“Ozzy, you drove yourtruck?”
Ozzy nodded and dug the keys out of hispocket.
“Ryder, take Trent to the hospital. Ozzy will takeyourbike.”
I grabbed the keys, shifting Trent’s weight a little to keep his head up. “Allright.”
Abel started for the front door, turning around quickly. “Oh and take that damn cut off of him andyourself.”
I had no time to argue orquestionit.
“Keys, front pocket,” I yelled over the load music to Ozzy. He pursed his lips and quickly grabbed for mybikekeys.
“Okay, let’s get the dumbass into the fuckingtruck.”
We huffed and puffed, carrying his dead weight through the packed parking lot. It took us a couple of minutes to get Trent shoved into the backseat with a towel under his head. It was weird that I wasn’t driving my own vehicle, but Trent was turning pale as he coughed and gaspedforair.
“This fucker is going to make a mess of this thing. Damn it.” Ozzy slammed the door shut. “Drive like hell. We’ll see youthere.”
I flew down the highway, praying that a cop wouldn't see that I was pushing a hundred in Ozzy’s Denali. The thing was an expensive ass truck and Trent was pissing and puking all over the backseat. I had to roll the windows down to keep frombarfing.
The emergency room staff made quick work of taking Trent into the back on a stretcher, a nurse straddling him and taking his vitals while the other ran him down the hallway. I waited with the rest of the guys by the front doors. They came in a pack, each one with looks of sheer anger andfrustration.
“Fuck!” Abel was pacing, sucking hard on adyingcig.
Crickett came trotting down the sidewalk after them. “What’sgoingon?”
I put my hand on her shoulder, seeing her panic subside when she saw that Abel was ok. “Tre fell off the wagon again. We’re not sure what hetookyet.”
All the guys were trying to figure out where Trent would have even gotten thestash.
“We shouldn't have let him out of our sight. That goddamn junkie can’t say no to anything. Fucking ass.” Ozzy flicked his ash onto theground.
“He’s a grown ass man, we shouldn't have to babysit him.” Abel worked his jaw. “Ozzy, Miller, y’all head inside and stay with him. Try to get to the bottom of this. I know that chick he was with, she wouldn't have given anything to him. She must have been paid off to lure him back there. Jesse, head back to Secrets, see if you can convince her to talk.” Abel handed Jesse a thick stack of cash from hiswallet.
“No worries. I’m sure the whore will loosen those lipsforme.”
“What can I do?” I took a step closer to Abel, his eyes boring into me once he realized I was talkingtohim.
“Go the fuck home. This isn’t your concernanymore.”
That’s when I realized that more shit than I knew was going on. It was for members only and I was just a damn prospect. It was why they’d had me drive Trent to the hospital and hadn't come up until they knew he was safely inside: I didn't have a cut on, so I was the least likely to berecognized.
“Everyone else, let’s get back and make sure our shit is taken care of. I’m going to the shop to make sure it’s locked down. Holt, the bar’s already closed up and the girlsarehome?”
My dadnodded.
I traded keys with Ozzy. “See ya later,brother.”
He hit me on my back. “Good work tonight,Ryder.”
“Thanksman.”
* * *
Ilay in bed,staring at the fan, trying to wrap my head around everything that was going on. It had been hours and I hadn’t heard anything about Trent. Even though I thought the guy was a creep, he was still my brother and deep down, Icared.
No news better mean fuckinggoodnews.
