Page 58 of Mad Max

“Boss.”

We all listen in as Domino talks over the comms. Even Fairy can hear all of us now.

“Yeah,” Prez responds. He’s in another SUV and we can’t see him, but his hesitating voice shakes as everyone waits to hear the worst.

“Kooper’s got her. Took out three who were trying to get her in a car.”

“She all right?” No hesitation from Law this time, but we all still hold our breath.

“Koop says she got a cut on her head that’s pretty deep. He’s taking her to the local hospital first to get it patched up before he heads back here with her. Doesn’t want to chance her falling off his ride if he comes back now.”

“Why ain’t he telling me this?” Anger pours from our prez, but we know it’s out of concern and frustration at not being there more than anything else.

“He took a few hits and his earpiece got broken along with his cell phone. He called the club from a phone that belongs to one of the guys he took out. He’s going to bring back what he can, but he had to leave the scene pretty quick. Someone must have called the cops or some shit.”

“Ruby’s going to be pissed.” Fairy says it to me, but it’s Jumper who looks over at her and asks why. She wasn’t talking to the group, just us in the car. “Don’t think she likes Kooper very much, and now she owes him for saving her.”

Jumper cackles, and I shake my fairy as I chuckle along with my brother. My girl’s right. Ruby’s bound to be fucking livid, and I doubt Kooper will let her forget it. The guy’s got a death wish if I ever saw one.

Chapter 25 – Cheyanne

I

don’t have anything against hospitals, I just don’t usually go to them. When my parents died, it was straight to the morgue with them, which was on the hospital grounds but not connected to it. It was a fire, and the arson investigator wanted the full autopsy done to go in his report. No one asked me if it was okay, though I’m not sure if they ask next of kin that question or not. I know I wouldn’t. Not because it’s a hard question, but I doubt anyone would be okay if a family member was cut down the middle mere hours after they died.

Not sure who called the hospital before we arrived, but no one seemed to bat an eye at a bunch of big guys carrying in women who look barely conscious. As each girl is deposited into a chair and wheeled out, the brother gets his vest. Guess someone brought them, or maybe they had them in the SUVs the whole time. All I know is my beast won’t let me go. And I’m completely fine with it.

“Sir, you need to release her. We need to look her over. I can’t do that with you holding her.” The nurse, who’s probably my age, looks at me with pleading eyes to say something.

I just shrug. She’s done a great job of commanding the chaos we brought into her emergency waiting room, but I’m not going to argue with Mad Max. He isn’t the type to just agree to something because I ask. He might like me, maybe more than that. He trusts me, and he gets me. But I’m not about to change his mind on things. And honestly? I like where I am. It’s comfy.

“Save your breath, Diana. I’ve got this one.”

A guy walks through the swinging double doors that lead back to the staff-only area. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him. Not with the whole suit and lab coat he’s wearing.

“Thought you were with Chains’ old lady.”

I look to Mad Max, then back at the doctor. Then it clicks. He was at the family event. But not like this—he was scruffier and wore a vest. No clue on his name.

And now I see why the vests are so important. Helps a hell of a lot to know who you’re talking to with the name tag thingy on them.

“Nah, got better people working on her. Don’t worry, I got my ear to the ground, and I know what’s going on. Mama Bear is trying to do it the old-fashioned way, and Chains is asking for the drugs. Last I saw, both were still screaming at each other as they worked through the contractions. Now, you going to set her down if I agree to let you push the wheelchair?”

Mad Max just shakes his head. I snuggle in more ’cause why not?

The doctor smirks. “Fine by me. Let’s go.”

No one seems to care that I’m carried back. Guess this guy has a lot of pull around here, ’cause I doubt any of this is allowed. Then again, with the size of my beast, I don’t think anyone is willing to go head-to-head with him. Especially since we haven’t met a single person as tall, or as wide, as him yet.

“Set her on the bed and move back so I can do my job.”

I’m half surprised my guy listens to the doctor, but he just grunts and does what he’s told, sitting in the single chair across from the bed. “Do your thing, but know I’ll gut you if you cause her any more pain, General.”

Ah, General. Makes sense now.

Mad Max threatens the guy with ease as he pulls his vest on now that he’s got two free hands. I think someone gave it to us as we passed by some of the other brothers, but I wasn’t really paying attention. Just enjoying my ride in my guy’s arms more than caring about what was happening around me.

For his part, General doesn’t even seem fazed by the comment. I wonder if it happens a lot with the Hounds. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heard it all before. Now tell me what I don’t know.”

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