A Rebel In The Roses (Black Rebel Riders' MC Book 8) (13 page)

I take her hand, wanting to talk to her but afraid she won’t understand me.

Instead, I take my phone out and type my message.

I was worried about you. You scared me. Are you okay?

I pass my phone to her and she types back.

I’m fine now that you’re here. You can call the nurse now.

Before pushing the button for the nurse I type one more message.

I told them I’m your brother, that my name is Jamie. I didn’t want you to be alone.

She laughs and coughs again.

15

JT

Sitting in the waiting room, I’m desperate for news on Dawn. I’m about ready to lose my Goddamned
mind.

They won’t let me see her.

One nurse saw me waiting and took pity on me, said I saved Dawn’s life. If I hadn’t rolled her to her side and kept her throat clear from her puke it would have aspirated in her lungs. She would have choked to death on her own vomit or been brain dead, had I not been there.

It’s been half an hour. I’m waiting for Sunshine to get here since only family is allowed in. However, she still hasn’t arrived, so I go back to the intake window demanding an update.

This bitch doesn’t like me. I guess she thinks I supplied Dawn with the drugs.

She even threatened to throw me out, as if
she
can keep me away.

Next thing I know Sunshine shows up and her weird ass son fakes his way back to Dawn.

Bullshit
. I saved her life and can’t even get and update.
Cocksucking whores.

“JT you have spent more time with her than anyone. I have to ask...did you give her the drugs?”

I don’t want to lie to her. If she is going to be able to help Dawn she needs to know the truth. I have to tell her
everything
. Taking a deep breath, I let out a sigh. She hated me before, she will really hate me now.

“When I started dating Dawn...she wanted me to take her around town, introduce her to people. I took her to a few parties. It started as the usual, toking a joint here or popping a few pills, and drinking. Then she got more curious and wanted to try something with more kick. I thought, she’d try it and move on. Then she wanted more. It became obvious to me it was getting to be a habit for her. When I would try to reason with her she’d blow up on me, and threaten me that she’d kill herself if I didn't get her more. I’ve seen the marks on her wrists.”

I pause when Sunshine gets a call from Romeo.
Goddamn,
he’s going to kill me, and I wouldn’t blame him. I should have said something. I
should
have called her bluff. 

Sunshine clears her throat having ended her call, wanting me to continue.

Rubbing my hands through my hair, I know I have to get to the hard part. I have to tell her what I’ve done.

“Anyway, I thought I could help her. That I could get her off the shit slowly, take her down each time and not tell her.” I shake my head. “I didn’t tell her what I was doing, she would start doing good for a few days, but when I would try to talk to her about what was bothering her, she’d just shut me out. I just wanted her to let me in, but she couldn’t. I think it has something to do with her mom. What? I’m not sure. I was getting tired of her crap. If hadn’t been giving her less, maybe she could have handled what she took today. She’s got to be okay.”

I swallow hard, scrubbing hands over my eyes trying not to cry like a little bitch. I don’t deserve to cry for Dawn.

I tell her exactly what happened today and she squeezes my hand.

“Then...well...you pretty much know the rest.”

“Thank you for being honest with me. You should have told me or her dad. Yes, you screwed up JT, but you were being a good friend in your eyes. I know you didn’t want to hurt her or betray what little trust you had from her. Don’t blame yourself. She did this on her own. You didn’t put her in that car. You didn’t shoot those drugs into her system. But I need you to tell me who the boy is she was with today?”

Telling Sunshine about Will, has me fired up. Talking about him reminds me of him licking salt from her navel. He had his hands on her as she was laying there dying, and the bastard didn’t even
notice.
  I swear next time I see him, I’m going to make him regret
ever
looking Dawn’s way.

“He’s a piece of shit. When he set his eyes on Dawn I knew he’d try something. I just didn’t think she’d go for a douche like him.” I shake my head getting madder by the second. My hands are shaking, I just want to punch something,
no,
I want to rip Will a new asshole.

Sunshine promises that she will let me see Dawn if she is ever able to get back there with her.

A few minutes later she receives a text and shows me, it’s from her son. He says Dawn will be okay, but they are going to keep her overnight.

Knowing there is nothing more I can do here, I go looking for Will. Knowing this dumbass, he is probably still at Jen’s.

I’m going to fuck his world up. He wanted a good time, I’m going to show him one.

Getting in my truck I’m careful not to squeal my tires. Two cop cars just pulled in at the ER. My guess is they are here about Dawn. I need to get to Will before they do. He’s going to have hell to pay. And
I’m
the man to collect.

When I get to Jen’s, the party is still going. Makes me sick. A girl nearly died in front of all these assholes, and here they all are still enjoying their good time, as if she doesn’t matter.

I’ll make damn sure they remember her name and know who they have fucked with.

I rev my engine as I eye Will’s car. I’d love to plow into the son of a bitch.

He wouldn’t be getting nearly as much pussy without that fucking car. Dawn wouldn’t have looked twice at him if she didn’t know he could get her what she wanted. I made the mistake of letting her know I was buying from him.

Shutting my truck off, I go around the back, I know their drill. I’m sure they’re out by the pool.

Just as I thought, I see Will front and center holding a bikini top swinging it over his head.
Goddamn
him, he nearly killed Dawn. He doesn't even care. He didn’t even attempt to contact me to see if she’s going to be okay. No, he’s too worried about a good time. I’ll show him a good time all right.

Without warning I charge him, spearing him in the side with my head, and taking him to the ground.

No one tries to stop me as I pummel his face with my fists. Blood is spurting out of his nose and seeping from his brow. “
Piece of shit. You nearly killed her!
” I roar, hammering his head into the cement patio, staining it with his blood.

