Simply Sinful: Lost Angels MC, page 14
“Ready?” I ask.
She takes in a breath and nods as it comes out, “I’m more than ready.”
Ric is already outside the door to hand her off to. I take my place in line and I’m glad that Bear is my companion for this walk. At least I wasn’t stuck with someone I didn’t know, like Brook is, however they seem to be getting along quite nicely. I thought that the guys in their leathers would look wrong in this setting, but it seems only right. They all wear white shirts and black ties underneath, and their black slacks make the black of the leathers blend in perfectly, making it seem just as fitting if they were wearing suits. Weird, but true.
I swivel my head as we walk and take our places, but Cole isn’t anywhere to be seen. Catching eyes with Vince, he shakes his head, and a feeling of dread settles in my stomach.
Before there had been a small amount of chatter but now a collective hush travels over the crowd as it is now Lidia’s turn to walk down the aisle. I know I should have, as a loyal friend to Lidia, been watching her, but instead I look over and watch Tank and Echo. They are staring at her just as any should stare at their soon-to-be partner in life, with complete adoration, awe, and love. It almost brings tears to my eyes as I see them take her in with all those things and more.
The proceedings go on as most do, but of course Tank has to interrupt, “I’ve got something to say,” he clears his throat and brings out a piece of paper from the pocket of his jacket. His cheeks actually turn a little pink before he begins, “Lidia, I know that I don’t want a fairytale ending,” there’s a collective gasp through the crowd, and he looks them over, “chill your rolls, everyone, and let me finish,” he shakes his head, and says with a smile, “to interrupt the proceedings, you should be ashamed,” that makes most in the crowd laugh, I know I catch myself doing it. Then everyone settles again as he continues, “We...I mean I’m not a prince. What I want is to be there for you to face your fears, to help guide you through your failings. I want to give you the kind of love that’s not distorted, manipulated to fit someone else's fantasies, I don’t want fabrications, but real, raw, and above all honest. A love that can be built on due to its unfailing foundation,” he looks up and when his face softens, I think I know what he sees.
Lidia, who always tries to act tough, despite her vulnerable center, is crying. I’m proven right when he moves closer and his hands come up and wipe the tears away, “I love you,” she whispers. Then I start to feel the first of my tears come down my face. She takes his hand mid sweep and kisses one of the tattoos on his hands, before she holds both his hands and nods to the priest. “You can go ahead.”
As they get to the part where they exchange rings, I catch Echo pulling out a ring of his own from his slacks pocket and slipping it onto his ring finger. Just as if he were up there with Lidia and not Tank.
Of course, in true Tank fashion, he tips Lidia back as he gets his kiss from her, and the crowd stands and cheers him on. Lidia is panting by the time he releases her. The blush is a beautiful color.
Once the priest leaves, Tank and Echo are amongst friends and family, and easily go back into their usual way with Lidia. Always touching her, making her laugh, sending her heated looks, and she gives just as good as she gets. She loves them, and her heart is big enough to hold them both.
Heading to the bathroom I notice a man standing in the front doorway. His face screwed up in anger, and when he focuses on me it only deepens. "Hey you."
I glance around, but I'm the only one in the house. I plaster a smile I don't feel onto my face. "What can I do for you?"
"Ric, where is he?"
"Excuse me? What do you need with my father?"
"Father?" his face changes and he assesses me closer. The feeling of maggots crawling across my body makes me shiver, his smile is grimy as he catches the move. The scar across his nose is now visible without the rage masking his features. His eyes though, are a very familiar blue. I shake off the feeling of familiarity, since I know I've never met him and force myself straight.
"Like I said, what do you want?" I say with force.
"Your father," he says the word father more like it's a curse word. "Go get him."
I cross my arms over my chest. "Not until you answer me. It's my sis...a family friend's wedding, and you're interrupting."
He points behind himself to the yard. "Oh, I know exactly who got married," shit I forgot there was a sign out front. Who the hell is this guy?
"Then you know it's rude to interrupt."
He takes a step further into the house, his mask back in place, "I'm losing my fucking patience. Either you grab him, or I 'interrupt' this wedding even more."
Fuck. I stare at him for a long beat before pointing my finger in his direction. "Stay right there," I note his souring mouth, but that's what he deserves.
I find my father quickly, but it takes longer than I wished since I get stopped a few times.
I’m just getting to my Dad when Vince grabs my elbow. Panic rises inside of me by just the way his jaw is set, “It’s about Cole.”
“What is it?” Ric asks, since I have yet to find my voice. My body is frozen in fear, not ready, but needing to hear the answer to the question. My stomach twists painfully to the point I’m sure what I ate for breakfast is about to come up.
“He’s in the hospital,” Vince says. I grip my father's arm and lean against him for support. His arm comes around me, and Vince’s arm tightens on my skin keeping me upright.
“Fuck, what happened?”
“Someone ran him off the road. At least that’s what the staff assume, he hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Jesus fucking Christ."
"I need to go to him," I say finally. I find my feet, and strength again. Vince lets me go, but my dad holds tight, "which hospital?"
