AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Slim, what’s goin’ on?” I answer, as the guys surround me once Valor gets me in the hallway.
“You know Annabell came home?” he asks me, his voice sounding rough and on edge as I listen to him.
“Yeah. Red just gave me her note. He’s been out searchin’ for anyone who might’ve been workin’ with Dominic and to make sure no one is still pushin’ that shit in Pine View,” I tell him, looking around the hallway at the nurses watching us while we leave.
“Okay. She’s in her apartment. Tried to get her to come home with me, but she refused. Shy’s been over to see her with Savannah. Annabell isn’t sayin’ much to anyone. I take it you’re comin’ to get her?” he informs me, his voice getting even worse and I know he’s hurting for his daughter because she’s not letting anyone in. “Don’t let her hold this shit in, Alex. Tank can’t even reach her and you know that fucker can reach all the women. He tried talkin’ to her the entire drive back to Benton Falls.”
“I’ll get her to tell me what’s goin’ on. Is it just about what happened with Dominic and me or is there somethin’ else goin’ on?” I ask Slim, needing to know what I’m walking into when I get to my girl. “Her note said she had to tell me somethin’ eventually but she didn’t want to until I was healed or some shit.”
“She found somethin’ out before leavin’. I think that’s upsettin’ her more than anythin’ else that happened. I want to let you know, Alex, but I can’t. This is somethin’ you need to hear from Annabell. Make her tell you because it’s fuckin’ with her and I know you’re not gonna react the way she thinks you will. I have a feelin’ you’ll be happy as fuck and it will only cement things between the two of you,” is the only answer Slim gives me, making my mind start spinning with everything it could be while trying not to get my hopes up with one particular thought.
“I’ll make sure she tells me. We’re leavin’ the hospital now and headin’ straight for Benton Falls. I’m gonna have Valor, Chrome, Crab, Buzz, and Court with me. Everyone else is stayin’ here to make sure that no one fucks with the city or clubhouse while we’re gone,” I tell him, needing him to know our timeline for getting there.
“Stop by the clubhouse and I’ll give you my key for Annabell’s apartment. She’s got a security door to get in and then her apartment. I’ll make sure you have the address when you leave the clubhouse too. See you when you get here,” Slim says before hanging up the phone and I turn to my brother as we exit the elevator and make our way to the front door.
“Chrome, go grab my truck and pull it up so we can get this fucker loaded inside,” my brother says, tossing Chrome his keys while never slowing down his steps.
“On it. Be right back,” Chrome says, jogging from the hospital to get the truck I know the guys will have to help me in.
I’m still sore as fuck but the pain is slowly getting better. It’s going to take a while before it disappears completely though. I can’t wait for the day it lessens enough that I can stop taking the pain medicine and use over the counter shit when I absolutely need it. For now, I’ll use it sparingly and only when the pain is too much for me to handle. Which is still the point I’m at as I take my first breath of fresh air in a week the second Valor pushes me outside and I squint my eyes as the sun hits me directly in the face. It feels good though after being in the cold hospital.
“Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen,” I say as we wait for Chrome to bring the truck over. “I’m headin’ to Benton Falls to get my girl. She ran home with her family and that doesn’t fuckin’ work for me. Somethin’ is goin’ on with her and I need to find out what it is. I shouldn’t be gone more than a few days. I’m gonna take Chrome, Buzz, Crab, and Court with me. Red, I want you leadin’ the club in my place if somethin’ comes up. You got questions, call Chrome or me. I know I should leave Chrome here, but I need him with me. Any of you others go to Red for any questions or concerns. Keep an eye on the Prospects and make sure Martin is good. I’ll check in daily so you know what’s goin’ on. Red, keep your phone on ya so I can call you. We’ll deal with the Prospect when I get home. Buzz can work with Fox and Kingston to figure out what he’s hidin’ and we’ll deal with it together.”
“Sounds good. Anythin’ else you want us doin’ while you’re gone?” Red questions me, looking around the group.
“Someone needs to make sure Hound’s is good and the customers know what’s goin’ on so they don’t think we’re flakin’ on them. Chrome is gonna need some help when we get back because I’m not cleared to work yet. I’ve got a while before the doctors will clear me after the surgery and with my shoulder dislocated again. I need a few guys to volunteer to help him. I’ll be there when I can to help Annabell in the office and stay caught up on paperwork and that shit. Hopefully it won’t be long before I get cleared to do that shit,” I tell him, watching as Chrome pulls up and parks the truck as close to me as he can get without hitting something so Valor kills him.
Valor’s truck is just as important to him as his bike. He doesn’t let anyone drive it and I know it’s taking a lot for him to have Chrome in the driver’s seat. However, he’ll do anything for me and that’s a hard lesson to learn after everything I did. If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that you don’t get a second chance to make things right. I almost died and wouldn’t have gotten to repair things with Valor. Now, he wants to forget the past and I get where he's coming from. It’s just not that easy for me to do when I’m the one at fault for all the shit between us. So, I will work on making shit up to him and doing what I can to get as close to him as we once were.
“Have a safe trip. We’ll be here when you get back,” Red says as Valor and Chrome help me in the truck and we get ready to take off.
Chrome tells everyone where he wants them to ride around the truck when we head out while I try to get comfortable in the truck. By the time we leave, I’m ready to be on the road so I can go to sleep without someone bothering me every two damn hours or so. I hate being in the hospital for that reason alone. If you’re admitted, you don’t actually get any rest despite the doctors and nurses telling you that’s what you need to do. I mean, do they really believe people can rest when a hundred people are in and out the door for one reason or another? I know I can’t and hate those who can.
