“Thank fuck?”
His hand snakes out from under the bed rails and he snags my hand. His palm feels warm against mine, reassuring.
I watch as his eyes crawl over my face from beneath his swollen lids. His mouth pulls into a line. “You hurting?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“Ain’t in pain right now, baby.” Hearing him call me baby has a sob tearing from my throat.
“You… you don’t hate me?”
He frowns at me. “Why in the fuck would I hate you?”
“You’re hurt. It’s my fault.”
Tears stream down my cheeks and I let them fall unchecked.
“Baby, you’re killing me here. Don’t fucking cry. None of this shit is your fault. I knew the consequences of going into their territory. I just didn’t give a shit. I thought they wouldn’t either. I reaped what I sowed. This shit ain’t your fault and you ain’t to blame.”
“If I hadn’t been in that bar—”
“Enough,” he snaps out. “This ain’t your fault, you hear? I fucked up, not you. I should have known better. I did know better.”
He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it, his split lip brushing over my skin.
“The doc say how long I have to be here for?”
“At least a week. Your kidney is badly bruised. They need to keep an eye on it.”
He nods. “You go home and rest.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I scoff at the request. If he thinks I’m walking out of this hospital, he’s out of his mind.
“Baby—”
“Don’t ‘baby’ me. I’m not leaving you. Would you leave me?”
He sighs. “No.”
“So, I’m not leaving you either, Jake.”
He frowns at me. “Never heard you call me that before.”
“You don’t like it?” I ask, unsure if I’ve overstepped. These boys are attached to their road names.
“Didn’t say that. It’s just weird hearing that name after so long.”
He strokes his fingers over my hand, so I bend down and press a kiss to his temple. “I’m so sorry this happened. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to walk away.”
He snags my wrist, his grip strong, stopping me from moving. “I love you. That ain’t changed.”
“Thank fuck, because I love you too and I’m not sure I could lose you.”
“Ain’t losing me, Brie. Ain’t going anywhere.”
I pull the chair closer to the bed and sink onto it, not breaking contact with his hand the entire time. I need to feel near to him. I was so afraid when he was unconscious. I thought he was going to die and that thought left me shaky and afraid. I can’t be without him ever. I need Daimon like I need my next breath. He’s everything to me.
This situation made me realise just how in love with him I am, and I hope he feels the same.
“I was so fucking scared when I saw them hit you,” he confesses.
“I was okay. I am okay,” I assure him.
“Your face is bruised.”
I snort around a sob. “We both look like shit.”
“You’re still my pretty girl.”
I swipe at the tears working down my face, my heart skipping a beat. “You need to stop being sweet. I can’t deal.”
The door opens and Levi steps into the room. I turn to face him, still holding Daimon’s hand tight. I watch my brother’s eyes as he takes this in before his gaze moves to Daimon’s face.
“Nice to see you awake, brother.”
“Thanks for getting me out of there.”
“Always. Rav’ll want to talk to you when you’re feeling up to it.”
He nods. “What happened to tweedle dee and tweedle fucking dum?”
Levi’s eyes slide to me and I can see he’s debating whether to guard his words or not.
“I need to know, too,” I say, my voice soft.
He sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. “Fury had his fun before…” He breaks off. “We paid their gang a visit too. The Sic Bastards won’t be a problem we have in the future.”
The loaded words tell me more than I need to know. They destroyed their enemies and brought safety and stability back to the Sons.
“Will there be any blow back on the club?” Daimon asks the question I’m dying to ask.
“No, we were careful. It’s sewn up tight, brother.”
Relief floods me. I have two horses in this race now and I’m not prepared to lose either of them.
“Anyone want a coffee?”
“Yes, please,” I tell my brother.
Levi walks over and kisses my head. I think he’s relieved I’m okay too. He didn’t have a lot of time to digest the fact I took a beating too. I can see the fire burning in his eyes as he takes in my marked-up face.
“I’ll be back in five.”
I wait until he’s closed the door behind him before I turn back to Daimon. He squeezes my hand.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Daimon. I was so worried.”
“I was about you too. Those last images of you getting hit are fucking seared into my brain,” he hisses through his teeth. “I love you, Brie,” he tells me again.
“I love you too.”
I lean down and brush my lips over his. “Always and forever.”
“Always and forever, baby.”
29
Daimon
Four weeks later…
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
I freeze mid-stretch for the television remote and peer over at the door. Briella is standing in the frame, leaning against the jamb, a ‘what the fuck, Day’ look on her face.
It’s her that steals the air from my lungs, rather than my still-healing ribs. She’s breathtakingly beautiful as always in that pencil skirt and blouse. The bruises to her face have faded now, though they were prominent for weeks after she was hurt. Every time I looked at those marks, I had to remind myself Fury gave her justice, that those fuckers paid for what they did. I had to remind myself they died painfully and that their ends were not quick. My brothers ensured I was vindicated, that she was too and I’ll be eternally fucking grateful for that. It’s part of being in the Sons. I know we all have each other’s backs, and they know I would do the same if the shoe was on the other foot. It’s what makes us so strong, makes us the club we are.
“It’s been a month, baby. I’m fine. Doc even said I’ll be able to ride in another four weeks.”
I can’t wait to get back out on my bike, but with broken ribs, it’s not worth the risk of laying her down. I’ve missed riding a shit load more than I imagined I would. I ride for fun, for relief, to forget bad days, to remember good ones. I feel like I’ve lost part of my soul without my wheels.
“You’re still healing those ribs and your kidney. You need to take it easy.”
“Been taking it easy for weeks. I’m good,” I assure her.
She’s been flapping around me since I got let out of the hospital two weeks ago. We’ve been holed up in her flat, since I only have my room at the clubhouse. Layla doesn’t seem to mind, though, I’m not sure she’d say if she did. She wants Brie happy, and my girl is definitely working towards that. She’s done a few more sessions with the counsellor and has started her programme to get off the booze. It’s going to be a long as fuck road, I’m not naive enough to think it won’t be, but we’re working towards a good future together. She moved over to the business we took over, the telemarketing one. Made sense to keep her close. Bailey is running it with Brie working underneath her in a low stress role. That’s what she needs. If she wants to move higher up in the company that can be arranged, but for now, she just needs to keep her head on straight.