A Rebel In The Roses (Black Rebel Riders' MC Book 8) (12 page)

I don’t know what has crawled up Sunshine’s ass, but she’s being a little crazy and overbearing. I wanted to sit in the car, but she wouldn’t let me. Said I need to get used to going out in public. That I need to get used to people staring at me and whispering.

Her locking Dawn in her room like that wasn’t cool. It doesn’t sit well with me. What if there is a fire and she can’t get out? She could end up looking like me, or worse—dead.

I wanted to say something, but couldn’t get the courage to speak up, and writing out what I wanted to say would have taken too long. I suck. I’m such a
loser.
If something happens to Dawn, I won’t be able to forgive myself.

Following behind Sunshine and Jamie as she pushes her buggy through the store, I hold my head down in shame.

I just want this day to be over.

We’ve already been to get me a cell phone and some new clothes. I appreciate everything she is doing for me I honestly do, but I can’t shake this feeling about Dawn.

She’s like a wild animal, you can’t cage either of them in.

After Sunshine stops at the deli and gets some black forest ham, we are finally moving to the checkout line.
Thank God.

Jamie looks at me and rolls his eyes when she says she forgot something and heads back to grab a can of tomato paste.

I smile at him and mouth
I know
.

Eventually, we make it out of the store alive.

I ride in the back and let Jamie sit up front. I can’t be around this woman another minute. She’s smothering me.

When we get to the trailer I can’t shake my bad feeling, but I help Sunshine and Jamie carry all the bags in and put away the groceries. She’s starting dinner, and Jamie is on the couch playing a game. Stepping into the hall to go to my room I notice Dawn’s door is lying on the floor broken in half.

“FUTH!” I say to myself and jog to her room. She’s gone. I should scream for help or something, but being the loser and coward I am, I go to my room to grab my board.

I rush past Jamie and he yells at me for walking in front of the TV. “You made me die
dickweed!”

I ignore him and continue on.

My message is all jumbled and messy. It doesn’t even make sense. I’m so frustrated. I smack the side of my head. I’m so
stupid.

Sunshine turns and looks at me as tears stream down my face. I can’t stop smacking the side of my head with the board. I just want to be normal, not a fucking burned freak that can’t even speak.

“
Patrick, stop that!”
She shouts trying to grab my arm. “
Help me Jamie!
” She screams for him while attempting to take my board away.

He runs into the kitchen. “What’s wrong with him? Is he stupid or something?”

“
No
, shut your mouth!” She chastises him as I bring my arm down.

“Dun,” I shout trying to say Dawn.

“Calm down, speak slowly.”

I try again. “Du-Dun.”

“
Done?
” She looks to Jamie for help.

“I think he said dumb, you know…because he’s stupid.” He laughs as she swats him away.

I give up and grab her arm pulling her to the hallway.  She finally understands once she sees the door splintered from its frame and lying in the hall.

“For heaven’s sake
!” She stomps back to the kitchen and grabs her phone from her purse.

“JT, this is Sunshine. Is Dawn with you?”

JT? Should have known she’d have a boyfriend she’s too pretty not to.

I sit down on the couch with my new phone getting it set up, even though I don’t have anyone to talk to. I can’t do anything to help find Dawn.

“JT, just tell me the truth. I swear I won’t call the police. I just want to know that she’s safe.”

I look at Jamie expectantly and he says, “JT is my sister’s boyfriend, he’s older and Sunshine doesn’t like him.”  Well that explains a lot.

“Okay, I will give you an hour. Call me as soon as you find her.”

She ends the call swearing she’s gonna jerk a knot in that damn girl’s head.

JT

I’m cleaning up the shop after working on my last customer for the day. I’m wiping down my station when my cell rings. Sunshine. I shake my head. I should just ignore her call, but think better of it.

“No, Dawn isn’t with me.”
Nothing but trouble.

She goes on telling me that Dawn took off.
Figures.

I promise her, if she’ll give me an hour I’ll find Dawn.

I scroll through the contacts on my phone trying to think of who she’d call. She threatened me earlier, saying one of my friends would replace me.

I won’t get any closer to finding her just sitting here.

As I am locking the door to the shop Will Weaver’s Dodge blows by me. I’m not sure but I could swear I saw Dawn’s blonde hair blowing out the window.

Fucking hell.

I hop in my truck and try to follow him. My truck doesn’t go anywhere near as fast as his fancy sports car.

I don’t want to call him, yet. At the speed he’s driving he won’t need my help to wreck. If he hurts her I swear I
will
kill him.

I drive five miles and can’t even catch his tail lights.

Think!
I tighten my grip on the steering wheel.

I pull off and send a text to Bobby Fillmore, he runs around with Will.

JT: Hey man, anyone partying tonight. I’m looking to cut loose.

Bobby: Just so happens I am at Jen’s. She’s having a small party. Think your girl just showed up with Will. She doesn’t look too hot.

Goddamn
, if she’s took his shit...I don’t want to think about that.

I thought I was doing the right thing.

I thought I was helping her.

I was trying to get her clean.

Tossing my phone to the side, it bounces off the seat and into the floorboard. I swerve back on the road flooring the gas pedal the whole way. All I can think is I hope I’m not too late. 

Pulling up to Jen’s big fancy house I guess her parents must be gone on vacation. There's a good twenty cars in the driveway.

