“I did,” Angel says. “We bathed you and put you to bed. The doc showed up an hour later. Brick sat with you for half of the night, then I took over. Breathe, sweetheart. Brick will be back tonight, promise.”
I fling the covers off. “I need to go.”
“No. We’re on lockdown. There’s guards everywhere. No one can get in and no one can get out without Eagle’s approval.”
“What about Juanita?” She’s vulnerable now. The Devil’s Crusaders will target her because of me. I can feel it in my bones.
I struggle to get past Angel, weakened by the sedative the doc gave me.
“Juanita is here, waiting in the common room with the old ladies.”
I stop wrestling to get out of bed. “Juanita is here?”
“Brick took care of it last night.”
A pathetic laugh escapes my lips. “Juanita came here willingly?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Oh God. What did she do?”
“Almost blew Johnny’s head off.”
I shake my head. Someone needs to talk to my best friend about her itchy trigger finger. “Is she in trouble?”
“No. Once we explained the situation, she calmed down.”
“Can I see her?”
“Yes. But first we need to get a couple things straight. You can’t discuss club business with her, Starlet.”
I rub my eyes, grateful Brick had the foresight to get Juanita to safety. “I know.”
“The less she knows, the better.”
Angel stands up. “I’ll go get her. She’s as anxious as you are.”
I watch Angel leave the room. The two most important people in my life are alive and well. How did I get so lucky?
“Starlet?” Juanita appears at the door.
“Juanita!”
She rushes in and throws her arms around me. “I missed you so much.”
I sob on her shoulder.
“Let it all out, baby girl. I’m here now.”
***
Brick
We cross theAlabama state line, drive for another twenty miles, then pull off the road into a wooded area. Eagle and I are on bikes, and two other brothers are driving a pickup with Silver and his Harley in the back. The sonofabitch may have some permanent brain damage from the beatdown I gave him. Doesn’t matter, if he wakes up, he’ll find his way home or die in the middle of nowhere.
I lift Silver out of the truck bed and carry his limp body to a grassy spot surrounded by thick underbrush and trees. My brothers unload his bike and park it next to him.
“Sure I can’t finish this?” I ask Eagle as we take a last look at Silver. I want to kill him, need to. As long as he’s alive, I’ll never feel like Starlet is truly safe. “One bullet, I’ll put him out of his misery.”
