Page 18 of Crusher

Jag and Coast patted my shoulder, told me totake care, then stepped back. Flirt stepped up but instead ofpatting my shoulder, he winked and leaned down and kissed mycheek.

“Flirt.” His name coming from Crusher wassaid like a warning but it didn’t seem to affect the man. Helaughed and stepped back.

“You’re going to do just fine. See you backhome.” After Flirt moved out of the way, Devil moved closer, butbefore he could speak I did.

“You’re the one the doctor said saved mylife. You were a medic in the Army, right?” When he smiled at me,it changed the whole look of him, which wasn’t bad to begin with.It did answer where the name Devil came from. I imagined that lookhad gotten him into a lot of women’s panties.

“Yeah, darlin’, that’s me. You’re welcome,anytime.” He hugged me and the four men walked out, leaving justthe me, Crusher, and Speed in the room.

I looked at Speed, “Start talking.”

Speed started to talk and Crusher pulled theother chair closer to my bed. I listened without interrupting as hetold me everything that happened, even what Devil had figured out.When he finished, I closed my eyes to absorb all he had told me.Crusher and Speed said nothing while I laid there. When I startedlaughing and opened my eyes, Crusher and Speed were frowning as ifI’d lost my mind. Hell, maybe I had.

“You okay?” Crusher asked.

“Sure am.” I looked at Speed, “If my legdidn’t hurt, I’d get out of this bed and freaking dance around thedamn room. So much makes sense now, you have no idea.”

“Tell us, baby,” Crusher said.

“Not like we were ever your normal family,but in the beginning Wallace treated me, I guess like a daughter,he’d take me places with him, bought me a bike on my fifthbirthday, taught me to ride. They would both come to school shit,though I wished they wouldn’t because you could smell the liquor onhim and Clarice’s eyes would always be bloodshot from whatever shewas flying high on at the time. As I got older, I actually used tofeel bad about not telling them when things were going on at schoolbecause I didn’t want to be embarrassed. We spent a lot of time atthe clubhouse so I was around Sami and Reed daily. When they wouldwant to go out or not deal with me, Wild Bill’s house was where Istayed. What’s bad is I didn’t mind, I enjoyed the time away fromthem.

“At fourteen it changed with Wallace, he washateful when he spoke to me. He even made comments to Clarice infront of me about how he never should have made her his old lady. Iwas never at the house when his buddies would come over, the oneyour man Brax killed, Creeper, and another named Jacks, becausethey’d party to all hours so those were times I’d stay with Sami.Keeping that away from me stopped too. One day I came home andwalked in the trailer to Clarice straddling Jacks on the floor withCreeper in her mouth and Wallace taking her from behind. When Iturned around to walk back out, Wallace said,‘You should stayand watch, you are your mother’s daughter after all. Club whore isyour future, girl.’”I looked between Crusher and Speed and thetwo sat with their hands in their laps clenched into fist.

“Did he or they ever touch you, baby?”Crusher gritted out.

“No.” My single answered was at least enoughfor the two men to relax their hands while they sat waiting for meto continue. “After Clarice overdosed, he drank more and more, andhe would stay gone for days, then I would come home from school andhe would be there, back from wherever. Jacks and Creeper came overmore often and a few times I was woken by loud voices because theywould be fighting with each other. One night they were so loud thatI could hear what they were arguing about and from then on I livedat Sami’s. Wild Bill never questioned me there. I never told himwhat they said or what I had seen before.”

“What were they talking about, Carly?”Speed’s fists were balled up again. “Jacks and Creeper were yellingat Wallace about how he promised I would be Clarice’s replacementif they’d help him. They yelled they had done their part, now heneeded to deliver on his promise. Wallace told them to keep theirdicks in their pants that it was going to be soon. That’s when Iwent to Sami’s house and started staying there. I was aroundseventeen when Wild Bill found out about the takeover and Wallaceand the others took off.”

Crusher whispered, “He’s a dead man.” Ilooked toward him. He wore the same face Speed did and his handswere balled into fist too. I focused back and continued.

“So he knew, I don’t know how and I don’tcare. I could dance because for years I worked not to be them. Iknow Clarice left you, Speed, you got the better deal there. I gotstuck with her but it is nice to know Wallace wasn’t my dad. Fromwhat I hear, you got the best there, Speed.”

“Thanks, Carly. And I understand, now youneed to also. You never got to meet Cutter, our dad, but if hewould have known about you, he would have done anything to get toyou. There is a lot of him in you and I just noticed that sittinghere listening to you talk and watching your facial expressions.I’m sorry for everything you had to put up with but I’m not sorrythat all this has happened because it brought you here.”

I wiped at my eyes at his words, he wasright, we had each other now, and fuck everything else. “Sami neverhad a chance, did she?” Speed smiled and got out of the chair andhugged me. I looked over to Crusher and he winked. Mentioning Samireminded me, “Why are you here, Speed? Why didn’t you leave whenSami called you today?”

“Because Sami and Ally had a club watchingout for them and you didn’t. They’re my family, Carly, but so areyou.” I could only nod, I was going to enjoy every minute gettingto know my brother.

“Speed’s going to head back with the othersand I am going to stay here until you are released,” Crusher saidand I looked at Speed.

“Me and Coast will be back with a truck whenyou get released because no way you are going to be riding yourbike for a while. You can ride in the truck and then Coast can rideyour bike back. Until then, you will be in good hands.” Before Icould do any protesting, Crusher and Speed did the man hug thingand he was gone and Crusher was back in the chair. My energy wasgone and my body was yelling sleep but I couldn’t stop staring athim, leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed.

“Get some rest, baby. I’ll still be here whenyou wake and you can yell at me then.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I’m your ass. The sooner you accept that,the easier it will be.”

He was right, I could yell at him tomorrow. Iclosed my eyes.

ChapterNine

Crusher

Carly slept through the night, if a littlerestlessly. Me, I dozed off and on, her every whimper had my eyesopening. I stayed in her room through the night and I wouldcontinue to as long as she was here. That had been an argument withthe floor nurse, one I won when Jag called the administration andinformed them that I was Ms. Monroe’s security and if they expectedtheir rules to be followed, then they would need to sign the letterhe would be glad to fax them saying they would take fullresponsibility if anything happened to Carly while in theircare.

That was followed up by the local policecaptain’s call informing them the shooter hadn’t been apprehendedand Ms. Monroe could still be in danger. That was enough, and shewas going to have to deal with it. The thought of them getting toher in the hospital was unacceptable.

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