Trey
After Eric, Ram, and I left Chuckie, we’d stormed the farm and started shooting everyone in sight. Damien managed to duck, even though I hit him in the leg with a bullet. His men were about to run away when the cops showed up — Chuckie had somehow managed to call 911 on my cellphone that I’d left in his care.
I feared the worst when it came to Angel. After Chuckie had run out of the woods, I’d assumed she was hurt badly, or even dead. When I saw her like that, lying on the concrete floor of the basement and motionless, I felt like screaming to the heavens. But she managed to open her eyes and blink at me. I suddenly knew she’d be all right. Damien had beaten the hell out of her — her lovely face was almost unrecognizable with blood and swelling — but she’d be all right. Chuckie was okay, and the three of us would be just fine.
I rode to the hospital with my guys. Chuckie rode with the cops; I hated turning him over to them, but knew he’d be safer in a cruiser than on the back of my bike. After all, one of Damien’s men had escaped into the night and I didn’t trust him not to shoot at us with a rogue bullet.
I’d been so worried about Angel that I didn’t even mind stepping foot in a hospital. And although I was dying to see her, I had to wait with Chuckie in a hallway that was painted in puke colors — green and dull orange. Chuckie burrowed into my side and wrapped his arms around me. He wasn’t shy any longer; he was a really animated, intelligent little boy. I was proud of him, especially for the way he’d held it together when all of the shit was going down.
“I’m really proud of you,” I told Chuckie. “You saved your mom. You should be proud of yourself.” I ruffled his hair as he snuggled up close. It was almost comforting, and I loved being close to the kid Angel and I had made. It made me feel like I hadn’t missed out on all that much after all. Maybe things would really be okay in the end. Maybe not, but either way, I knew I had to try now.
“Mr. Minter?” A plain nurse was walking towards me, holding a clipboard. “I need to speak to you.”
I nodded and stood up, Chuckie still clinging to my side. “This is my son,” I said. “I don’t want to leave him alone.”
She pursed her lips. I knew she was about to tell me some bullshit hospital policy so I turned on the charm.
“Please?” I grinned at her. “My wife would be worried sick if she knew our son was alone. He’s very attached to his parents.”
Chuckie clung even tighter, illustrating the point.
Finally, the nurse rolled her eyes. “You can bring him,” she said. “But try to make him sit in the corner of the room with a book, okay? He doesn’t need to hear all the gory details.”
I rolled my eyes. Lady, if you knew what this kid’s been through in the past twenty-four hours, you wouldn’t think he needed to be sheltered. But looking at Chuckie’s thin frame, I knew she was right. He was a tiny little boy after all, and his heart was pounding through the thin skin on his neck.
The nurse led us down a hallway and into a small room painted in the same nauseating colors. She handed Chuckie a coloring book and he went and sat down in the corner, coloring in the lines obediently. I realized I had no idea how to be a real father — I didn’t even know what most eight-year-olds liked. But Chuckie was different, and I had a feeling we’d probably be all right. After all, he seemed to like me. But I wasn’t so sure how he’d feel once this was all over. Hell, I wasn’t sure how Angel would feel either. Could she stand being around a man who had put her into so much trouble? I sighed. I desperately wanted to see her, but I was afraid of being told it would be the last time.
“The offender and his men were taken into custody,” the nurse read perfunctorily from a sheet of paper in front of her. “A Mr. Damien…?”
“Damien Mendoza,” I said, clearing my throat. “He’s the president of the Steel Demons, a motorcycle club around here.”
“I see,” the nurse said in this curt voice that made me want to slap her. “And you are…?”
“I’m Trey Minter,” I said loudly. “Angel’s husband, Chuckie’s father.”
There was a hint of a smile on her fat face. “I see here that you’re leading the Skullbreakers?”
I shook my head and grinned at the nurse. “Was,” I said. “I’m not anymore. I’m a family man now.”
The serious face returned. “Your wife was gravely injured,” she continued. “She was very badly beaten, and she’ll need some physical therapy to regain her motor skills. But I’m confident that within a few months, she’ll be back to normal. She may suffer frequent headaches, and there’s a possibility of PTSD with all kidnapping cases.”
My mouth went dry at the extent of Angel’s injuries. I felt so bad for her, and the yearn to see her was like a physical ache in my belly. “I understand,” I said softly. “I’m committed to providing the best possible care for her, and I’ll hire a home nurse until she’s back to normal.”
The nurse nodded. “I’m glad to hear that,” she replied. “And what are your plans for the boy?”
“Excuse me? I didn’t think he was hurt.”
The nurse shook her head. “We strongly recommend that children who undergo trauma be placed in counseling,” she said. “Something to make sure PTSD won’t develop at a later age. Are you willing to place him under the care of a professional?”
I nodded. “Of course,” I said. “Whatever Chuckie needs, he’ll get.”
The nurse smiled. “Chuckie? That’s a strange name.”
