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The water had slipped from her hand, the glass in shards on the ground. Rachel clutched the back of the dining chair she was leaning against.
“Just… need…”
Abby rushed to her side as she began to slide towards the floor, panic coursing through her. “Mum!”
“Here, let me take her.” Scott rushed in to lift Rachel into his arms. He stepped around the broken glass and carried her into the living room, laying her on the sofa.
Abby knelt beside her. Rachel’s face was grey, her eyes dull. “Mum, what is it?”
Behind her, she heard Scott on the phone asking for an ambulance and giving them their address.
“I feel…” Rachel brought her hand to her mouth.
“Scott? I think she's going to vomit.”
He ran into the kitchen, phone pressed to his ear as he described Rachel’s symptoms. After a confused scan of the kitchen, he upended the salad bowl, tipping its contents onto the bench. He strode back, thrusting the bowl into Abby’s hands just as Rachel twisted towards her. She retched into the bowl.
Her heart beat loudly between her ears as Abby tried to assess the seriousness of the situation. Lying back against the sofa, Rachel looked even thinner and frailer than the last time she saw her.
“I’ll get you a wet towel, Mum.” She jumped to her feet and ran for the bathroom. Her hands shook as she took a clean hand towel and ran cold water over it. Abby blinked back tears as she squeezed the excess water out. Her heart pounded in her chest and she pushed down the nausea in her own stomach. She had no idea what was going on, but it wasn’t good. Abby had a horrible feeling her mother had been keeping a lot more than Abby had observed to herself.
She returned to her mother’s side and gently dabbed her face with the towel. “It’s okay, Mum, help is on the way.” Abby forced a smile. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Rachel’s eyes fluttered open for a moment and then closed again. In the distance, sirens sounded. Abby took her mother’s hand in hers.Please, please be okay Mum.
Chapter 7
Zep’s mood hadn’t improved, even after Tosh was unanimously voted in as their enforcer and Sonny and Adam had returned from overseeing the rebuild of their new clubhouse and some maintenance on their distribution chains.
Sonny was the club’s vice president, and Adam their treasurer. The land on which the old clubhouse had stood was being completely redeveloped. While they waited for their development applications to be approved for a number of structures, a complex series of underground bunkers were under construction, behind very tall fences.
Zep and Connor were still seated at the meeting table, joined by Sonny and Adam.
“Viggo and Gage are happy with the crew we’ve got on the build?” Viggo and Gage were the two members who’d volunteered to stay in Sydney and supervise the work.
“Yeah, they had some concerns about a couple of labourers, but it got sorted,” said Sonny. He was as tall as Zep, with blonde hair he wore slicked back. He trained in mixed martial arts and had a lethal kick.
“The eastern corner will be well fertilised,” snorted Adam. Short and wiry, the man was good with numbers. He was also someone Zep could rely on in a fight.
Connor chuckled. “Maybe I’ll plant my veggie patch there.”
Zep shook his head while the rest of them laughed. Connor could grow as many potatoes and beans as he wanted, but Zep would be checking where his food came from before eating anything once he was back home. Speaking of which, he resisted the urge to look over the plans for the house he would live in on the compound once it was approved and built. Having his own space on club grounds was a welcome improvement. Maybe he’d send that cop Gallen and his bitch a thank you basket for burning down the clubhouse.
“The boys had any trouble on the home front?” Connor asked. One of the reasons Viggo and Gage had volunteered to stay in Sydney was because they had families they didn’t want to uproot.
“Yeah, no problems. The cops are keeping a close eye on ‘em, which means no one else is game to go after them when they know the club is out of town and protection is low.” Sonny stretched his neck from side to side. “Speaking of which, has Brodie caught up with Isobel’s man up north yet?”
Zep nodded. “He’s been tailing him since yesterday. Mick and Dodge have taken the scenic route to Lennox Head, but they should be arriving soon.”
“Isobel’s not sent any backup of his own?” asked Adam.
“Not that we can tell,” Connor replied.
“Right,” said Sonny, pushing back his chair. “Well in that case, I’ve got a party to sort out.”
“Fuck, yeah,” said Adam.
The Devils hadn’t thrown a party in weeks and the boys were getting restless. They needed to unwind with loud music, alcohol, and hot chicks.
