Chapter 23

There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.
– Laurell K. Hamilton

Tex

The house is engulfing in flames as we approach, smoke heavy in the sky. I ride as quickly as I can. I don’t even bother stopping by the club, I knew where she’d be… she has to be there… if she isn’t in the house it meant Rage got to her.

I couldn’t let him have her again, never would I let him…

I jumped off my bike, Dracus and Bolt close behind me doing the same. Instincts take over me and I run straight towards the house. The smoke is heavy, pouring out of the open window. I place my hand on the door, the metal burning me more than anything ever has, but I push past the pain, needing to get into the house.

The sound of coughing is like music to my ears.  I follow the sound, covering my own mouth as I’m brought to Roxy. I can make out her figure through the smoke.

“Vince?!” She coughs, unable to catch her breath.

“Yeah baby, fuck” I yank onto her, pulling her to me and she doesn’t budge.

“Tied, he tied us up. Get Aimee, she hasn’t… get Aimee first!” She coughs, crying through her words. I pull out my knife from my back pocket and feel for whatever it is that is holding them up, my knife catches along something and I continue to pull, feeling more breakage under the flick of my wrist. Aimee falls into my grasp right as I am met by heavy footsteps, Dracus is right next to me. I hand Aimee off and he runs out of the door.

Bringing my hands back above Roxy, I do the same, flicking my knife against whatever is holding her up until she falls back against me. I don’t react, I drop everything except for her, pulling her close into my arms I make my way out of the house until we’re right next to Dracus, Aimee and Bolt.

Roxy is coughing into my chest, trying to catch her breath with each draw. “A-imee,” she struggles to say, turning her head back and looking to her on the ground.

Dracus puts his mouth over hers, giving her CPR. He starts compressions, counting and then does the same over and over again until he stops.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Bolt screams at him, “Keep going!”

Dracus shakes his head, staring at Aimee, he covers his hand with his face. Fuck… No. Roxy cries into my chest, sobbing, tears flooding my shirt.

All of a sudden, coughing comes out of nowhere. Aimee jolts forward, coughing over and over. Dracus pulls her into his arms, Bolt kneeling down to hug the both of them, pressing kisses to her face. She whimpers, crying loudly through her coughs.

Roxy wheezes in my arms, slowly trying to catch her breath she reaches her hand out to Aimee’s. They both hold onto one another for dear life, not letting go.

Tonight, I have failed.

I swore to protect her, and I fucking failed.

***

A week went by, both Roxy and Aimee hardly said a word to any of us. The two of them sticking close together, bonding through the hell that they went through together. They were close before, but even more so now. Dracus, Bolt, and I tried to do anything that we could to help them, but they didn’t want to talk about it. Neither of them wanted to breathe a word about what they had been through.

It didn’t take much to put the pieces together. They could hardly walk, soot covered their bodies from the fire, but once we had cleaned them both up we could see the extent of their injuries. Aimee was beaten, badly at that. Roxy had been through it so many times, I was honestly surprised that she didn’t have more bruises on her body, the only noticeable ones were around her neck and hips. Now, Aimee… hers were everywhere. Even today her face is still a good portion of purple and blue.

We should consider ourselves lucky, the only thing we lost that night was the house. The club still stands, our people still stand. There are only two in the wind, unsure if they are dead or alive.

Fang and Saber.

I asked Roxy and Aimee if they had seen either of them, but neither said anything, they simply shared a look and remained quiet. That told me everything that I needed to know – they did, and they know something that I don’t.

Mindi told us she held herself up under the clubhouse, there’s a door behind the bar that leads into a bunker. It’s pretty well hidden, and when shit goes down the women and kids know to go there. It can withhold pretty much anything, and there is a path that leads out to a door under it if you follow it back a mile, otherwise it’s a pretty plain room with cots, a small kitchen and a bathroom. Mindi grabbed the twins and acted quickly, making sure the sweet butts were down there and locked the hatch. No woman, or child left behind. She makes a great Prez’s wife, caring for her people as much as Fist does. When she found out the… extent of what happened… or what we presumed to have happened to both Aimee and Roxy, she cried. She cried until no tears could come out of her, and then she went to them, being a supportive friend – which is exactly what they both needed.

This was just the beginning, but I had no doubts that we would all get through this together. I tell Roxy every night, this did not break her, and nothing ever would. For she is a diamond, a special girl who can never be broken. Fiercer than most men I know, and stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.

It will take time, but I know she and Aimee will both open up to us again soon. They just need to process everything that has happened. In the meantime, all we can do is be there for them as much as they need us to.