Lights to My Siren (18 page)

Both ambulances were gone, indicating that Baylee wasn’t currently at the station, which was good because I needed to talk to Allen, and I’d rather do that without having to explain everything to her first.

I’d been keeping an eye on the paper and news and, so far, there’d been well over twenty fires between Kilgore, TX and Benton, LA that fit the same MO. When my own Captain wouldn’t listen to me, it was time to take the info I got and bring it to someone else. Someone that would actually give a fuck.

“Can I help you, sir?” A dark haired man about mid-twenties asked.

I knew instantly it was Jack’s brother, Tai. There was no denying those genes.

I held out my hand for the younger man to shake and I introduced myself. “My name’s Sebastian Mackenzie. I’m here to see Chief Allen.”

The man surveyed me from the tips of my black boots to the black hat that was covering my head. “Chief’s in his office. Do you know where that’s at?”

After receiving directions, I made my way through what had to be a living room, past the women and then men’s bunkrooms, and then finally made it to the offices.

Chief Allen’s office was located at the very end of the long hallway with the door standing wide open.

The office looked to be a spare gear room as well, because along the sides of the room were extra oxygen tanks, bunker gear, masks and... “Are those mannequins giving each other head?”

My voice didn’t startle Allen. Although I didn’t trying to mask my presence, he very well could’ve heard my boots hitting the wood floor on my way back there. That, or Tai had called ahead and warned him.

Allen smiled and glanced at the CPR dummies in the corner. “My employees find it funny to position them in new and exciting ways every day. ”

At a closer examination, I realized that there was also a dummy positioned underneath the two, hip to hip with the closest dummy. “You’ve got some mature employees.” I surmised.

Allen laughed. “It’s all fun and games. Especially with the tension in the air lately. We’re all on pins and needles just waiting for another arson call to come in. What can I help you with?”

Allen stood and gestured at the seat that was positioned in front of his desk.

I sat, crossed my right ankle over my left knee, and then blew out a long breath. “We need to talk.”

Thirty minutes later, Allen was walking with me, side by side, towards my Harley. “I understand where you’re coming from, son. I’ll have a talk with our investigator, as well as Longview’s investigator. You’ll be hearing from me as soon as I speak with them. Have you reconsidered my job offer yet?”

The abrupt change in direction surprised me.

Leaning against my bike, facing Allen, I shook my head. “Nah. Not really. I love my job, and the location. The main thing, though, is that I don’t want to make it awkward with Baylee and me. We’ve gotten pretty serious, and I don’t want to jeopardize that in any way. For now, I’ll decline.”

Allen’s weathered face looked pleased when I’d mentioned Baylee. “That girl really loves to talk. We know all about your son, and the Wardens. She’s very proud of you.”

My heart warmed at the knowledge that Baylee spoke of me often. Especially to those she called her closest friends.

Just as I was about to reply, the chief’s cell phone chimed, making him remove it from the holder on his belt.

After seeing the expression on the chief’s face, and then his worried glance in my direction, I knew immediately it had to do with Baylee.

Coming off my bike slowly, I stood with my arms crossed, waiting somewhat patiently for the Chief to finish his call. When I finally did, I wished what I’d heard had come from someone else. So that I could have the illusion of doubt. That maybe it wasn’t true since it wasn’t coming from the top.

But Allen was the top.

And that meant that Baylee was going to get throttled.

Maybe not right away, but as soon as she healed from the broken ribs she was now sporting, thanks to the psychotic drunk guy that tried to refuse transport, and then kicked the ever loving shit out of Baylee when she tried to make him.

“You want a ride?”

“Nah,” I thanked him and headed for my bike. “Her brother doesn’t really like me so much. I may need a way to leave before it’s all said and done.”

Allen chuckled before walking to his KDP issued SUV, flipped on the lights, and headed out of the parking lot.

From what I could tell from the little info we’d been given on the stubborn woman, she was perfectly healthy despite two broken ribs and a sore upper body.

By the time I walked into the ER with Allen, and found my wayward woman, I was really worked up.

Baylee was laying on her back, her feet up and resting flat on the bed in front of her.

Her wavy hair was up in a messy knot on the top of her head, and the white little tank top she usually wore underneath her clothes was now on display, as were her tits, stained a deep scarlet.

