Page 11 of Devil's Due

“He’s my, he’s my…”

“I know,” I say firmly, knowing she was going to tell me he wasn’t just a pet. “Believe me, I know.”

“I want to stay with him.”

I see the medic shaking his head, and again I find myself repeating a promise while half of me wonders why the fuck I’m getting involved. “I’ll stay with him. I’ll update you as soon as I know anything, but I won’t leave him alone.”

What am I getting myself into? Instead of drinking with brothers in the clubhouse, I’ll probably be sitting in a waiting room. That’s if the dog survives a visit to the vet. A journey which at the moment, I’ve no idea how to take.

She sniffs, loudly, making an effort to hold back the sobs which I can tell aren’t too far away. She holds out her hand in my general direction. When I grasp it, her fingers wrap around mine and squeeze. “I don’t know who you are, but I trust you. He, he’s my everything. Please do what you can to help.”

As the medic takes her arm to lead her to the ambulance, I feel a loss when her hand leaves mine.

Chapter Five

It wasn’t how I envisioned my arrival in Pueblo. I wouldn’t have been surprised, as no biker turns down the opportunity for a party, that my visit to Pal may have been sufficient for a celebration to have been arranged. Satan’s Devils don’t need much of an excuse to break out the drink.

Even if it was just to be a quiet night that would have been fine. What I hadn’t anticipated was to have taken responsibility for a Labrador retriever who’s currently lying injured or quite possibly dying at my feet. Quickly I compute my options and know I can’t do this alone. Taking my phone out of my cut, I place a call.

“Pal… Yeah, look. I’m here… Yes. But I fuckin’ need help.” I go on to explain the situation. Pal might be young, but as soon as he knows what the emergency is, thank fuck he stops asking questions and simply wants my location. Looking around,how the fuck do I know what street I’m on?I give him enough clues to guess, and he agrees to come meet me.

He pulls up with another brother on his bike, and a prospect and someone else in a truck. It’s my luck the clubhouse isn’t far away, and they arrive fast. I’m relieved help has now arrived, as my bike’s still where I left it, abandoned on the opposite side of the junction. I couldn’t move it as I didn’t want to leave the dog. I recognise Pyro as the man who’s come with Pal and nod my thanks as he immediately goes over to wheel it across the road.

“I brought Rusty,” Pal points to the man beside him. I nod, recognising him as someone I’d fought beside just a few weeks back. “He’s our medic. Thought he might be able to help.”

Wasting no time, Rusty kneels beside the stricken dog. After a moment he looks up. “He’s still breathing, but I’m no vet. Wouldn’t know where to fuckin’ start.”

“Know where we should take him?”

Rusty scratches his head. “Not had any reason to go see an animal doctor.”

Pal’s tapping at his phone. “According to Google, there’s one quite close. Whether he’s any good or not…”

“Let’s go.” Having stated my intent, I eye the dog. If it had been a man, I’d have been able to assess better how to pick him up without doing more damage. A fucking dog? I’ve no idea. All I know is my promise to Stevie, a blind woman who I’ve only just met.

Rusty’s looking at me and shaking his head as I hesitate. “Thought we were going.”

“I don’t want to hurt him worse,” I reply lamely.

“Fuck, man.” He throws me a scathing look, and immediately bends down, huffing as he picks up the eighty or so pound dog.

The dog makes no sound or movement as he’s lifted into the air, then placed on the rear seat of the truck. That, to me, doesn’t seem to be a good sign.

“Just called the vet.” Pal’s in the process of sliding his phone back into his cut. “It’s good timing. He’s finishing up his consultations and will be ready for us.”

“He sound like he knows what he’s doing?”

Pal’s eyes widen. “How the fuck should I know?”

I have no idea what to do with an injured animal, or whether a service dog should go to a specialist hospital or not. I go to my ride that Pyro had rescued from the other side of the road and am right behind the prospect and the truck as he pulls away, glad to see he’s got the sense to move off gently. I’m surprised when two bikes fall in behind me. While Rusty’s making his way back to the club, it looks like Pal and Pyro are coming to keep me company. Can’t say I object to that. Whatever chapter we’re from, Devils are Devils, it’s good to have my brothers at my back.

“Leave him,” I instruct the prospect sharply, when he opens the back door of the truck after we arrive at the veterinary hospital. Not wanting to move Max and hurt him further, I walk inside to see if I can find someone to help. It’s only a small place. There’s a woman in scrubs at reception, it looks like she doubles as a nurse.

Her eyes widen when she sees me, and I’m not surprised. I’m a big man and I’m wearing a leather cut, clearly denoting I’m a member of an MC. It’s such a common reaction I barely register her taking a step closer to the phone as if ready to summon help.

“Er, can I help?”

“Got a dog outside. Hit by a car. Needs attention. We rang…”

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