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“Stone, look.” Tears pool in her eyes, but she’s pointing at the asshole.
I turn back to him and shrug. “He’s just KO’d, Ivy. He’ll be fine.” She doesn’t look convinced, and I roll my eyes. “For such a hard ass, you can be a real softy sometimes.”
“Stone,” she pleads.
“Fine,” I growl and grip his ankles, dragging him out of the parking spot and onto the grass so no one runs the asshole over. “Happy?” He’s dead weight, not groaning or moaning. Not moving. “Shit.”
“What,” she asks with a frown. “Stone, what is it?”
“The fucker is out, Ivy. Like out for real.”
“What? No,” she shakes her head and rushes to him, falling to her knees to check the pulse in his neck and his wrist. “He’s still got a pulse. Think we should get him to the hospital?”
“Fuck.” I rake a hand through my hair and let out a harsh sigh. “All right, yeah. Let’s go.” I haul him into the back of my truck, motioning for Ivy to get inside.
“County General is the closest,” she says as she straps on her seat belt. “Twelve minutes if you do the speed limit.”
With a sharp nod, I peel out of the parking lot, my heart pounding in my chest. We race to the hospital at breakneck speed, arriving in about eight minutes. I drop him off at the entrance, barely registering the nurse’s shocked expression before speeding back home to Hardtail Ranch. Panic runs through me as I think of having to face my dad’s wrath.
Ivy slides across the bench seat, her head resting heavily on my shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Stone. I’ll be right there by your side.”
I force out a strained laugh. “Thanks.”
“No need to thank me, you were there for me when it mattered most.”
Ivy has been my ride-or-die since we were kids, wreaking havoc on the Opey, Texas, chapter of the Reckless Bastards.
As we pull up to the ranch, Ivy says with a wry smile, “Happy birthday to me, huh?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”
“Well, you did just save my life, so I guess that counts for something.” She chuckles before getting out of the truck. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“You’re probably right... or at least I hope so.” It’s hard to shake off the guilt and fear gnawing at me now. “Guess we won’t hang out at the Hornet’s Nest for a while.”
“That bouncer was a jerk anyway.” We enter the house, and both my parents are in the living room in sweats and PJs, watching TV. My mom’s eyes widen with shock as she takes in my appearance.
She rushes over to us, trying to control her panic. “What happened?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I assure her quickly. “This blood isn’t all mine.”
Gunnar, my dad, stands up from his spot on the couch. “Well, whose blood is it then?” His voice, laced with anger and disappointment, makes my stomach churn.
Ivy stands beside me while I tell my folks that I beat a man bad enough that we took him to the hospital.
“Fuck,” my dad spits out. “I told you all this fighting would get you in trouble one day.”
My ma, Peaches, rubs my dad’s arm, trying to tame the beast, but he’s furious. “Let’s hope today isn’t that day, Gunny.” She tries for a smile, but she’s not just the old lady of a biker. Ma is a badass in her own right, and the fact that she’s not smiling for real is reason enough to worry.
“I’m sorry about all this,” Ivy adds. “He was just stepping in to save me. Don’t be mad at Stone.”
“Not mad,” Dad growls.
Ma tugs his arm. “Come on, Gunny.” She’s been here before. “We need to get to the hospital and check on that kid.”
Dad nods, sliding me one last look. “Stay here. Both of you until I get back. Got it?”
I nod, too, mainly to resist the urge to argue that the fucker had it coming. “Got it, Dad.”
