CHAPTER NINE
Zeek
WAKING FROM MY BLACKOUT I hear sobbing. Using my feet I push off the floor to a sitting position and grab at my stomach when it recoils in a burning rage. My body stings, and burns all over, but my stomach is on fucking fire.
“Looks like he’s going to make it.” A female voice states. My vision doubles, as a blonde-haired woman, pulls off a pair of blue gloves from her hands.
“You’re kidding?” Lip’s voice sounds around me.
“Nope. Through and through. Didn’t hit anything major. I pulled a bullet out of his arm, too, it’s infected, so I gave him a heavy dose of antibiotics. He’ll be sore, but he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Nice fucking shot, Lip,” Bobby scoffs.
“There was a ton of fucking blood. Fox is still out there trying get the shit off the courtyard for Christ’s sake, how is this possible?”
“What can I say, he’s lucky.” The blonde, I assume is their doctor by the pink scrubs she’s wearing, responds, her tone of voice sounding confused.
“So he’s going to make it?” Jillian asks. I try and stand, wanting to get to her, but I feel out of it.
“Whoa, cowboy, you’re on heavy painkillers, take it easy,” the doctor instructs, pushing me back down into a sitting position.
“So he lives, go fucking figure,” Lip exhales.
“Hey, you need to ease up, brother.” The voice of Bull echoes through my dazed state. “Regardless of what went down, he’s family.”
“No, he’s not, Bull.”
“You and him have the same DNA. Regardless of how much you hate him, or how big a piece of shit he is. You have to lock that crap down, and fess up to him being your family. You don’t think none of us have a family member we wished was adopted at some point? Get it together, brother, and stop acting like a pissed off teenager.”
Lip responds, but I can’t hear anything. My vision doubles, and everything goes back to black.
***
I WAKE UP. MORE LIKE JOLT AWAKE. My vision isn’t blurry anymore, and I can move most of my limbs without an excruciating amount of pain. My arm that held the bullet is numb, and wrapped up in clean bandages. Becoming suddenly aware of where I am, and what happened I begin to panic, needing to get to Jillian.
“Zeek?” Snapping my head in the direction of the voice, I find Jillian is sitting on a bed, her knees brought up to her chest, as she hugs her legs tightly. I try to push myself upright from the floor to get to her, but my stomach smarts, and I have to sit back down for a second.
“You’re awake. Are you hungry?” the blonde female asks, as she sets a plate with a sandwich and chips on a nightstand. She’s wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck.
She hunches down, and my eyes narrow with anger. The urge to mangle her pretty little doctor face becomes overwhelming. I curl my fists instead, the blood on her shirt a reminder this chick probably saved me.
“Goddamn it, Doc. I told you not to come in here alone.” Bobby steps in, and eyes me warily. He’s aware of my violent nature.
“Would you ease up?” Doc, as Bobby called her, reaches around her neck and lifts the stethoscope. She sticks the eartips in her ear and places the cold metal of the stethoscope on my chest.
“Your heart is beating a little faster, which is good. You had me a little worried a bit ago.”
“I’m sure my death would weigh heavy on your conscience, princess,” I jab condescendingly.
“Go.” Bobby points at the door, ushering her out.
She huffs standing, giving him a bitchy look before leaving.
Bobby rubs at his neck, his stance wide.
“Just so you know, she’s probably your only friend around here. She doesn’t deserve your disrespect.”
“If my disrespect is the only thing I give her, than I think she’s getting off pretty easy.” Tilting my head to the side, I smile.
Without blinking an eye, he slams his fist into my mouth, blood spraying across the wall.
“Fuuuck.” I groan, my lip burning.
“Stop, you’re hurting him!” Jillian screams, and Bull and…Shadow, I think it was, rush into the room.
Jillian slams her elbow into Bobby’s gut, making him fall to his knees. Shadow grabs a hold of her and tosses her on the bed like a fucking teddy bear.
“Stay!” he orders her, finger pointed in her face. She slaps it out of her way, and mean mugs him.
“Goddamn it, Bobby,” Bull hollers, pushing him out of the room.
“What kind of female is that?” Bobby groans, hunched over as he limps out.
Looking at Jillian a proud smile spreads across my bloody face. My woman is a little protective.
“Unless you want to try your luck with death again, why don’t you try and play nice, huh?” Bull suggests, hunching down in my line of sight.
Using the back of my hand, I wipe at my bloody mouth. I hiss as the salt from my hand stings the wound. Sighing loudly, he stands and follows Shadow out of the room.
“Why?” Jillian sobs, her stare angry.
“Why what?”
