When we reach King’s SUV I slide into the back seat, settling her across the bench next to me. King climbs in and guns it down the street before he is even fully settled in the driver’s seat. Tessa groans and tries to curl into herself as King takes a sharp corner, the sudden motion clearly upsetting her. The need to comfort her in any way I can has me mumbling reassurances to her as I stroke the hair away from her forehead. Not exactly sure what I’m saying, I just need her to know it will all be okay.
King tears through the front gate of the compound, only slowing long enough for the two Probies on duty to haul the thing open. The SUV barrels through and screeches to a halt near the front door. King is out the door and inside, barking orders as he goes without even turning off the car. I gather Tessa back in my arms as carefully as I can manage and hurry inside, heading straight for the infirmary.
“Sawyer, where are we?” she murmurs against my chest.
“We’re at the compound Babydoll, going to get you some help.”
She mumbles something again and passes out.
Shit, she needs to stay awake.
As part of the renovations to the old roundhouse, there was a large infirmary put in with a surgery, exam room, and 6 hospital beds. Everything is fully stocked and operational, looking more like something out of a well-run clinic instead of the back room of a biker compound.
I shoulder my way through the swinging double doors into the exam room and carefully lay Tessa on the table. King is already pacing in the corner as Bones hurries over to us and starts looking her over with cool efficiency.
“King said she was awake. Why didn’t you keep her awake?” Bones clips focused on his patient.
“I tried, she just passed out as we walked in.” I say numbly, as I pace, holding myself back from the table.
Bones was a corpsman in the Marines for years, and though he never talks about it, you can see in his eyes he’s seen some shit while on tour.
“Got this Brother? Need to go get some of the men together and find out what the fuck happened,” King asks Bones in an even voice as I settle next to him against the wall.
“Two blunt force traumas to the skull, no fractures, likely just a concussion,” Bones says, gently probing her skull, “she should be okay in a few days.”
“What about you Sawyer, you comin’ with?” King asks.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, not taking my eyes from Bones and Tess. Saying nothing more, King claps me on the shoulder and stalks out of the infirmary. I can hear him shouting orders down the hall before the door swings closed. A part of me screams to go running out the door right behind him. I’m ready to visit some righteous vengeance on these assholes. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing to go on and Tink will need time to find something worthwhile; he’s a god damn magician but he isn’t omniscient.
I offer Bones a tight nod and lean back against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest to keep myself from twitching and pacing as I wait for him to finish his ministrations. Once he’s done patching Tessa up, I scoop her into my arms and carry her over to one of the beds along the far wall. I get her settled and drape the blanket over her scrub clad body, courtesy of Bones since she was just in her PJ’s when I found her. Bones gave her a shot of something to help her sleep and offered me a nod before exiting the infirmary and leaving me with her.
Pulling a chair up to the bed, I reach for her hand, taking it in both of mine and watch her sleep. “I’ll find him Babydoll, I promise you. I will find Evan and bring him home to you, to us. I’ll find those fucking assholes and rip them limb from limb; I will make them beg for the end. They will pay. They will suffer,” I whisper, resting my forehead on the back of her delicate hand.
Chapter 19
Tessa
God… hangover from hell.
My first conscious thought as I start to wake from a deep restless sleep is why the hell I have such an awful headache. There is an odd heaviness in my limbs, and my eyes slam shut in protest to the bright light that stabs a spear of pain through me when I attempt to open them. I go to bring my hand up to my head and it gets caught on something, sending a jab of pain into my arm. I give it a tug to get it free, still not awake enough to register what’s going on, when I hear a sound to my right and try to focus through the sleepy fog to make out what it is.
Sawyer.
He is saying my name over and over, almost like a prayer. His sleep laden voice sounds even rougher than usual, like a cinder block being dragged on concrete. I turn my head toward his voice and try to once again open my eyes. I get my right eye open and am greeted by his strong, handsome face. Those bourbon eyes clouded with concern, his brows drawn together, creating a crinkle between them above his nose. Absently, I think about smoothing that crinkle with my thumb, it looks too out of place on his striking features.
“Sawyer,” I croak, my voice rough. My throat is dry and feels like I gargled glass.
“Shh, Babydoll,” he shushes me. Squeezing my hand as he sits forward, leaning his elbows on the bed next to me. “You’re safe, I’ve got you.”
“Where am I?” I ask, looking around the unfamiliar space. It looks like a clinic or hospital room, but I don’t see anyone else and it’s silent; none of the buzzing and beeping you expect to hear in those settings.
“At the compound. In the infirmary,” he says, brushing his knuckles down my cheek.
“Why, why am I here? What happened?” I ask, panic tightening in my chest.
“Someone attacked you last night Babydoll,” he says quietly, not making eye contact. “They came in after I left, knocked you out in the hall. Just outside of Evan’s room,” he almost chokes on the words at the end, barely pushing them past his lips.
What isn’t he telling me? Wait, outside Evan’s room. That’s right, I went to check on him then…
“Sawyer, what happened?” I ask, insistent. “Sawyer look at me,” I say, raising his chin so I can see his eyes. I see tears welling in them as he answers.
“I don’t know Babydoll; I wasn’t there… I should have been there,” he trails off, trying to pull his head away.
“Sawyer McGrath, you tell me what is going on right now,” I state, grabbing his chin and not letting go, I need to see his eyes.
“Tess…” he tries to pull but I pull him back to me.
“Sawyer, where’s Evan?” I ask, my stomach falling to the floor. Memories of a black boot coming back in a haze.
“Someone took him Tess. They took him from us,” he whimpers, tears breaking free and rolling onto my fingers.
“No… no…” I whisper, I want to scream but I can’t find the voice to do so as tears stream down my face. I go to sit up, but my vision swims and I have to lay back down. He moves and drops the arm on the hospital bed, gently settling himself next to me. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me as close to him as possible and presses soft kisses into my hair.
“I’ll find him Babydoll. I’ll find him, and I’ll get him safe,” he says, sounding long practiced in the cadence of this mantra. “I will find the fuckers that took him and make them regret setting foot in my town.”