My heels clicked against the marble floors as I hit a dead run into the emergency room. It was the only part of Darlene’s message that made any sense. It also wasn’t the first time and likely not the last she’d call me out here in the middle of the night.

I found her slumped over in a waiting room chair, face in hands. Her cheeks were bright red. No, almost purple, as she took great, heaving breaths. One of the nurses stood beside her, rubbing her back. Janet, I think her name was. We’d represented her son a few years ago when he got caught drinking underage at a neighborhood party. He’d turned out all right. Kept out of trouble after that and got a lacrosse scholarship to a small college in the panhandle.

Janet met my eyes and gave me a tight-lipped smile. She whispered something into Darlene’s ear then gently excused herself. Darlene didn’t look up as I took the seat beside her and took up where Janet left off, rubbing Darlene’s back.

“Is he okay?” I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“He started coughing up blood,” Darlene said. My heart dropped. “Sadie called. Found him slumped over his steering wheel an hour ago.”

“His steering wheel? How the hell did Ed even have a set of keys? Sadie usually makes him surrender them before she’ll serve him even one drink.”

Darlene blew her nose into a tissue, sounding like a strangled goose. “Oh, he didn’t have keys. He was sleeping in his car, is all.”

“What do the doctors say?”

Darlene finally looked up at me, her eyes puffy from crying. My heart went out to her. Ed was her whole life. She’d been married a half a dozen times but Ed had always been her number one project. Her lost cause.

“It’s his liver,” she said. “It was always going to be his liver. Plus his blood pressure is through the roof and just about every other thing.”

“He’ll pull through,” I said. “He always does. We’ll get him into that rehab place. He’ll dry out. We’ve been through this before, Dar. It’s going to be okay.”

“He’s not getting any younger,” she said. “And neither am I. I’m done, Beth. I just can’t keep doing this. Neither can you. I told him as much. Judge Dupree told him he doesn’t want to see him in his courtroom again until he gets his act together. If he ever can. He means it this time. They’re going to report him to the state bar.”

I sat back in my chair. Of course, I’d been through this routine with both Darlene and Ed enough over the last ten years. Something seemed altogether different though. Darlene just looked ... old. Worn out. Cleaning up after Ed was no kind of life for her long term and we both knew it.

“You deserve something else,” she said, as if reading my mind.

“Don’t worry about me,” I said. “You know I can take care of myself.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know about that.” Darlene honked one more time into her tissue. It helped. Her eyes cleared and she put something resembling a smile on her face. Stuffing the tissue in her pocket, she put a hand over mine.

“Did you enjoy your half a day off?” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. I wondered how long Darlene had been waiting to steer the subject to my personal life. Even in her distress, the woman never missed a beat.

Doctor Perkins saved me from having to answer her right away. The guy looked about a hundred years old and had been an E.R. attending at Crystal Falls Hospital for as long as anyone could remember. He knew everyone’s business, of course, but never gossiped.

“He’s coming around,” Doctor Perkins said. He put a soft hand on Darlene’s shoulder and smiled down at her. He shot me a quick wink. Darlene made another choked-goose sound then hiccupped.

“We’ll get him through this crisis, Darlene,” Perkins said. “But longer term, we can’t keep going this way. I’ve talked to Ed and he’s saying the right things. I’ll take that as progress. Usually, all he does is crack jokes. I think this episode scared him. That could be a good thing.”

“Can I see him?” Darlene asked.

“In a little while. He’s sleeping right now and that’s the best thing for him. I’ve got him on IV fluids. We’ll get those electrolytes under control. He’ll feel a lot better in a few hours. But how about you? You don’t look so good yourself.”

Darlene waved him off. “You flatterer, you.”

“I’ll make sure she gets home,” I said. “As long as you think Ed’s stable enough so that we won’t run into any surprises tonight.”