“We love it,” I said automatically, even though I’d agreed with her when I’d first heard his name. But now it seemed a part of him, like everything else. I’d never pegged Angel to be one of those women who gave her kids a stupid name with a weird spelling, but now it didn’t seem dumb at all. And there was a nice ring to Chuckie Minter.
“Well, I’m sure you’re very happy as a family,” the nurse said. “Would you like to see your wife now?”
Suddenly, I felt nervous. “Could I have a few minutes alone with my son? We haven’t really gotten a chance to talk since the officers picked him up.”
The nurse nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Just let me know. I’ll be right on the other side of the door, and then we can go see Angel.”
“Angel,” I corrected automatically.
The nurse didn’t smile as she let herself out.
When she was gone, Chuckie peeked up at me from his perch in the corner. “Can you come over here, buddy?”
Chuckie got to his feet and walked over to me. I could tell he was nervous, too.
“I’m hungry,” Chuckie said. “There was bread in the basement, but not a lot.”
“We’ll get you a cheeseburger as soon as we’re done here,” I promised. “With fries. Would you like that?”
Chuckie nodded excitedly. He climbed in my lap and wrapped his arms around my big chest. “Do you love my Mommy?”
I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat unexpectedly. “I do,” I admitted. “I love her very much. Do you want to go see her together?”
Chuckie nodded. He bit his lip. “I’m scared,” he said. “I shouldn’t have run away. I should have stayed with Mommy.” He climbed off my lap and walked towards the door, but I caught up with him and kneeled down to his height.
“No, you did everything right, Chuckie,” I said solemnly. “It was for the best that you ran. You did a great job, and Mommy and I are both really proud of you.”
Chuckie blushed. Standing up, I took his hand. The nurse showed us into Angel’s room.
“She was asleep a few minutes ago, but I think she just woke up,” she said quietly. “I’ll give you fifteen minutes.”
Fifteen minutes seemed like torture compared to the years we’d spent apart, but right now, I was glad to take it. In the hospital bed, Angel looked like a small, fragile figure. There were bandages all around her head and her face was puffy and swollen. When she saw me, a faint hint of a smile played on her lips.
“Trey,” she said softly. I moved closer to the bed so I could hear every word. “Trey, I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head. “Don’t talk,” I said firmly. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine. Chuckie’s totally fine, and he’s right here with me.”
“Good,” Angel said. She let out a long sigh followed by a raspy cough. I was alarmed at how many bruises covered her pale body — she looked worse than any of my guys ever had. “I love you, Trey.”
The lump that had formed in the waiting room suddenly intensified and I felt tears well up in my eyes. “I love you, too,” I told her, reaching forward and gently stroking the back of her hand with my index finger. “I love you so much.”
“Mommy?” Chuckie looked into the hospital bed. “Mommy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Angel said. She reached forward and gently stroked Chuckie’s hair. “I promise I’ll be just fine. Are you okay?”
Chuckie looked scared, but he nodded. “I’m fine, Mommy,” he said. “Trey took care of me!”
Angel gave me a smile and I could have sworn I saw the hint of a blush on her cheeks. “I think you should start calling him Daddy now, sweetheart.”
Chuckie grinned, a grin that stretched from ear to ear. “Mommy, Daddy loves you!” he chirped loudly. “He told me when we were waiting to see you!”
Angel looked at me and I felt my heart swell. As I looked down at my family, I realized I’d never been filled with so much love or so much pride in my whole life. Suddenly, they were the only things I cared about. I no longer cared about stepping down from the Skullbreakers, or the fact that Damien was taken into custody. Let the cops deal with him. I had a family now.
“Let’s always stay together,” Angel said. She reached out and wrapped her swollen fingers around my hand. “Promise?”
I looked into her green eyes and felt just as deeply in love with her as I always had. “I promise,” I agreed. “We’ll always be together. You, me, and Chuckie. We’re a family now.”
Angel smiled. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the pillow, clearly exhausted. “That’s what I’ve always wanted,” she said softly. “That’s what I’ve wanted ever since I met you.”
“I’ve wanted that, too,” I said. “And I wanted something else.”
She looked up at me, curious. “What do you mean?”
I smiled. She looked so innocent and beautiful just then, in that moment. She had no idea what was coming. I wanted to live in that split second forever, just staring into those big, perfect eyes looking up at me full of trust and love.
I opened my hand and showed her what I’d been hiding from her. It didn’t look like much – just a small velvet box. But when I cracked it open to show her the ring inside, her jaw dropped.
“But, bu… I mean, baby, you…” she babbled.
“Shh,” I whispered jokingly. “Just tell me yes or no. Will you marry me?”
She leapt forward and pressed her lips against mine. “Of course!” she murmured with our mouths barely millimeters apart. I could feel her hot breath on my skin. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
We held each other for a long time after that. There wasn’t much else that needed to be said. Her skin on mine was all the confirmation I needed that I’d made the right decision. I didn’t know what this feeling was. It was familiar and yet so foreign. But I liked it. It felt right.
“I love you,” I told her again, stroking her hand until she’d fallen asleep. “And I promise, this time we’ll be together forever.”
THE END
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