Page 173 of Gunner

He ate two slices of toast but didn’t touch the eggs. I wolfed down the breakfast, scraping what was left onto Zeus’s plate. He never passed up a meal, even when he’d eaten earlier.

The drive to the hospital was quiet, much like last night’s drive home. The bright noon sun cast sharp shadows on the road, contrasting starkly with the darkness that seemed to have settled around us. Ben stared out the window, his gaze unfocused, lost in thoughts I couldn’t begin to fathom. The pain of losing someone… it was a unique kind of hell.

When we arrived at the hospital, a nurse Jamie had arranged in his absence since he was off that day met us. Her face was a mask of professional sympathy as she led us through the sterile, white hallways to the morgue. The overhead fluorescent lights gave everything a harsh, unwelcoming appearance.

At the door, Ben hesitated, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for the handle. The nurse offered a quiet word of encouragement, then stepped aside, allowing us privacy.

Inside, the morgue was chillingly silent, the air thick with the scent of disinfectant and something else, something that spoke of finality. Ben’s sister lay on the table, a white sheet covering her from the neck down. Her features seemed at peace, a contrast to the reality of her final moments.

Ben inhaled sharply, and I stood by him, giving him my support.

“I wasted so much time with her,” Ben said softly. “Did you know there’s a period when I had cut her out of my life?”

“Yeah?”

“She was a troubled teen, but given the home we grew up in, I should have tried being more understanding.”

“I’m sure she forgave you. You were close up to the end.”

“When I first suspected the women’s prison were operating a baby farm, I discussed the case with her. I should never have. I made a casual remark about how it was a pity we didn’t have anyone to go undercover pregnant, and she took the idea and wouldn’t let it go. I spoke with my superiors, and they sanctioned it. I should never have let her do it, Gunner.”

“You didn’t force her. Remember that. She wanted to do it.”

“I should have refused her help.”

I fell silent. He wasn’t looking for answers. He was grieving in his own way.

“Do you want a moment alone?” I asked.

“Thank you.”

I squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll wait for you at the NICU.”

I left Ben alone with his sister, my heart heavy as I closed the door behind me. For a second, I watched him through the glass at the top of the door, but seeing him weighed down by grief made me restless that I couldn’t do anything about it.

On my way to the NICU, I rang Saint. “Hey, man,” he answered. “How’s Ben holding up?”

“Doing better this morning, but it’ll take time for him to grieve. They were quite close.”

“The story is all over the news and not just in Smoky Vale either. The bikers are staying at the clubhouse, since the Feds have appeared in town. You should lie low too.”

“Can’t. Ben and I still have unfinished business.”

“What are you going to do with him?”

He didn’t need to say the name for me to understand. “That’s not for me to decide.”

But one thing was certain. He wasn’t going to live. Not one of them would. They deserved a worse fate than what Ben’s sister had had to endure.

“Anything I can do?” Saint asked. “Dove wants to bring food. You think that’s okay?”

“Hold that thought. It might not do Ben any good, but I think his brother-in-law could use some support. He’s not handling this well. He won’t let Ben see the baby.”

“Fuck. Can he do that?”

“Heisthe baby’s father. I’m going to try to talk to him.”

“You think that’s wise? You’re not exactly Mr. Congeniality.”

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