“Focus on your girl. I’ll give Reaper a heads up, and once you have all the information from Fiona, we’ll go to him. It’s a blow, but it’s better if he knows everything,” Dad replied. I nodded, too overwhelmed to think about everything the club would have to recover from after it came out.
Once at the house, I started to grab things randomly, just wanting to get back to the hospital as fast as I could, but then I stopped. I wanted Fee to feel comfortable and safe. Going back to her side of the closet, I combed through all of her pajamas until I found the purple set she wore the most often. The material was soft, but still thick enough to keep her warm in the cold hospital temperatures.
Grabbing two pairs of socks, added them to the bag, wanting to make sure she had options. I also threw in a scrunchy and headband, clean underwear, a pair of leggings, and a hoodie for her to wear home the following day. Satisfied I hadn’t missed anything, we left the house and hurried back to the hospital. Hurrying through the hospital floor, we opened the door to Fiona’s room, and found both Fee and Ma crying in each other’s arms. Instantly, panic ran through me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as a million terrifying thoughts ran through my mind.
“Just having a girl’s moment.” Relief filled me, and I sagged in response.
I spent the entire night wide awake, staring at Fiona. The events of the day running through my mind on repeat, every mistake, every wrong turn highlighted.I could have prevented this, could have found her sooner. This wouldn’t have ever happened if it weren’t for me.
Sometime in the early morning hours, Fiona convinced me to squeeze into the cot with her. I pulled her on top of me so we could fit in the small space, and for a few hours, I was able to rest. Having her that close, I knew she was alive and okay. I didn’t sleep, just counted her breaths, and inhaled her scent, not wanting to miss a moment of having her there in my arms.
In the morning, we were finally discharged and the ride home from the hospital felt surreal. It was both a relief to have Fee by my side, close enough to touch whenever I needed to. On the other hand, everything that happened, everything she had gone through, was a nightmare.
The fact that it happened at the hands of someone I considered family, a Brother, was even harder. The repercussions of the day before weren’t isolated to Fiona and me. Trish was in the wind, and Crow was still missing, his car dumped and no camera trail to track him with at that point. We had no idea how long he had been planning it.
Fiona was quiet on the ride home, chewing on her lip as she looked out the window. I reached over to squeeze her leg, and she turned to me, a frown on her face.
“You okay, darlin’? Are you in pain?” I asked worriedly. Turning to me, she hesitated for a second before blurting out her words.
“Reaper isn’t Crow’s real father.”
“What’s that?” I asked, looking at her with surprise.
“Crow said Seph’s first husband was his biological father, and he blames Reaper for killing him. Crow…He said that Reaper has always hated him and treated him worse than the rest of you. That he made you VP just to hurt him. The way Crow was talking, he had been working on this for a while. Planned to steal enough money to hurt you guys, then start his own club.”
“What the fuck?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Reaper and Seph were already mourning, but that? It would kill them. I had no idea if any of what Crow told Fiona was true, but that definitely explained his shitty attitude over the years. Pulling into the driveway, I was unsurprised to see my parents and Charlie. After parking the car, I looked at Fiona to see her reaction.
“I can tell them to leave. You need to rest. Don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.”
“It’s okay. I’m happy they’re here,” she said with a warm smile on her face.
We got out of the car, and Charlie was pulling Fiona into a hug as soon as she was within reach. The two were murmuring to each other, and it was an extra punch to the gut, seeing both my sister and my woman crying. Unlocking the door, I hustled everyone inside.
“Fiona needs to rest. I’m getting her upstairs and into bed,” I told the group.
“I’m okay. I can stay up for a bit,” Fee protested.
“Nope! You’re not gonna entertain us. Bash, put her in bed. I brought food from all your favorite places, so just let me knowwhen you’re hungry, and we’ll bring something up,” Charlie said as she steered Fiona toward the staircase.
”We’re just here to make sure you’re both comfortable. If you need anything, one of us can take care of it. Plus, having a nurse on call is pretty swanky.” Turning her head, she shot me a look that had my ass in gear.
“C’mon, baby. Let’s get you settled upstairs.”
Gently guiding Fiona away from Charlie, a wave of gratitude for my family washed through me. Having them there, knowing we weren’t alone was comforting and I loved how much they all cared for Fee. Once inside the bedroom, Fiona hovered by the bed.
“I feel gross from being down...there and in the hospital. Can I shower quickly?”
“Of course. Let me get the water running, then I’ll help you get undressed.” Making sure she used minimal effort, I helped Fiona rinse off and change into clean pajamas. Once she was tucked into bed, I prepared to climb in with her, but she stopped me.
“Go. Talk to Reaper. I’ll be fine with Cece and Charlie. They need to know. I’m just going to sleep. I’ll be fine.” I frowned at her suggestion. It wasn’t even a consideration. But she was right; I had to think about the club too.
“An hour. I’ll be no longer than that. Keep your phone on. Call me if you need anything at all.” She smiled and nodded before pushing me away.
Snuggling under the covers, I watched as she got settled in the center of our bed. I dimmed the lights and went back to press one last kiss to her forehead.
