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He turned in time for me to throw my arms around his neck. “Is he going to be okay?” I sniffled. I stepped away, allowing his sister to hug him as well.
I stared at him expectantly.
“What happened?” Julia asked, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. “And no goddamn MC bullshit. I want to know what in God’s name happened to my son.”
Damn, Julia showed up ready to deal with her brother. I respected the hell out of her for that. We needed answers.
King’s blue eyes flashed with understanding. “He was shot in the gut. He’s in surgery now, but we don’t know how bad it is.”
I masked my tears with my hands. “Is he going to die?” I asked, my voice muffled. I was afraid to look at King when he answered.
“Shae, I don’t know, there’s nothing else to tell you. When he went down, we had to move fast, and we got him airlifted. The tough little bastard was awake most of the way here. They’ve been working on him for the last two hours, so hopefully, we will know more soon.”
I frowned. “A few hours? You waited that long to call your sister?” My voice hiked up a notch, anger coursing through me at full throttle.
“Shae.” Julia gently grabbed my shoulder. “Cole was airlifted, but King still had to ride in. Plus, it took an hour for us to get dressed and arrive.” She rubbed my back, then pinned her brother with a furious gaze. “Do you know who hurt him?” Her voice quivered with her question.
“Julia,” Daddy said as he rushed over to us. He wrapped one arm around his wife and the other around me.
“King, what can you tell me?” Daddy’s tone left no room for negotiation.
“Samuel, Sam, why don’t we step into the hall where we can talk.” King raised his hand, motioning for them to walk ahead.
“Wait, I can’t be a part of this conversation? Cole is my boyfriend. I have a right to know what’s going on.”
“Let me talk to the folks, then they can figure out what to tell you.” King gave me a clipped nod, then turned away.
I opened my mouth to object, then thought better of it. I watched them leave, my blood boiling. I should be included in the conversation. After counting to ten, I stepped to the side of the room and followed them. The hallway was empty except for Daddy, Julia, and King. Lucky for me, King’s voice carried even when he was trying to speak in a hushed tone.
I pressed myself against the wall near the door and slowed my breathing in order to hear better.
King rubbed his chin. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but …”
“Say it already, King,” Julia demanded.
“Rick is alive, Sam.”
Julia gasped in horror, shaking her head as the color drained from her cheeks. “No. That’s not possible.”
“This has to be a mistake. He’s dead. Do you have proof?” Daddy asked with a stunned expression.
“Yeah. When Cole came to me about someone fucking with him, I called in a favor with a private investigator. I had him dig into every possibility, including Rick. After what Cole did to him … It wouldn’t surprise me if someone that was close to Rick wanted revenge. Then shit blew wide open. But my guy didn’t find someone trying to settle a score for your dead husband. What he found was your ex … alive and well. He tracked him for a few weeks, making sure it was Rick before he let me know. Rick had some surgery and dyed his hair and he’s been living overseas. Luckily, the motherfucker messed up and used his debit card for groceries instead of cash, which made him traceable. Not sure where he’s been all this time, but he made the buy in Canada, a few hours from here.”
Shock wasn’t the right word to describe my reaction.Cole’s dad is alive? That piece of shit shot his son?
“Has he been reported to the police?” Daddy ran his hand through his hair, clearly stressed.
“No pigs, Samuel. Not if you want this taken care of the right way. For good,” King said, folding his arms over his chest. “No one fucks with my family and lives to talk about it.”
Good. Take the motherfucker down!My pulse quickened, blood crashing through my ears. My palms slickened with sweat, and I wiped them on my shorts as I continued to listen.
“Samuel, it’s time to lay low. Get the family out of the country while the MC takes care of the problem.”
Daddy stood tall, his shoulders tense. “I won’t leave without Cole. If he survives, then we stay until he’s healthy enough to move.” Daddy rubbed his chin, then blew out a heavy sigh. “How did Rick live? The son of a bitch had a death certificate.”
Before King could respond, Julia’s phone rang, and she looked at the screen, then answered.
“This is she.” She gripped Daddy’s hand and looked at her feet, her hair hiding her face. “Yes, we’re all here. Okay, thank you.”