“You wanna get somethin’ to eat on the way out of town?” Valor asks me as his stomach rumbles with hunger.
“If you want. I’m just here for the ride,” I tell him, trying to lessen the tension in me as I look out the window at the city we call home now.
“You’re not ready to head home for the first time since we left, are ya?” my brother asks me, pulling over at a fast food place where he goes through the drive-thru and orders us both something to eat while grabbing more food for the guys.
“Not at all. It’s been a long time and I know we have to go back when the boys patch in. I just wasn’t ready for it to be so soon. Five years isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things. The second we pull into town, all those memories will come rushin’ back and I don’t know if I’m strong enough to deal with them yet,” I answer him honestly because I know that’s my main problem with being in Benton Falls.
“I get it. Everywhere we look there’s somethin’ to remind us of somethin’ we did with Dad or some story we were told that involved him. Knowin’ Slim was his best friend and has so many memories of him that we don’t know from all the stories he’s shared with us over the years is somethin’ else to deal with. But, it’s the place we grew up and eventually we’ll have to face the fact that Dad is not there when we show up for one reason or another. We’ll deal with it together, Alex. Don’t push us away again,” Valor says, paying and grabbing the food that’s handed over to him before handing the bags to me.
“I’m not gonna push you away again. I want to relive the memories we share of our dad with you. But, at the end of the day, neither one of us knows how we’ll react when we get back home. We’ll have to take it a day at a time and rely on one another. Slim and the guys will support us as well. It’s what I should’ve realized when we first lost our dad and I didn’t. I’m not gonna make the same mistake twice,” I promise Valor as he pulls from the drive-thru and I start to dig out our food so we can eat and then he can drive us home. The guys on bikes will have to eat before riding and we won’t leave them behind.
We park on the side of the parking lot and Valor hands out the burgers and fries to the rest of the guys. They quickly eat their fries while I start to eat my food slowly like I’ve been doing so I don’t get an upset stomach. Once we get on the highway toward Benton Falls, we won’t be able to just pull over and find a bathroom. Once the fries are gone and the guys have their burgers in hand, Valor makes his way back to the truck and climbs in to eat the rest of his food. It doesn’t take us long to get on the road. As I watch the scenery pass us by, I let my eyes slide closed so sleep can claim me. It doesn’t take long before images of Annabell are filling my head and I dream of her carrying my baby and growing our family.
Chapter Thirty
Annabell
ALMOST A WEEK has passed since I left Pine View and Alex behind. I miss him every single day and want to be there for him as he heals and starts recovering from the shot, surgery, and his shoulder. Instead, I ran home and now I won’t let anyone near me. My mom and Savannah try every single day when they randomly show up. Yeah, I let them in the door, but I don’t talk about what’s going on with me or why I’m suddenly back in Benton Falls instead of Pine View. Savannah has decided to leave me alone for the most part, but my mom will never leave me alone for any reason. I’ve woken up to her in bed with me, reading or playing on her phone as I sleep from crying once again. That’s all I seem to do these days and I hate it. Shy usually just lets me cry on her shoulder, but the last two days she’s been trying to get me to open up to her and I refuse. The next person who finds out about the baby and everything going on in my mind will be Alex and no one else.
Today, I’m trying to get out of bed, but I don’t really see it happening. Not for too long anyway. I push the covers back and climb from bed, exhaustion filling me because at the end of the day, I’m really not sleeping even when I go to bed or fall asleep with tears rolling down my face. Making my way to the bathroom, I take care of business after starting the shower and letting it heat up. I know I can’t have the water as hot as I typically like it, but I do let it get just slightly hotter than normal because I won’t stay in for long. I’m going to shower and get out. I’m in desperate need of a shower because all I’ve been doing is soaking under the water to hide my tears from myself. If I can’t feel them rolling down my face, then I can pretend I’m not full of pain every single day with the thought of leaving Alex behind like he did to me five years ago. No, I’m not paying him back or anything like that. I just want to give him the room he needs to heal and move on with his life while I try to do the same.
Placing a hand on my still flat stomach, I look down and imagine myself getting bigger and round with our baby. A tear drips onto my hand as I strip off my clothes and step in the shower. The warm water runs over me and I close my eyes while pressing one hand against the wall of the shower so I don’t fall. I’ve gotten dizzy once or twice the past few days and I know it’s dangerous to close my eyes in the shower when it’s so slippery, but I need a minute of peace before the thoughts bombard me again. Not only am I filled with thoughts about what happened with Dominic and those men, but now there’s thoughts of the baby, Alex getting shot, and what I need to do moving forward are constantly running on a loop through my mind and I can’t get a second of peace from them. That’s what hurts the most—I’ll never forget what I’ve done and how I caused Alex so much pain. Now I just need to figure out how to deal with everything before I can even attempt to move on with my life. Regardless of if that’s with Alex or on my own with our baby.
After taking a minute to gather myself and stop the thoughts from flooding my mind, I quickly wash and condition my hair before moving on to my body. I use my favorite vanilla body wash before shaving everything even though I don’t know why I’m bothering. It’s not like anyone is gonna see me anytime soon. I still do it so I have some kind of sense of normalcy before I try to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. I’ll probably just climb back in bed and sleep the day away.