"He never made it out of Chicago. So, Niemi Valley."
"I'll go now," I try to move but Dad holds me still.
"You can't just go, you're the maid of honor."
I look him straight in the eye, "You won't stand in my way if I decide to go."
He rolls his eyes, "that's not what I mean…you've got responsibilities here."
"That she's excused from," Lidia's voice comes from behind us. We must look shocked or puzzled at her being there, mostly likely a combination of both.
"What? You guys are having a conversation in the middle of my dance floor,” she gestures around as if we’re blind and need help remembering where we are. I know I sure as fuck do. My world has just been turned upside down. “Everyone knows what's going on," she focuses on me. "Go, I'll be fine, and there are plenty of people around for clean up, and to boss around. Just text when you get there," she wraps me in a hug before she looks up at Ric, "Momma M has a few words for you… something about you being an overbearing numbskull," she smiles sweetly before walking towards her grooms.
This time Dad lets me go, probably to scan the crowd for Momma M. Whatever the reason I use it to go back in the house for my purse, but as I make steps towards it I remember why I went to find Dad in the first place. I turn just in time to grab his arm. He looks down at me. "Someone's at the front door asking for you. He didn't seem the friendly type."
His brows raise. "Who is he?"
I shrug. “I don't know," I let his arm go. "He wouldn't answer any of my questions. I got to go, but he seemed determined."
"Alright," he nods, he looks around the yard again, but I'm making my way to the door.
Grabbing my keys, cell, and cell charger this time from the kitchen island I glance towards the door.
The man still stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes watching me move towards him, "I need to leave."
He looks past me and shakes his head. “Not until Ric gets here,” he looks down at me, and a hand comes out towards me. I stop myself from flinching away, as two of his fingers catch a strand of my hair and rubs it between them. “While we wait how about I…”
“Get your hands off of her,” my head whips around to find the fiercest scowl I’ve ever seen on my father's face. Bear stands behind him, a silent force, mirroring my father’s stance and face.
“Ric,” the visitor says, “I was just about to introduce myself to your daughter,” again why was he using family terms as cuss words? It made me think that he didn’t have a family of his own.
“Get out of her way.”
I twist my head to see he only seems to have grown larger than before, his body taking up the whole doorway now. He must have been slouching before.
I can feel myself grow with frustration as well as my worry. I needed to get the fuck out of here and to Cole’s side. I didn’t have time for this shit. I look up into his face. There with the anger that took hold of his features, his eyes are cold somehow, like if the ocean would ever freeze. Something’s wrong with this man, more than what he’s showing on the outside, but I don’t have time to give a damn. “Move,” I say.
His brows come down over his eyes as he looks down at me, and that creepy smile appears again. “You’ve got a feisty one here, Ric.”
“Get the fuck out, Ironclad, you’re already breaking the agreement by being here. Whatever you need to say can be said outside of this house, and away from those not involved. She knows nothing and has no stake in any of this.”
He doesn’t look away from me as he responds. “What a shame, keeping your kid from the shit you’ve ended up in,” his fingers come up again and grab another piece of hair and he tugs, before I can smack it away, that makes him chuckle. “How are you going to protect her from something she knows nothing about? Especially since the agreement was already broken weeks ago by one of yours in my territory.”
“That’s bullshit, and you’ve got no right talking about how I’ve raised my children. Yours still don’t even know who you are, that’s a blessing as far as I’m concerned.”
That brings his attention up. A twist of rage mars his lips, “Fuck you, Ric, come closer and say that to my face.”
Oh and he does, he grabs me and pushes me behind me. I exchange hands, and then Bear is whispering to go out by using the back fence and send a few of the guys this way. When he sees the worry etched in my face he continues.
“Nothing is going to go down here. Neither of them are stupid enough to do this out in the nicest part of town, in front of a couple hundred witnesses. Now go. I’ll text you when it’s settled.”
Taking a deep breath, I grab my purse even tighter to my body as I do as Bear asks. Vince is the first I tell, and he promises to get a few rounded up, and then I slip out of the gate. I only stop a second to see Dad has gotten the guy outside, but I have no more time to waste, and I trust Bear to back up my Dad.
Chapter 20
Two hours in, I get the text from Bear. He said no one was hurt, and that Lidia wasn’t the wiser. Yet I was still so twisted from hearing about Cole that I only felt a small relief. The rest of the time getting back into Chicago has given me plenty of time to become more of a wreck than when I first heard about Cole. So I’m at my limit when I rush through to the nurse’s station at the hospital.
“Are you family?” the nurse asks without bothering to look up.
“No, but..”
“Sorry, but only family can visit at this time.”
“What do you mean? I just drove five and a half hours to get here from Ohio.”
She sighs then looks up at me, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s not allowed.”
“His parents are dead, he’s orphaned, and I’m the closest to family that he’s got,” the truth of what I just said hits me harder than it should, “I love him doesn’t that mean anything?”
