In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

Fox hissed and swung his arm so abruptly it knocked a bottle off a side table and sent it crashing to the floor. “I knew it. I told you this was a bad idea, but you pushed, and I felt I had to agree so that nobody could accuse me of protecting Nick. It’s your fault!”

Beast didn’t know how to deflect those accusations, because they were true.

Laurent had been quiet, and stayed on the edges of Beast’s peripheral vision since they’d come back, but now he stepped forward, facing a much taller Fox. “No one could have predicted this. There is risk involved in anything that concerns Baal and the Other Side.”

“You weren’t there!” Fox roared with so much aggression Beast was ready to step in between them, but Laurent remained still.

“And you weren’t either. Why would you assume Beast endangered Nick recklessly? We all make choices and have to live with them. As a seventeen-year-old man, Nick is more than capable of handling himself.”

Beast cleared his throat. Laurent’s support was like an invitation to step out of the shadows. “Laurent is right. We were still preparing for action when Nick decided to cut the tree on his own. We didn’t have time to stop him. I’m not saying he’s guilty for trying to make a good impression on his first job, but it was an accident, brother.”

Knight stepped closer and stood on Laurent’s other side. “It’s like he says. He will get through this, but you can’t see him as a kid anymore. He’s on his way to being one of us, and we all take risks every day. You know that as well as me.”

Fox hissed and spun around, cradling his head in both hands. “She didn’t want him to join. Maybe we should have waited until he was eighteen.”

Vars spoke from his spot on the floor. His face had a gray sheen, and the dark circles under his eyes made him appear not only exhausted but years older. “There’s no point of these what-if’s. What’s done is done.”

That fueled Fox’s fire once more. “Says the guy who will regenerate! We don’t even know what this tree shit does!”

At least now Fox’s attention was focused on someone else than Beast. Laurent stole that second to grab Beast’s hand and mouth: “are you okay?” The worry in his eyes was so touching Beast squeezed his hand back and nodded. He’d anticipated an ‘I told you so’. The support he’d gotten in front of others when he knew Laurent hadn’t approved of this trip in the first place soothed him more than a whole bottle of whisky could have. Even if there still was a tough conversation ahead, in this moment of sadness Laurent was on his side.

When the door opened, all the arguments ceased at once.

“How is he?” Fox asked, going rigid as if he were close to tackling Doc in order to get past him.

Doc cleaned his forehead with a tissue. He looked so normal nobody would have guessed he provided after-hours services to the local biker gang. Beast bet neither of his grandchildren knew what kind of activity paid for their Christmas gifts.

“He’s… he seems all right for now, which is surprising considering this wound looks like some kind of chemical burn,” Doc said, resting his hands on his hips. “Do I want to know what happened to him?”

Beast shook his head. “Is he gonna recover?”

Doc scowled. “I don’t want to make any promises, but his blood pressure, pulse, and reflexes are normal. He woke up soon after I locked you out. I hooked him up to an IV, but my advice is bed rest, painkillers, and hydration. I’ll come back tomorrow after I’m done at the practice.”

"I'm fine," Nick rasped, and that was all Fox needed to charge inside.

Beast nodded at Doc and patted his shoulder before entering the room.

Nick tried to rise but fell right back, panting.

“Don’t move, for fuck’s sake!” Fox hissed, but grabbed Nick’s hand. “What did I tell you? Think before acting!”

Beast rubbed his face to look away from the scorched flesh for just a second. Nick’s skin reminded Beast of Baal’s flaky black body, only instead of glowing fire from between cracks, Nick’s flesh seeped blood.

Would he be facing Fox’s dilemma one day? Wanting Marcel to grow up and be his own man, yet desperately trying to protect him at the same time?

“It doesn’t even hurt that much,” Nick boasted, even though his panting and the sheen on his face told a different story. “But what the fuck? What is that tree?”

Jake nudged Beast’s shoulder and discreetly passed him the cut they’d had ready for Nick.

“You’ll find out in due time. Now get some rest. It’s an order from your prez,” Beast said, showing Nick the back of his new cut, with the prospect patch already in place. “You’re officially in.”