I’ve always hated coming here, feeling like I didn’t belong with the rich kids. Her dad’s a doctor. When I was in high school she’d have parties where everyone would try the samples of different pills her old man had laying around. I see Will’s car in the grass, looks like he nearly crashed into the fountain.

I don’t bother with knocking, the stereo speakers are booming so damn loud I am surprised they don’t blow the windows out.

I walk in and all eyes dart to me. Following the loud cheers, I make my way to the kitchen. Dawn is on the center of the kitchen island and Will is doing a shot off her stomach.

Son of a bitch
. I cross the room and jerk him backwards. “
Don’t fucking touch her!”

“Relax man, we’re just having a good time,” he says stumbling backward.

“Let’s go Dawn.” I grab her wrist noticing she isn’t talking or putting up a fight.

“
Dawn!
” I scream her name hoping to GOD she is just fucking around. I feel her neck for her pulse and it’s barely there. “
Call an ambulance
!” I shout and everyone is just staring, unmoving, not caring.

Fuck them all!

I grab her up off the marble countertop and take her in my arms. I’ll drive her to the hospital myself.

I’m nearly out the door with her when she starts convulsing.

I don’t know what to do.

I feel like my world is crashing down around me.

I stop in my tracks, putting her on the floor.

The room starts to spin, but I shake it off and try to think.

I grab the guy closest to me and demand his phone.

Dawn

My body jerks and twitches as I lay here on the floor. I can hear JT screaming, “Honey please!” His voice rings in my ears, but I want to fade away and never come back. My body aches, I can’t stand the pain. I pray to God to take me or give me to the devil himself if he wishes. I just don’t want to hurt anymore. Cold sweat drips down my back as I go from freezing to burning in the pits of hell.

Every touch is like sandpaper on my skin.

Every movement brings me one step closer to death’s door.

I twist on the floor, like a serpent ready to strike anyone who dares to come near.

Bile bubbles in my throat and I can’t breathe.

**

I’m in a state of limbo.

Falling in and out of consciousness, I can hear sirens ringing in my ears as some guy says, “Stay with me.”

Something pokes at my arm as hands move over me.

Something is shoved down my throat, it burns.

The last thing I hear is someone shouting,
“We’re losing her
.”

I can’t open my eyes; I just want to sleep.

There’s nothing but a long steady
beeeeppppp…

Mute

Driving my mom, Sunshine, to the hospital, I’m so scared. The hospital called for Romeo saying Dawn overdosed and it’s pretty fucking bad. Sunshine was too sick with worry to drive. She sent Jamie to stay with Liberty.

Romeo is on the road and has no idea what is waiting here for him when he returns.

I pull into the parking lot and shut the car off, unsure of what will happen once we walk through those double sliding doors.

Sunshine can’t find the strength to get out of the car.

“This is my fault Patrick. What if she’s dead?
I did this.
I should have let her go with us or let you stay with her.” She sobs and I wrap my arm around her not having the words to disagree with her.

However, Dawn is responsible for her own actions.

Sunshine wipes at her eyes and moves to get out so I go ahead and walk into the waiting room.

There’s a guy arguing with the receptionist.

“She’s my girlfriend. I’m the one who called you! I just want to know she’s
okay!
” He bangs his fist against the window.

“Sir if you don’t calm down I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

He spins around throwing his hands in the air. He looks absolutely ravaged.

This has to be JT; he looks like the kind of pretty boy Dawn would go for.

Sunshine comes in behind me and asks to see Dawn, and because her and Romeo aren’t legally married they won’t allow her back. Saying family only.

Dawn shouldn’t be alone.

I walk past the guy and to the window. “Escuth mi.”

“Can I help you?”

“Mi thister Dun.”

“You’re Dawn’s brother?”

“D-d-da-m-ie”

“Jamie?”

I nod cementing my lie.

“Follow me.”

Sunshine nods with a squeeze to my hand. She knows someone should be back there with her.

I hear JT going off, wanting to know why I am being allowed back.

I look back one more time and see Sunshine ushering him to a chair.

Walking through the door, I feel strange being a visitor instead of a patient.

If I could trade places with Dawn I would.

The nurse takes me to a room for critical patients.

“Your sister is in critical condition. Her body went through a lot. We are still waiting on her lab work, but she has overdosed on what we believe was heroin and had an allergic reaction to a narcotic that resulted in her going into shock. Her doctor will be in to speak with you once we have all of her test results back. Her brain activity appears normal, and there doesn’t seem to be any swelling. Her pulse is strong and I think she will pull through. However, she will be admitted and observed overnight.”

I try to say thanks. “Thunt thu.”

I take a seat by the bed, Dawn looks like a sleeping angel.

Pulling out my new phone, I send a text to Sunshine letting her know that they think Dawn is going to be okay.

Grabbing Dawn’s hand, I brush my thumb over her knuckles. “Pleeth be otay,” I whisper.

Her hand is so cold, probably from what she’s been through today.

What would make her be so stupid?  What could hurt her so deeply that she felt the need to put that shit in her beautiful body?

JT. If he gave her the stuff…if he did something to make her want to end her life…

Balling my fists, I want to go find him.

I’m thinking really hard on what I will do to him when Dawn coughs and opens her eyes.

When I go to push the call button for the nurse Dawn stops me with her words. “Hey, I was just dreaming about you.” Her voice is raspy, but she’s okay.