I walked up to the side of Baylee’s bed. She was wide-awake and staring at me with fear in her eyes. “Hey.” She said hesitantly.

One eye was swollen, and a scratch above her eye accounted for the blood that stained her front. My body gave a shudder at seeing all that blood just from a tiny little wound. I’d known the disease she had made her bleed but, seriously, how was I supposed to handle this shit? What would happen if she actually had a major wound? Would she bleed out faster? Would she live?

“Hey, pretty girl. I see your wearing your favorite color again.” I teased, running my finger along her stained shirt.

She smiled sadly. “Yeah, it’s the bane of my existence. I’m used to it though.”

Winter, who was sitting on the chair on the opposite side of where I was standing, stood and placed her hands on the side of the bed. “That girl of yours is a brawler. You should’ve seen what she did when that guy tried to take the meds we had on board.”

Baylee looked at me quickly, and then adverted her eyes before she could see the admonishment look on my face.

“So what happened?” Allen asked authoritatively.

“I’d like to know the same thing.” Luke said from the partition.

I knew he was there. Had seen him enter as soon as the doors opened at the front of the room. Had even received the silent message that Luke had something to say to me, and not to leave if I wanted to live.

Baylee groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Shhhiiiit.”

Winter snorted. “You could say that.”

Sighing, Baylee’s hands dropped from her face, and she looked from me, to Luke, to Allen, to Winter, and finally back to Allen.

“The guy was supposed to be a drunk and disorderly. Except he wasn’t that drunk. Found him outside the IHop nursing a brown bag special. Got him loaded into the bus, took his vitals, and then he just went...nuts. Demanded medication for his headache...medication we damn well don’t even carry. Winter was driving, and trying to pull over, but we were in the middle of rush hour on the interstate. Then he started threatening to rape me. What the hell was I supposed to do? Spread my legs and let him take me?” Baylee finished on a snarl.

Luke and Allen took a step back at her vehemence. I didn’t.

I closed the distance between us, placed one fist on either side of her face, and leaned in until our noses were touching. “No. You never just lean back and take it. You fucking gouge his eyes out, and do just exactly what you did. You wait until your man gets there; you hold on, you fight for your life. ‘Cause once I get there, that man’s finished. Do you understand me? Done. God help me if he tries it while I’m there, too.”

Baylee’s eyes widened, and flicked nervously towards the side to the partition separating her from the next room, and suddenly I knew.

The man that had the nerve to lay his hands on my defenseless woman, to threaten to rape her, was in the very next room. Smiling a tad manically, I leveraged myself up and sauntered out of the room.

And how about that, they left him unattended.

Walking in quietly, I had nearly gotten the door closed when a hand stopped its movements, and Luke pushed his way inside.

I ignored her brother, cracked my knuckles, and went to work.

Luke and I had some sort of bonding moment in those fifteen minutes.

Words weren’t spoken or anything, but we came to an understanding.

One where Luke’s sister, my woman, were put first above all others.

With that, we became...not enemies.

***

“Do you want to go to my place, or your place? You won’t be working for a good week, if not more.” I told Baylee as we walked carefully out to my bike.

I’d asked if she wanted her brother to take her home since he’d had a vehicle, but Baylee shook her head and declined, saying she’d probably be more comfortable with me against her front to hold her steady.

I’d been skeptical, but she’d been insistent, and I decided to just let it lie. She was tired, and arguing with her about it wasn’t going to help.

“Your place. My parents are staying at mine.” She said tiredly.

I stopped and stared at her. “Your parents are at your place, and you want me to take you to my house? Why?”

She shrugged. “If you take me home, then I won’t be able to sleep next to you all night. I don’t want that.”

I pulled her into my chest tenderly, kissing the top of her head softly before releasing her and heading to my bike.

“I guess I didn’t realize it was already time for them to be here. When did they get in?” I asked as we arrived at my bike.

“They aren’t going to be worried about you if you come to my place?” I asked worriedly.

“They don’t know. Luke pinky promised that he wouldn’t tell them if I told them tomorrow. Plus, Katy is at my house with them; I just want to sleep, and she won’t let me if I go home. Not to mention the fact that you won’t be there. So, I think I’ll stay with you, if that’s alight?” She explained.

