Page 11 of Facing the Pain

EVE

Total Blank

Iwake up and my body feels like I went ten rounds with someone. I know I’m in the hospital, but I don’t know why. I can’t even remember my name. I don’t even remember I am pregnant or who the father is. I know what you’re thinking—she’s dazed. Nope, fully awake and still nothing. I don’t even know how to explain it. The more I try to make myself remember something, the fuzzier it becomes and the more frustrated I become. The nurses have tried to be understanding and the doctors keep saying it could be temporary. I have a concussion and as I heal from it, my memories may come back. It all just seems surreal. Shouldn’t I remember I am carrying a child?

I have talked to the authorities, and they brought my purse to me or a purse they say was in a vehicle I was in when someone ran into me. That brought on more questions. The vehicle I was in wasn’t in my name. I had the title and it was signed over to me, but I hadn’t changed the title over yet and I had no insurance on the vehicle. Fortunately, the woman I bought it from still had insurance on it. What was I thinking? I thought about this long and hard. Why would I do such a thing when I know it’s illegal to drive without insurance? Surely, I know that, or did I? It leaves too many questions in my head, too many things swimming around in my head. The cops are supposed to talk with the woman I bought the car from tomorrow again and get more information. Maybe I told her something or maybe she knows more about me. I hear a soft knock on my hospital room door.

“Come in,” I say, feeling annoyed, it’s probably another nurse to check something. A man walks in instead. I recognize the jacket thing he has on. It looks similar to another man that came in yesterday—the same but different.

“Can I help you?” I ask the man.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” I look at the man. I’m sure I have never met him before. He doesn’t seem familiar but what do I know? I don’t even know myself.

“Do I know you?” I ask him. He’s a handsome man. The closer I look at him, the more I can see that he is more than handsome, the man is hot, and he knows it. Call it a hunch.

“No, we’ve never met. I was on one of the bikes in the same wreck as you. I thought I would check on you before I’m released.” That’s nice of him but for some reason I don’t completely believe him. I just shake my head yes at him. “Do you mind if I come in and we talk for a few minutes?”

“I guess that’s alright,” I answer.

“I’m Deacon. How are you feeling? Are you getting out of here soon? I don’t think I could take another day of hospital food.” The man is joking but I think he is fishing for information. The questions run through my head again and they seem harmless enough but it’s his eyes. They don’t look like he is joking around or just being friendly. They look serious and dangerous.

“The food isn’t all that bad, or what I have had anyway,” I tell him honestly.

“Is there anything that you need? Is your family on their way? I bet your husband is worried about you.” Yes, he’s fishing.

“Deacon, I am going to be honest with you, I don’t know if I need anything. I mean, the hospital is taking care of me, but I don’t have any memories. I don’t know about my family or if they are worried. I don’t even remember that I’m pregnant or who the father is. The doctors say my memory may come back tomorrow, the next day, or never. I am a big mess and if I were you, I would walk right back out that door and keep walking.” I would cry if it would help but then I would be just a blubbering mess.

“Hey, I just thought you might need a friend. I know we don’t know each other but if you would let me, I would like to try and help you.” I see that Deacon is sincere. I feel the tears sliding down my cheek. I don’t want to look weak, but I just can’t hold it all in anymore. “It’s alright, I’m not here to judge, let it all out.” Deacon has moved over by my bed and sits beside me. I hate crying in front of him, but I can’t seem to stop.

Chapter Eighteen

DEACON

Not Liking This Plan

Iwalk back into the clubhouse just as all the brothers are walking into church. I hurry before the doors close. I take my seat and I see everyone has grim looks on their faces. Garner takes his place at the head of the table.

“Horn, bring us up to date on this chick in the hospital? Did you come up with anything in her past that might cause us any problems?” Horn stands up and looks at me.

“I did a background check and came up with nothing, so I decided to dig a little deeper. No one can get through life without having something on their records even if it’s a parking ticket. I figured out what it was that was nagging me—Eve Copeland would have been too old to be the woman in the hospital. I checked birth records and found the woman was way too old and deceased. The story gets better. This Eve woman did have a daughter along with four sons with someone that has ties with someone in this club.” Horn’s eyes come to me.

“I don’t know that woman or her ma,” I almost yell. Horn smirks.

“Nope, I would say you don’t, but you do know her dad, Tracker. Josiah Sweets the president of the Rival Sins MC East Chapter in Texas. I would bet my left nut that is his daughter.” I do know Tracker but only through my dad. I left Dad’s club a long time ago. On the day I found out that my brother, Duke, was sleeping with my fiancée because the order came from dear old dad, Jules Lake.

“Do you think she was sent here? The Rival Sins MC has nothing on me. I walked away and that was the end of it.” I am trying to make sense of what Horn is getting at.

“The Rival Sins MC have no idea where Charlie is at. Duke was going to claim her, and she did a vanishing act. The word is that the mother chapter of the Sins wanted a union between Charlie and Duke. Who do you think that bun in her oven belongs to?” Horn asks.

“That’s a lot of speculation, Horn. How do we prove any of it and how can we use the information? None of it means anything to us.” Garner is right. I hate the family I walked away from and I pity that baby if it belongs to Duke.

“As far as I can tell, it doesn’t mean anything to us. There may be a finder fee if we turn the girl over to Duke or the Sins but they haven’t put any feelers out for the woman as far as I have heard. She can’t mean too much to them.” No, I can’t let that happen if she is trying to get away. I know the hell my family put me through. I can be ruthless at times—if it’s called for—but that family is full of nothing but scavengers.

“We all know that when you came back here that you washed your hands of that club. You dropped the name of your father, or the man you thought was your father, and took your mother’s maiden name. You’re our blood. My only sister’s kid and you are a Sons of Wrath. You’re all we have left of her. Jules killed that woman one day at a time until she took her own life. You have proved your love and loyalty to this club. Don’t think we ever doubt that and that means when they shit on you, they shit on our family. No man should make one blood brother hate another.” Garner stares me down and lets me know how deep his feelings go on the subject. “This is now club business. Charlie is now club business. That means no one outside this room gets any information about her. Not the club girls, not old ladies, and not any man that doesn’t hold a Sons of Wrath MC patch. Is that clear? Not even her.” Garner looks at us all. Each brother nods their head.

“We are going to help Charlie in any way she needs.” Repeat, our VP speaks up. “Make her want to stay. Make her feel at home and protected. If she doesn’t get her memory back, then she is going to need our help. What if the cops run her fingerprints? They’ll know who she is then.”

“I’ve already made a call to our inside guy at the PD. It’s covered. They will come back Eve Copeland,” Horn answers.

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