Page 30 of Blood Revealed

“Let me check their status for you. I’ll be right back.”

Duke and I both know he won’t be right back, but at least he’s willing to check for us, which is more than we’ve gotten since we’ve been here.

We wait another twenty minutes before the doctor finds us. “Both are still in surgery. They’ve been stabilized. That’s as much as I can tell you. Sorry. Someone will tell you more when they’re out.” The same old bullshit that we always get.

It seems like a lifetime before we get that notification. “Anyone here for Gage St. James or Gunner Duncan?”

Scotch, Duke, and I stand and make our way over to the woman standing there in scrubs with her hair pulled back in one of those paper caps. “Hi. I’m Doctor Jacobsen. I performed Mr. St. James’s surgery. Dr. Agarwal who did Mr. Duncan’s surgery was called away unexpectedly. Since we were told we had people in the waiting room waiting on news of both men, I offered to speak to you on both our behalves rather than keep you waiting any longer to find out his condition.”

“That’s good ‘a ya,” Duke says.

She nods. “Both men made it through the surgery. Their wounds were pretty substantial. They’ve both been moved to the intensive care unit instead of recovery. When they wake you can go see them, but only one at a time.”

Hurry up and wait. Then hurry up and wait some more. We all thank Dr. Jacobsen and to stretch our legs, we walk down to the elevators. Duke and I need a smoke. Scotch doesn’t smoke, but he joins us outside, leaning against a wall while we suck back nicotine. Then we head to the cafeteria for coffee. Who knows how long it’ll take either of them to wake up.

Hot drinks in hand, we head back up the elevator and take seats. I must have dozed off at some point because I’m shaken awake by Scotch. “Chaos is awake. Go. Take yar turn.”

That’s good of him to let me go first. He knows the history we have. Chaos isn’t just my best friend, he’s my family. Not of the cut, but real damn family. Married to my sister. I follow the nurse back. Duke is already there with Crass. I thought that each man would get an individual room. At this hospital, the ICU consists of one large room with ten separate beds. There’s no privacy aside from the curtains you’re allowed to swing partially closed. The foot of the bed remains open. It cuts you off from the people directly next to you on either side, but not much else.

“Hey, man,” I say, trying to keep up appearances.

“You… didn’t do something stupid… like tell my wife?” he asks, but he hardly gets it out, running out of breath. He looks rough. Dark circles under his eyes. Not much color to his face.

“I’m not crazy,” I answer.

“She’s gonna be pissed.” He’s not wrong. My sister will totally blow a gasket when she finds out the extent of his injury.

“Then get better before we tell her, brother.”

This is such horse shit. We’ve still got Elise out there—God knows where and we’re inside a goddamned hospital making sure more of our brothers don’t die. Chaos half-smiles, but his eyes begin to droop. Knowing that he’ll be all right for now, I pat his leg down by his ankle.

“Rest now,” I order. He doesn’t even answer, instead letting himself drift off.

Duke leaves the same time I do. Scotch is anxious to talk to Crass. All the brothers are close, but since Crass claimed Brighton, who is Scotch’s woman, Frankie’s, best friend, those two have become tight.

It’s like a tag team. Duke walks through the doors into the waiting area and tags Scotch in. He nods at us then moves back through the doors.

“Only got a minute,” Duke tells him.

They’re keeping Boss overnight for observation, but he was told there shouldn’t be any reason he can’t get out tomorrow. Our prez made the executive decision tonottell Boss that Elise had been the one kidnapped instead of Hannah. With the way Boss went off the last time Elise got into trouble; we didn’t know if we could contain him. As a club, we needed our VP in full command of his emotions to help us follow that lead. Part of the reason Duke sent us on the initial scouting mission was because of reports that the Riot were in with the Anguino cartel and we needed to know how deep those ties ran. With the way they ambushed us, it’s clear we were on the right track.

Boss is going to lose his ever-loving mind once he finds out the truth. And with Escalante being Anguino’s number two, who knows how many more of us will go down? Messing with rival clubs is bad. Messing with a cartel is just plain suicide. Elise is one of us, though. We have to make a stand.

My gut tells me to get back out, to keep searching for her. Now with so many men out of commission and our initial plan shot to hell, I don’t know what to do. I’ve never felt so useless in my life.

Fuck.

I stomp away from the brothers to make my way outside to the parking lot, away from people. It’s that or punch something. The men follow me but don’t get too close. We drive to a hotel for the night. When Boss gets discharged, we’ll head back to Missouri. It’s closer. He won’t be able to travel all the way back home and Hammer still has our rooms set up.

Thinking about all this shit has my stomach in knots, but it has to be thought about. Elise. The brothers. They’re cremating Carver. His funeral will take place back home so the women can attend. Then we’ll take him on his last ride when the weather is clear enough. Dammit. I can’t believehe’s gone.

No. No. I have to shove him out of my head. Don’t want to. Have to. For my sanity and to get the work done that we clearly have to get done.

The next morning, we drive back over to the hospital to collect our man. Boss is the only one going home today. We’ll keep men coming back for visits to Chaos and Crass. Best thing we can do for them now is to let them rest and recuperate. It won’t be me, however. I’ll be out finding Elise and ending the life of the man who took her. That’s a vow.

Boss bitches about having to ride in the back of the white van, but Boss was bound to bitch about anywhere we put him. He’s in pain and mad as hell—raring to get back at the Riot. He’s not the only one.

It’s a solemn mood when we reach the Missouri compound. They’re feeling their losses hard. As we help Boss to a room that’s been set up, we pass by Kath, Hammer’s old lady, with her arm around a very distraught woman. Drac’s old lady. I’ve met her before.

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