“All night I’ve stared at these machines. I remembered where they went.”
The nurse walked into the room replacing the morphine.
Sitting in the bed, he waited for the pain to lessen.
“Stop walking around the room. Come and lie with me.” He patted the bed, moving over to give her room.
“I was so scared. I thought I lost you,” she said, lying down beside him.
“It takes a lot to take me out.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her lemony scent invaded his senses. “I can rest knowing you’re beside me.”
Kissing her neck, Zero waited for her to ask the question he would bet was right on her lips.
“Go on, ask me, baby,” he said, waiting patiently.
“You told me you loved me.”
“I know.” Staring at her face, he waited for her to look at him.
“Do you love me?” she asked.
“With all my heart. Do you love me?”
“Yes, I’ve loved you for a long time.” She turned to him, stroking his face. “I’ll be with you.”
“What? You want to move to Fort Wills?”
“I’ll move to Fort Wills. I’ll stay by your side and love you, support you.”
Linking their fingers together, he pushed some of her red hair away from her face.
“I’m going to hold you to that.” He leaned forward, taking her lips.
“Alan?”
“Will die. He’s a scarred man intent on revenge.” Staring up at the ceiling, Zero searched for the right words. “He’s not a ghost. Alan’s like any man. We’ve just got to wait for him to take what he wants.”
“You’re not afraid?” she asked.
“I’m afraid of many things. I’ve got something to fight for. I’ve got you back in my life. Taking out Angel was his biggest mistake,” he said. “We’re going to fight back.”
“You need to get well first.”
“I’ll be out of here by tomorrow. I’m not waiting around. Alan is going to strike again while we’re all panicking.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“It’s what I’d do. You’re intent on revenge and want one person to suffer in particular, you strike hard.” Zero rubbed his eyes, wondering who he was going to hit out at next.
“You don’t seem scared of him anymore,” she said.
“He’s made his move, and I’m waiting for him to make his demands.”
Prue rolled to her side, staring him in the face. “Do you think he intended to hurt Angel?”
“I’ve no idea. It had to have been a stroke of luck for him to get her and—” Zero stopped, frowning. “He told you he was going to take pleasure in my pain. Why would shooting at the compound give him pleasure? He couldn’t have been the shooter. The car was moving too fast for him to be there,” he said, trying to work out where his thoughts were going.
“He was waiting around, watching what was happening,” she said.
“Get Tiny. I need to talk to him.” He watched Prue leave the room, and he sat up. Alan had to have been in the background watching.
Running a hand down his face, he felt tired with all the shit.
Prue entered the room with Tiny and Devil.
“Do we have security across the street?” he asked.
“We’ve got security around the outside of the compound,” Tiny said.
“Get Whizz to look through the tapes. You’re looking for a man lurking in the shadows, possibly wearing a hooded jacket.” Zero reached over for some water.
“You think he’s going to be that close?” Devil asked.
“His intention is to make me suffer and for me to realize how much he can make me suffer. Why attack if he’s not going to get the pleasure in seeing it?” Zero asked.
“He has a point,” Devil said.
“We’ll get back to the clubhouse. Eva’s waiting for us. I’ve left Butch, Blaine, and Steven to keep an eye on everything. They’ll keep you protected.”
Zero nodded.
“I’m staying with him,” Prue said, sitting on the side of the bed.
“I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of an introduction,” Devil said, stepping forward.
“Back the fuck off.” Zero shot the other man a glare.
“Please, I’m a happily married man. Lexie would cut my dick off if she found out I touched another woman. My cock is branded for her and her alone,” Devil said. “Even Lash’s blonde woman won’t tempt me away from my woman.”
Zero kept his gaze on him. “This is Prue. Prue, this is Devil. He’s the leader of Chaos Bleeds and a friend to The Skulls.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking the other man’s hand.
Once the introductions were over, he watched Devil and Tiny leave.
“A bit possessive, weren’t you?” she asked.
“You don’t know Devil. The man loves women. I’m surprised he’s settled down into marriage.” Wrapping his arms around her, Zero held onto his woman, knowing he would do everything to keep her safe.
****
Prue helped put Zero’s jacket on. The nurses and doctors were trying to convince him to stay. He refused. Nothing she said helped either. He was leaving the hospital today.
