RED
“Hold still.” Regg was such a baby. He acted like a little rubbing alcohol would kill him.
“Well, that shit burns,” he snapped. All of the guys were on edge since they got back, but that was no reason to be such a tit.
“I know, baby,” I said in my cooing voice. He shot me a warning glare and I flashed him a smile. His face softened and he pulled me onto his lap.
“I love the way you smell,” he said, burying his face in my hair. “I never want to spend another day apart from you.”
“Yes, but you will. As soon as y’all figure out how to get Dallas back, you will be back on the road, putting yourself on the line for Luke, just as you have for years.” I understood better than anyone how this shit worked. Regg was loyal to his brother, and I loved him for that, but it didn’t make it any easier. “How is Luke?” I asked, not wanting to think too hard about the risks Regg had taken for the club.
“About as well as can be expected. Well, actually, better than expected,” he said with a puzzled look. “Luke knows Charlie better than any one of us and insures that he will keep his word and not hurt Dallas. He actually spoke to him this morning. I don’t know what was said, but Luke seemed defeated but content when he hung up the phone. I tried to ask him what it was about, but he wouldn’t tell me. I see the wheels turning in his head and I know that he is thinking of doing something, and he wants to do it alone.”
The guys had gotten home early this morning, around three, and between Maddie and Luke, we all had our hands full. There was no question that we would all put our lives on hold and stay together until this shit was sorted out. The clubhouse was big enough to house everyone, and the whole family had pulled together to take care of each other. If ever we needed one another, it was now.
“Luke’s not crazy. He won’t do anything that would harm Dallas. If he knows this guy will keep his word than he knows better than to go after her.”
Maddie had filled us in on the events that took place yesterday. It took her a while to get it all out, but she managed to tell us everything. The guys had called a support club in to bring a truck to carry Luke home, and a trailer for his bike. We called the club doctor in to stitch Luke up and check him out. Other than some broken ribs and a bruised up face, he was okay. He even walked through the door by himself. Damn pride. Once he was bandaged, fed and had a few hours of sleep, he was better. I knew better than to approach him with anything, and I had my hands full with Maddie. Plus, this was a pretty big hit on the whole club, so we had to find time somewhere in between to provide solace and comfort for our own ol’ men.
Church was being held tonight, and the guys would figure out what to do with Frankie. I was surprised Luke had not walked up and put a bullet in his skull as soon as he got home, but I guess he had other things on his mind. As much as I hated him, I felt bad for the fact that nobody would tell him if Maddie was okay. They wanted him to suffer. I wasn’t a parent, but I loved my sister’s kids as much as anyone could. I would have been devastated if something happened to one of them. Frankie was being held in the underground room in Luke’s house. The only people to have seen him were the brothers from Lake Charles. I wanted to go down there and give him a piece of my mind, but Regg wouldn’t let me.
We were sitting at the bar throwing back some much needed shots when Luke walked in, trying hard to hold his posture upright. He had a couple of bandages on his face, and I could see the tape wrapped around his stomach through his thin, white t-shirt. His baggy, torn jeans hung low on his waist and on his feet he wore flip-flops-something you rarely saw. He looked freshly showered and ready to take on the day. I was proud of him. Not every man could hold his shit together after what he had been through. He walked up to me, grabbing my face in his hands and kissed my lips, just as he had done many times.
“Thank you. For everything. Thank you all,” he said louder, looking out at everyone in the clubhouse. We all stared as the President of the Devil’s Renegades stood before us, and delivered a speech that left everyone in tears.