Jasper

Escorting Emma back inside, I keep watch on her. Knowing what she’s been through, I’ve never been as rough as I just was. Catching another look at her in the light of the clubhouse, I can see she’s glowing and I start to refocus on my Brothers.

“I’m going to go see if I can help Betsy and Roy,” She says without being asked before she kisses the back of my hand and heads down to the game room.

“Where’s Gunner?” I ask the first person I see.

“He was hit in the arm.” Is the immediate response, so I turn towards Flint instead. “Getting it looked at.”

“What’s the score?” I accept the shot of whiskey he holds out to me, ignoring the shit eating grin that tells me he knows why I was delayed in the parking lot.

“Zipper your fly.” He starts, and fuck, he’s right. I hadn’t done that. “Five with GSWs, but they were all lucky, nothing major hit. Gunner and Connal are included in that count. Smithy, he’s the sixth and was sliced up pretty good, lots of stiches needed and a lot of blood loss. He came upon where the Ol’ Ladies and kids were holed up and a couple of them had knives.

“As for collateral damage on their side, not much that we can tell but it’s early yet. The explosives went off, as planned, so their legit businesses and dirty warehouses are laid to waste. Now’s the time to look into real estate in and around their town. Make it harder for anyone left rebuild, although I would imagine the good people down that way might grow a backbone once they realize what happened and make our lives easier; not having the Spiders nipping at us anymore.”

“About what I thought…” I start before Gunner cuts in.

“What do you need, Jas?” He asks, lighting up a cigarette. The right sleeve of his T had been torn off and there’s a bandage wrapped around his bicep.

“You good?” I raise an eyebrow at his appearance.

“Sewed it up, your Ol’ Lady wrapped it.” He grunts. “Need me to get the guard rotation set up?”

“Appreciate it.”

“You look like shit, Pres,” He adds before walking away.

Flint takes a hard look at me.

“He’s right. I got this. Go lay down, if Roy’s got everything under control I’ll send Emma up to you. We need you on your game tomorrow.” He looks at me like he did when I was a fifteen year old punk who needed his ass kicked. I realize I’m nearly swaying on my feet, so I grab his shoulder in thanks.

Emma

No one seems to mind that I have no idea how to help. I more or less just stay behind Roy and keep things clean. At one point I look over and see Gunner sewing up his own arm!

I approach with hydrogen peroxide and gauze.

“Nice start.” He looks up at me. “Pour some of that on it then go grab me a pain pill.”

By the time I get back, he’s tying off the thread and quickly takes the water but only one of the two pain pills I brought. “Need to stay frosty tonight.” He grunts before nodding at the gauze and asking me to do the honors.

“So, you’ve done this before?” I ask.

“Yep. Couldn’t find the super glue so I grabbed some thread and a needle.” He’s watching me intently as I keep my eyes on the massive bicep I’m wrapping.

“Super glue?!”

“It works.” He grunts when I press too hard as I’m taping up the end.

“All set,” I grab his shoulder as he starts to stand. “Gunner, please let Roy look at it tomorrow? You helped take care of me when I needed it the most, you promise me you’ll do that or I WILL hunt you down.”

“Jasper chose well.” Is all he says as he squeezes my hand and walks away.

“EMMA!” Betsy calls to me before I can respond to him. I quickly cross over to help her with a man with multiple cuts. I pull on clean gloves and follow all her directions precisely.

I don’t know how much longer until I’m able to step back again, but when I do Flint immediately catches my eye. I look around to make sure the room has calmed down before walking to him.

“Jasper went upstairs to rest, could use some ibuprofen and water,” He says before looking away from me. “Maybe hold off on more lovin’, we need him sharp tomorrow.”

As my face blooms red, I just nod and run off. Cleaning up in the downstairs bathroom before gathering what Jasper might need, I slip into our room.

