Page 64 of Blood Revealed

“He needs to prepare; Tommy and Maryanne mean a lot to the club. Word gets out, General’s getting flooded with Lords and Lord women.”

“I’ll tell him that too.”

“Right. Hanging up now, baby. And Han?”

“Yeah?”

“Love you, too.”

Slowly, I walk back over to their little group to let them know that Thornbriar General is about to host an influx of bikers and their women. As scared as he is, his appreciation shows clearly on his face as he realizes how much he and Maryanne mean to everyone.

About fifteen minutes after hanging up with Raif, the man himself rushes into the waiting room with about ten other people on his heels.

My eyes light up at the sight of him. Disheveled and totally sexy, as if he saw my note and didn’t even bother to do more than dress in order to make it here for his, well, I’d say friends, but the Doyles are family.

He notices me and his flatline lips of concern tip up into a gorgeous smile. Raif walks to me and I walk to him, meeting in the center. His arms wrap around my waist and he kisses me. “You better never do this to me,” he says.

“Kiss you or go to the hospital?” I ask, semi-teasing.

“Woman,” he says. “When you’re having our kids. Don’t think my heart could handle it.”

Oh yeah, I love this man more than he probably realizes. “I’ll do my best,” I answer, although thebestgets muffled when he presses his lips to mine again.

Once he pulls away, I take his hand to lead him to Tommy and Boss. Tommy gives him a half-hug ending with a back pat. “Thanks for being here,” Tommy says.

All Raif has to say is, “Brother.”

Not twenty minutes after Raif, Sneak, Trisha, Chaos, Livvy, Scotch, Frankie, Duke, Caitlin, and even Crass and Brighton show up, a second influx of Lords crash the party, including my sister and Hero carrying trays of coffees. Crass and Brighton stopped for doughnuts. At least a good three dozen judging from the three large boxes Crass carried inside.

We hunker down waiting for news of Maryanne. After a while, the doctor shows up. He greets Caitlin and turns to Tommy. He doesn’t have to ask who’s there for Maryanne Doyle. Everybody in town knows Tommy and Maryanne.

They speak quietly, then the doctor turns to walk back through the double doors, followed by Tommy and Caitlin. I guess it’s good to have a doctor in the family.

By this time, the coffee and nerves have gotten to me and I excuse myself to find the restroom. My guess, the hospital has never seen this level of laughing and frivolity. But that’s the Lords. They come when needed and if required to be serious, they’ll be serious. Since we don’t yet know how serious it is, to help one of our own feel better, they joke and tell stupid stories. Anything to take our minds off what no one has any control over.

Before leaving, I kiss my husband on the cheek. It’s kind of nice to get away from the scrum of bodies and noise to get my thoughts together. Raif wants a family. I’ve always secretly wanted a family, but I never dared to dream. Not with the specter of Carlos Escalante hanging over my head. How could I ever bring a baby into that? Since I couldn’t have a real relationship, what would my child do if he got to me? I know what it’s like to wake up to news that your mother is just gone. Period. No trace of her.

I was lucky enough to have Cassandra until she got taken from us too. One of the girls would probably take up the cause in my stead, Elise or Caitlin or Brinley, but—I wipe at my eyes.Don’t go down that road, Hannah. You’ve got a man, a husband. You’ve got… Something firm presses against my ribs at the same time a large, tanned hand grips my upper arm.

“Scream and die.” Escalante’s man? How the hell did he make it past all those leather-clad, gun-toting men?

Since I don’t want to die, I don’t scream. But as he drags me from the restroom, I keep my eyes open for an escape. It seems Escalante’s henchman can read my mind.

“Go ahead. Try to make your escape. But let me be clear. Escalante wants you, but if he can’t have you, you’ll be dead before any of thebrothers”—he says the wordbrotherswith such disdain— “know you’re gone. He’s willing to take that sweet piece we mistakenly took before in exchange. What’s her name?Elise.”

At his use of her name, my back goes rigid. She’s a mother. I know Escalante doesn’t care about that. She’s gorgeous. He’d house her in his stable of women or sell her for top dollar.

“I won’t fight you,” I reply.

Instead of dragging me, I keep up the pace, leaving voluntarily with the man. Silently, I send my love to my husband.

The parking lot is an ocean of Harleys. An ocean of Harleys with waves of chrome, leather, black or red or orange from flames, trucks of various models and colors, though the prevailing seems to be shades of gray, and one long, black Cadillac Escalade SUV. He shoves the gun deeper into my side to get me to veer toward the SUV. The windows are blacked out and from that, I knowhe’sin there. When we reach the vehicle, the henchman opens the back door, shoving me inside. As always, Escalante sits in the back wearing a white, linen suit and a scowl. The driver has on dark sunglasses and a black suit.

Before his henchman even closes the door, I know I’m in trouble. Escalante looks me up and down, tipping his lips from the scowl to a grin, which comes off as sinister because it’s meant to. His dead eyes complete a face that could be considered handsomeandmonstrous. “You’ve been bad, making me chase you all over the country.”

He reaches across the seat to pop me in the jaw. Closed fist. “You’re mine. You seem to forget I own this”—he grabs me by the hair on top of my head, wrenching my head backward causing me to crack my teeth together—“and this”—he drops his hand to squeeze my breast hard enough to cause pain—“and this.” He finishes by grabbing a fistful of my crotch. It hurts and I’m humiliated, but I refuse to give him the tears burning like a forest fire behind my eyes because that’s the reaction he wants.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow. “Nothing to say?”

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