“Get over it,” Smokey said, entering the room. “If you stopped stressing and being a stubborn bitch, you’d be out already. The doctors said all is fine. It’s because you won’t rest and relax and allow those stitches to heal.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is. You guys can walk right out after being stitched up,” Raven said.
Abriana took a bite of her apple.
She felt a tingling down her spine, and as she looked behind her, she saw Ugly Beast was staring right at her.
“There is a big difference between getting shot in the arm and shot in the gut. All of us would still be in the hospital.”
Abriana looked away from Ugly Beast, taking another bite of her apple, more aware of the way he kept on looking at her.
“If Abriana can take care of me…” Raven said.
“No. She’s busy, and I’m not going to be cruel. You’re staying here. Just be thankful I brought her along this time,” Ugly Beast said.
Raven sighed and collapsed back, giving an oof as she pulled her stitches. The guys were right; she really was stubborn and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Fine. Fine. Moving on to easier stuff. Get me up to speed?”
At the silence, Abriana looked behind her again. Ugly Beast and Smokey were sharing a look.
“Oh, come on. You tell me I can’t leave the hospital, and now I can’t know what the fuck is going on.”
“We’re being careful. You make it out of here alive in one piece, we’ll talk,” Smokey said.
Abriana’s stomach grumbled as she ate the apple.
“It’s time for Abriana and me to go. I’ve got to feed her.”
“You heading back to the clubhouse?” Smokey asked.
“Nah, going home. Got a few things I need to take care of.”
“All right, brother.”
“Don’t leave me here to die,” Raven said.
“You’re not going to die. You’ve got to learn to relax and be a good little girl,” Abriana said.
“I don’t like you. What happened to my sweet friend?”
She didn’t look toward Ugly Beast. She couldn’t.
Abriana had wanted to come and see her friend today, but she’d also been a little scared in case Raven could see how nervous she was.
Leaving the hospital, Ugly Beast didn’t take the elevator but the stairs. She followed behind him, as doctors were passing and other patients and their family and friends.
When they got outside, he took hold of her hand, leading her toward his car.
“Am I getting another driving lesson?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh.” He’d not taken her for a driving lesson since the last one. She didn’t need to be told the club was on edge since the shooting. During the past couple of days, she’d noticed an increase in the bikers arriving. None of whom she recognized but each one saying the same. They were Hell’s Bastards, only from a different charter.
“When all the shit blows over, we’ll start your teaching again.”
“Okay.”
She climbed into the car and buckled her seatbelt.
The silence in the car was deafening. She didn’t know how to stop it.
Pressing her lips together, she tried to think of something funny or witty, and instead, her mind went blank.
“Do you know what you want me to say to my dad when he calls?” she asked.
Ugly Beast drove out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of home. Was it her home?
“Yes. He wants you to mention the shootout, but he wants you to tell him we had a couple of men die. We captured the prospects who shot at us and you’ve not heard from them.”
“I can do that.”
Again, more silence.
She stared out of the window, wishing she could say whatever was on her mind. Running her hands up and down her thighs, she felt incredibly nervous. “Why did you leave?” she asked.
“Abriana, we don’t have to do this.”
“I want to do this.”
“Why?”
“We had … sex, and you just left. We had a lot of sex.”
“And?”
“Did I do something wrong? I didn’t think I did anything wrong. You had a good time. I had a good time. I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m so confused.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why did you leave?” she asked. “We shared … something, and you just got up and walked away.”
He burst out laughing. “What exactly did we share, Abriana?”
“We … you know … we…” She couldn’t finish it and her cheeks heated. She hated how stupid she was being. This man was her husband. He’d taken every single part of her, and at his own words, she belonged to him so why couldn’t she just say the damn words.
“We fucked, Abriana. I took your pussy and your ass. I blew my load in your ass, and I watched it drip out. It was fucking dirty and sexy as fuck. That’s what I did.”
“So why did you leave? What did I do? It’s what you wanted.”