His bedside lamp is on as are his clothes, but he’s sound asleep. I slide into bed next to him and he instantly rolls to me, still mostly asleep he pulls me into his body and starts to lightly snore. Silent tears stream down my cheeks; releasing the stress of not only today but of the past year.

“Mm’kay?” He mumbles, more asleep than awake.

“Shhh,” I hum in his ear to sooth him back to sleep.

*

The next morning he wakes me with light kisses.

“I have to get downstairs,” He starts once my eyes have focused. “I know we need to talk, but I didn’t want to leave you without waking you up.”

“How do you feel?” I immediately check for fresh blood on his head wound.

“I took that ibuprofen you left and drank the water over the course of the night,” He says, kissing me again. “Not a hundred percent, but I need to get a handle on things and check the wounded.”

“I don’t love it, but I understand.” I cup his cheek with my hand.

“You love me though, right?” He asks as he feathers kisses around my face. I quickly nod and press my lips against his. “Amy and the others will still be around today. Did you and Betsy get on alright?”

“I’m fine here, Jas. Really. I may sleep a bit longer then I’ll be down to help out some more.” I yawn. “Oh, make sure Gunner follows up with Roy. He promised. Kinda.”

Jasper

I know this life is so far removed from all Emma knows, but she really makes the best of things. I close the door behind me as I take one more look at her sleeping form.

“You good?” Jake joins me on the stairwell.

“I’ll live.” I shrug. “You?”

Jake nods.

“Drones worked well, didn’t they?” I ask him, feeling proud of Emma’s idea.

He nods again.

“I’ll tell Emma you were gushing about them.” I add wryly, trying to get more from this quiet bastard than a nod.

Another nod before he finally opens his mouth. “Coffee?” He offers.

“Fresh and black.” I throw over my shoulder as he cuts off to the kitchen. I can be succinct also.

“How’s Emma gonna feel about that?” He says in a monotone as he’s walking away.

I bark out a laugh at his unexpected joke. “Fucking asshole.”

Shithead barely speaks to anyone and now he thinks he’s funny, I think grinning to myself.

*

The only ones left in the makeshift infirmary are Smithy, who was cut to shit, and Radar. Radar caught a bullet in his shoulder and will be in a world of hurt for a while.

They’re both fairly conscious when I check in and I’m surprised to see someone I had thought was a Honey Hole sitting beside Smithy, holding his hand.

“You good, Brother?” I ask, looking between them.

“Good, Pres.” He releases her hand to grasp mine. “Uh, I asked them to let Amber in. Hope its ok. We’ve been regular for a few weeks.”

I look over at her. She’s a full girl, pretty though, and can barely hold my stare; can’t help but wonder how she found her way to our door in the first place. He drops my hand to hold hers again.

“I’m sorry.” She says looking between us. “I can find someplace to stay, Smithy, I don’t want to cause…”

“Stop. You’re with me, right?” He directs to her, after she nods he looks back to me. “Look, her stepfather’s a creep and other than here, the only place I stay is at my ma’s. Ma don’t want her there without me. I need to be sure she’s ok.”

I watch her hand tighten around his and the look she gives him borders on adoration.

“Amber, you legal?” She nods. “And exclusive with Smithy?” I ask, feeling this out but quickly see terror run across her face before she starts to nod. “OK. We’ve had some shit go down, so I see different and you’re out. But for now, you’re Smithy’s nurse. Anyone lays a hand on you, you tell them Flint and I will have a problem.”

“Thank you.” She looks at him first, then shyly back up to me.

“My Ol’ Lady, Emma, will be around. She’s been through some shit herself, anything you need you go to her or Betsy with, got it?” She nods franticly.

She keeps bobbing her head while smiling at Smithy. Fuck, she could give Jake a run for his money with all her nodding.

“If it happens that things go south between you two, you make sure she has a safe place to go. I hear otherwise and you and me’ll have a problem.” I finish the conversation with Smithy, before walking over to Radar.

“Thank you, Brother.” Smithy calls out.