Chapter Ten
Summer
Three hours later and Bella is sleeping safe and sound in the room, recovering from the anesthesia. Her recovery is going to be a long one, she’s still young, and even though there weren’t any complications, she’s got a long ways to go.
“She’s fine,” I tell Natalie the second she rushes towards me. “Everything went the way it was supposed to, and you guys are more than welcome to go back and visit her now.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before Natalie barrels past me and off towards the patient rooms.
“Room seventeen,” I tell Thunder when I see Natalie looking around in confusion.
Ryan comes to stand beside me while I watch our friend search for her daughter’s room and how quickly Thunder comes to her rescue.
“She’s lucky isn’t she?” Ryan’s sigh next to me has me releasing my own sigh.
“She is lucky. I wish we could find a man like that,” watching them makes me think of my mystery man and how he kneeled before me last night and was so tender with me. I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying not to think about him for once.
“What’s up with you lately?” I can’t hide much from Ryan, she knows me too well. “Met someone? I know that look, Summer. Be careful, remember what happened with Michael?”
I glare at her and drag her further away from the guys watching us curiously. “You don’t think I know that, Ryan. Fuck, it has taken me four years to even think about letting another man in, and even now I’m not sure if I want to let this man anywhere near my shitty personal life and my baggage. I can barely handle my own baggage as it is and it’s mine. I can’t ask another person to take some of that burden, it wouldn’t be fair,” I step away and walk to the counter to start processing the paperwork for Bella’s release. I want her out of here as soon as possible. I don’t trust the staff here with her care. They don’t care that she’s an innocent child, all they hear is the name Dragon Skulls, and they go nuts, and they’ll do something crazy to harm her.
“You deserve to be happy, Summer,” Ryan shouts much to my dismay. I look up in her direction and find the men from the Dragon Skulls MC staring back at me. I blush and resume my paperwork. But my eyes fly back up in their direction and back to the one in the middle who has yet to remove his eyes from me. It’s almost like he can see through me the longer he stares at me. I feel naked, exposed to him, and surprisingly that doesn’t scare me.
“Summer,” Doctor Knowles saves me, and the spell is broken. I look back one last time at the stranger before I step away and follow the doctor down the hall. “You are in charge of the girl’s care, make sure she’s stable and have her sent home tomorrow morning with her parents. I need you to stay on duty with her here tonight, the family has requested it.”
I want to protest and tell him I can’t stay the night, I want to go to Black Lightning tonight, but from the look on the doctor’s face, this isn’t the time to argue with him. This one time, I have to do as I’m asked. I just wish there was a way I could tell my mystery man I can’t make it tonight.
Probably for the best, he probably wouldn’t be there anyway. I bet last night was too much for him to take.
“Yes sir, I’ll make sure everything is in order,” I reply. I excuse myself and walk back out to the front and right over to where Ryan is sitting. She’s too busy flirting with the bikers to even notice my approach. Even when the one she’s flirting with looks away from her and focuses all his attention on me. God, what is it about this guy?
“Ryan, I have to cancel our dinner date. I know you were looking forward to it. I have to stay tonight and care for Bella. They want her discharged tomorrow morning for some god awful reason, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since she was released from surgery and they want to send her home,” I shrug my shoulders when she glares at the doctor who is standing at the nurse's station.
“Is that even legal?” she growls, starting to get up from her seat. I’m forced to push her back down into her chair.
“It’s for the best, I don’t trust them with her care, and if need be, I can care for her at her house. That is, if it’s okay with the Dragon Skulls,” I look over at them, and my eyes are once again drawn to the green-eyed, brown-haired hot one. I look down and see the name on his cut is Tigger. Interesting name.
“You are always welcome,” the way he says it is more than just an invite to come visit them. Unwanted warmth fills me. Strange really. He almost sounds like my mystery man. Fuck, I’m losing my mind. Less than twenty-four hours since the last time I had him and I already want to chase him down and ride his cock. Fuck, I need to get my head screwed on straight.
“Thank you,” I whisper, excusing myself.
I feel safer at a distance, hiding behind the nurse’s station, but it doesn’t distract me from the fact that he is still staring at me. Almost like he’s trying to figure me out. I squirm uncomfortably and force myself to concentrate on the paperwork in front of me instead.
Soon, they get up and leave, leaving me in peace for the first time since they arrived. There’s something protective about the way he watched me, and while it didn’t creep me out, I’m not used to being watched like that, in such a possessive manner.
*****
By the next morning, Bella is in great shape and ready to go home. My excitement only lasts until she’s out the door. I told Natalie I would come and check in on her this afternoon, but that’s not the problem.
I worked the entire day yesterday and all night caring for the little girl of one of my best friends and the hospital didn’t appreciate it. Don’t think they thanked me. They are the ones that asked me to stay and care for the little girl, and they weren’t appreciative or thankful for it. You know what I got?
Fired.
The director’s words were, and I quote, ‘Your relationship with the Dragon Skulls MC makes you a liability to this hospital that we cannot afford. We are therefore terminating your employment.’
