“But no,” Mav said, offering me his hand. “We can’t go in there with you. Not with a police presence already in play.”
I took his hand gingerly and slid off the bike, tiptoeing onto the ground in order to swing my leg off. I struggled to unhook it, though. Axe’s bike sat high off the ground. Higher than any of the other bikes. And it took him lifting my ankle gingerly before my leg finally let go of that bike.
“Thanks,” I said softly.
He nodded. “No problem.”
“You rang?” that gruff voice asked as it appeared behind me.
Mav linked my arm with his and turned both of us around. “Jax, you’re headed inside with Brielle to talk with Rachel. Keep as low of a profile as you can.”
“And leave your leather cut behind,” Dee said flatly.
Jax shrugged his coat off, donning a plaid button-up beneath it, and tossed it to Mav. “Got it.”
“You armed just in case?” Axe asked.
Jax unbuttoned his shirt and flashed the guns on either side of his body. “We’re good.”
“Brielle,” Dee said.
I felt the warmth of his dexterous fingers wrap around my wrist, and when I turned to face him, worry filled his gaze. It was a look I’d never seen in his confident gaze before. It was a look that unnerved me.
“Dee? Are you okay?” I asked, turning to fully face him.
He walked me out from around Axe’s bike before wrapping his free arm around my waist. “Come back to us, okay?”
I cupped his cheek and stroked his smooth skin softly with my thumb. “I’ll do my best.”
The feeling of his lips pressing against my forehead stoked something within me. Whatever happened, whatever became of our time together after everything was said and done, I knew I’d never be able to leave their side. It didn’t matter how things had started. In some ways, I couldn’t even blame them for it, because if my twin sister had done to me half of what she had done to these guys, I would’ve wanted her strapped up in my basement, too.
“See you soon, okay?” Dee whispered.
I reached my lips up and kissed the underside of his jaw. “See you soon, handsome.”
Just as I backed away from Dee, however, he reached over Axe’s bike and practically snatched Jax up by his fucking shirt collar. He walked the man around the bike, effectively pushing me away with Jax’s back, and while his lips moved, I had no idea what the man was saying. Jax kept nodding his head, his face etched with that same serious frown of his. And when the two were done, Dee nodded before releasing the man.
“You’re good to go,” Dee said, slinging his leg back over his bike.
“Come on,” Jax said with a nod of his head, “let’s go.”
I matched the man, stride for stride, as I felt the stares of all the guys behind us on the back of my head.
“What did Dee say to you? If you don’t mind me asking,” I said.
But Jax simply shook his head. “Can’t tell you. Now, eyes forward. Stay alert.”
I snickered. “Fine, then stay out of my way and we won’t have any issues.”
We crossed the parking lot, and I did my best to ignore the sounds of people crying out for help. Of people cursing out the security guards for turning them away from the hospital. Sirens sounded in the distance, and I peered over my shoulder, wondering if that was the signal for the guys to jump ship. But instead, they simply sat there in the shadows, barely visible from the emergency room doors.
“Holy shit,” someone said.
“Is that her? I thought she was inside?”
“You need to let us through,” Jax said.
“Not on your life,” a hardened voice said.
