Page 56 of Devil's Vengeance

I cut myself off before the horrible question slipped out. I wasn’t going to ask a terrified wife about that. I needed to focus and clear my head before I said something stupid. After my hands were clean, I turned the water icy cold and splashed my face, willing my mind to wake up. It still felt like my ears were muffled, and it was hard to think.

“It happened to me too, the first time. As much as they try to keep us separate, there’s always a chance we’ll be around when something goes down. You get used to it after a while,” Cleo explained, washing her own hands in the sink next to mine.

Did I want to get used to it? I wasn’t really part of all this. I cared about Chase after everything he’d done for me. I felt a connection to him. And the sex was amazing. But we weren’t together. Once Trick left me alone, I could still walk away. I felt like I should, too. This wasn’t what I thought it would be. The smart thing to do would be to walk away. Maybe even find a job out of town. Put as much distance between myself and the Devil’s Disciples as possible.

Cleo led me back to the waiting room, where I sat down amongst bikersin leather vests and their spouses who showed up in a slow trickle one after the other. Even Lacey was there with her baby, bouncing him and pacing to get him to sleep. We all looked up every time the door to the back opened, hoping for good news, but no one ever came. I heard Croy walk away at least twice, demanding updates from the poor nurses at the reception desk, who seemed scared out of their wits whenever he got close. They had no information either. We could only wait.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the doors swung open again. Conversation stopped, and all eyes landed on the two who exited. Riley and an older man I didn’t know in dark blue scrubs. I could tell right away that the news wouldn’t be good. Cleo had stood when they came out, but she sat again, tears filling her vision as they came her way. Riley sat down next to her, taking her hand, her own eyes filled with unshed tears as the man spoke.

“I’m sorry, Cleo. We did everything we could for him, but the blood loss was too much for him to handle.”

“No, no, no, no…” She shook her head rapidly, staring up at the doctor like she was praying he was lying. My vision swam as I watched the older woman fall apart, gasping and choking on sobs as she repeated the word over and over. Riley wrapped her arm around Cleo’s shoulders, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged her friend.

“No, please! Please!”

The doctor grimaced, but it was like he couldn’t walk away until he said the words outright. “After two hours in surgery, Rob died of his injuries. I’m so sorry, Cleo.”

The minute he used the word ‘died’, Cleo broke. She curled in on herself, making the most heart wrenching keen I’d ever heard. She started rocking, choking on sobs, her head shaking slowly from side to side like she just couldn’t accept it. Riley never let go, moving with her and holding her until Croy approached them both. He pulled Cleo out of her seat and picked her up, following the doctor out of the room with Riley at his side. I could hear her sobs all the way down the hall until they were finally out of sight behind closed doors.

I felt my stomach turn over and had enough time to get to a trash can before I was hurling my guts out. My heart felt like it was shredding in mychest. It was wrong. She didn’t even get to say goodbye. The last people to touch him were strangers to him. The last people to see him alive were me, Riley, and the guys who’d been there. Most of whom I didn’t know, and couldn’t say if they lived or died.

I wanted to know where Chase was. Because if he was gone like Nevada was, I wouldn’t be able to take it. I needed to know if he was alive. I never should’ve come to that stupid party. I made a mistake.

CHASE

When the cops swarmed into the house, they didn’t discriminate when putting people in cuffs. If you were wearing a cut, you were a suspect, and they felt it was safer to put us behind bars before they started asking questions. I couldn’t even fault them for that. But I didn’t like being trapped in here with no information. Did they get to the girls in time? Were they okay? What about the rest of the crew? A few were in here with me, but not everyone. How many were hurt?

I paced restlessly, jerking my head up every time an officer came our way. They took people aside to interrogate them, but they never offered up any information. We knew our rights. And while we didn’t have a lawyer in the crew like that pussy club farther north, we knew to ask for one instead of answering questions.

The public defender showed up a few hours later. She was tall, blonde, and had a stubborn expression that put Riley’s to shame. And she didn’t like cops. It was easy to see that. She glared at them the whole time they were bringing me out to the table to meet with her. After they walked away, her expression changed to something more professional, and she offered me her hand without an ounce of trepidation.

“I’m Erin Palomino. I’m your public defender. Let’s start with your name.”

With a heavy sigh, I answered, “Jesse Porter. My crew calls me Chase.”

She nodded and made a note of it. “Alright, Chase. Tell me what happened.”

At least she was smart enough to only use road names. And she wasn’t a total bitch about getting the information she needed. She didn't get into crew matters or rivalries. She wanted the facts. I was actually impressed with her thoroughness.

“We’re not the first crew you’ve worked with, are we?”

She pursed her lips, giving me a bland look. “I’m a public defender. What do you think?”

A smile tugged at my lips, but it never made a full appearance. Not while things were still so fucked up.

“Do you know if the two women who were there were alright?”

She nodded. “You’re not the first one who asked, so I made a few calls. Both women were fine. One rode in the ambulance with an unknown injured party. I’m sorry, I don’t know who. And the second was released from the scene after a few follow-up questions. That’s all I know for now.”

It was more than I knew, and I appreciated it. “Thank you.”

She nodded and turned back to her work. “You’ve got a clean record, so I don’t think they’ll be able to hold you long. Just bear with me for a while. I’ll get you out of here.”

CHAPTER 34

CHASE

It took a few hours, but me and Bear were released at virtually the same time. Joe, one of the prospects, was waiting outside with his shitty little hatchback. He leaned against the driver’s side door, playing with his phone, but popped to attention when we came out.

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