Boone
Watching Gabs being assessed then carefully loaded into the ambulance was something I’d never forget. She could feel her toes and fingers, which was a good sign, but her shoulders were a mess. She’d been shot in one and had landed on the other.
“She’s a fighter. She’ll pull through this.”
I nodded but didn’t turn to face Silk, who was with me in the waiting room. The ambulance had taken Gabs straight to Houston, since her injuries were so severe. Silk had jumped in my truck, and we’d followed the ambulance.
The door opened and I turned, thinking it was way too soon for news about Gabs but hopeful all the same. When Christopher came through with his mother, I turned away, not wanting to deal with them right then. Not that they took the hint.
“Boone? What are you doing here?”
I spun to glare at her brother. “I was the one who fucking found her. Where’d you think I’d be when my girl is in the hospital? Bigger question is, where were you when her house was burning down, and she was missing?”
This family did my head in. Silk rested her hand on my arm. “Why don’t you go get a coffee or something? I’ll fill them in. Maybe call your folks?”
I forced out a breath. “Thanks, Silk.”
Then I hightailed it out of there before I said or did something that would no doubt get me kicked out of the hospital. It was a little surprising they’d bothered to come, to be honest. It seemed to me they all relied on her, but none of them even noticed when she needed help.
As I made my way down the hall, I pulled my phone out and dialed home.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mom. Sorry to call so late. Gabs was in an accident at her landlord’s barn and I’m at the hospital in Houston, waiting on her to come out of surgery.”
“Oh, honey. That poor girl is having a time of it, isn’t she? You want us to come sit with you?”
My eyes stung at her instant support and compassion. “Ah, yeah. That’d be great. There are a few others here with me, but I’d love to have you here.”
“Your father and I will be there shortly.”
“Thanks. Ask to come through to the waiting room for Gabriela Rayne. If you have any trouble, call me. Her brother works here, so I’ll get him to pull strings if I have to.”
After hanging up, I went and got a bottle of water. I was edgy enough without adding coffee to the mix. By the time I returned to the private waiting room, Gabs’ family was sitting together, and Silk was pacing. Choosing a seat several away from them, I sat back and took a swig out of my water. My eyes slid shut, but I forced them open when all I saw was Gabs covered in blood, laying broken in the grass, her horses guarding her.
Silk’s phone buzzed and she took it out, read something, then came to sit beside me.
“What’s the news?”
“They found John and Kate up at the house. They’re both alive but in comas. It’s not looking good. They found poison in the kitchen.”
“Did Scout and Donny catch Royce and Bill?”
“It’d have been in that last text if there was still a hunt going on, so I’m guessing they did.”
I shook my head. “It’s ballsy to be texting any of that shit, ain’t it?”
“Nah, the club uses an encrypted program for this stuff. What happened with Bill and Bob before today?”
I turned to look her way. “Gabs would have told you if she’d wanted you to know.”
Tears tracked down her cheeks. “We had a big chat earlier today. I thought she’d told me all she’d been holding back, but I guess she skipped some stuff. Please tell me.”
I blew out a breath. Figuring it’d come out anyhow, I decided I might as well tell her.
“I first met Gabs when she was standing in a hallway with them. She’d broken Bob’s nose, and was antagonizing Billy into attacking her. She had her fists up like she could take him on. I doubt it would have ended well for her had Jack, Liam and I not gone to her rescue.” I shook my head. “She took a couple hits, but nothing some ice and Advil didn’t fix. She had them charged. A couple deputies came and took them in.”
Silk nodded. “She’s never liked how the club deals with this shit. Be interesting to see if she changes her mind now.”