“Why are you doing this? Acting like a complete asshole when you want their help?” Her face is red from crying, her hair a mess from fighting. We shouldn’t have come here, I knew it.
“We don’t need their help, we’re leaving.”
Blood drips on my pants. Using my thumb I try and wipe it way unsuccessfully. “But, to answer your question, if I came here apologizing, and kissing their asses do you think they’d take me seriously? No, they want to beat their anger out on me. They want me to feel—to see me—regret what I’ve done.”
She shakes her head, not understanding. I don’t expect her to. She didn’t grow up in this world, she grew up where people talked their problems out and you forgave your enemy regardless if you really wanted to or not. In my world, the world of outlaws and criminals, we don’t give a fuck about a verbal apology or explanation. We beat the respect out of you, make you bleed your apology. Only then will we decide if your suffering condoned what the fuck you did to deserve it in the first place. If not, we do it again.
We show no motherfucking mercy. Mercy is for the weak and because of the world we live in there is no room for weakness. Only the strong fucking survive.
“Do you feel sorry for what you did?” That is the million-dollar question.
Looking down, I wipe the blood on my jeans.
“Kinda. It sucks it happened. But it’s in the past.” I’m honest with her, and the words leaving my mouth shock me. To know I’m actually capable of feeling regret like that, makes me feel like Jillian is turning me into a giant pussy.
“Unbelievable. I think you should just explain to them—”
“This is my world, baby, I don’t expect you to understand what I’m doing, or how I’m acting. Just shut up, and let me do what I do best,” I interrupt, my tone angry.
Crossing her arms, she rests her head on them.
“He’s going to kill you.” She lifts her head, her eyes peering up under her blonde bangs. “Your brother, he’s going to kill you and then what happens to me?” I’d never let that happen. Ever.
“If he was going to kill me, he would have aimed for my head. I’m alive because he wanted me alive.”
“Or he’s a shit shot.” She lowers her head again, breaking eye contact.
Not being able to handle the silence any longer, I try and stand. My stomach screaming where Lip shot me before I even take a step.
I stumble against the wall, my body aching, and thundering with pain all over.
“Where are you going?” Jillian’s head pops up frantically.
“I’m getting us the fuck out of here.” Reaching the door, Kane is leaning against the wall in the hallway, his cell phone in one hand.
“He’s up!” Kane warns the men. He must be the watchdog. Looking his cut over, I see he’s a prospect too.
“Where’s my gun?” I ask.
Bull steps into the light of the hall, with Lip right on his tail.
“How the hell are you standing?” Bull chuckles, a cigarette bobbing from his lips as he speaks.
“We don’t need your help anymore, we’re leaving.” Everything goes dizzy, my face starting to sweat profusely.
“It doesn’t look like you’re going much of anywhere,” Bull observes.
“I will fucking crawl out of here with bullets flying if I have to.” Shaking my head I try and push the double vision out and focus my eyes.
“You ain’t leaving here tonight, we got heat back on us out front. You leave here looking like that, you’ll draw attention. Besides, we torched that stolen ride of yours, you ain’t got a ride out of here.”
“WHAT THE FUCK!” I roar, slamming my fist in the wall.
“Let your ol’ lady sleep, get a shower, and you can leave in the morning. I’m putting a couple of my men on you to make sure you keep your ass in that room, and if you so much as step foot out of it, they’re to put a bullet in your head.”
Jillian
A TALL GUY WITH AN INDIAN ethnicity strides into the room. Kane, I think his name is, along with a man with short brown hair and a matching beard. His face is round, his eyes soft. He has on a leather cut that reads Prospect just like Kane’s. Zeek limps into the room, shooting Kane and the other prospect looks of hatred. I understand why he is acting the way he is, but it’s still risky. What’s to say Bull won’t get tired of Zeek’s mouth and throw us both out? Or worse, kill us?
“You think you can handle her?” Bull asks stepping into the room and smiling big at me. I frown, pulling into myself. I really wish I had my gun, because right now, I’m completely at the mercy of the Devil’s Dust.
“I think Nova and I can handle her alright.” My eyes flick to the guy who must be Nova. Mr. Soft eyes.
“I think Bobby would disagree,” Nova jokes.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Bull asks, pulling a cigarette out of his pack.
I hug my legs tighter, and stay quiet. There was a reason why Zeek didn’t tell them about me. I’m a cop. No matter what Zeek did, me being law enforcement will dig both of our graves.
“Nobody is going to hurt you, darlin’. Ease up.”
Bull gives both his guys a look and steps away.