“We can wait to take Alan out,” she said.
“I can’t wait. He’s out there, and I can’t stay here waiting for him to strike again.”
Nurses and doctors charged past their door going into the main reception. “We’ve got a code red, a stabbing,” one of the nurses said as they passed.
Frowning, Prue looked at her watch seeing it was gone ten. Tiny was supposed to be coming to collect them.
“It’s all go in the hospital,” Zero said, wincing.
“It’s where a lot of people come to get fixed.” She ran her hands down his arms, letting out a sigh. “I wish none of this had happened, but at the same time I’m glad it has. I’m such an awful person.”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.
“If this hadn’t happened I wouldn’t be here with you,” she said, cupping his face, brushing her lips against his.
Zero stroked her cheek. “We’d have gotten there eventually. I love you, baby.”
She went to her toes and kissed his lips.
Someone cleared his throat, and they turned. Her stomach turned over as she caught sight of Tiny. He was covered in blood.
“What the hell has happened?” Zero asked, holding her tighter than ever before.
“Sophia’s been stabbed. She went to take the trash out and didn’t come back in. Nash found her on the ground, bleeding out,” Tiny said. “I was helping Sandy trying to stop the blood flow.”
She glanced up at Zero. His face was pale as he looked at Tiny.
“This shit needs to end,” Tiny said. “Whizz is going to meet a friend. We looked over the tapes.” He opened his jacket withdrawing a picture. “Whizz has got a guy who has the ability to tap into security footage and compare the identities. We didn’t have a picture. He’s got to go and meet him outside of Fort Wills. The last I spoke to him, Whizz is waiting for the guy to show up.”
Prue took the picture off him and saw Alan in the shadows.
“This is him.”
“Whizz is trying to locate where he is and really thinks his contact can help.”
Zero nodded. “How is Nash?”
“Crazy right now. He’s, he’s not in a good position with all of this,” Tiny said. “I’ve got to go.”
She watched Tiny leave the room. Looking up at her man she saw he was pale. “Do you need to sit down?”
“I’m not in love with her, Prue. Don’t start thinking this has anything to do with you. Sophia didn’t deserve to be attacked because of me. He’s attacking everyone, and she mentioned she was expecting a baby.” He took her hand, drawing her knuckles to his lips. “I swear, I love you.”
Caressing his cheek, she brushed her lips against his cheek.
“I love you.” She didn’t completely believe him.
“Do you believe me?” he asked, tucking some hair behind her ear.
“No, I don’t.” She answered him honestly.
“I know it’s going to take me a lifetime to prove my love, and I’ll do it.” He tugged her close, and she had no choice but to sit on his lap. “When you were hurt, I didn’t want to leave the hospital. You being killed would hurt me more than anything. I can’t live without you.”
She caressed his hands where they covered her stomach. “I love you, Zero.”
Resting her head against him, she closed her eyes.
“You own my heart.” They stayed on the bed until Nash walked into the room. He was pale. His shirt was covered in blood, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“I want to hurt him, and I want to hurt you. I know she’s been targeted because of you, but you’re my brother and I know your heart lies elsewhere,” Nash said.
Prue’s eyes filled with tears at the anguish on his face.
“I will not raise a daughter alone. You will find this fucker, and you will kill him. Ten years ago you started something, and now you’re going to finish it, or I swear to God, Zero, I will end you.”
Tiny was standing behind the other man.
“I’m sorry,” Zero said.
She felt him tense up, and she stared at Nash knowing his words meant nothing to him.
“I don’t give a fuck about what you’ve got to say. The only way to make this up to me is by getting this fucker and hurting him.” Nash turned to Tiny. “There, I’ve said my piece.”
“We’re a club, Nash. The club takes care of its own,” Tiny said.
Prue saw the other man was tense ready to hold Nash back.
“It’s easy for you to say. Eva is still safe with your kids.” Nash spoke the words with a sneer.
“Zero accepted you back even though you were fucking high. You took drugs and risked the safety of the whole fucking club. You almost killed Eva when you were fucking high,” Tiny said. “You want to fight, then you can fight afterward. Right now, we band the fuck together and fight this new enemy.” Tiny reached out pushing Nash against the wall. “Am I fucking clear?”
“Crystal fucking clear,” Nash said.
