Page 8 of At Last

When she levels that smile of hers on me again,shit. I know I’m in trouble. Iwasflirting and Caitlinlikes meflirting.

I sit down on the club chair next to Caitlin, who’s resumed her spot on the bed next to Peaches, and for the next two hours, I get to know the little angel.

Before they’re finished with the discharge, I swing back by the clubhouse to grab Peaches’ booster seat from the back of Doc’s car, and give the order for one of the prospects to drive it to her house once I call. After that, I swing by the pharmacy and grab a buzzer. It’s loud, really fucking annoyingly loud. So when Caitlin is off somewhere in the rest of the house, if Peaches needs her mama, Caitlin will hear her.

Finished with my errands, I drive back to the hospital to pick up Peaches and Doc and to drop ’em back home for a little bit ’a girl time. Though not before I tell ’em about the prospect bringing the car and handing off the buzzer to Jade, explaining what it’s for. Even with Peaches on her hip, Caitlin bends the top half of her body into the cab and draws my face to hers for a quick lip touch.

“Thank you,” she says. “For everything.” We kissed three times now, and all three ’a those times she initiated. I have a mind to initiate the fourth, but don’t get the chance when she gently shuts the door and walks inside her house. Her little girl waving at me as they go.

I wait until Jesse pulls the Jeep into Doc’s driveway. He runs the keys up to the porch, knocks on the door, and when Caitlin answers, she smiles at him, they share a laugh then she shuts the door and he runs to climb into my truck.

“She’s something,” he says while clicking his seatbelt in place. “Good choice, Prez.”

Now prospects think I’m hot for doctor? I can’t deal with that and straight up ignore him altogether. A short grunt is the only response he gets.

The punk laughs at me.

With so much on my mind, we drive back to the compound in total silence, I don’t even bother with the radio. Not a prospect, but Blaze is on the gate and opens it to let us in when we arrive. Blaze is a patched-in brother now. Something don’t feel right. Then Jesse taps my shoulder and points for me to look over to the right where a large group of brothers, including my two lieutenants still in town, stand in a huddle.

“What the fuck is going on?” I bellow. Truck parked, I stalk towards my brothers.

They’re standing around a long, thin, white box with a red satin bow affixed to the lid. The kind the flower shop in town uses for long-stemmed roses. I know because I used to buy Dawna roses once a week right up to the week she died. She loved ’em.

Sneak looks up at me and breaks the huddle apart so I can get to it. “Tommy’s on his way,” he tells me.

Jesus.

“What now?” I ask. Sneak, because he’s the one wearing the gloves, bends down to pull the top off the box. It’s long-stemmed roses alright. Dead, withered, black long-stemmed roses. The note laying on top says ‘Congratulation on your littleangel.’ The ‘angel’ is underlined. If that ain’t a threat, I don’t know what one is. And it’s signed, H.

“It gets worse,” Carver, my other lieutenant, says.

Worse? How could it get worse?

Sneak bends down to pick up a photo from the bottom of the box, stem end. Carver is right, shit got worse. Again, with Sneak’s wearing the gloves, I let him show me instead of taking it from his hand, so as not to leave my fingerprints. It’s of Elise and baby Gun taken here on the compound, probably through one ’a those telephoto lenses.The bastard has eyes on Elise andGun. The photo was just taken yesterday. Elise has Gun, and she’s standing next to Caitlin’s Jeep, talking to her.

“Who dropped this off?” I ask, trying like hell but failing to keep the bite from my voice.

Bobby-Wayne, one of the newer prospects, speaks up. “It was a Hildegarde Flowers driver.” Hildegarde Flowers. Yep, that’s the flower shop in town, alright. “He drove up to the gate, said he had a delivery for Elise Hollister and handed me a clipboard with a paper to sign for the delivery. So I did. But I got nosey and opened the box.”

Well thank our lucky-fucking-stars the kid got nosey.

I run my hands over my face and grumble. “Anyone call Boss?”

“Not yet. We still need him with Chaos and Blood. And you know, he hears this, he’s on his way home.” Carver. He’s right. We need Boss to stick with Chaos and Blood. Liv. Damn that woman. She should’ve kept her ass here with her man and her brother who love her and would die to keep her safe. Damn all women.

This is the last shit I need to be dealing with. I sigh, then order, “Double Elise’s guard. She don’t leave the compound without at least two ’a you, got me?” When the men mutter their agreement, I turn to the three I want specifically on her. “Blaze, Blue and Hero,” I yell loud enough for Blaze on the gate to hear. “You all got Elise duty.” Then quieter I ask, “Anyone tell Elise?”

Rounds of “Nah” or “No way” or “Fuck no” travel around the group.

“Good.Don’t. She don’t need to worry about this. We already got one stupid woman on the run.” Caitlin Brennan came along at the wrong time. Houdini going after Elise again, and I can’t stop thinking about how bad I want to fuck the good doc. Maybe I just need to fuck her and get it over with. Nah, I need to let her alone and never look back. “Let me know when Tommy gets here. I’m going in for a drink.”

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