Chapter 1
DREX
What does a concussion feel like? It makes me feel pretty fucking stupid, and it feels like the worst hangover in history, minus the fun of drinking.
I blink my eyes several times as the doctor finishes looking me over. He frowns down at my attire, which is just my jeans, since that’s all I bothered to put on when Drake showed up at my house. Glad I put on that damn much.
“You’re sure Eve is okay?” I ask Axle, who takes a deep breath that doesn’t make me feel too good.
“I made sure of it. Drake has her.”
The doc is on our payroll, and has been for a while. So he says nothing before backing out of the hospital room. Death Dealer cuts are everywhere outside the room. I catch glimpses when they open and shut the door.
Private rooms for concussions aren’t protocol for the hospital, but being off the radar from a cop is our protocol. So private room it is. Would hate to mess up our relationship with the local PD.
Obviously the head injury slows my thought process, because it takes a second for Axle’s words to register. When they sink in, I explode off the side of the bed and land on my feet.
“Why the hell does Drake have her?”
Axle comes quickly when I sway, feeling like a dizzy bastard from the head rush just standing up gave me.
“Easy, dumbass. You’re in here for a reason.”
“Why the fuck does Drake have her?” I repeat, ignoring his warning.
He tightens his lips and looks over his shoulder toward the door before returning his gaze to me.
“Your dad wanted us to bring her to him. He didn’t say why, but obviously I didn’t want that to happen while you were unconscious. Dash seems to think Herrin wants her dead, which also seems to be the general consensus amongst the rest of the group. The guys are blaming her for this, because the attack coincided with the phone call she made not too long before.”
My jaw clenches, and I shake my throbbing head, trying to keep my eyes open. It’s hard to do. I feel groggy as hell and things keep doubling, then singling, then doubling again. Fuck me.
“That’s the stupidest shit I’ve heard. That phone call was two weeks ago.”
“And we both know it takes a minute to organize a hit like that, so two weeks would be a good preparation period. She keeps amassing more and more coincidences. They’re starting to think you’re too close to her to notice the threat she poses.”
I crack my neck to the side while finally retaining my balance. I still feel heavy and off kilter, but I manage to stay vertical.
My stomach is being a bitch, because it takes all I have not to get sick. Damn concussion.
“You good?” Axle asks.
“No. Fuck no. I don’t want Drake around my girl. In case you don’t remember, he has a score to settle over a damn woman.”
Axle tightens his lips before blowing out a breath. “Dude, I hate to say this, but the girl keeps being the center of trouble. She shows up, and so do the cowboy feds who are bolder than any before. We also lose our contact inside the FBI because he’s sidelined. The ATF don’t want to waste their time on us, but a special task force from the FBI gets our scent and won’t go away? Then, there’s a raid on our place. Now this?”
He gestures around to the sterile room I’m in. I can’t help but laugh now.
“And you think Eve is in on it? That she has deliberately put herself in the line of fire?”
He stops and thinks for a minute, and something close to regret crosses his eyes. “I did. Until I saw the way she was hovering over you when I got there. She was on top of you, shielding you. She even looked like she might attack me if I tried to touch you. Drake had to pull her off you to get her to budge. Then she didn’t want to leave your side. Dash even took a nut-shot because he interfered. It’s why I let Drake run off with her, because I knew he’d keep her safe.”
Yeah, maybe some pride swells up with hearing how she handled things. But before I can ask where Drake took her, the door to my room opens. Pop walks in with Sledge, Snake, Dash, and Hershel.
I immediately notice Dash limping, and I can’t help but smirk. But my amusement fades fast when Pop speaks.
“Drake isn’t answering his phone,” Pop says, glaring over at Axle. “Why the hell did you send her with him?”
Axle shrugs, not acting affected by Pop’s glower. “Drex seemed to be more important than his old lady. We had to torch the house and get him out of there. For all we knew, his brain could have been bleeding or some shit. I wasn’t willing to risk fighting over her when time was wasting.”