Outlaw (Evil Dead MC 1)

Chapter Twenty-One

It was after ten at night when Cole turned off the main highway and down the long dirt driveway. Trees formed a canopy overhead. The place was set back from the road. He wouldn’t have to worry about the kids getting run over.

He stopped in front of a long ranch-style home. There was a light burning next to the front door. Cole dismounted and pulled his helmet off. He looked around. He liked the fact that there were a lot of shade trees.

He walked up to the front door. There were a couple of steps up to a large covered area. Cole glanced around. There was enough room to put several chairs out under the roof.

He took out the keys that he’d gotten at the closing earlier this morning, unlocked the door, and walked inside. It was a four-bedroom house. It needed some work, but there was a lot of square footage, and it had a great open floor plan. He walked past a sunken living room on the right and headed to the kitchen that overlooked the back of the property.

There was a large window over the sink with a view of the spacious grassy backyard. Turning, Cole took in the large island. A breakfast area sat to the left, with French doors that led out onto a deck. He walked outside, across the deck, and down a couple steps off to the right that led to the wrap around drive and a giant metal building.

The out building was larger than a four-car garage. The previous owner supposedly ran a business out of it. The place had been on the market for a long time. Cole had gotten a really good deal. Since it was a cash deal with no financing needed, and the house had been sitting empty, the closing had happened rather quickly. Cole had been able to wrap the whole deal up in just over a week. He looked around, nodding. He thought it would work out well.

His cell phone rang, and he pulled it out, flipped it open and put it to his ear.

“Cole?”

“Natalie? Everything okay?”

“No. It’s not.”

“What’s wrong?” His body went solid.

“It’s Angel. She was attacked.”

“What?” Cole felt his stomach drop.

“She was stabbed.” Her voice cracked. “In the parking lot of the grocery store. She’s in critical condition, Cole. They’re not sure if she’s going to make it.” Natalie broke down into sobs.

“My God.” Cole was trying to process what he’d just heard. “Are… are the kids okay?”

“Yes, they’re with me.”

“I’ll…I’ll catch the next flight out. What hospital?” He was already running back to his bike.

“Desert Samaritan. Oh, Cole. Hurry.”

“Ill call you from the airport.” He hung up.

***

The first flight out wasn’t until six the next morning. Luckily, it was non-stop. He arrived in Phoenix by eight. He called Natalie’s cell as soon as he landed. She told him that Angel was still critical, but at least she had made it through the night.

Cole took a cab to the hospital.

Natalie met him at the entrance and led him up to the ICU.

He could see Angel through the glass window from the nurse’s station. The doctor was standing there when they walked up, and Natalie explained to him who Cole was and asked him to explain Angel’s injuries.

The doctor nodded, looking at Cole. “She has a collapsed lung. We’ve got her on a respirator. One of the stab wounds ruptured her spleen. We did emergency surgery last night to remove it—she can live without it. There were some other injuries. Right now we’re worried about her blood pressure. Trying to get that to stabilize. If we can get her through the first 24 hours, her chances improve greatly. You can see her, but only for a few minutes.”

Cole nodded and looked over to where she lay. He had raced across the country to be here, and now he was finding it hard to walk the last ten feet. He was scared to death.

He walked into the room, which was really more like a glass cubicle than a room. What he saw stunned him. He barely recognized her. Her face looked swollen. There were tubes going down her throat and machines all around her.

He reached out and covered her hand with his. “Angel, its Cole. You’re gonna be okay, baby. You hear me?”

The respirator made a horrible noise as it pumped life-giving oxygen into her lungs. The heart monitor blipped quietly.

She lay unresponsive. His eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and whispered, “I love you, Angel.”

He stayed with her for a few more minutes, then turned and walked out.

There was a police officer standing with Natalie by the entrance to the unit. Cole walked over to them. He recognized him as one of the cops that had hassled him.

“Sgt. Harmon,” Cole stated.

The officer nodded at him.

“Were you one of the officers on the scene?” Cole asked.

“No. But I talked to them. Some shoppers heard her scream. Saw her fall and two guys run off. They stole her purse. We found it in a dumpster behind the store.”

“The doctor said she was stabbed.”

Harmon nodded. “Twice. One wound to the chest and one to the abdomen.”

“Any leads?”

“Some sketchy descriptions. We’re hoping maybe she’ll be able to tell us more.”

Cole looked back toward her bed.

Harmon leaned in and said quietly, “Piece of advice.”

Cole looked back at Harmon.

“Leave this to us. Don’t go doing anything stupid. I know you mean something to her, and well everything she’s been through, I’d really hate to have to arrest you. Understand?”

Cole stared him down.

Harmon blew out a breath and turned to Natalie. “Well, I just wanted to see how she was doing. Natalie, let me know if there’s any change?”

“Of course.”

Cole watched him walk away.