“Not a clue who it was,” Tommy grunted.
“I’ll call a cleaner,” Leo said. “Get this place taken care of.”
“Me and Tommy’ll take Mack,” Dad said.
“I’ll get Rose,” I said as we reached the kitchen.
“You boys head out,” Dragon said as we carried Mack to my mom’s SUV. “Get the hell out of Eugene.”
“You sure?” Old Chase asked.
“Yeah, man,” Dragon said. “No need to get all wrapped up in this shit.”
“Let us know if you need anythin’.”
“Owe ya one,” my dad said.
“Hell,” Old Chase replied, looking down at Mack as we passed him. “Don’t worry about it. We’re square.”
“Drive like hell,” Dragon told my dad as he climbed behind the wheel, Mack laid out in the back seat. “He ain’t got much time.”
“Yep,” my dad replied. Then he was gone, Tommy following on his bike.
“You takin’ souvenirs?” Dragon asked, eying the bag on my back.
“It’s Rose’s,” I replied. It didn’t take long for him to connect the dots.
“I shoulda let Mack kill him,” Dragon replied, his eyes cold. “Fuck.”
“He doesn’t, I will,” I said as I strode toward my bike.
I needed to get back to my sister before she completely lost her mind with worry.
Chapter 17
Rose
“You have to stay still,” Molly ordered, her voice stern. She’d fallen into her nurse role the moment she caught sight of the ugly cut on my arm. “I need to clean this before I stitch it.”
“Just bandage it,” I said, watching the front room of the club.
My heart stopped as the front door swung open, and I locked eyes with Kara.
“Rose,” she whispered. I jumped to my feet as she barreled toward me.
Something inside me settled the minute her arms wrapped around my waist.
“Where’s Dad?” she asked, her face pressed against my shoulder.
“The boys went to get him,” I said against her hair. I didn’t even try to hold back my tears as I held her tight with my good arm.
“I called Nana,” she confessed. “I got scared when you didn’t come home.”
“Good,” I said, sniffling. “Are they on their way?”
I made eye contact with Brenna over Kara’s shoulder as she mouthed, “I called them, too.”
“They’ll be here soon,” Kara said tearfully.
“I’m so happy to see you,” I whispered, kissing her again. Then again. Jesus, I hadn’t realized how terrified I’d been of never seeing her again. I’d had to compartmentalize, there’d been no room to worry about anyone but Mack.
“Is Dad okay?” Kara asked, her fingers digging into my back.
Just as I opened my mouth to answer her, the front door opened again, and my brother Will strode in. As our eyes met, my legs lost all feeling. It took everything in me to stay standing as he strode toward me.
“We need to go,” he said softly, reaching out to run his hand gently down the back of Kara’s head.
“No,” Kara said, her arms tightening. “Don’t leave me.”
“She comes, too,” I said, lifting my chin.
“I still need to stitch her arm,” Molly interrupted. “She’s bleeding all over.”
Will glanced at Molly and then down at my arm. “Bandage it,” he ordered. “And get her a fresh set of clothes.”
“I’ll get the clothes,” my mom said.
I sat down again, holding Kara’s hand as Molly pulled gauze out of her bag.
“Oh, my God,” Kara said as she looked at my arm. “What happened?”
“It’s just a scratch, princess,” I said, squeezing her hand. “It doesn’t even hurt.”
“You win the scar contest,” she said, her voice wobbling as she tried to joke.
“Nailed it,” I shot back, giving her a small smile.
Less than five minutes later, I followed Will and Kara to Molly’s car, wearing a pair of my mom’s yoga pants and flip flops. Molly’s sweatshirt hid the bandage on my arm. I climbed into the backseat with Kara as Will got in the driver’s seat.
“We’ll be right behind you, baby,” my mom said as she closed me into the car.
“Where are we going?” Kara asked as Will threw the car into reverse.
“The hospital,” Will said, confirming what I already knew. He met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Mack got dropped off at the gates.”
I nodded in understanding.
“He did?” Kara asked, turning to look through the window at the broken gate.
“Kara,” I called, waiting for her to look at me before I spoke again. “I’ve been home.”
“What?” she asked in confusion.
“You stayed at Trix’s with the kids,” I said, tightening my fingers around her hand. “While your dad went out of town.”
“I don’t—” she shook her head.
“You know you don’t talk about the club,” I said. I waited for her to understand my meaning.
“Of course not,” she said softly, her eyes searching mine. “It’s none of my business and it’s really not anyone else’s business.”
I almost laughed, because I knew those words had come directly from Mack.
“This falls under that umbrella,” I said. “Can you handle it?”
Kara sniffled.
“No one’s going to ask you questions,” I murmured, leaning my head against the seat as I watched her. “But you keep your mouth shut if they do.”