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Chapter 18
Ares
When I arrive at QB’s room, his eyes are closed. I stand for a minute and watch the monitors, noticing the IV drip. I’m about to go back out to find a nurse to get an update on his condition, but his croaky voice stops me.
“Brother?”
“Hey, how are you feeling?” I ask, tentatively moving closer to the hospital bed.
“I’ve had better days,” he says
“Do you need anything?” I ask, noticing how pale he is.
“Nah,” he rasps, so I move to the cup on his tray and see that it has water, so I pick it up and bring it to his mouth. He takes a sip, and I wait, but he confirms, “I’m ok.”
“Do you remember what happened?” I ask as I move to the chair and sit.
“Some asshole came speeding up in a truck swerving into my lane,” he answers, his brows furrow in concentration.
“Have you heard when you can leave here?”
“Not yet,” QB closes his eyes.
I rub my palm down my face, trying to keep it together. The thought of someone deliberately messing with my tribe makes me want to shoot something. “Are you in pain?”
“Nah, they’ve got me on something,” he says, slurring his words a little.
The nurse comes in, with her computer and cart, scowling at me. “I told that other one that he needs rest. Why am I finding another one of you here?”
I don’t respond. I check the nurse out: she’s maybe in her 50s with a blond bob, tucked behind her ears with bobby pins. She has turned back to her monitor and asks QB to validate his name and birthday. She’s frowning while checking QBs vitals with practiced precision. She looks up at me, quirking her brow, and continues, “I’m going to get an IV bag to change his saline. I hope I don’t have to repeat myself.” With that last command, she strolls off.
I stand and huff.
QB smiles a little and says, “I’ve nicknamed her Nurse Ratchet. She gave Misfit a hard time earlier when he was here.”
“Look, I will let you rest, but I think I’ll have the Prospect come to watch your room. We don’t know what’s at play here.”
QB looks at me and frowns, “you think I’m a target?”
“I don’t know.
It may have just been a stunt to get our attention. Fucking bastards could have killed you, brother,” I say, feeling my anger pulse to the surface again.
QB clears his throat, and I move to grab the water again. He takes two sips and says, “I get it, but don’t do anything we can’t come back from.”
Nurse Ratchet appears at the door. I don’t let her speak as I put the cup down and tell QB I’ll see him later.
I take the highway back to Juniper and open the throttle on my bike. It doesn’t help my mood, but I figure it couldn’t hurt to try.
I was ready to kick this shit up a notch or a thousand. The Havoc Ryders were fucking insane if they thought they could hurt one of us without some kind of retaliation. Stolen money and even the damn gate at the clubhouse were intolerable, but this escalated shit to epic proportions.
***
Cherry is in my face as soon as I walk into the clubhouse door. Her outfit is showing more skin than not. She smiles at me, and I can tell she wants to attach herself to my side.
I bark out, “where’s Zeke?”
Cherry’s smile falters, and she moves out of my way.
