“I see what you see in her. She comes across as this frail as shit wimp until you look in her eyes. She’s strong, Shade. Strong enough to survive whatever hell that’s been given to her. She will pull out of this. She will never forgive you if you hurt anyone she cares about.”
“You can’t be sure she’ll be all right!” he said harshly as several hospital staff ran into the room Lily was in.
“Yes, I do.” She lifted her shirt from the hem, baring her tattoos to his gaze. Her finger touched the two butterfly tats, drawing his gaze to her side. “I was stabbed twice when I was in the seventh grade, Shade. I coded twice. I’m standing before you now, telling you that beautiful girl is not going to die.” No doubt was in her gaze.
Shade calmed as he leaned back against the wall for support. Sex Piston gave him a sharp nod. “You cool now?”
“Yeah, I’m cool,” Shade said, his eyes on the doorway, but he made no more attempts to go inside.
Sex Piston went to Stud, feeling his strength when his arm slid around her shoulders. He pulled her to his side, and Sex Piston shuddered against him, having relived the traumatic experience of her youth. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, letting his warmth sink in to her flesh, warming her.
The sliding doors opened again, and Killyama, Crazy Bitch and T.A. came in, worried about Fat Louise and Lily.
“We don’t know anything yet,” Sex Piston explained before they could ask. “Did you call her mother?”
“Yes, she said to call her when we know something.” Disgust for Fat Louise’s mother was not new to them. They all looked at the doorway as Beth and The Last Rider’s women and brothers came into the waiting room. Diamond and Knox, wearing a deputy outfit, surprised her.
Beth went directly to Razer. “How is she?”
Sex Piston couldn’t hear his answer, but she saw the effect of it on her friend. Beth crumpled, almost falling to the floor before she was caught against her husband and held tight against his body. Sex Piston heard the cries of the women and wanted to join them, only her iron control held it back. She couldn’t bear the thought of crying in front of other women.
It was two hours later before a tired doctor came out to talk to them.
“Lily is going to be okay, but it was close. She had an epidural hematoma. We relieved the pressure and she’s stable for now. If she had been a minute further away from the hospital, she wouldn’t have made it.” The doctor ran a hand over his face, exhaustion apparent. “Her hand is broken in two places. We’ve stabilized the hand for now and we’ll put a cast on it in the morning.” His words let everyone know she was still in critical condition.
“How about Fa—” Crazy Bitch cleared her throat. “What about Louise?”
“She’s in surgery to remove the bullet, but it did little damage.” The doctor turned to go back into the room. “Only two family members can go into see Miss Cornett before she’s moved to the ICU. Make it quick. She isn’t conscious, but I’m sure you’re anxious to see her.” The Doctor went back into the emergency room.
Beth went to the door the doctor had already gone through, opening it before turning back. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she held out her hand toward Shade. Sex Piston sucked in a startled breath as he took a step forward, taking her hand. They went into the E.R. together, the door closing behind them, leaving a stunned silence behind them.
“I guess she figured it out,” Winter said, smiling at her husband.
“I don’t know whether to be relieved or worried,” Viper replied, smiling back at Winter before looking at Razer who gave a shrug in answer.
“They’re both going to be okay,” Sex Piston said in relief. She glanced around the room. “How did you get rid of the security guards?”
It didn’t take Stud a second to answer—without any conscience—that he had bribed them with cash and women. “Five hundred apiece, and I told them they could come by the clubhouse this weekend.”
“What’s going on at the clubhouse this weekend?” she asked, trying to remember if anything special was going on.
“Not a damn thing,” he replied.
Chapter Fifteen
“They’re going to let you out of here tomorrow,” Crazy Bitch said, swiping a chicken leg from the boxed dinner sitting in front of Fat Louise.
“I talked to the doctor; he said I might need to stay a day or two longer,” Fat Louise replied, digging into her Popeye’s chicken dinner for another piece of chicken.
“Why’s that?” Sex Piston asked from the bottom of her bed. She was sitting casually on the bed, watching her friend eat the dinner that Killyama had sneaked in for the third day in a row.