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“Lucy, all I have ever done is bring trouble into his life. He lost six years of freedom because of me, and now he almost lost his life.”
“Listen to yourself, Charlie. Did you not just tell me it was Jace’s fault when I felt guilty for not being able to get to you before he took you? Why is it any different for you? You are, once again, taking responsibility for Jace’s actions. Linc didn’t go to prison because of you. He went because you were getting beat to hell by the man who should have protected you, and Linc put a stop to it. He didn’t get shot because of you. He got shot because, once again, Jace is a complete piece of shit and tried to hurt not only you but Linc’s brothers. You didn’t ask for Jace to beat you, and you didn’t ask for him to shoot Linc or come after you. You need to put the blame for this where it belongs, and that’s squarely on Jace’s shoulders.”
“Lucy, you don’t understand—“
She holds up a hand, cutting me off.
“I understand all too well, actually. Jace spent years telling you the way he acted and the things he did were your fault. That’s bullshit. Jace is to blame for all of this. I’m glad Linc was there to stop him then, and the rest of the MC is here to stop him now. And I guaran-damn-tee you there isn’t a single person here that holds any of this against you.”
Tanya comes back over to me and wraps an arm around me as Lucy finishes her tirade.
“The doctors say he can have two people at a time in his room. I figured you would want to go with me. He’s still unconscious, but they think he’ll wake up soon. Thank the lord above the bullet didn’t hit anything vital.”
I look around the waiting area at all of Linc’s brothers. I want to see him more than anything in the world, but guilt is still playing tricks with my mind.
“I’m sure his brothers want to see him and make sure he’s okay. I can wait.”
“And they will.” Tanya’s expression is understanding as she senses my trepidation. “But I promise you, the facehe’llneed to see when he wakes up is yours.”
I nod because the last thing I’m going to do is argue with the woman.
“Okay.”
She grasps my hand tightly, and we head to Linc’s room.
The narrow hospital bed barely fits Linc’s broad frame. Tanya pulled chairs next on either side of the bed, and I’ve been sitting on one side, with Linc’s mom on the other, listening to the machines monitoring his heart rate. It’s been a few hours, and there hasn’t been any change. Not that I expected my presence to bring him out of wherever he is right now, but still, a girl can hope.
Tanya leaves to update the club on Linc’s condition and to let one of the other brothers come in and sit with him for a bit. I feel guilty as hell that she’s leaving and I’m staying, but when I offered to do it for her, she smiled and politely told me to sit my ass in the chair. Again, this is not a woman you argue with.
Jude comes in and sits in the seat Tanya vacated.
“How you holding up?” he asks, pointing to my bruised face.
“Fine. I barely feel a thing.”
“I doubt that,” Jude scoffs.
He’s right, my face hurts like a bitch, but I’m not about to complain. I’m alive, and right now, that’s good enough for me.
“Are the police going to get involved? I thought when there was a gunshot wound, the hospital had to report it to them.”
“In any other situation, yes, but my brother knows a lot of people in a lot of high places.” He shoots me a wry smile. “He made a couple phone calls and said we won’t have to worry about it.”
“Your brother’s a handy guy to have around.”
“That he is, though it comes with a price.”
“What’s the price I’m going to have to pay?”
“You? Absolutely nothing. Ozzy, on the other hand, owes him another favor.”
“But it’s my ex that got us in this mess.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re Linc’s woman, which means it falls under club business.”
I nod as though I understand, but honestly, what if Linc wakes up and decides it’s all too much to keep me around? I would be heartbroken, sure—actually I would be devastated—but as long as he recovers, I’d find a way to live with it.
We sit in silence for a few more minutes.
