“Listen Bandit”, he said switching to calling Dusty by his club name rather than his birth name. “Where are you at with locating that rotten bastard Tommy?”
He could hear Dusty’s disappointment when he answered him saying, “I hate having to tell you this, but we haven’t been able to find him yet Gunner. We will though. That’s a fuckin promise. He’s not at The Red Aces clubhouse, which we expected, so he’s obviously got another hangout where he’s laying low right now, but he won’t stay quiet long. He’s a cocky son of a bitch. Some of the affiliates are also speaking with some of their contacts to see if they can catch a beat on where Tommy’s at. They send along their concerns for you and Charity and are very disturbed by what Tommy did to her,” he told him.
“Okay man.” Jackson said. “I want all our resources on this. We need to find him, and when you do, you call me and I’ll come right away. I will take care of that scum for what he did to my sweet Charity.”
“You got it man. I understand how you feel,” was Dusty’s response as he thought about how he would react if somebody were to hurt Hope. “You know that I’m on this brother,” he said.
“Appreciate it,” was Jackson’s response before he hung up.
That night after all the visitors left and the hallways became quiet as the hospital’s patients slept, Jackson sat there in the hard vinyl hospital chair, beside Charity, still holding her hand as he had done continually, and he sat looking at the scrapes and bruises on her body. One of her eyes was black and blue and she had a gash on her forehead with a red angry looking color surrounding it. The side of her lips had been cut open and still looked sore as hell. She had multiple bruises on her arms as well as scratches and her fingers were all scraped up. Her usually beautiful and flawless skin had been all marked up by that bastard and he knew that there were plenty of other marks on her body under the hospital gown and blankets covering her.
For the life of him Jackson couldn’t understand how even a lowlife like Tommy could hurt a woman, especially a woman that was so good and kind like Charity. He really wasn’t much to pray but lowering his head against their clasped hands, pray he did, for Charity to wake up and be fine and for the long and happy future that he wanted for them both.
Chapter 35
The next morning Charity felt like she was trying to wake from a very deep sleep. One of those kinds of sleeps where you fight to open your eyes but no matter how hard you try, sleep just keeps pulling you under. Her body hurt everywhere. Even breathing hurt but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why. She struggled trying to fight the heaviness that seemed to be taking over her brain and her eyes, and eventually she opened her eyes a tiny slit, only to close them again quickly against the sunlight shining in through the blinds on the windows. Wait a minute she thought, where am I? This isn’t my bedroom and it’s not Jackson’s. Uncertain what was happening she fought the drowsiness and opened her eyes once more. Taking a minute to let them adjust to the bright sunlight in the room, she looked around at the cold white walls and the sterile blinds before she looked down at the stiff white sheets covering her and the blue gown she wore. She was in the hospital? Yes, there was that clinical disinfectant smell too. But why? What had happened to her?
Then looking further down the bed, she saw Jackson, his head resting beside her hips on the side of the hard mattress she lay on. “Jackson?” she tried to say his name although no sound came out of her dry parched throat. Jackson was holding her hand which was partially tucked underneath his head as he slept. Her other hand was swollen, where her fingers peaked out of the cast that had been placed upon her arm sometime while she slept. Wanting to know what had happened she once again tried to say Jackson’s name. After clearing her throat, this time she was able to squeak out his name.
Not sure if he had just dreamed it or whether it was a reality, Jackson slowly came awake to Charity’s voice calling him. Turning his head and with a huge smile on his face, Jackson looked into those gorgeous green eyes of Charity’s that he had missed so much. “Hey...welcome back Baby,” he said as he reached out and carefully touched her cheek trying not to cause her any further pain. “It’s about time you woke up,” he said as relief flooded him. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “I should ring for the nurse,” he said as he reached for her call button.
“No, Jackson...wait a minute,” she said. “What happened? Why am I here?” she asked. “What do you mean when you say it’s about time I woke up? How long have I been here?”
“Baby, we can talk about that later. Right now I’m just so glad you’re back,” he said. “I need to ring for the nurse though, because they wanted to know the minute you woke up,” he told her. Reaching for the call button again, this time he pushed it. “I’ve missed those beautiful green eyes of yours Babe,” he told her as the nurse walked in through the door.
“Good Morning Ms. Spencer, Mr. McKay,” the cheery nurse said. “It’s about time you decided to wake up and join us,” she said. “That’s what Jackson said,” Charity managed to squeak out of her dry throat. “Can I have some water please?” she asked. “Yes you can,” the nurse replied as she poured some water in a glass for Charity and helped to hold it and the straw for Charity until she had a few sips. “Just take it slow for now with drinking until your body readjusts to being awake again.” she said. You’re still getting plenty of IV fluids until we make sure that you are back with us,” she added. “Now I’m just going to check your vitals before I let the doctor know that you are awake, alright,” she said.
“Ah...okay sure,” was Charity’s response. As the cuff around her arm inflated Charity looked down below the cuff and saw all of the bruises and scratches on it. It was seeing those physical signs of her struggle with Tommy that triggered her memories of what happened to come flooding back. Once the nurse recorded Charity’s vitals on the computer attached to the wall beside the bed and asked her a few questions about how she felt, she headed for the door turning on her way out and saying, “I’m going to let the doctor know that you are awake now.”
When the nurse disappeared through the door, Charity turned to look at Jackson and said, “I remember what happened now. It just came to me while the nurse was taking my blood pressure when I saw all of these scratches,” she said looking at her arms. “The last thing I remember is that Tommy had my blouse and my bra ripped open and...and, he was biting my...my breasts and hurting me,” she explained as tears started to run down her face.
