Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“Me, why?” She puts up a hand to stop me before I can answer. “Let me guess, to kill me? Oh, wait. They have someone of yours, and you want to swap?”
“No,” I say. “And yes. They do have one of ours, but the BTD is looking for you so they can drop both of your bodies at our doorstep. Look, that’s all I can tell you right now but I’m not looking to hurt you, Maggie.”
She nods. “I might believe you, but I don’t trust the Reckless Souls.”
“Then trust me. I could have called them already. Hell, I could have told the two guys outside exactly who you are, but I haven’t. Will you stay here while I go make some calls?”
She hesitates, eyes darting around in search of a quick exit. “Yeah, sure. I need to rest anyway. Doctor’s orders.” She manages what passes for a grin, given the bandage in her face.
I point to the sofa in my office, “You want to stretch out there? I can get you some blankets. Or I can take you back to the exam room. Which do you prefer?”
“Here’s fine. That couch looks more comfortable than that hard-ass bed I was on,” she says, and I walk out to the storage shelf along the wall and pull out a pillow and some blankets. I set up her bed on the couch and then help her to settle down on the cushions, amazed at how fragile she is, like holding fine china.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back.”
“I’m going to sleep, at least for a little while.” A yawn escapes, and she hands me the ice pack. “Thanks. Where’d you say those good drugs are?”
“I’ll get you something,” I say, but before I can turn around, she’s asleep. Poor girl. She’s had it rough.
I watch her long enough to avoid seeming creepy before I step outside the office. I pull out my phone and press the call button. “Ace, we need to talk,” I say when he answers.
“Nova, what’s up, brother?”
“Maggie is here. They beat the fuck out of her.”
“Bring her to the clubhouse.”
“That’s the plan,” I begin. “But she needs help.” I explain her current condition at the hands of the Bloodthirsty Devils. “Helping her is the right thing to do, brother.”
“Listen, Nova. I know you want to help everyone, but you can’t, especially not her.”
I frown. “Why the hell not? Right now, the BTD is our mutual enemy. She knows all about them, which can not only help us find and rescue Willow but to fuck them over big time. What’s the downside?”
Ace falls silent for a long time, and I assume he’ll tell me to go fuck myself. He lets out a rushed sigh, and I can almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose. Finally, he comes back and says, “You’re on speaker. Dix is here with me.”
“What the fuck are you thinking, Nova? This chick is one of them. She’s responsible for putting Banger in that coma.”
“Maybe she is,” I say. “But she says she tried to talk Demon out of fixating on Viper, and I believe her. Anyway, does it matter when they want her dead too?”
I can tell from their voices that I’m losing them. “Look, the only way she survives is with some help, and maybe if we give her that help—”
“—She’ll give us the help we need,” Ace interrupts.
“Exactly. We can waste time tracking down every place in L.A. searching for Willow, or Maggie can help us narrow down where she might be.”
“What if the Devils guess that we have her?” Dix asks. “Or what if they go searching for her and attack the clubhouse or one of our businesses in the process?”
“You think they’re watching the clinic?” I mull that over. “Because they fucked her up pretty bad. I bet they think she’s dead.”
“Yeah, well, if or when they learn the truth, the MC and our families will have a target on their backs until we turn her over.”
“Well, then we need to get her healed up so she can help us find Willow. Once we have her, we can end this shit. Are you guys gonna help me with her or not?”
Dix laughs. “Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with Nova?”
“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up all you want. Just tell me we’re going to help this chick.” I don’t want to go behind my MC’s back, but I can’t let another person die on my watch.
“Fine,” Ace answers with a sigh. “We’ll help her.”
“But,” Dix begins. “We have to keep her totally fucking hidden from BTD. I don’t want anyone who’s not patched to even know she’s on MC property. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“And as soon as she’s feeling better, we get to talk to her,” Ace adds.
“Yes. Jesus Christ, you act like I haven’t been in the club for years. I know the rules.”