“How’s Kitty? Is she going to be okay? I know headshots are deadly, but she’s breathing and has a pulse. Will she need help to learn things when she wakes? Don’t worry about the price, Doc. I will get my sister the best there is. Just give me a name.”
“Mr. Keller,” the doctor said, interrupting him. “When the bullet entered your sister’s brain, it entered on the left side. There was no exit wound. The damage done was irreversible, and I’m sorry to say this, but though your sister is still breathing, she is brain dead. I have consulted with our neurologist, and after several tests, we have determined there is no brain activity. Your sister has been declared brain dead.”
“I don’t understand. She is breathing.”
“The machines are breathing for her, Mr. Keller.”
“But she will wake up, right?”
“Lucas,” Nurse Jessica softly said, carefully walking closer to him. “Kitty isn’t going to wake up. The bullet did too much damage. She’s gone, Lucas. There’s no way to fix her. I am so sorry.”
I said nothing as I slowly closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. This was not good.
Leaving the room, I walked back to the waiting room as every man there looked at me for any kind of information. This deal I so coveted was quickly becoming more than I bargained for. Then there was Layla, who was currently in protective custody in my home back in Chicago. How was I going to tell her that her sister-in-law was dead?
Sal walked over to me. “Gio?”
I looked at my brother and said nothing. I didn’t need to. He just knew. We’d both seen too many head shots to know any other outcome. “What the hell is really going on?”
“I don’t know. I need to talk with Reaper and find out what is going on. This is more than stopping human traffickers.”
“I agree. And something else is bothering me too. When we were in your office. Layla said she wanted you to kill Angelo Capribella. That you would want to kill him. She was unequivocal with her wording. Why? According to what we know, Capribella is the mastermind behind all of the trafficking, but she seems to believe he’s something more.”
“I noticed that too. I just don’t have enough answers yet. Whatever mystery is unfolding, it’s unfolding fast, Sal. I need you and your men to start investigating.”
Sal nodded and stepped away to send off a message to his team. Looking about the room, I did what I could. “Gentlemen. My name is Giovanni Valentinetti. The news isn’t good, and from what I learned, your brother, Bullseye, is still in surgery. Your President is consoling Savage. The best thing all of you can do is allow my men to escort you to the hotel we’ve reserved. Rooms are waiting for all of you. Your bikes will be arriving soon. Go get cleaned up. Eat something, and as soon as I know anything, I will let all of you know.”
“We can’t leave,” a man said. Looking at his cut, I spotted the name Chaos.”
“Chaos,” I questioned, and when the man nodded, I continued. “I understand why you want to stay, but this day is far from over. All of you need your strength because every one of you will need to be there for Dylan when he gets out of surgery. I know this club is a family. I have a family of my own, too. Let my family help yours.”
“Mr. Valentinetti is right, boys,” Ghost stated, getting to his feet. “All of you, head to the hotel. Get cleaned up. Eat something. Rest if you can. Come back when you have clearer heads.”
The bikers nodded as they slowly filtered out of the waiting room. Walking over to the Vice President, I shook his hand. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure they would listen.”
“They heard you, but you are not one of us. I want to thank you for riding in to save our asses. Reaper would technically be the one to say that, but his mind is somewhere else right now.”
“I understand. Is there anything I can do for you?”
The man looked at me and asked, “Just tell me Layla is safe.”
“She is. She is at my home, protected and cared for.”
“Good. Well, at least that’s something.”
Motioning to the empty chairs, I sat and asked. “What can you tell me about her brother Dylan. Bullseye, correct?”
The V.P. grinned, taking a seat. “Yeah, Bullseye. He’s something else. Hell, I don’t even know what he is. He came to the club because of Kitty. Reaper and I knew he was only there to protect her. He wasn’t built for this life. He’s from Tennessee, like Layla. They grew up there. Dylan had a scholarship to several top colleges. The boy is smart. Like wicked smart, but he gave it all up for the Marine Corps. The man is golden with anything he does. He’s the best of us in some ways. Yes, he is a brother, but he never really belonged. You understand?”
“I’m beginning too. Please continue.”
“He loves Kathryn, Kitty. We call her Kitty because she hates the name Kathryn. Shit. Called her Kitty. I hate this. I really do. I was married before. My first wife died, but I never loved her like Dylan loves Kitty, like I love my Ari now. God, this is a clusterfuck,” the man whispered, hanging his head. “He’s going to lose his shit when he finds out. The man is an expert shot, Mr. Valentinetti. He’s going to blame everyone, from the man who shot her to the doctors who couldn’t save her. He got his name for a reason. Bullseye. He doesn’t miss. Not ever. He only needs one bullet. Just one.”
When Ghost said nothing more, I got up and headed outside for some fresh air.
I needed it.
The sun was setting as I walked outside. Looking at my watch, I wasn’t surprised to see how much time had passed, and yet, it felt like I arrived to help the Golden Skulls only minutes ago.