Page 13 of Trigger

I let my eyes slide closed, the pain dragging me back under again. “You came,” I mumbled.

Trigger’s lips pressed to my forehead, and more tears tracked down my cheeks. Another sob bubbled in my aching chest. “I came, baby. I’ll always fucking come for you, Chase.”

A stupid smile tilted my lips as darkness wrapped me in its comforting, painless arms.

10

Trigger

Chase was almost unrecognizable. Covered in his own blood, bruises, and cuts, there wasn’t a part of him unmarred by the sons of bitches who had taken him from me. He’d only managed to stay awake long enough to say a couple of sentences, but even those had been heavily slurred. He was too pale and clearly had lost too much blood.

He needed a fucking hospital. And while the club didn’t usually fuck around with hospitals—especially hospitals we had no control over—due to all the questions and risk of someone running their mouths to the wrong person, I couldn’t be picky. Not with Chase’s life hanging in the balance. If I didn’t get him serious medical help, he wasn’t going to survive. Chase’s injuries couldn’t wait.

And his survival was non-fucking-negotiable.

I yanked open the door of one of the vans parked outside and eased Chase into the passenger seat before reclining it back so I didn’t have to worry about him falling forward. Quickly shrugging off my cut, I pulled my shirt over my head beforepulling it over Chase’s head. Itbarelycovered his cock and ass, but it would do. It was better than nothing, at least. After tugging my cut back on, I rounded the front of the van and slid into the driver’s seat.

Yanking my burner from my pocket, I dialed Scorpion’s number, then quickly began working on hot-wiring this fucking piece of shit vehicle.

“Trigger?” Scorpion asked.

“Yeah,” I grunted, muttering a curse beneath my breath. I hated having to hot-wire vehicles. It was such a pain in the ass and definitely not one of my strengths. “I’ve got Chase. He’s in bad shape.” The van rumbled to life.Thank fuck. I quickly shifted it into drive and peeled out of the parking lot, heading for the hospital I’d seen a few miles away a couple of days ago. “I’m taking him to the nearest hospital.”

“Are you sure?—”

“Scorpion,” I growled, my patience non-fucking existent, “I don’t give a fuck about club policy. If I don’t get him to a goddamn hospital, he’s not going to make it, and that’snotan option, you got me? I’ll deal with this. I need to call Johnston. Just wanted to let you know he’s alive.”

Without waiting for his response, I ended the call, then dialed Johnston. He grunted but didn’t say a word when he answered. Probably waiting to make sure I hadn’t been compromised. I was sure he hadn’t been happy I’d gone offline without his consent, but he also knew if anyone could find Chase, it would be me.

And I had. I wouldn’t ever fail this club, but I’d also never fail the man I was in love with.

“Johnston, I need you to pull some strings,” I said. “I’ve got Chase, but he’s in bad fucking shape. He needs a hospital.”

“Goddammit,” Johnston growled. He knew if I was demanding a hospital, it was bad. Really fucking bad. “Giveme the name of the hospital. I’ll get in touch with the hospital administrator. You donotgo into that hospital until they call you, understand? We don’t need the additional heat on top of this Russian bullshit we’ve got going on. Clear?”

“Clear, Prez. I’m taking him to the nearest one—Texas Regional.”

“Be on the lookout for a call,” he ordered, and then, he was gone, the line going dead.

Chase moaned in pain in the passenger seat. When I looked over at him, he was still unconscious, though his face was screwed up in pain. Reaching over, I placed my hand on his bare thigh, my stomach threatening to revolt at all the blood and cuts I could feel beneath my calloused palm. If I could, I’d take his pain and make it my own. I’d heal him, even if it meant giving myself the exact same wounds.

There wasn’t a damn thing in this world I wouldn’t do for him or Sophia. I hoped like fuck he knew that. That he was aware of that the entire time he was being tortured.

I wasalwayscoming for him.

My phone rang just as I could see the hospital up ahead. I quickly answered the call, staying silent. I had a feeling it was the hospital calling, but I wouldn’t take any chances.

“My name is Margaret Hanson,” a woman spoke when I didn’t say a word. “Johnston Trim called and asked for assistance to keep an individual’s stay here… under wraps. You can bring him in through the ambulance entrance. We’ll have a gurney waiting for you.”

With that, she ended the call. I turned into the hospital parking lot and headed for the ambulatory entrance, where, sure enough, a doctor and two nurses were waiting with a gurney. I quickly shifted the van into park and got out. Chase’s eyes were opening as I opened his door, and he frowned at me. “What…Where are we?” he croaked, squinting his eyes against the dim lighting of the van.

“We’re at a hospital,” I told him. “Johnston knows, and he’s already arranged things.” I wasn’t sure just how lucid he was, but if he was lucid enough to understand a hospital was usually a no-no for club members, I didn’t want him panicking.

I unbuckled his seatbelt and lifted him into my arms. I grunted beneath his weight now that I didn’t have adrenaline pumping through my veins, but other than that, I showed no sign of weakness.

“Don’t leave me,” he mumbled before his eyes shut again, darkness dragging him back under. I clenched my jaw and gently set him on the gurney.

“What room are you taking him to?” I demanded.

---