I hated using crutches, but I also agreed with the doctors that I didn't want to reopen my leg wound, and that meant hobbling around and keeping myself mostly immobile for at least another week. Really, I just wanted to get back out there on my bike, letting the speed and the wind wipe away all my frustrations and anger and pain.
“All right, are you sure you're comfortable there?” Halley asked, adjusting the pillows behind me for the umpteenth time. She frowned critically at my setup on the couch and shook her head. “That doesn't look very comfortable,” she said.
“It's fine,” I insisted, rolling my eyes even though I was secretly amused by her antics and appreciative of her efforts to take care of me.
“Okay,” Halley said doubtfully.
“Look, I have to talk to you about something,” I told her the real reason I'd asked her to pick me up from the hospital.
“Let me make you some soup first,” she said, already moving towards the kitchen. “I've got chicken noodle, tomato bisque, cream of—”
“I'm not sick,” I interrupted. This time, I couldn't keep the amusement off my face. “I mean, I was shot in the leg—I don't have the flu. I don't need to eat soup for every meal.”
“I know,” Halley said matter-of-factly. “But I also know that they're still pumping you through with painkillers, so I thought it might be easier for you to drink a little soup and not worry about cutlery. And then you could go back to sleep and rest, which is what you're supposed to be doing, even if you're not sick.”
She had a valid point, if I was being honest. It wasn't that I couldn't use my hands, but my fingers seemed to always be a little longer than I expected or otherwise just strange feeling.
“Fine,” I said. “Soup would be great. Whatever kind you want.” I then waited impatiently for her to return with the meal so that we could talk. The thing was, I had to tell her about Max and about Emilio's threat. I had to get her and Cole to someplace safe until I was strong enough to protect them myself.
“What's wrong?” she asked as she came back into the room, sensing my unhappiness. “Does something hurt?” And there she was, at it again with the stupid pillows.
I shrugged her hands away. “I'm fine,” I told her gruffly. “I just...”
Halley frowned at me and slowly sank down to sit on the coffee table. I reached over and laid a hand on her knee, closing my eyes and turning my face up towards the ceiling because I couldn't bear to see her reaction to the danger that I'd put our son in.
“Emilio Alvarez came to visit me while I was in the hospital,” I told her. “If you haven't heard his name yet, he's the leader of the Holy Flames MC, one of our rival clubs. Our most powerful rival club here in the city.”
“Okay,” Halley said slowly.
“The club that we planned the raid on,” I explained deliberately. “The raid where I was just shot.”
I couldn't help cracking open an eye to see Halley's expression when she gave no verbal clue of what she was thinking. She was frowning, but she didn't look too upset — yet.
“What did he want with you?” she asked slowly. “Obviously, he didn't hurt you or anything; the doctors would have noticed if he had done something like that.”
I inclined my head towards her, acknowledging the truth of that. “He came to threaten me,” I told her. “And he came to…” I frowned, head falling back again as I took a deep breath. “He wants to take over the Devil's Route MC.”
“Well, of course he does,” Halley said, shrugging a little. “Isn't that what all of you guys want, to get more territory and income and whatever else? But—”
“Wait,” I told her. “You haven't heard the whole story.” Halley obediently fell silent. I rubbed at the bridge of my nose. “He wants me to either disband Devil's Route or else to let the Flames peacefully absorb our members into their ranks. I can't let either of those things happen, of course, not when Frank worked so hard to get the club to this point, and not when our values are so completely different from the Flames' values. But if I don't choose between these two options, Emilio has ... threatened you and Cole.”
Halley stood abruptly, looking absolutely livid. “And what, you'd rather choose your drinking buddies over me and Cole? I'm sorry, but—”
“They aren't my drinking buddies,” I snapped. “A motorcycle club is a brotherhood. I've known most of these guys since I was a fucked-up teenager, and they helped me — along with Frank — to grow into the man that I am today. They've always been there for me, and it wouldn't be fair for me to turn my back on them, not when we're all still reeling with the loss of Frank, not when they're depending on me to lead them. As Max said, I now have a conflict of interest that maybe is clouding my judgement, but I'm trying my best to be rational here.”
Halley stared at me for a long moment, her chest heaving, and then finally sank back down onto the table. “Okay,” she said, her voice small. “So, I guess Cole and I will just have to look out for ourselves.”
“Believe me, Halley, if I were strong enough to protect the two of you, I'd be right there at your side through all of this,” I told her fiercely. “But the problem is this whole...” I gestured towards my leg.
“Why can't the club continue to protect us?” Halley asked.
I shook my head. “Because too much is happening at the moment,” I told her truthfully. “I can't justify tying up club resources, and more than that, I'm not sure how people would view that, in light of recent events. Of course, Frank's death had nothing to do with you, but with everyone still reeling from that, there are bound to be some people who are looking to blame anything they can.”
Halley shook her head in disbelief. “That's not fair,” she said. “I had nothing to do with that!”
“No, but Max was involved in Frank's death,” I told her grimly. “At least, that's what Emilio tells me and I believe him. And Max was the most vocal opposition when I asked for the Devil's Route to have men guard you and Cole because he was afraid of what would happen if we diverted our resources. And look what's happened.”
Halley bit her lower lip. “So, what do you suggest we do?” she asked. “Hire a private security force?”
“I don't even know if that would help,” I admitted honestly. “What you have to remember is that the Holy Flames MC has been in operation for a very long time, and they know a thing or two about picking off people. Instead, I want you and Cole — and your parents too, probably — to go far, far away, until all of this blows over. I'm going to try to talk to Emilio and convince him that he doesn't actually want to do this, but I need you to—”
“You can't go talk to Emilio,” Halley said tearfully, reaching out a hand towards me, lacing her fingers in mine. “The last thing I want is to be halfway across the country and find out that you've been killed as well.”
I sighed, closing my eyes because I knew I needed to remain strong despite her tears. “Halley, it's not like we really have options in this situation. Emilio has already threatened to do something — although he didn't say what — against you. And there's Max to consider as well. And then there's Devil's Route as a whole.” I took a deep breath before saying the words I really didn't want to say: “I'm not asking you to leave. I'm telling you that you have to leave, and to distance yourself from me as much as possible. I'm not even sure we can chat or—”
“But I just got you back,” Halley protested. “I spent so many years—”
“I know,” I said gently. “But Halley, you have to see that this is the only way. For your safety, and for Cole's. God, it would kill me if anything were to happen to the two of you because of the choices that I've made in life.”
After a long moment, Halley nodded and squeezed my hand. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. My parents and I will take Cole away for a little while. We'll go on a sort of vacation. But the minute anything happens, you have to let me know, all right? And I understand what you're saying about not chatting and all, but I need you to check in with me from time to time, okay? Just so that I know that you're still...”
“Okay,” I agreed, even though I knew the smartest thing would be to cut all contact with them, so that Emilio and his goons wouldn't be able to track where she was. But I couldn't leave her with nothing. It was bad enough that I had gotten her into this mess to start with.
Halley stared at me for a long moment and then suddenly switched positions, until she was lying there on the couch with me, her back pressed against my chest. There wasn't really room for both of us there, but I wasn't about to push her away. I was just glad that she was mindful of my injury and left some space there.
“I'll miss you,” she told me, her voice the barest of whispers.
I lightly kissed her hair, unable to say anything more.