Perkins shook his head. “Nah. He’s snoring to wake the dead. We’ll get him moved to a regular room. Things will look brighter tomorrow. We can go over some aftercare options. There’s a clinic in Corpus Christi that I want him to think seriously about. Get him dried out and thinking clearer. When I mentioned it, he seemed interested.”

“It’s a plan,” I said. “Thank you.”

Doctor Perkins winked at me again and squeezed Darlene’s shoulder. “I meant what I said, Darlene. Get home. Get some rest. We’ll pull Ed through this just like always.”

“He’s not getting any younger and neither am I.” She sighed.

“Yeah. Me neither. But let’s not try to solve the world’s problems all at once, okay? One thing at a time. Sleep for you. Sleep for Ed. Then we’ll talk.”

I stood up and shook Doctor Perkins’s hand. Another nurse called him away and he gave Darlene a quick hug before leaving us alone. I gathered her purse and stood tapping my foot.

“Come on,” I said. “I’ll walk you to your car. I’m not letting you sleep in this waiting room tonight. You heard Doctor Perkins. There’s no need. Ed’s in good hands. We’ll come up with a game plan tomorrow.”

With great effort, Darlene got to her feet. She looped her arm through mine and we headed for the parking lot.

“And you didn’t answer my question,” she said. “What about your game plan?”

“What do you mean?” There was no way I’d make it out of here scot-free now. The truth was, I was worried. Yes. We’d been down this road with Ed plenty. But something was different in Darlene’s eyes. I believed her when she said she’d reached the end of her rope.

“Come on,” she said. We’d reached her car. Darlene drove a red Dodge Charger. It was her pride and joy. She parked it in as secluded a spot in the lot as she could. The woman could move fast, as long as she didn’t have to take stairs. “Give me a spot of bright news today, Beth.”

I readjusted the weight of my purse on my shoulder. It had been a long day. I’d spent most of it in the office alone, catching Ed up on all his research and deposition prep. Now all that was up in the air again. My heart sank knowing I’d spend tomorrow trying to rearrange his docket. Again. Our hardcore, loyal clients could be patient. But we’d lose business over Ed’s latest hospital stint. No question.

“What do you want me to say?” I smiled.

Darlene put a hand on my shoulder. “That guy. Deacon. I checked him out.”

“What do you mean, you checked him out?”

She leaned against her car door. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t hard. He’s the club chaplain for the Saints. I have eyes and I can read. I asked around. He’s a mystery man, honey. Kinda like you. Most of those boys over in Port Azrael have a reputation. Or at least they did before they started settling down. But that one, Deacon? He’s single. Doesn’t cut loose like the rest of them. Honey, he’s gorgeous. So, what are you doing?”

My throat went dry. I didn’t want to lie to Darlene, but I was far from ready to discuss my relationship with Deacon. Relationship. I didn’t even know if that’s what I could call it. We left things in limbo. He’d stopped asking me to get out of town, but things were far from settled between us. I didn’t even know for sure if I’d see him again. My heart skipped a beat as I let the thought settle in. What if I never saw him again?

“Oh man,” Darlene said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”

“Like what?”

She put two firm hands on my shoulders and gave me a gentle shake. “Starstruck, honey. That man’s got you stirred up and twisted. Oh, I know the feeling. Reminds me of my first husband, Mattie. He was in a club too. Did I ever tell you that?”

I blinked hard, trying to picture a young Darlene on the back of a Harley. From the misting in her eyes, I knew she was picturing the same thing. “He was a road captain for the Great Wolves M.C. out of Emerald Pointe. God. That was a million years ago. We weren’t married long. Not even a year. Oh, but it was a hell of a year.”

“Pictures or it didn’t happen,” I said, trying to keep the subject pointed at her instead of me. She wasn’t letting go, though.

“Honey, I’m the last person to give anyone else advice on men. But that one’s got a hold of you right here.” She pointed her finger straight at my heart.