I nodded in confirmation. “My sister has Johnny tonight, so that’ll work out for you getting some shut eye. I have to go pick him up in the A.M. though. James can only handle so much.”

“You want something to eat before we go home?” I asked as I put the key into the bike.

“No, I just want to go home, down my painkillers, and sleep for sixteen hours straight.”

“That, I think we can do.” I acknowledged just before the bike rumbled to life. “Hold on to me, girl. This’s gonna hurt.”

Baylee wrapped herself around me tighter, and then buried her nose into my back.

***

Baylee

The sound of shrieking laughter, followed by the patter of little feet woke me from my drug-induced haze.

I made the mistake of rolling from my side, where the pillows kept me in one place, to my stomach, and about died at the pain that radiated out from my ribs.

Bile surged up my throat, but I knew from experience that if I puke, I’d only make things infinitely worse. I’d learned that the hard way after my last work accident. It was zero fun, sir.

My mother’s familiar calming voice came from the porch beyond Sebastian’s room made me peel my eyes open to see mid-morning sun streaming through the pulled blinds of Sebastian’s window.

The next five pain filled minutes were spent shimmying off the bed, and then shuffling to the bathroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Sebastian had made a half-assed effort to remove the toys from the bottom of his shower.

I didn’t think I could manage to bend and toss them over the side at this point. I felt so bad. At least my head didn’t hurt. That was something, wasn’t it?

The feel of hot water streaming down over my skin helped soothe some of the aches and pains.

I managed to run the bar of soap down my stomach, chest, and shoulders. However, when I got down to my legs, I just couldn’t handle it anymore. My legs would be hairy. So be it, because there was no way I was shaving today. Then again, it wasn’t like it would matter if my legs were hairy, because it wasn’t like I’d be getting any anytime soon. Not without a little bit of pain; Sebastian, nor I, got off on that type of thing. At least I didn’t think he did.

When I finally made my way into the living room wearing the only thing I could stand to put on, a t-shirt with the Dixie Wardens MC logo on it and a pair of Sebastian’s flannel pants, I was ready to go back to sleep, exhausted with the effort.

It was only the sweet sound of my mother’s voice that kept me moving to the living room, and then to the kitchen where my mother was at Sebastian’s stove wearing his apron and cooking. It smelled heavenly, and I knew instantly what it was. Chicken fried chicken. My favorite.

My mom only made it on special occasions. She said it took too much effort to make it any more often than she did.

“Mom.” I called once I stepped barefoot onto the kitchen tiles.

My mom whirled at the sound of my voice, dropped the spatula on the counter, and moved towards me slowly, gathering me into her arms carefully. “Oh, baby. You have such a dangerous job it scares me and your papa.”

Ugh. Not this argument again. For the love of all that’s holy. “Mom, you know I love my job. I don’t want to do anything else.”

“But, baby, this is the second time you’ve gotten hurt on the job within two years. Can’t you go work in the hospital or something?” she pleaded, curling my palm around her cheek.

I sighed and pulled back, going to the coffeemaker and smiling slightly when I saw my favorite cup waiting for me.

Punching down the large button, because I was pretty damn sure I’d need it, I turned and surveyed the kitchen, my mom included.

“What do you think of Sebastian?” I asked, trying to get my mother’s attention focused on something other than my career choice.

Before I could answer, my dad’s voice filtered in from the porch. “Paige, bring me a beer!” He bellowed.

“Get your own beer, Travis! I’m busy! Lunch isn’t going to cook itself, or did you want to get up and make it?” My mother screeched back.

Ahh, I knew I missed my parents.

Then Sebastian’s voice interrupted. “That’s okay, Mr. Roberts. I got it. I’m gonna go check on Baylee anyway.”

My mother turned and smiled at me. “I know that he doesn’t yell at his future mother-in-law for a beer. I know he cares a lot about you. When he showed up today, with his son in tow, and explained what happened to you last night, I fell in love with him. He’s won your daddy over pretty good too. Just gonna take him some time to get used to the whole motorcycle club thing he has going on. It’d help if we knew just a little more about it.”