“You want to leave the club, tell me now. We’re in this together. I’m here for you all. I’m not going to let you fuck up a club brother because your woman is fighting for her life. We handle our battles when everyone is safe.”
Zero’s hands tightened around her.
“I don’t want to leave the club. I want to get to my woman. Can I leave now?” Nash asked.
Several seconds passed before Tiny let the other man go. She watched Nash leave without another word.
Tiny let out a sigh. “You’re going to need to bring the men proof Alan’s dead.”
“I will.”
“Wow, I thought my club was full of fucking drama,” Devil said. “You guys are fucking magnets for trouble.”
“Shut the fuck up, Devil,” Tiny said.
Zero held her tightly.
“We’re not leaving yet.” Tiny ran fingers through his hair. “Everything is so fucked up. We’re staying to make sure Sophia is okay.”
“How is Angel?” Prue asked.
“Still in a coma. The doctors are hopeful that she’ll wake up soon.” Tiny paced the room, looking at the bottom of the bed.
“We’ll stay here. Will you give us an update on what’s happening to Sophia?” Zero asked.
“Yes.”
Seconds later they were alone. The room was deadly silent. She got up from his lap and closed the door to their room. Opening the bathroom door she checked to make sure it was clear.
“Alan lurks everywhere. He’s a fucking nightmare.” She folded her arms over her chest, staring at her man. “So, I, you, and Angel have been shot. He tortured and killed the nurse you slept with. Sophia is more personal and been stabbed. Is this some kind of pattern?”
Zero turned on the bed to face her. “I don’t know. I stabbed him multiple times, and I sure as fuck hurt him.”
She saw him look down at the picture they had of him lurking in the shadows.
“Why wait ten years?” he asked.
“You fucked him up. It takes time to mend broken bones. You don’t know the extent of the damage you inflicted. He’s been waiting and mending himself,” Prue said. She had thought long and hard about why Alan was waiting ‘til now.
“He can hurt the whole of the club before he gives up.” Zero put the picture on the bed, returning his attention back to her.
“Do you really think he’s not going to get bored until all of us are dead?”
“I really don’t know. This is more than I thought he was capable of,” Zero said.
“Where do you think he’s going to go next?” she asked, stepping closer.
He took her hand tugging her closer. Zero rested his hands on her hips, staring into her eyes.
“What?”
“I don’t have an answer for what he’s going to do next. You cannot leave my side, do you hear me? I will not sacrifice you to him.”
She kissed his palm. “I’m not going anywhere. I will fight him by your side.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she breathed in his masculine scent. This moment wasn’t going to last long. Alan had a plan, and right now they were working to his plan, no one else’s.
“Trevor would be so pissed off right now,” Zero said.
Withdrawing, she frowned at him. “Why?”
“He would hate how we’re being given the runaround by a man we don’t even know that well. All of our lives we’ve handled everything thrown our way, and yet we don’t have a clue when Alan is going to strike next.”
She rubbed at her temple. “What are you trying to say?”
“We’ve been looking at this all fucking wrong. Alan is scared.” He pointed at the picture. “He doesn’t want anyone to remember he was around. The guy is trying to be a fucking ghost.”
“I don’t see what you’re trying to say.”
Zero stood up, grunting. “Fuck, he’s going to be in one of the Fort Wills abandoned warehouses. The only place he can go without being detected. No one goes to those places. Fuck, we own one of the warehouses because it’s secure. We’ve just got to figure out which one and take him out.”
Prue smiled seeing what he was saying. They could stop Alan before he had a chance to lash out and hurt the people they cared about.
****
“So you’re the computer whizz. You type everything into a little computer, and pop, there is a wealth of information at your fingertips?” Alan stared into Whizz’s eyes. The man was tied to a chair, his arms bound to the arms of the chair as his feet were also tied to the chair to stop him from moving.
“What the fuck do you want with me?” Whizz asked, cursing.
Stepping back, Alan looked at the board of pictures he’d made of The Skulls. After Sophia had been taken away, he’d gotten his men to follow Whizz. They had watched him waiting near a dirt road on the outside of Fort Wills. The opportunity to take him was irresistible. Looking at the pictures, Alan looked through them all. They were all happy, and then there were pictures of the chaos he’d brought down on all of them.