She looks away to grab a folder and scans it, completely disregarding me. Apparently, she’s said what she’s going to. There were too many emotions swimming through my veins to decide on one. So tears come to my eyes, and my fists clench on the countertop. My words are building up to tell her exactly what I think of her brush off. Then I notice which file she’s looking at, Cole’s, and her fingernail is tapping just below the number of his room.
“Thank you,” I whisper before I take long strides away, making an effort to make it look like a stomp to help her cover.
It takes only a few minutes to find his room, and I peek through the door. A sob shakes loose of my chest at the sight of him. His arm in a sling above the bed, leaving it to dangle in midair, his head tilted to one side bandaged, and his eye swollen shut with scraps that are scabbing over, and that’s only what I can see of him since the rest is under a sheet.
“Ma’am,” I jump and I search the room until I see the nurse partially bent over Cole, “Can I help you?”
“I’m...yes, what’s happened to him?” I try to swallow the lump in my throat.
She looks down at him as she straightens, but she looks at me as she asks, “Who are you to the patient?”
“His wife,” forgive me of my fib. I twist my index and middle finger together. Though if I had anything to say about it, it wouldn’t be a lie forever.
“Oh, I should have recognized you by the picture we found in his wallet. Though in my defense you were much younger then.”
She continues to talk but I’m still stuck on what she’s just said. He’s had a picture of me this whole time, tucked in his back pocket? Why didn’t I ever know? Why didn’t he ever say? He did you idiot...you just weren’t listening. He’s loved you for all his life.
“Ma’am?”
“Hmm?” I ask.
“Did you hear me?”
“Um, no, sorry, I’m still a little in shock.”
“Oh yeah I can see why,” she gestures above him, “I know it can be hard to see our loved ones in these conditions, but I assure you he’ll recover. The doctor said it should only be a little while longer.”
“For what?”
“For him to wake of course. There’s still a bit of swelling in his brain, but as soon as that goes down, he should wake up. Thank goodness he was wearing a helmet. The body always knows how long people need to rest before it’s safe,” she nods as if it is a written truth. I know that’s not the case, she must too, but I’m willing to believe the delusion because I need it more than I am prepared to admit.
“Besides that, what else happened?” I walk farther into the room until I’m standing over him as well.
“Well he has a broken arm, but other than that he was very lucky, just a few bumps and bruises. He’ll be sore for several weeks, and his headaches will be pretty severe for a while, but that too should go away after a few weeks.”
“Has there been any news as to what happened?”
She shakes her head. “As far as we know his bike’s totaled, against the tree that he hit. Since it’s down on a slope, and in the middle of two exits, it was lucky that anyone found him at all. Someone couldn’t wait for the next exit to urinate,” she shrugs.
I take a seat in the visitor’s chair. “That is lucky.”
She sighs out, and shakes her head. “Well once he wakes, we’ll know for sure what caused him to go off the road,” she looks me up and down. “Wow, you look really nice.”
“Oh, thanks” I look down and run a hand down the dress, “I was at my sister's wedding in Ohio when I found out about Cole.”
She whistles. “What a drive. Isn’t that where you guys are from? I remember seeing it on his license. Why was Cole in Chicago if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I um, I live here, and he hasn’t had his license changed yet…”
"Awh so you must be newly married then."
I nod so that another lie doesn't escape from my mouth.
"Congratulations," she smiles, "welp I've got to finish my rounds, but I'll be back before my shift’s over."
"Okay, and thanks, for looking after him."
Her smile grows and she nods, with another quick glance over at Cole, she's gone. When I don't hear her footsteps any more my body starts to relax. My hand finds his.
"I wish I could throttle you right now," I whisper into the room, "I'm sure whatever happened is your fault somehow. What, did you flick some road-rager off?" I sigh.
"You're good at that."
I jump at the voice and find a man in scrubs smiling at me.
"I'm sorry?" I ask.
He points at Cole, "talking to him as if he's about to respond. It's a good thing."
"I've had some practice."
"Oh," his smile falters, "sorry to hear that."
"Everyone dies, some hold on longer than others," I say, though I'm not sure why I said anything at all. I can feel his stare, but I can't face the pity I’m sure to see on his face.
"That's true, but Cole is going to be fine."
"The nurse that was here a bit ago said the same thing."
"Well she's right, you'll see."
After a few minutes of silence, I do look over, and find I'm alone again. Hospitals are made to hold thousands of people, yet we're alone, locked in a personal catastrophe. I've always hated them since my mom, then when my grandpa went into a coma when I turned thirteen after a heart attack. After that there were a few times in my life I should have visited someone during their stay in one of these institutions, but I just couldn't find it in me. Like when a year later my grandma died, or when my dad got into a car accident when I attended college. Even after I heard the news of Lidia’s attack, I only visited after she had been awake for weeks and it became certain she would pull through.
That may make me weak, but I can’t stand to watch another person being taken from me. The possibility terrifies me, and I’m only beginning to understand it’s why I’ve become excellent at leaving before anyone else can do it first. Yet here I am.
