Page 10 of Facing the Pain

CHARLIE

Never Say Never

Ibought a map at the gas station where I picked up some snacks after all the paperwork was done on the car. I am now a proud owner of a silver nineteen ninety-eight Toyota. Never thought I would be so proud to buy a car that is twenty-two years old. The trip has gone smoothly except when I took a wrong turn and went forty miles out of the way. When I figured out my mistake, it was easy to backtrack.

I am finally back on the right track and I see a sign that saysBristol Cove 10 Miles.I feel excited. I trying to get something on the radio. Teresa wasn’t kidding when she said it didn’t pick up very much. I see theSTOPsign at the four-way stop and I brake. I put my foot on the gas to drive on through it and that’s when everything just goes black.

Chapter Fifteen

DEACON

What The Hell Have I Done

Ionly need to get a couple of more miles and then my brothers will meet me and these assholes behind me will be history. No one shoots at a Sons of Wrath MC member in our territory. It rubs against my grain to be running from them but there were around ten of them on my tail before the suburban joined them. Whoever is driving the suburban has tried running me off the road. My bike has been faster so far.

You ask why they are chasing me in my own territory? I have proof that their club is the one running drugs through our territory and they are the ones that shot our VP’s house up and shot two of his boys. One of our snitches in their club got me a flash drive with the proof on it and I just need to get it back to Garner, the president of the Sons of Wrath MC. This information is all it will take to bring Hell’s Guardians MC to an end. I glance back to see how close the suburban is to me and everything happens in slow motion. I see the stop sign, but I can’t stop. I hear my brother’s motorcycles, but I don’t see them yet. I don’t see the car at the intersection until it’s too late. I have no choice but to swerve into the ditch, and as I do, I feel the front tire give out with a pop. It’s the sound behind me that will be with me until my death. The screech of tires, the crunch of metal, and the undeniable hit the small car took from the suburban. I want to glance back but I know if I do that it might be the last thing I see. I try to control the bike beneath me. I feel as I go down and the way the ground tears at my clothes as well as the heat on my leg from the burn of the pipe on my leg. I try to concentrate but I feel the darkness trying to take me under. My body feels raw and I know it’s the adrenaline coursing through my body. The last thing I can hear is motorcycles, a lot of motorcycles.

Chapter Sixteen

DEACON

Shit Hits The Fan

My mouth is dry, and I want to open my eyes to find something to drink but then pain shoots through my head, and I rethink that idea. My leg feels like it’s on fire and I reach for it and open my eyes at the same time. I see I am in a hospital room but the pain I feel is nothing compared to the bleak faces looking down at me. Garner and Horn are standing close to my bed and they both look pissed off and like someone just died.

“Who died?” I croak out. “I need water.”

Garner picks up the glass on the table by my bed and fills it with water. He puts the straw to my mouth, and I go to raise my head, but I feel dizzy and lay it back down. Garner leans the straw over so I can get a drink.

“We have the flash drive, and you remember nothing. That’s all that is important right now. Leave the rest to us,” Garner tells me in a muffled voice. I try to nod my head but that’s not happening.

“What all is wrong with me? My head feels like it was punted fifty yards,” I ask them.

“You’re lucky you had your helmet on. Your head bounced off the ground. Luckily, you were off the asphalt. You have a burn on your right leg from your exhaust when your bike went down. Burned right through your leathers. You have a concussion, and your side is all torn up from the ground, but nothing broken. They want to keep you for observation for a couple of days to get all the tests back to make sure there are no internal injuries.”

“There was a car at the intersection. I heard a crash behind me, what happened?” Horn and Garner look at each other.

“The suburban hit the car. The car was hit mostly in the back, but the woman can’t remember a damn thing. That works out better for us. The damn thing about it is the woman is pregnant. They are keeping people away from her. We can’t get close enough to make sure that memory stays gone.” I look at Horn. It’s my fault that woman was hit.

“What do you mean by that?’ I ask Horn with a raised voice. Horn and Garner look at each other again.

“Brother, I know you hit your head, but you know we don’t hurt civilians. Horn meant that we haven’t given her any incentive not to remember. We also heard that no one has come looking for the woman—no family, no man, no one. It’s only been twenty-four hours but if my woman was missing and she was carrying my child, I would be looking for her.” This woman could have lost her child because I decided to hit the ditch instead of taking the hit. My head is killing me and maybe when it clears a little, I will get past this, but I feel guilt. I feel responsible. What if she would have lost her child? I try to not think the worse. She didn’t or hasn’t yet. No, she can’t.

“I need to make this right.” Garner smiles and Horn takes a twenty out of his wallet and hands it to Garner.

“Told you,” Garner says with a smirk.

“Asshole,” Horn says.

“What the hell?” I ask.

“Son, you are predictable but thanks for making me an easy twenty,” Garner tells me. “Do you remember the dog that broke his leg when he got ran over? The clubhouse now has a guard dog that would only lick a robber to death,” Garner tells me.

“Or the cat that had no home and all of a sudden, the clubhouse needs a rat killer, but the cat only eats tuna fish, and the clubhouse has no rats,” Horn goes on. I get it. I have a habit of taking in things and taking care of them. Shoot me. I’m a biker with a heart. Give me a man who has done our club wrong and I will come up with creative ways to make him bleed but give me a woman who needs help and I turn into a man on a mission. No, not this time. I just think if she was hurt because of the club then we should help her find her way. Horn is shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, Deacon, we’ll make it right. Horn is going to find out anything that the cops have on the woman. Who knows, by tomorrow she may remember who she is, or her family may come forward,” Garner tells me. “Your doc should make rounds later today and I know the cops will be in too. We need to get back to the clubhouse. There’s a prospect outside the door and Ties is trying to sweet-talk a nurse to get information on the woman but he is here if there are any problems. I will be back in a couple of hours after church.” I know that the club will be making a move on the Hell Hounds MC. They won’t be making that move without their sergeant-at-arms so I need to make a speedy recovery.

Chapter Seventeen

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