As they rode back to the clubhouse Rocky thought about Evonne. I need to lock that shit down, claim it properly and give her my cut. Old ladies were treated differently by everyone. It’d give her more respect and protection. Both would give him peace of mind while he was out on the streets. He’d tried to do the decent thing and wait ‘til shit settled down with her family, but life didn’t always allow those luxuries. Hope you’re ready for me, girl, ’cause I’m done waiting. He smirked, imagining the fight she’d put up before she surrendered. I’m in the mood to burn off a little tension.
Chapter Ten
The ringing of the phone pulled Evonne from sleep. Instantly alert, she rolled onto her side and reached out to grab the cell phone on her nightstand. As sleep faded, her stomach cramped. Something went wrong tonight. “Hello?” she whispered, waiting to hear one of the boys say Rocky was in the hospital—or worse.
“Evonne, it’s not looking good. Your brother’s brain is hemorrhaging.”
“Mom, I’m on my way,” she said, instantly awake.
A heartbeat passed. “Hurry.”
The dial tone in her ear spurred her into action. She turned on the lamp on the nightstand and moved to the chair that held her jeans. Tugging them on, she hurried to the closet and dug out a hoodie. She slipped on a pair of flats and emerged from the room. The jumbled mess of her thoughts made it difficult to think straight. She scanned the area. Moving farther into the room, she could see most of the lights were out and it looked like a ghost town.
“Going somewhere, Firecracker?”
She turned to see Casanova. “I need a ride.”
“What? At this time of night?”
“My brother is in the hospital. He’s not doing too well.”
“You know we’re on lockdown.”
“He’s fucking dying! I’m not going to miss that.”
Casanova paused.
The roar of bikes interrupted them and she ran for the door. Just before she reached the door, she was jerked back. “I’m not about to step in the ring with Ali to box because you can’t think straight. Go sit your ass down at the bar while I make sure these are friendly engines. We’re not on lockdown for shits and giggles.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Casanova’s booming voice made her jump. They made it easy sometimes to forget they were bikers, then when the shit hit, they were all fierce. She jogged across the room and sat at the bar, wringing her hands.
The gate clanged once to signal it was being opened and the rest was drowned out by the bikes. They began to walk into the club and Casanova pulled Rocky aside, gesturing toward her.
Rocky’s shoulders tensed. “Yo, Hawk, gotta take my lady to the hospital. Her brother isn’t doing too well.”
“Take a tail.”
“Casanova, you on with me?”
“Shit, why not.”
“Come on, Firecracker, let’s get you out of here,” Rocky called.
Evonne jumped down from the stool and ran to Rocky. He wrapped an arm around her, gripping her waist tight as he led her outside. The gentle squeeze he gave her side did nothing to ease her anxiety.
A few minutes later, they were on the street. She’d never appreciated the speed of the bike as much as she did now, as Rocky wove in and out of traffic. Pressed up against him, she closed her eyes, thinking up the worst-case scenarios. They pulled up to the parking lot and she all but ripped the helmet off and ran for the hospital entrance.
Everything felt numb and time itself seemed to slow as she placed one foot in front of the other and balled her hands into fists to keep it together. Guilt ate at her insides, like an alien ready to hatch inside its host. She could feel the heat rolling off Rocky at her back and silently drew from his strength. They made their way onto the elevator and she gripped the bar so tightly her fingers ached. The ding of the car as it settled on their floor mocked her. The doors rolled open and the last thing she wanted to do was walk through them.
Rocky pressed his hand into the small of her back, gently guiding her forward and down the hall. They paused and she blinked, glancing at 403. It felt like the devil dwelled inside those four walls. Anxiety, fear and sorrow rocked her like a ship in gale-force winds.
“You should go in now. You don’t want to hesitate and regret it.”
“I know, I know.” She nodded her head. “All right. Going in.”