She started to nod her head. “I want to. I also want you to marry my mommy.”
I laughed softly and gathered her two small hands into only one of mine. “Baby, I was going to do that without you saying a word, but since you want that, I’ll be sure to ask her as soon as she wakes up.”
Her eyes slowly closed. “I think you should get her a big, pink ring. I think I should also go with you to make sure you get the right one. We can’t be too sure about rings. Ring shopping is important business.”
Smiling despite the ache in my chest, I continued to talk to Linnie even though my heart was breaking.
The fact that I wasn’t sure whether or not her mommy was going to pull through was making it hard to breathe.
I’d been sitting in the hospital now for three days. Three long, scary days and not once had she responded to any of the treatment to try to get the pressure on her brain under control.
According to the doctor, head injuries were tricky. And I believed him.
What I couldn’t believe was that I was sitting here, wondering if she’d make it.
I’d had to make a terrible decision when I decided to spend my time with Linnie. Linnie who was scared to fucking death of the hospital for some reason.
The one and only time I’d left her in the last three days she’d freaked out so spectacularly that they were in the process of sedating her when I’d walked—sprinted—back in the door.
She’d seen me and her freak out had instantly turned into a crying fit, and from then on, I’d stayed with her.
The other old ladies that belonged to the men from the club were taking turns staying with Theo in her room, and they were sending me hourly updates on her and how she was doing.
That didn’t make it any easier, though.
In fact, the pictures and the updates on how she wasn’t doing any better were really putting a damper on my spirits.
But when Linnie finally fell asleep, her hand still clenched on my fingers, I was comforted in the knowledge that this was what Theo had wanted. Me to be with her girl. Otherwise she wouldn’t have gone to the lengths that she had.
A knock at the door had me turning to see my PI standing there.
“Hey,” I smiled at him. “You got anything for me?”
“More than,” he said as he took a seat. “Did you know that you had a glitch in the system that keeps you from auto-paying your bill at Ampere Electric?”
I blinked, then nodded. “Yes.”
The PI nodded his head once. “Well, so did Thurgood. He found it when he was digging into your files…then found Theo’s. Did you know it only happens with the owner’s company credit cards that were paying for the bills?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it, as I realized that it was my own stupidity that had gotten me into this mess.
I hadn’t thought that he’d find her since she was so far away. And I thought I’d been outsmarted by paying for an Ampere Electric account with an Ampere Electric credit card.
What the fuck had I been thinking?
I’d done this!
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “And you’re not responsible for this. There are over two hundred accounts paid by the company credit cards. All employees. In fact, in that office, there were four paid accounts before you added Theo’s.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m not sure how he found it. Likely it was sheer blind luck. But I’m telling you this…had you not been there with the entirety of your club? She’d have been dead, and so would her daughter.”
“How do you mean?” I asked softly.
“He had enough bomb-making materials in that truck to blow up a city block, a sniper rifle in case he couldn’t get close enough to do that, and enough ammo that he could’ve continued to do that for hours if need be. He’d been scouting the house for at least two hours. Watched and waited for the perfect opportunity to do the most destruction he could possibly do. Drove ahead of everyone on the interstate, then when he saw all the motorcycles, he took his chance.”
I let my head fall back on my shoulders and then rolled it, trying to work out the kinks.
Goddammit.
God. Fucking. Dammit.
Theo had the worst family ever.
Speaking of family.
“Have you been able to find Tyson?” I asked, straightening my head to stare at him.
“Dead.”
I closed my eyes. “How?”
“Gunshot wound to the forehead. We’re assuming by the dad, but without him here to confirm it? We’ll never know,” he answered sadly.
I swallowed hard.
“I hate him.”
Before he could say a word, the door to Linnie’s room was pushed open, and an excited Castiel poked his head in. “She’s awake!”