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Never again.
Chapter Three
Walker
Church was brutal.
“Let me get this straight.” Sting sat back in his chair with a deceptively lazy posture. He’d slumped back in his chair, his hands steepled under his chin while he listened to everything Atlas imparted. “Iris’s best friend is in Stitches’ clinic right now. She got that way because her stepfather told his bodyguard to beat the fuckin’ shit outta her. There are witnesses in the house who knew this was happening, and no one lifted a finger to help that girl?”
“That’s about the size of it. Though, to be fair, Mrs. Watson is probably in her seventies and wouldn’t stand a chance against either man.” I knew Atlas wasn’t good with Mrs. Watson not getting help for Blossom, especially given Winston and the damned bodyguard were out of the country.
“Who else in that household knows about this?”
Atlas shrugged. “Didn’t get particulars, but we can bring the woman in for you to question her if you like.”
Sting looked thoughtful. I knew if it had been someone younger or a man, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He’d want to know how many people he had to kill to get vengeance for someone he cared about.
“No. At least, not now. Have you had word from Eagle on her injuries?”
“I know he and Stitches want me to ask your permission to reach out to Cain at Bones and get the advice of Mama and Pops. Says Mama is as good as they come. A legend in the MC community. Also, he says Mama might want to move her to the Bones compound for a variety of reasons. Most important of which is the equipment Mama has. They can better assess her injuries and keep it all private.”
“Why not take her to a local hospital, or one in another city? Be closer.” Sting wasn’t really suggesting that, he just wanted Eagle’s take on it.
Cyrus shook his head. “No.” It surprised me that he spoke up. He usually was the strong, silent type, fully aware he didn’t really fit in with normal society. He couldn’t relate to other people’s emotions or feelings and had managed to piss off more than a few people -- even the brothers -- without meaning to. So, for him to take this up meant he had some strong feelings himself. Which he likely had no idea how to process. “Winston is a small-town mayor, but he’s made it his business to have his hand in everything in the region. The second she checks into a hospital, he’ll know. And he may or may not be out of the country. I know Wylde found where he’d bought a ticket and supposedly boarded a flight, but do we actually have visual confirmation he did? This could be his alibi in case she dies, and he’s just looking for the right moment to finish the job.”
“You mean, like he’s expecting her to get help?” Sting tilted his head, considering Cyrus’s words.
“Yes. I spoke briefly to Mrs. Watson when everyone was tending to Blossom. She said her stepfather had threatened her if she tried to get that girl to a hospital or brought a doctor into his home. Said he’d kill both her and Blossom, and she believed him. She didn’t leave his employment out of fear for herself, but also because she knew there’d be no one to take care of Blossom.”
“Motherfucking son of a bitch,” Sting muttered, his jaw tightening in his rage. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Eagle think it’s safe to move her now?”
Atlas shook his head. “Stitches says he’ll conference in with Mama and let her see what he’s dealing with and let her make that decision.”
“Good. Tell them to get on it.” His gaze shifted to me. “Now. I want to know what Walker has to do with all this.” Sting wasn’t an unfair man. He prided himself in not making decisions when he was emotionally charged unless it was something like the situation with Blossom. On this decision, I wasn’t so certain he was going to wait to pass judgment, and I wasn’t certain I’d have done anything differently in his position.
Atlas played the camera feed from the beginning of my conversation with Blossom until the end. Not my finest moment. Even I winced at the tone of my voice and the harsh words I’d said to her. I’d basically told her she didn’t belong here and never would. That she wasn’t welcomed here when everyone but me knew she was most definitely welcomed here.
Sting’s jaw tightened and one hand balled into a fist as he watched and listened. He had Wylde play the segment several times. I wasn’t sure if he was looking for something in particular or just hammering home the infraction.
Finally, he raised his hand to halt Wylde. “Feel free to stop me at any time if I’ve misunderstood something, Walker.” He leveled a steely gaze on me. “You took it upon yourself to encourage Blossom to leave, even knowing I’d allowed her in. Knowing she was friends with my wife and, most especially, Rose. Knowing the entirety of the club, even those men here who object to me personally, approved of her being here. You alone decided you’d protect the club from a little slip of a girl who goes out of her way to find ways of making Rose’s pregnancy easier to get through, who finds out everyone’s favorite desserts and makes them, who has been nothing but kind, upfront, and obedient since Atlas asked for permission for her to visit. You did all this knowing it was against my wishes.”
