Page 28 of Roses Are Dead
He wouldn’t know a threat if it bit him in the ass. He’d relied too long on his strength to understand that some battles can be won with wits. In fact, most battles were won by strategy rather than strength.
Satisfied I wouldn’t be interrupted, I dialed John’s phone.
It rang five times before he picked up, announcing himself. He really shouldn’t do that.
I stared at Bear, waiting for him to get angry.
Surprisingly, he didn’t. “How are you doing?” I asked.
“Hi, yes, Beth is doing fine. And we’re holding up well.”
I paused. John wasn’t usually cryptic. I lowered my voice in case there was someone on the other end of this conversation listening in like Bear was. “Is someone there?”
Bear frowned, obviously clued in on the fact that I wasn’t talking to my friend.
John paused. “It’s okay, I got home from the hospital and my parents are here to help out. Her brother stopped by just a bit ago to see if we were doing well.”
Oh, fuck. Carl was there. “Is Carl behaving himself?” I looked Bear in the eye, hoping he’d get the information I was feeding him.
Bear scrambled to get a pad of paper and scribbled something on it to pass to Skinner. Meanwhile, I paid attention to John’s rambling to read between the words as to what Carl was doing.
John paused and spoke to the audience on his end, “Hang on, I’m going to step outside so I don’t disturb anyone.”
I heard the screen door open and shut. John hurriedly spat out. “Where are you?”
“I’m with two men, one is named Bear, the other is named Skinner. They’re bikers.”
John hurriedly asked as much as he could, “Which bikers? Are you safe? I called, but Carl said you’d left, and when you didn’t show up here, I got worried.”
“The Destroyers MC. Let me guess, Carl showed up there to make sure I didn’t arrive, right?”
“Worse.”
My stomach twisted. “Oh Goddess, what did he do?”
John’s anger was palpable. “He demanded to hold June.”
“He hasn’t hurt her, has he?”
“No, I got Dad watching him like a hawk.”
“John, you can’t let him near the children.” I motioned to Bear to give me a piece of paper and his pen.
“I know. He—hey, Carl, do you need a ride home? You look kind of… tired.”
I heard Carl’s voice in the background. It gave me goosebumps knowing he was so close to John.
On the paper I scribbled, John is Beth’s husband, friend.
Bear read the paper and raised an eyebrow. He scribbled back, You should have told me before the call.
That didn’t need to be addressed.
John spoke, this time to me. “I appreciate you for calling, I’ll let Beth know you’re praying for her.”
Praying? No. Doing anything in my power to help her recover, yes. But Carl tied my hands by sending me to a bunch of over-testosterone-laden bikers. I wouldn’t be able to break free of this trap. “I probably won’t be over.”
“Absolutely. I think it will be a week or two before she can have visitors. Right now, it is family only. Call us then, okay? Thank you for the well-wishes.” He hung up the call.
