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“Where’s Ollie?” I mumble, taking a seat on the couch. I grip my forehead, trying to slow the dizziness that I get whenever I stand. “What time is it?”
“Time for your next pill,” mutters Dougie, holding out his hand.
I shake my head and instantly feel sick. “No, they’re not helping.”
“Me and your mum are taking care of Ollie. You need to rest to recover from whatever virus this is,” he tells me. I’ve been suffering for two weeks with sickness, dizzy spells, and hot sweats. I’m so weak, I struggle to stand.
“Maybe I need to see the doctor,” I mumble, closing my eyes and resting my head back.
“Or maybe you need to be a good girl and take your medication,” he replies, pressing his thumb to my chin and tugging it until my mouth falls open. He places the pill on my tongue, then holds a bottle of water to my mouth. I swallow, and he brushes his thumb over my wet lips. “See, it wasn’t so hard.” I can’t respond, and my eyes are heavy. I feel myself being lifted and carried. “Let’s go somewhere more comfortable,” he whispers.
“Dougie, I’m worried you’ve given her too high a dose.” It’s my mum’s voice I hear, but she sounds muffled and far away.
“Connie, I don’t need your advice,” says Dougie. “We do this my way, understand?”
“What are we going to do about the biker?”
“He got the message. Rosey told them to leave her alone. We don’t have to do a damn thing, baby.”
“Them?” Mum repeats. “He came back with others?”
“He came back with Albert Taylor. He stood there lording over me like I was scum.” Dougie laughs. “If only he knew the power I have.”
“Albert saw Rosey?” Mum sounds anxious.
“Relax, Con. Rosey told him to stay away. He’s gone.”
“I don’t know, Dougie. He doesn’t seem the kind to just walk away. That biker must have told him what a mess she was.”
“That wouldn’t have happened if you’d done your job and kept him out yesterday.”
“I didn’t have much choice. He shoved his way in here,” Mum snaps, and I hear the sound of a slap. She cries out, and I’m transported back to when I was a small child and I’d cower away while she took a beating from whichever guy she was dating that month.
“Don’t fucking use that tone with me, Connie, or I swear I’ll have you both on that bed being fucked.” His words startle me, and my breathing quickens. What the hell does he mean by that? I feel a finger in my mouth, and I instantly gag. “It’s not time for you to wake just yet, gorgeous. We have plans,” comes Dougie’s voice. There’s a pill on my tongue and then water. I have no choice but to swallow as he holds my mouth closed. I feel a sheet being removed from my body, which means I’m naked. My heart slams hard in my chest, then my mind goes fuzzy again, and I inwardly scream as I disappear into the darkness.
I squint as light hits my eyes.Why is it so bright?“Thank God,” whispers Meli as she comes into view. “I thought you were gonna sleep forever.”
I frown in confusion.How did I get here?“Ollie?” My throat is dry, and my voice doesn’t sound like my own as I croak the word out.
“He’s downstairs. Mav’s dealing with him.”
I try to sit up, but my arms don’t feel like my own. They’re heavy and shaky. “Mum?” I ask, giving up and laying still.
“You look like crap. I bet you’re hungry too,” Meli says. “How about I get Mama B to make you something good? You’ve lost a tonne of weight.”
“Meli?” I murmur, and she lowers her eyes.
“Albert’s coming back. He’ll tell you everything then.” She leaves before I can protest, and I stare at the closed door, wondering what the hell’s happened and how I ended up back in my old bedroom at the clubhouse.
ALBERT
I pace the office. “How the fuck do I tell her?”
Maverick scrubs his hands over his face and groans loudly. “She’s gonna kill them.”
“Good, that’s a thought I can live with.”
Meli pops her head in. “Great, you’re back. She’s awake.”
