“No. I need to be with him,” Evonne said, cutting Rocky off. The thought of Levi doing this again burned her insides like a hot poker.
“Not alone, you don’t,” Rocky growled, gripping her forearms hard.
“You can’t go in with me, Rocco. I won’t bring drama to them in the hospital when Paul might…” Her voice cracked. “Die.”
“Shooter?”
“Whatever you need, Rock,” Shooter said.
“Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll be in that hospital, a phone call away and if you need me you better dial; you understand me?” Rocky said.
Evonne peered up at Rocky, dazed, and nodded.
“I know this is a lot, but I need you to hold tight. I think this is just getting started. Boys, we ride out now. I want some people investigating what happened. See if there’s proof this is linked to Levi. Shooter, you take point. You know where we’re going,” Tiny said.
The ride to the hospital brought new meaning to the word torture. Her mind made a list of all the reasons this was her fault. Rocky brought the bike to a stop. She climbed off the back and started for the automatic doors at the entrance.
“Hang on, quicksilver.” Rocky grabbed her arms, stilling her. “You need to take off your helmet and wait for Shooter to escort you. You go nowhere without him.”
She nodded numbly, stilling as he unbuckled the chin trap and removed the head covering. “All you have to do is say the world and I’ll come for you,” Rocky said.
“I know,” she whispered, knowing she would never call him up to the room. This was her mess to clean up.
He gripped her chin and peered down into her eyes. “Remember, you’re mine now, so you’d better take care of number one. Don’t take that shit from them anymore.”
“I won’t,” she said.
Rocky squeezed her chin harder. “No, don’t bullshit me, Firecracker. I meant what I said.”
“I understand,” she said.
“Good, don’t make me act a fool and tear shit up in this hospital with my bare hands, mama.”
The honesty in his words and the concern in his eyes acted as an anchor, steadying her against the storm she’d been thrust into. “I won’t. I promise.”
Satisfied with her answer, he nodded and removed his hand.
“You ready, Evonne?” Shooter asked, walking up with Juliette at his side.
Evonne hesitated.
“Go. I know you need to be with your family, even if they are assholes,” Rocky said.
She snickered. “No need to sugarcoat it.”
“Do I look like Willy Wonka?” Rocky winked at her.
Evonne laughed, clinging to the lightness he’d brought to the somber situation.
“Right here,” Rocky said, patting her ass. “Now, off with you.”
Following Shooter into the hospital, she gripped Juliette’s hand for dear life. Her brain felt like a scrambled egg and she only half registered Juliette’s words as she rattled off a floor and room number. They stepped into the elevator and the walls around them began to shrink. An uncomfortable heat flooded her body and her nerves made her jittery. She placed a palm to her cheek, soaking in the cool surface against her heated flesh as she struggled to remain semi-composed. A bell dinged, and the doors opened.
Rushing out, she paused a few feet down, to glance at Juliette and Shooter. “I think I should do this by myself.”
“Not going to happen. When they said keep you in my sights they meant it…literally. I’m not risking pissing off the Prez and Rocky over a bit of discomfort on your parents’ part. The dude has over thirty knockouts for a reason, and him pissed is a scary-ass sight.”
Evonne eyed him skeptically.