Twist of Fate (Kings of Chaos 6)

Ellis cuts me off. “Go. We’ve got this.”

“Thank you.” I rip the apron off and hand it to him through the window before turning to run toward my car. How bad is this concussion? Head wounds can be dangerous. What kind of damage is there? My stomach twists into a knot as I maneuver through traffic.

What feels like an eternity later, I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine. I swiftly walk to the entrance, passing a fleet of motorcycles. What the hell is going on? I enter the room, passing burly men in leather vests with a skull patch and the letters K.O.C. I’ve never seen this many members of a biker gang before. I do my best not to stare as I walk to the desk. They’re in various stages of disarray, seated in blue plastic chairs in the waiting room waiting to be seen or patched up. Was Shayne caught in this?

“Can I help you?” the woman behind the desks asks kindly.

“Yes, I’m here to see a patient, Shayne Spencer.”

“Wait, you trying to see Charming?”

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I turn to look over my shoulder at the massive mountain of a man in a leather vest that says President.

“I’m sorry. I think we might be talking about two different people.” I reply politely.

He cocks his head to the side. “You said Shayne Spencer, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s Charming.”

My heart pounds. My family and I run a mechanic shop. We’re nomadic. It comes with having a motorcycle.

“Oh, you’re the uncle he met up with!”

He chuckles. “Guess you could say that.”

I frown. “Is he. Is he okay? Have you seen him.”

He shakes his head. “They’re stitching him up I’m sure. Maybe even giving him some blood. He lost a fair amount of blood. Head wounds always bleed like hell. Did he call you?”

I shake my head. “No, Joel did. He’s the emergency contact.”

“Makes sense. I’m sorry. I’m Stone.” He holds out his hand.

“Xia.” We shake. His hand is large and calloused. But his handshake is gentle yet firm.

“Nice to meet you, Xia,” he says. “You want to wait with us?”

My heart thuds. I try not to make snap judgments, but the men are intimidating as hell.

“Now’s not the time to pick up a woman,” a man says as the others laugh.

“This is Charm’s woman.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

The stunned amusement stings. I flinch.

Stone’s eye flicker with anger as he turns around. “Have we forgotten our manners?”

“Come on. You have to be thinking the same thing, P.”

The murmurs of agreement make me uneasy. He said he’d never done the relationship thing before, but this feels different. My stomach aches for a completely different reason. I place a hand on my belly and work to keep my face neutral. They seem to be like a pack; if I show weakness one may pounce.

“I’m looking for the party with Shayne Spencer.”

Stone nudges me forward. “This is his fiancée. His brother is two hours away, and she’s his closest family.”