Bobby tries to pull me off him. Will’s unconscious by this time, and I don’t care if he lives or dies. As I’m punching him, all I see is Dawn’s lifeless body. I remember the EMT doing CPR unable to revive her. I swing around nailing Bobby too.

I raise up off Will and spit in his battered face.
“Fuck you.”

I look at Bobby and he holds his hands up.
“I don’t want no trouble man.”

“Damn right you fucking don’t. You’re
all
on my list.” I point my finger at every fucking one of them. “You don’t know what hell you’ve signed up for,
but you will
,” I promise.

I get back in my truck and that damn Dodge is taunting me under the glow of the moon, all shiny with its chrome wheels that probably costs more than my truck’s worth.

Fuck it.
I start my truck and back it up some. Revving my engine, I gun it, t-boning his pride and joy,
The Panty Dropper
as he calls it. According to him, when chicks saw him pull up in it, they all wanted to drop their panties, pfftt.

My hood is fucked and I don’t even care, that felt
damn good
.

Knowing the law will be on my ass next, I gun it to the one place I know I can seek a safe haven, the Roadhouse.

Kimmie

Stone has been preoccupied with club business all day. When I finished my shower he was in a meeting, leaving me to go on about my day. I’ve tried to stay out of his line of sight for the most part. I’ve cleaned every inch of the bar. Filled all the salt and pepper shakers and checked all the coolers, twice.

When I thought he was coming my way, I darted into the storage room to get a package of napkins.

Anything to keep busy.

Anything to keep his hands off me.

I can’t stop thinking about JT.

I don’t know why I bother; he’ll never want me now.

Regret eats away at me.

I need someone to save me from myself.

I’m so damn stupid.

I should have just been honest and told him how I felt.

He might have understood.

Shaking my head, I get back to work.

Truth needs another beer.

Truth and his woman are hanging around tonight. I like Amy, she’s funny and she doesn’t treat me any differently than anybody else. Which I don’t know why she would, I remember her from my first days at Pink Lips. She’s proof a clubwhore can find love. And her and Truth are keeping Stone entertained, which means he isn’t trying to fuck me. That alone makes her a ten in my book.

Penny Lou saddles up next to me at the bar. “What’s this I hear about you and the potential?” She loves her gossip. Penny Lou works at the strip club, Oasis. The new Pink Lips. That's what The Black Rebels renamed it. One-off really turned it around and made it a real gentlemen’s club. It’s a lot classier now too.

Amy helps out with the girls, works with them on their moves.

“Nothing. Not a damn thing.”

“Come on girl, don’t hold out on me. How was he?” Her red nails circle the rim of her glass.

My cheeks flush as I remember his tongue all over me, his lips humming against my clit. His magic hands. I shiver and fantasize about being with him again. A smile spreads across my face remembering the sound he made when I got him off. He was definitely roaring like a damn beast, a
Hulk.

Penny Lou interrupts my daydream. “That good huh?”

I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter,” I tell her, my eyes narrowing in on Stone.

Penny follows my gaze. She studies him for a minute, thinking...

“Don’t worry about him. I know he has his eye on you for now, but trust me girl.” She grins. “He’s newly single. He’ll move on to a new snatch soon. He’ll want to play for a while and maybe I can help you out there. If your boy shows tonight, I’ll take Stone off your hands.” She winks, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.

“Why would you do that for me?” He’s not the worst, but he definitely isn’t my favorite after what he had to say to me about JT this morning.

“Because, I like you and I believe in happy endings.” The way she looks at Stone with such adoration has me wondering what she isn’t telling me, but I’m not about to question her motives. There is a story there, but if she wants to tell me what's gone on between them she will. I don’t like to pry into other people's business.

If Penny Lou has a history with Stone, that history may be my ticket to getting him off my back.

I smile.

Maybe there’s hope for me one day.

Maybe I can have JT when he earns his cut.

A girl can dream anyway. I sigh and take a sip of my beer for something to do.

As if he knows I was just talking about him, JT rushes through the door looking like he’s on the run from something bad.

Truth jumps up from his seat. “Where’s the fire?”

Stone eyes him but doesn’t move from his seat.

JT goes into some story about how he fucked some dude up that gave Romeo’s daughter drugs and nearly killed her. Says he roughed the guy up bad and needs to hide his truck.

Damn. Double damn.

Stone doesn’t offer any help, but Truth steps right up, ordering One-off to take JT’s truck and park it out in the brush. He gives him directions to some secluded spot. Saying something about a Mustang.

Penny Lou eases from her stool, grabs a beer from behind the bar, and takes it over to Stone. She winks at me, nodding her head toward JT, not being subtle in the least, but I don’t think Stone notices. He’s too busy rubbing his hand over the curve of Penny Lou’s ass. He nuzzles his head into her breasts and growls.

“
Thank you Penny
,” I mutter under my breath, taking another swig of my beer.

Truth looks over to the bar, his eyes landing on me. “Kimmie, take him upstairs.” He shoves JT forward. “Clean his knuckles the best you can. Then take him to bed, he’s been here with you all night.”

I step forward and wave my hand in front of me, waiting for JT to make a move.

He walks by me giving me an ugly snarl. His lip curls as if the sight of me makes him angry.

“Let’s go,” he grits and grabs my hand.

JT’s face pales when I smile at his hand clutching mine so tight, as if he needs me to comfort him.

I know he probably hates me after this morning, but I’m happy to get another night with him, even if he doesn’t speak to me. Even if he gives me the stink eye all night.

Even if it's short-lived, I will gladly escape to our bubble for a little while.

I can pretend he doesn't hate me.

I can pretend he’s mine.

“Hey
Hulk
, or should I call you
slugger
,” I tease as he follows me up the stairs.