“What’s your name?” Kane asks. His cheek bones are sharp, his eyes dark with thick eyebrows. He has long dark hair that makes my hair look pathetic.
Realizing that I’m staring, I turn my head, and don’t answer.
“How long have you been with Zeek?” Nova asks.
“Don’t answer that,” Zeek adds, sitting next to me on the bed.
“You hungry?” Kane grabs the plate off the nightstand and slides it on the bed.
Looking at the food my stomach growls loudly. It clenches so hard I feel like I may vomit.
“Go ahead.” Kane pushes it farther onto the bed.
Not being able to resist any longer, I grab the sandwich and take a big bite. The juices from the turkey coat my tongue and I can’t help but moan.
“Easy, baby, any more of that I’m going to be prancing around here with a hard on.” Nova smiles, but his isn’t one of joking. I swallow, and can’t help but look at his crotch, which appears to be straining.
“Excuse me?” Zeek’s eyebrows nearly reach his hairline. My heart stutters, afraid Zeek is going to lunge off the bed towards Nova. Zeek stands, his shoulders tense and fists balled. “What’d you fucking say to her?” He grabs out at Nova, and Kane steps between them, one of his hands on Zeek’s chest to push him back.
“Easy, he’s just being a dumbass.” Kane looks down at Nova as he takes a seat. “Do you have a death wish, man? You don’t make passes at someone else’s old lady. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I was just messing around,” Nova shrugs. “Kinda.”
Shaking his head, Kane sits down.
I pull on Zeek’s shirt, urging him to sit down too. Looking over his shoulder he flicks a brow upward. “Sit down, it’s fine.” I tug on him again. “Please.”
Exhaling a breath, his body relaxes and he sits back down on the bed next to me.
Nova stands, swiping a chip from my plate. I eye him as he bites into it. That was my chip.
Zeek eyeballs him as the guy chomps loudly. His mouth shifting in an irritating way as he chews.
“What the fuck, man, get your own food. Let her eat.” Kane’s dark face turns into one of anger. I can’t help but like Kane. He has a personality about him that I found myself being drawn to. Maybe I can rely on him if need be.
“Why don’t you two get the hell out, let us sleep?” Zeek has clearly had enough of this Nova guy.
“We’ll be right outside,” Kane warns, as he and Nova stand and leave.
“Why are we still here? We need to be going, they fucking shot you!” I can’t help but raise my voice.
“It’s just for the night. Tomorrow we will be out of here and figuring out a Plan B.”
“Coming here backed us into a fucking corner with nowhere else to go.” I slide down onto the bed.
“Coming here was the nowhere else to go, babe, I don’t have a clue what the hell we’re going to do tomorrow but Lip, he didn’t kill me for a reason, so for now we’re okay.”
“How does that help us though?”
“He might be the only one to help us, that’s a big might though. Lip and I have never been close, I don’t see that changing.” Zeek slides onto the bed more, kicking his boots off, a pistol falling to the floor. Sitting up on the bed I look over the mattress, eyeing the black weapon. Zeek shoots up, and grabs it, before eyeing me. His other hand holding his side.
My eyes narrow. “I thought they took it from you.”
“They took one, but they didn’t take this one. They didn’t pat me down after they thought they killed me.” He chuckles, placing it in his waistband.
My heart thuds against my chest at the man sitting before me. He is as evil as he is smart. He knows what he is doing, and he knows the game of an outlaw. I’m incredibly turned on, yet scared to fucking death. We might survive this after all.
Getting up, I close the door and turn the lights off. I slip into bed next to Zeek, and he throws his arm over me. It’s the first time I’ve felt safe since we pulled into the Devil’s lair.
“You did good today,” he whispers into my hair. “My girl kicked ass.”
Closing my eyes, I push tears away. I was so scared Zeek was dead when Lip fired that gun. All my strength in my limbs buckled as I went limp in Kane’s arms watching Zeek’s body jolt as he fell forward. I’ll never forget it.
The anger, and measures of everyone involved over the last few days makes me wonder what the fuck Zeek and I are doing.
“Zeek,” I whisper.
“Yeah,” he responds, his tone dripping pain.
“Do you think us being together is such a great idea?”
He shifts, and grabs my chin hard. “Why?”
“Look at this, look at us. I lost my job, and my father. You lost your club, your family, and you were shot—” I shake my head, the tears I was trying to push away falling rapidly.
“It’s all worth it. I’m not going anywhere, Jillian. Ever. If the world can’t get used to us being together, then it better get the fuck out of the way.”
A laugh spills from my lips, as I wipe at my tears.
“You’re so arrogant.”
“It’s the fucking truth, babe, it’s just the truth.”