“Then I’ll ask you again, why was Mad Dog at the bakery? He on the outs with you? Was this some kind of friendly fire situation?”
“Are you implying I’d take out one of my own guys in a bakery on Main Street? Do you take me for a dumb fuck?”
“I’m trying to figure out why your guy is in my girl’s bakery at the same time it gets shot up.”
Did Bennett say my girl?
Focus, Nessa.
“Because your girl,” see! Dom heard it too, “has two hundred and fifty thousand dollars hidden away in her bakery and I like money. Figured we could get in and get out before the Zanetti boys knew the money was gone.”
Two hundred and fifty thousand? I fan my face. Did it get hot in here? That’s the most anyone has suggested was stashed away in my wall. Has Ridge counted the money? Is this confirmed?
Dom laughs more. He’s obviously forgotten we’re in a hospital and his friend has been shot. “I didn’t realize you were already attached to the… project.”
He says “the project” but he’s looking at me with a smirk while he does, which leads me to believe he thinks I’m the project here.
Bennett isn’t as amused. His fingers dig deeper into my shoulder as his grip tightens. I’ll probably have bruises tomorrow. “Well, as you see, we are attached to the project. So you and your boys can back off.”
Both men lean forward in their seats. Bennett’s hand falls away from my shoulder as his body tenses, ready to stand at a moment’s notice.
“The boys at the compound don’t appreciate being bossed around,” Dom says leaning so far in his chair I fear he’ll fall out.
Bennett matches his pose. “Them or you? Because it seems they take orders from their fearless leader fine. I doubt Mad Dog was at the bakery on his own recognizance.”
The two men stare one other down and, as I’m worried the tension will boil over, a throat clears at the entrance to the waiting room. All three of us swivel our heads in the direction of the noise. A tall, gorgeous, blue-eyed, blond-haired Doctor stands in the area where the carpet meets the tile. He hesitates, but after passing both men a knock-it-off look, he takes a step into the room.
“I’m Dr. Nick James, are all of you here for Jeremy Hayes?”
The three of us stand at the same time, not in anger but out of respect for the injured. And the need to know more.
Only Dom speaks, his hands falling to his sides. “The rest of the men are at the compound. I’m here to bring them good news.”
Dr. Nick’s face falls, his lips a tight straight line. “I’m sorry. He put up a good fight, but in the end the blood loss was too much and he didn’t make it.”
Dom sits down in the chair behind him, the plastic back hitting the painted wall. My little toe inches closer to Dom, to provide him a moment of comfort and friendship. Big and tough on the outside, I suspect there’s a nicer guy underneath all the leather and scruff. My foot twitches to move, but Bennett holds me back.
“Give him a minute,” he whispers in my ear.
But Dom doesn’t need a minute. Before Bennett pulls his head away from my ear, Dom’s up again. Three long strides and he’s walked the distance of the room, stopping a few inches from us. “This is our fight now,” he says leaning close to Bennett but not touching him.
“The last thing this town needs is more bullets, Dom.” The doctor turns and walks out of the room leaving the three of us alone.
“Well that’s what it’s going to get.”
Bennett places himself in front of the angry biker until they’re almost nose to nose. “Don’t put us against each other. Ridge is not someone you want to go up against. We’ll handle Zanetti.”
Dom laughs and takes a step back. “Your boss might not play by many rules, but I don’t play by any.”
He takes another step back and turns to the door. Before he walks out, he stops and points a finger my direction. “Keep Ms. Pretty in Pink close too. It’s your fault she’s involved in this mess.”
“Are you threatening her?” With one of his long thick arms, Bennett tries to push me behind him, using his solid body as a wall of protection.
“Nope, but the Zanettis will use all the cards at their disposable.”
“Don’t worry about Anessa. I’m stuck to her like glue.”
Dom shakes his head and takes a step out the door. “That’s why. You’ve made her the queen in the deck of their game.”