“Darlene, I just can’t …”

She put up a hand. “Don’t bother. I know you don’t like talking about your personal life. It’s just nice to see you have one. I said I shouldn’t give advice but I’m going to anyway. Live a little. Take some time off. Climb on the back of that hog and let him take you for a ride. Even if he breaks your heart.”

I leaned in and gave her a hug. “Thanks. But I don’t know what’s going on with him or with me.”

“As long as I’m the first to know when you figure it out.”

I gave her a quick salute as Darlene opened her car door and climbed inside. “And don’t come here tomorrow,” she said. “Take the day off. Go to Port Az or up the coast or somewhere that’s not here. I’ll deal with my brother. And all the drama will still be here when you get back. That’s a promise.”

Darlene’s light laughter warmed my heart. She slammed her car door shut and turned the ignition. I stepped back as she roared out of her parking space and took the curve toward the exit way too fast.

I hugged myself and headed up the ramp toward my own car. Deacon’s blue eyes swam before me as I made my way through town. Should I call him? We’d left things so unsettled. I wanted to see him again. That much was clear. Maybe Darlene was right. Maybe it was worth taking a chance even if Deacon broke my heart.

It was still pitch dark out when I pulled into my driveway. I cut the ignition and sat there for a moment. The house was dark and quiet but I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep. I checked my phone, but Deacon hadn’t called. I had a glass of wine waiting in the fridge and right then it sounded like heaven.

As I went through the garage, something didn’t seem right. The storm door was shut but the heavy wooden door leading to the basement was wide open. I set my purse on the kitchen counter and started flicking lights on.

I made it as far as the living room before a hand clamped over my mouth and dragged me back into the kitchen. I felt suspended in time as I tried to kick backward. The intruder was huge and strong; the scent of sweat and leather filled my nostrils. I bit down on the fleshy part of his hand. It was like biting steel.

He shoved me into the living room. I stumbled forward like a rag doll, bracing myself against the far wall. He was on me again, pressing his knee between my legs so I couldn’t kick back. He smashed my face against the wall. His breath came hot in my ear.

“Took me ten seconds to break that lock on your back door,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. I squeezed my eyes shut past the tears that instantly sprang to them.

“I have money in my purse,” I said. “Take it. Then get out.”

He laughed. “Ain’t after money, sweetie. Just want to make sure you hear me loud and clear.”

I strained against him, but it was like trying to move two hundred pounds of granite. “I’m listening,” I gasped. Adrenaline coursed through me, making me light-headed. I could not faint. A million lessons from self-defense classes ran through my head. Don’t leave with him, no matter what.

I drew in a breath, getting ready to scream. He shoved me harder against the wall.

“Not gonna hurt you ... yet,” he said. “You tell your boyfriend I came here, I’ll slit your throat while you sleep. I got to you once. I can do it again. No matter where you are. Got it?”

“Yes!” I hissed. “What the hell do you want?”

“Just a warning,” he said. “You need to be careful the company you keep. Woman like you could get hurt. I’d hate to see that happen. Mrs. Wade.”

He paused before saying my name. My heart raced. Was he here about Sean or Deacon? Before I could ask, he licked my cheek with his rough tongue. My stomach turned.

“We’re watching you. Don’t ever forget that. We can get to you. We’ve always been able to get to you. At work. At home. Anywhere you think you can run. Remember that.”

“What? I don’t know what you even want from me.”

He laughed against my ear. “Just want you to know that. You’re only safe because we let you be. Won’t always.”

“I get it,” I said. Though fear raced through me, some logical part of my brain told me if he were here to really hurt me, he would have done it already.

“Have a nice day,” he said, shoving me hard to the floor. I shielded my eyes, expecting him to grab me again. But my attacker went straight out the front door, slamming it behind him. I scrambled to my feet. The motion light went on. The guy didn’t turn back but I could read the symbol and patch on the back of his leather vest plain as day.

Devils Hawks M.C.

He shook out his dirty blond hair then disappeared into the shadows on the other side of the street.