What a crock of shit. I’m not even associated with them. It’s not like I spend my spare time in the clubhouse or am even dating any of them. Natalie is my friend, and I cared for one of her kids. If that makes me guilty of being associated with them, then fine, I’ll accept that because I wouldn’t take back caring for that beautiful little girl even if given the chance. That’s my friend’s kid, and her health should matter more than my supposed involvement with their club.
I’m feeling reckless by the time I get home and head down to the tattoo shop that Thunder owns. Might as well get another tattoo. The only time I do this is when shit like this happens to me. I’ll do something reckless and then later when the reality hits, I’ll cry in the corner. I know this time I’ll cry hard, I needed that job, and I’ll be on the street within the next month or two. But you know what? You only live once.
I burst into the shop, not caring that Thunder is talking to some guy at the counter. He’s not wearing a cut so he can’t be that important. I break propriety and climb onto the tattoo chair at his station and cross my arms over my chest.
“Cat died?” Thunder asks after he dismisses the guy standing at the counter.
“Worse,” I reply, allowing my shoulders to sag in defeat. I may not know him well, but he’s Natalie’s man so I know I can trust him. We’re in here alone, so I might as well let the beans spill. “The director fired me because of my association with the club.”
“You’re shitting me, right? You aren’t even associated with the club,” he scoffs at me in disbelief, plopping down on his stool beside me.
“They didn’t like that I knew Natalie and helped care for Bella. They asked me to stay with her and their thank you for that was to fire me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d care for your daughter anyway, even if it meant losing my job all over again, but still, they asked me to do it, so they didn’t have to care for her. It’s bullshit,” I shrug like it means nothing, but it was my dream job, and my dreams have just been shot to hell.
He smiles up at me like he knows some secret I don’t know. Immediately I want to slap him, I don’t get what there is to smile about. My predicament isn’t funny.
“Why are you smiling? I just told you I got fired and I’m going to be out on the street within the next few months. That bitch is going to make sure I’m unhireable at every hospital on the West Coast.”
“Well, you may be unhireable at other hospitals, but there’s a job that would be perfect for you, that is if you want it. Natalie and I were going to offer you the job anyway,” he takes his phone out and fires off a text before placing the phone down beside him.
“Where would that be?” I ask eyeing the phone and then looking back up at him.
“We could use a nurse. We have a lot of injuries that happen. Most are small, but occasionally we have a need for a trained nurse. Like right now, with Bella. We could use your help, and we’ll make sure you are well paid and cared for. We can even offer you a place to stay in the clubhouse. My old room is empty, and while it isn’t much, you won’t have to pay rent and only need to work when we need you to.”
I’m on my feet in seconds and throwing myself at him, hugging him tightly against me. He stiffens against me before he finally relaxes and pats me on the back.
“There’s no need for all that, it’s the least we can do. You took such good care of Bella that she’s been asking for you ever since we brought her home this morning,” he releases me, and I shyly sit back down on the chair. I can’t believe I just threw myself at him like that. If Natalie were here, she’d probably think I was trying to make a pass at her man.
“Thank you,” I whisper, turning away from him when his phone rings.
It must be Natalie on the phone because he leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later with a dreamy look on his face.
“Natalie expects you at the compound this afternoon, I can give you the directions if you need it,” he sits back down beside me and places his phone in the holder on the wall. “Now, down to the business at hand, what can I do for you? It’s on the house.”
I can’t believe how generous these people are to me. I know I’m a friend of Natalie’s, but I never expected all of this.
“I wanted to get some work done on this arm,” I show him my right arm. “Something similar to my left arm,” I hold both arms out in front of me so he can see.
He rubs his beard and examines the ink on my left arm and grabs his pencil and drawing pad and gets to work. He doesn’t say a single word as he draws, so I grab my phone and start playing a game. No sooner do I start, does the first text come through.
Natalie: I heard what happened. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not since we get to be the lucky ones to keep you
That’s Natalie for you. She doesn’t apologize unless necessary, and she sees this as a plus and not a negative for both myself and the club. I have to agree with her, I’m not sorry they fired me.
The next text that comes through is from Ryan.
Ryan: Those stupid bastards don’t deserve you
That causes me to laugh. I chat with both briefly, but Thunder showing me the flower, butterfly, and skull design he wants to put on my arm distracts me from my friends. The design is beautiful and in full color. I don’t argue, I just offer him my arm, and he gets to work. Four hours later, he announces he’s done with the top half of my arm and that we’ll finish the other half next week. I know what that means, if I don’t get to Natalie’s house now, she’s going to have a cow and come down here to collect me.
“Thank you, for everything,” I tell Thunder when we step out into the street, and he locks the door behind us.
“You can thank me by taking care of my club, yes?” he nods once and instructs me to follow him.
I follow him all the way to the clubhouse, which turns out to only be a ten-minute drive, and when we arrive, and the guard opens the well-guarded gate, I’m left staring at the lot with my mouth hanging open. I follow behind Thunder, parking my car next to the other cars parked on the lot and get out to look around. Turning in circles, I take the place in. Their clubhouse is massive, there’s a garage off to the right, and a large house in the back corner of the lot. I bet that’s where Thunder lives.
“Come on, I’ll show you around later, if we don’t get to the house now, Natalie is going to have my balls,” he makes a face like he’s joking, but I know she definitely would have him by the balls. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen her do that.