Page 63 of Chubs

“Does this mean we’re besties now?” Terry jokes.

“Don’t push your luck, Terry. Take the win and walk away,” Freddy advises.

The nurse we spoke with earlier enters the room, then approaches our group.

“Mr. Taylor has been prepped and is en route to an operating room. It’s appendicitis, and unfortunately, we believe his appendix has ruptured. It’s quite serious, and I can answer any questions you have, but I’m sure Taja can as well. I’ll keep you updated as often as possible. There’s a waiting room for the O.R. if you’d like to move to it. You’ll be more comfortable there.”

“Thank you. We’ll move there and wait to hear from you. I can explain what’s going on to the rest of his family when they arrive,” Taja says.

The nurse gives us a smile of reassurance and walks away.

“How bad is this, Taj?” Tessie asks.

Before Taja can answer, the doors open again, and Petey, Trigger, Bailey, Gunner, Pooh, Cash, and Vex enter and walk directly to our group. I reach out and grasp Bailey’s hand and give it a squeeze. Her face is pale. She’s obviously upset and worried but is holding it together. Taja starts to explain what’s going on when I hear those two women running their mouths again.

“Well, well, well. This explains everything. Bikers.”

“I guess this night could get worse. Now we have to sit here with criminals too. I hope I remembered to bring my pepper spray.”

Bailey gasps. Lola and Lottie growl, but I see red. Whirling, I stalk toward them, but an arm wraps around my waist and lifts me clear off the ground. Twisting, I see the arm belongs to James. Setting me gently on my feet next to Gunner, he grins.

“Sorry, Lucy, but it’s my sworn duty to protect the citizens of Denver. Whether they deserve it or not.”

“Let’s get to the other waiting room before James has to prove that again,” Trigger advises.

James and Livi’s radios squawk, and they’re off to handle a call, and our group starts to move when Cash stops dead in his tracks, causing me to crash into his back. Stepping back, I look at him in confusion, but his attention is locked on something across the room. Looking in the direction that he is, I only spot a woman that I don’t recognize.

Her hair is lank and greasy looking. She’s thin, painfully so. Her clothes are revealing and similar to what sex workers on the street wear. She’s looking at our group with horror before she’s on her feet and moving as fast as she can in six-inch heels.

“Katey,” Cash growls, then follows her with Pooh and Vex on his heels.

“Take them with you, Petey. I’ll be back,” Gunner orders then storms off.

Confused about what’s going on, I follow Petey and the group until we’re seated in the O.R. waiting room. Candy and Tessie walk off and return with water bottles and coffee for our group. Bailey’s bouncing her leg nervously, so I place my hand on it. Her eyes meet mine, and I see the worry.

“He’ll be fine, honey,” I say in a reassuring voice.

“I know, but I feel so damn guilty. He should have been home with me and Alex, and I should have insisted on it.”

“None of us knew he was this sick, Bailey. We’re all guilty of assuming he was just being dramatic. He’ll have surgery. He’ll make us all grovel, and then he’ll get back to being excited about the new baby,” Petey states while tipping Bailey’s chin up to meet his eyes.

“Okay, Pops,” she replies and slowly relaxes back into the chair.

“So, who is that woman, and why did Cash look murderous?” Tessie asks the question several of us have been thinking.

“Her name is Katey. She was a club who… club girl that helped set Ava up to be kidnapped,” Freddy states.

“Set her up to be kidnapped, raped, beaten, and most likely killed, you mean,” Petey says with a snarl.

While the women in our group are showing signs of shock and horror that a female would do that to another female, Candy silently stands and walks out of the room. I look at Trigger in alarm, but he simply shrugs.

“Let her go. She probably just needs some fresh air,” Freddy says in an unconvincing voice.

“Hope not,” Petey mumbles as he paces the room.

“He looks like shit, but he’s breathing. Doc said the surgery went well, but Axel’s got a rough time ahead of him,” Petey tells the room when he returns from Axel’s room.

Petey and Bailey went to see Axel as soon as they could. She stayed, but Petey returned to update us.

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