Page 13 of True Me

“Why are you askin’ that? Did somethin’ else happen or get said that you’re not mentionin’?” I’m questioned by my friend as Rebel looks up at me.

“Yeah. Chad is here. I don’t know where exactly he is, but said he could be here in a few minutes or some shit. I don’t want to take her out of here and have him ambush us in some form,” I tell them the last piece, not sure how Rebel will handle this news.

“Okay. Not gonna let that happen. I’ll get Savage to bring an SUV here to pick you and Rebel up. We don’t need her out in the open when we don’t know what Chad is gonna do to get his hands on her. For now, wait in here and don’t move. I’ll make Fawn think we don’t know anythin’ so she doesn’t let Chad know we have a clue what their plans are,” Eagle says, pulling out his phone and calling Reaper so we can get our girl out of here.

Pulling Rebel back into my arms, I hold her close. Her body is trembling with fear as she nuzzles her head against my chest, my cut wrapping around her as if it’s protecting her from the evil of the world. I watch as Eagle talks to Reaper and whoever else is on the opposite side of the phone. My shirt becomes wet with Rebel’s tears as I lean down to press my lips against the top of her head and wrapping my body around her in a protective stance. Eagle leaves us in the office as he puts things in place so he can leave with us while making sure Fawn doesn’t know what the hell is going on. The last thing we need to do is have her know we’re onto her plans before we have a solid one of our own in place.

Chapter Seven

Rebel

MY MIND IS spinningout of control with all the new information Cash just told us tonight after overhearing Fawn on a phone call with Chad. I have no clue how he managed to get close to so many people in my new life. The nurse who was hurting my grandma. Fawn here at Entice. How many other people have been implanted in my life because of Chad. Am I always going to have to look over my shoulder for him or all the others who will eventually come into my life in various ways to handle Chad’s dirty work? No one will be able to keep me protected constantly despite the guys’ best attempt to give me that promise. Even at the clubhouse I can’t trust that everyone who walks through the doors will have my best interest at heart. Especially if the guys open up the doors for a party and bring in hang arounds or others from town for the night. It gets so fucking chaotic Chad would easily be able to get his hands on me or have someone else lure me from the clubhouse so he can kidnap me. Eagle, Cash, and everyone else there have things to do and I can’t be watched twenty-four hours a day no matter how bad that’s what they want to do.

As Cash wraps his body around me, I try to listen to the steady beat of his heart to calm myself down and not let this shit overwhelm me. The scent of him washes over me and the soft material of his tee-shirt brushes against my skin causing goosebumps to break out along my skin. His strong arms hold me tight to his body as all of his hard edges conform to my soft curves. The differences between the two of us filter through my brain and try to force out the questions and thoughts surrounding the situation with Chad.

My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket as I pull slightly back from Cash. Pulling out my phone, I see the number of the new nurse with Grandma flashing on my screen. Fear fills me and completely takes over as I answer the call and lean against Cash for the strength I know he’ll give me because I won’t have it on my own if this is bad news.

“Hello?” I answer the call, dread filling my gut as Cash looks down at me and holds me even closer.

“Rebel, this is Isabella. I’m the night nurse for your grandma. I hate to be calling you right now but she’s taken a turn for the worse and I think you need to be here right now. I don’t believe she has much longer,” Isabella informs me as my heart stops in my chest and the breath catches in my lungs until I become dizzy and feel as if I’m about to pass out from the pain coursing through me.

“I’ll be right there,” I say before hanging up the phone and looking up to Cash. “We can’t wait. I need to get there for Grandma. She’s taken a turn for the worse and I can’t not be there for her. She’s always been there for me and this is when she needs me the most. I can’t allow her to pass all alone with a nurse she doesn’t know at her side.”

“Okay, Doll. We’ll get you there right now as carefully as we can,” Cash states, grabbing my hand and pulling me from the bathroom to find Eagle on his phone in his office.

The second he looks up at us, he hangs up his phone and turns to face us fully. “What’s happened?”

“Grandma took a turn for the worse. Rebel just got the call and we need to get her to the clubhouse now, Eagle. We can’t wait for anyone to show up to get her there in an SUV,” Cash says, urgency filling his voice as he pulls me from the office and I blindly follow along behind him as if my body is under someone else’s control.

Cash rushes from the strip club and straight to his bike where he parked it earlier. He quickly places my helmet on my head and straps it up before he takes in the tears filling my eyes. I feel as if all I do these days is cry. I hate crying and try to hold it off but I can’t seem to do that lately. Once my helmet is secure on my head, Cash sets me on the bike and gets on in front of me. Without hesitation, Cash starts the bike after making sure my arms are wrapped firmly around his body, hanging on to him. He pulls away from the strip club alone as he rushes down the road and back toward the clubhouse. My mind goes blank as I try to think of anything other than what’s going on with my grandma at the clubhouse.

I don’t register the ride as Cash lifts me off the bike when we pull into the compound’s parking lot. He lifts me from the bike and doesn’t take off my helmet or put me down. Cash rushes inside the clubhouse with me in his arms and passes by everyone without stopping as he takes me to the room that was cleaned out for my grandma. I’m not brought fully out of my head until the door slams against the wall and I take in the room before me.

Grandma is laying in her hospital bed with several more covers over her prone body. She’s not moving and her eyes aren’t open. If I didn’t know what was going on, I’d believe she was sleeping and at ease. The tremor in her body and the slow beats of the heart monitor tell me how bad things have gotten as I take in the new rattle in her chest with each shallow breath she takes. Her lips have a bluish tint to them and I know the nurse wasn’t lying. This is the end for my grandma.

I squirm to get down from Cash’s arms and rush to her side, taking her skinny, cold hand in mine as I lean down closer to her. My tears fall and land on her face as I press my lips against her skin and feel how truly close to death she is right now.

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