Page 80 of Whizz

“She’s worried about me,” Butchsaid, turning toward her.

“For good reason, Butch.You put yourself in a lot of danger.”She stared at the bandage athis neck.

“I’ll survive.”

“I’m not talking about theshooting.You put yourself at risk by helping us.I needed you toknow that I tried to get Danny and Dalton not to go thatday.”

“There’s nothing you could havedone to stop what happened.I shouldn’t have felt some fuckingobligation to helping the club.It was a stupid and idiot thing todo.”Butch sat up in bed.“Is that why you came to talk to metoday?To relieve your guilt?”

She shook her head.“I’m going to bemarrying Whizz.I’m in love with him.I wanted to see you because Iowed you that.”

“You don’t owe me, Lacey.Ididn’t owe you or the Savage Brothers anything.I thought I did,and now I’m paying the price for it.”

“Whizz is working on yougetting back with the club.”She took the seat where Cheryl hadbeen sitting beside the bed.

“It’ll never be the same,”he said.

“But you won’t beout.”

“Why are you doing this?”he asked.

“Why am I doing what?Beingnice?”

“Yeah.We’re not the same, Lacey.We never have been.I don’t know why I fucked up like I did, butwe’re not friends.”

She licked her dry lips.“I know we’re notfriends, far from it in fact.I get that you hate me.I even knowwhy you do, but we’re not completely different.You’re all I havefrom the past.I know you hate me, and I accept that.I hope intime I can prove to you I didn’t mean anything by what happened.Ihope we can be friends.”

Lacey sat back, playing with herfingers in front of her.

Silence descended on them.She wouldn’tbreak it.This was up to Butch to make the final decision on howtheir friendship would go.

“I’m sorry aboutDalton.”

She smiled.“Don’t be.You didn’t knowhim, not really.”

“Danny fucking shot me, thebastard.”

“Yep, he was an asshole all ofhis life, and he proved it in death.”

This was a start.It wasn’t much, but itwas a start.

****

Whizz held back to talk with Cheryl.“You bought a gun to the hospital?”

“I didn’t know who wasgoing to come after him or what I was going to have to do in orderto protect him.”Cheryl turned to look at him.“I’ll do whatever ittakes to protect my family.Michael and Butch, they’re my family.If The Skulls accept Butch back, I’ll extend that.”

“Did you go and seeAlex?”

“I went and saw him, and I spoketo him.

“And?”

“I had to threaten to takeMichael away before he’d listen.”

“He listened.Alex stood up forButch.We’re going to take a vote on letting Butch back in.I don’tknow how it’ll go down, but I think it could go in ourfavor.”

She nodded.“I really want to thankyou for helping us.I mean that.Without you I doubt anyone wouldhave come to see him.”

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