“Do they know who did it?”
“Yep.”
I smacked his chest. “Who?”
“One of the Spiders. That’s all I’m gonna tell you, baby doll.”
“So they were sending a message,” I deduced. “To me.”
“To us.”
I shivered. “Through me.”
“Quit.”
“No.”
He pulled me over his chest. “This does not touch you, Lil.”
“It has already touched me!” I countered. “That poor man, whoever he was, was delivered right to me. The Spiders know my schedule—”
“No one will touch you, Lily,” he interrupted.
“You can’t watch me twenty-four hours a day.”
“Wanna bet?”
“I have to pee.” I bit back frustrated tears and climbed off the bed. “Do you need to watch me?”
“Babe.” Maverick flipped on the lamp next to the bed... obviously, so I wouldn’t trip over something on the way to the bathroom. Because he was sweet and thoughtful and wanted to keep me safe... and I was a shrew.
After doing my thing, I headed back to the bedroom and found Maverick watching me. His chest was bare (technically, he was naked, but the bedding covered his lower half), and he had one arm behind his head which emphasized his muscles. I bit my lip when he gave me a tired smile then I climbed back into bed and kissed his chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Babe, I get it. This sucks. But you have to trust I’ve got your back. Everyone does, but most of all me.”
“I know. I’m just freaked. And tired,” I admitted. “But I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
Maverick chuckled. “I’m the only one you can take it out on, Lil. No one else’ll put up with it.”
“Well, there is that,” I agreed, kissing his chest again and then working my way south.
I dragged the cami I was wearing over my head and threw it into the corner then went back to kissing every inch of my man’s body.
He gave me about three minutes before his hands were under my armpits and he was dragging me up his body. He rolled me onto my back, tore off my panties, and slid into me, kissing me deeply. Without warning, my stomach roiled, and I shoved at his chest with a whimper.
“Lil?”
“Gonna be sick.”
He jumped off me, and I rushed to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. Maverick stepped over to me and pulled my hair away from my face. “You okay?”
I shook my head. “I’m dying.”
“Do you think you ate something weird?”
I shrugged. “Probably.”
“It’s not...?”
“No, baby, the cancer’s not back,” I assured him. “The blood tests came back normal, remember?”
He hunkered down beside me. “That was a month ago.”
“It’s not cancer.” I leaned against the toilet. “Pretty sure it was the burrito I ate last night. Those trucks can be suspect sometimes.”
“At least, you’re not on tonight.”
I nodded. “Sorry about your blue balls.”
“I’m good, baby.” He stroked my cheek. “Gonna get you some Sprite.”
“We don’t have any.”
“I know. I’m gonna run to the store.”
“Mom’ll have some.”
“You want her down here fussing?”
I sighed. “It’s better than you having to tell Dad you’re leaving. He’ll be down here hovering.”
“You’ve got a point.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll text her real quick.”
“Thanks, baby.”
He left me, and I decided to run a bath, figuring it might help. I already felt a bit better, which was a relief. God, I hated puking. It was the worst.
Maverick walked into the bathroom just as I sank into the warm water. He set an open Sprite on the side of the tub. “Your mom had saltines, too. You want one now?”
I shook my head. “I’m better now,” I said and sipped the pop.
He sat on the edge of the tub and frowned. “I think we should take you in.”
“I’m not going to urgent care for food poisoning, Möosh.” He frowned, and I squeezed his knee. “I’m a nurse, baby. Trust me. It’s nothing more than a tummy bug at worst. It’ll pass in a few hours.”
I was wrong.
