And the psychopathic glint in his eyes warns me he’ll do exactly that.
Chapter 46
Army
Ihadthepresenceof mind, before I raced off in my truck to toss Pix the USB Len had given me, and told her to get it to Digits immediately.
Then gravel spit and flew as I stomped the accelerator and blew through the front gates of the compound—the prospects opening them in time so I didn't ram them with my truck—and Bane and Ash followed me on their bikes.
My destination is the hospital. Of course, I cared if Mauler lived or died, but my sole purpose was to see if he could tell me anything that might lead to finding Leeva. I slam my brakes and skid to a stop in front of the emergency doors and race inside.
“Sir, you can’t leave your truck there,” a security guard yells at me. I don’t stop, though, knowing that Ash and Bane won’t allow it to be towed.
I sprint toward the triage desk, dodging an older man who sounds like he’s coughing up a lung. I’m normally not such an asshole, but I can’t wait.
Slapping my hands down on the desk, I speak to the nurse, “I need to know where Cole Pierce is.” I use his legal name since she won’t know who the hell Mauler is. “Now.”
“Army.”
I turn at my name and see Trinity rushing toward me. She looks shaken, obviously, but composed, which is likely because of her training to handle crisis situations in the ER.
As an elite, government-trained machine, I’ve been highly trained to handle crisis situations myself. I should be composed, too. But I’m not; not when it comes to life-or-death for Leeva.
“Come with me.” Trinity pulls me with her, and we head through a door and down a short hallway.
She doesn’t look at me with accusation, neither because Mauler was hurt while doing club business, nor because this has to do with Leeva. Like all old ladies, she knew the risks of this lifestyle when she got with Mauler.
“How is he?”
“Really banged up, possible internal bleeding.” Her voice shakes a bit. “They’re taking him for a CT scan and surgery any minute.”
Urgency quickens my strides. “I can’t wait that long.”
“I know.” She yanks my arm, pulling me into a room.
It’s small; the stretcher Mauler is lying on takes up most of the space, along with the IV stand, and all the equipment monitoring his vitals. He looks like hell. His chin is covered in a bandage where the blood is soaking through, and one arm and a leg are both in splints.
“Thank God he had his helmet on.” Trinity’s eyes shimmer with tears as she moves to his side.
It’s a cardinal rule we abide by with good reason.
“Cole.” She runs her hand down his cheek. “Army is here.”
His eyelids twitch, then slowly open, and I can see how much effort it takes him and how much pain he’s in.
“Leeva,” he croaks out.
I step closer to the bed, careful of the tubes coming out of him. “Do you have any idea where Guerilla could’ve taken her?”
He tries to say something, but winces.
Impatience flares in me; not because I’m a bastard, but because the urgency to find Leeva, to do something to hunt for her, is eating me alive.
If only Ash and Bane hadn’t let her leave and had stopped to listen instead of trying to stop me. If only I had struck up a conversation with Keifer and Ursula earlier instead of brooding silently in Ash’s office.
This was the fault of multiple people, including me. But I wasn’t casting blame; I just needed to get my woman back.
“Thunder,” Mauler forces out, and I frown.