“Shh...shh...Baby, I’m here...I’m here Babe and together we’re going to get through this.”
“Jackson...,” Charity paused and took a deep breath. “Did...did he...,” she couldn’t bring herself to say the word rape.
“No Baby, no...he didn’t,” he told her.
“How do you know? Jackson, I blacked out. I don’t remember anything else,” she said frantically because she was now panicking.
“Honey, they did a rape kit. He didn’t rape you,” he reassured her as he stood up and kissed her lightly on the forehead, afraid to touch her anywhere else in case he hurt her.
Charity let out a cry followed by the words, “Oh thank God!”
Chapter 36
During the course of the next few days, Jackson only left the hospital long enough to go home to shower and change clothes and he would only do that when there was someone else there to stay with Charity. He didn’t honestly think that Tommy would show up at the hospital but he wasn’t willing to take any chances with Charity’s safety. Charity wanted Jackson to go home and sleep in his bed at night because she was worried about him sleeping in that uncomfortable chair and not getting his proper rest but there was no way he was leaving her alone in that hospital. The doctors didn’t want her leaving the hospital just yet because of the fact that she was unconscious for so long after the incident.
While Jackson and Charity were going for a walk down the hallway to the hospital solarium Jackson’s phone rang and when he saw that it was Dusty he just knew that his brother’s had found Tommy. “Hey brother, what’s up?” he asked.
“We got him,” was all Dusty said.
“Where?” Jackson asked. “Um huh. Thanks Brother. Yes.”
Charity knew just by hearing Jackson’s side of that conversation that The Mavericks had found Tommy and a cold chill took hold of her body. She knew that Jackson had said that he would take care of things where Tommy was concerned but she was very afraid of what that might entail. She didn’t want Jackson doing something that could get him into trouble because of her. “Was that about Tommy?” she asked.
“Yes it was. The guys have found him and they’ve taken him somewhere where he’s not going to be able to get away,” he explained to her. “He can’t hurt you any more Baby,” he said.
Charity let out the breath that she had been holding since Jackson answered his phone. “I need to go Babe. I’m sorry to leave you here but I need to go take care of this,” he said.
“First walk me back to my room?” she asked. “Of course Babe, whatever you want.” When they arrived back at Charity’s hospital room she reached with her good arm placing it around his waist and hugged him. She laid her head on his chest and while Jackson wrapped his arms carefully around her, Charity said, “I don’t want you to go. I’m scared.”
“Why are you scared Charity? Now you don’t have to be afraid any more. Tommy can’t hurt you anymore,” he said.
“I’m worried about you Jackson. I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret later because of me and I don’t want you getting yourself into trouble either,” she explained.
“Baby I’m not going to do anything stupid that would jeopardize our future. I promise,” he said as he kissed her on top of her head. You need to know that I have a plan Babe and it’s gonna be okay. Do you trust me?” he asked.
“Yes, I trust you completely Jackson.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her and then before she could say anything else, he left.
The guys had taken Tommy to a very secluded hunting cabin that had once been acquired when Jackson’s father was president of the club. They would use it when they needed to persuade someone to cooperate with the club, among other things. It hadn’t used it in years so the guys had to come up with heavy equipment just to clear a pathway into it. When Jackson had almost reached the cabin he stopped to just take a few deep breaths and get his head together. He hated that they had a need for this cabin again but he hated Tommy more for what he had done to Charity. Gathering his thoughts he made his way across the few yards.
Standing guard outside the cabin were Rocker and Rebel. When he opened the door he saw Tommy chained and hanging from his arms from the ceiling in the middle of the cabin. Jackson figured that Tommy’s arms should just about feel nonexistent by now after bearing his body weight if only for the time it had taken Jackson to make his way here. Surrounding Tommy were by Lock (Aiden), Bandit (Dusty), Coyote (James), Animal (Clay), and Monster (Nick). Today they were his Black Maverick’s MC brothers and they would be identified by their club names only. “Gunner,” Bandit greeted him as he entered the cabin. Gunner only nodded at his brothers in acknowledgement as he kept his focus on Tommy who was also gagged at the moment.
“Remove the gag,” he said to Coyote who was standing closest to the middle of the room.
The minute the gag was out of his mouth, Tommy began spouting off, like Gunner had expected him to. “How’s your girlfriend Gunner?” Tommy asked. Jackson refused to acknowledge him. “She was reeeeal good the other night when I had her,” he said. Jackson bit down on his tongue to keep himself from saying or doing something impulsive. That would just be feeding Tommy’s ego. “What’s the matter Gunner? You not getting any after Charity had me? She doesn’t want anything but the best, eh?” he kept pushing. Without warning Jackson, who had been standing with his back towards Tommy, swung around and whipped Tommy in his face with his hand causing blood to begin pouring down over Tommy’s mouth and chin. He still never said anything to Tommy. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him know that he knew he was lying and had never raped Charity.
Next he hauled off and punched him in the gut knocking the wind out of Tommy. While Tommy was struggling to catch his breath he didn’t notice Jackson pick up a small sledge hammer from a side table. Jackson then nodded at Animal and Monster who grabbed Tommy by the legs and pulled his body, which was hanging from chains attached to a huge cast iron ring, along a steel pole attached to the ceiling until it was flush against a side wall of the cabin. There they then secured him to the wall. As Tommy cried out from the pain of not only hanging from his arms but from the guys pulling on him, Jackson hauled off and struck first one and then the other of Tommy’s knees with the giant sledge. Tommy was now crying and pleading for mercy.