“Then, you’ve got a decision to make.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
“You know.” I turned and made my way back to the parking lot. “And you also know where to find me once you do.”
As I got on my bike, I glanced back at Raelyn and found her standing where I’d left her, and she still had the same dazed expression on her face. I wanted to think that it was a good sign—that I might actually see her again, but sadly, I wasn’t so sure.
I wanted nothing more than to go back and give her one more kiss to remember me by, but time wasn’t on my side. Locke and the others were expecting me at the hospital, so I gave her a quick nod, started the engine, and forced myself to pull out of the parking lot.
I was thankful for the ride over to the hospital. It gave me some time to clear my head, which was needed more than I realized. When I arrived, Hawk and Widow were in the waiting room with Locke, and they all looked on the verge of losing it. I walked over to them and asked Widow, “Everything all right?”
“No, it isn’t.” He shook his head and sighed. “We just checked in on Candy and Misty.”
“Oh? How are they making it?”
“Not so good.” Anguish marked his face as he continued, “The doctor just confirmed Shotgun’s suspicions. Misty was raped, and whoever’s responsible did a real number on her.”
“Motherfucker.” Both Candy and Misty were sweet girls who never fucked with anyone. Neither of them deserved to be put through this kind of hell. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Physically, yes—a few weeks, and she’ll be back on her feet, but mentally, it’s going to take a lot longer than that.”
“Damn it. They have any idea who attacked them?”
“Not a clue, but we’ll find ’em.”
“And we’ll make them pay for this shit,” Hawk announced. “Lisa made it out of surgery... She seems to be doing okay and is resting now.”
“I’ll check in on her later and see if she needs anything.”
“Sounds good.”
After leaving the hospital, I went by my place to grab a few things.
Once I had everything together, I locked up, stowed my things in both saddlebags, then headed over to Stilettos for my shift. When I pulled into the parking lot, I wasn’t surprised that the place was already packed. It was the weekend. Folks were looking to let off some steam, and Stilettos was the perfect place for them to do it.
After I parked, I inhaled a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare for the night ahead, then got off my bike and headed inside. I’d barely made it through the door before Country called out to me, “Lynch! You’re up front with me tonight.”
I nodded, then started making my way through the crowd. As soon as I got over to him, I asked, “Things going okay?”
“’Bout as well as you’d expect.” He motioned his head towards the stage. “We got a group up front that’s already winding up. We’ll need to keep a close eye on ’em.”
“Them and everyone else.”
“No doubt.” Concern marked his face. “You make it over to the hospital?”
“Yeah, I just came from there.”
“So, you heard about Misty?”
“I did.” I shook my head. “I didn’t get a chance to see her, but it sounds like she’s in pretty rough shape.”
“I heard the same. What kind of asshole does that shit to a woman?”
“No idea, but when we find him—and I do mean when, there will be hell to pay.”
I glanced around the room, and with every new face, I wondered if they had anything to do with the attack on our girls. It was something all of us would be thinking until we found who’d hurt them, which would make for a long, stressful night.
Country and I had been standing at our post for over an hour when Widow came over to me and announced, “There’s someone here to see you.”
“What?” I hadn’t seen anyone unusual come through the door, so I immediately asked, “Who?”
“Go see for yourself.” He motioned his head over to the entrance. “She’s waiting outside by your bike.”
I glanced over to Country, making sure he was good for me to go, and just as I expected, he smiled and said, “If you’re looking for an escort, you’re gonna need to find someone else. I got better shit to do.”
“Just hold down the fort until I get back.”
“You got it, Romeo.”
I knew responding would just give him more ammunition to use against me, so I ignored Country and walked through the front door. I’d just started out to the parking lot when I spotted Raelyn standing at my bike. When I made it over to her, I gave her a quick once over and wasn’t surprised to find that she looked absolutely phenomenal. “I was told you needed to see me.”