Page 20 of Blood Revealed

“Yeah.”

“Then wait to see what happens. No sense worrying her now.”

“Right.” I hang up and run toward the clubhouse. Inside, the Missouri brothers point me in the direction of Hatchet’s surgery. They’re not as clean as we are; therefore, a surgery is necessary. Hero and Boetcher are sitting on cots in a back room. Hatchet’s old lady Veronica is patching them up. He met her as an army nurse in Vietnam. She knows her shit and I feel like they’re in good hands. “Sneak?” I ask the buxom brunette. It’s probably a dye job, but I don’t care because she’s a total GILF.

She gestures with her chin. “In surgery with Hatchet. Our son’s assisting. He’s good. Chip off the old block.”

“Family business,” I try to tease. It’s hard to keep light when I’m worried about my brother in there. I blank out for a second.

“Hey.” Veronica catches my attention. “Our boy is as good as his dad, if not better. He’s a bonafide surgeon. We got the diploma hanging on the wall in the office.”

That makes me feel better. Hatchet is good. Learned his trade in Vietnam, but I’m not entirely sure he’s certified. All I can do is wait.

“You good?” I ask Hero. He nods and winces while Veronica pulls the needle through his skin. I gotta go talk to Hammer, Missouri chapter president. He needs to prepare for the brothers’ arrival.

Knowing I can’t do anything more here sucks. I pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut, and say a quick prayer into the universe that Trish doesn’t end up a widow. Then, when I’ve got my shit together, I walk out to the common and turn in the direction of Hammer’s office. I knock once.

“Enter,” he yells.

I pop my head in. “Need to talk.”

“Shut the door behind you,” he says. His first lieutenant Drac stands to his right. Hammer’s burly with a dark beard that hangs down to the center of his chest. He keeps his long, slicked-back hair in a ponytail. Hammer is definitely the kind of guy people cross the street to avoid passing, though, he’s good people. Drac, on the other hand, is more like Chaos. Tough but a pretty boy.

“Duke and the brothers are on their way.” There’s no time for pretense. I jump right in.

“Don’t normally get you boys out this way, not since you went legit.”

“Shit’s not gotten better since you helped us in Chicago. One thing after another. And now with the Horde imploding, things have gone even further downhill.”

“Never thought the Horde would screw up so bad, man. That whole situation was fucked,” Drac says. “It was like they were asking to get caught.”

Ain’t that the truth?

“How many you expecting?” Hammer asks.

“As many as they can rally,” I answer. “Anyone they can spare. Prepare for a full house.”

Hammer looks to Drac in a silent communication before turning back to me. “Kath, my old lady, will show you to your room,” he says. “Get some food and a drink. You look like you need it.”

I don’t know that I can eat while Sneak lies on that operating table. I thank him and back out of the office. His old lady, Kath, stands just outside the door waiting. She’s been doing this a long time, knows the drill. Love Kath. She looks exactly like the type of old lady you’d see on the arm of a man like Hammer—like she could take on any brother in this chapter in a bareknuckle boxing match and come out the victor. But she’s good people, too. Takes care of the club. Momma to the men.

“He’s in the best hands,” she tries to reassure me, laying a hand to my shoulder. Momma to the men, exactly as I said.

“He’s got a wife and a little baby girl. They can’t lose him.”

“They won’t.” She moves that same hand down to squeeze my upper arm to make her point. When I nod, she drops it completely and begins walking. “Let’s get you a beer, yeah?” she says.

A beer I can do. She ushers me over to the bar, where one of their hot mamas uncaps a beer and slides it over to me. I take a long pull, swallow, and sigh. There’s too much going on to get drunk, but it can’t hurt to take the edge off my nerves.

I pull my phone out because I need to hear Hannah’s voice, though I’m not sure if I should. I stare at the thing for several moments and decide to put it away when wouldn’t you know? It rings.

Hannah.

“Hey, baby,” I answer.

“Who?” she asks, her voice tight.

I know exactly what she’s asking. “Sneak, Hero, and Boetcher. Sneak’s the worst. In surgery now.”

---