Page 30

(Creature)

They took the side streets leading to the hospital, down one, up another, working in a grid pattern, but only after they’d phoned in a quick report to Kat.

“He’ll try to get him there, I know he will,” Axel murmured, tense and clinging, even when Creature rubbed his leg at every stop sign and light.

Three streets of nothing, nothing, and more nothing, all ridden at the speed limit to not draw attention to themselves while Creature’s heart hammered in his chest, hating every moment that passed without finding them.

They should have asked more questions when they had Scout at the table, spilling his guts while defiantly refusing to do anything that would put his brother in jeopardy.

That kind of loyalty and risk was pure love, and no matter what anyone in the club thought about the Hounds and their ways, it told Creature that Sawyer was a good brother to Scout and someone the kid would risk dying over.

Which was the last goddamn thing Creature wanted to see him do.

Those same protective feelings Creature had experienced when he pulled up outside of Axel’s trailer came roaring back as they hunted for Scout.

That boy needed someone to look out for him, and dammit, they’d all known he was going to finish that contract and that his brother was no longer accompanying him.

One of them should have volunteered to go in his place.

Creature should have volunteered when Kong didn’t; only he’d been too stunned when the man had stood there saying next to nothing to the kid after he’d owned up to everything he’d done to help his brother.

He’d seen the hurt in Scout’s eyes when Kong didn’t even look at him after his revelation about making those tapes.

It was everything Teddy had warned Scout about, especially when he’d looked out that night to see him riding back to the compound behind the Prez after Kong had left him on the sidewalk.

He hadn’t deserved that either.

Axel’s arms tightened around him, his voice loud in Creature’s ear. “The alley, we need to go back!”

Creature hit his horn and wheeled the bike around, charging into the cramped confines, his headlight illuminating the shadow of a man pushing a motorcycle with what looked to be something draped across the back.

It wasn’t until he got closer that he realized it was a person.

Honking didn’t get them to stop, though, so Creature pulled around them and blocked the alley, while the other three blocked them in.

And still the man kept struggling to put one foot in front of the other while pushing that machine, like he hadn’t even noticed them.

“Scout!” Axel hollered, clambering off the bike so fast Creature had to grab his arm and steady him so he wouldn’t do a faceplant on the concrete.

The moment he was steady, Creature let go, and Axel rushed to his side, though that still didn’t halt Scout’s progress.

“Need ta get him to the ER,” Scout muttered, hands gripping the handlebars as he struggled to keep pushing it.

“Let us help,” Axel insisted, touching his arm.

Creature was right there to pull him out of harm's way; if Scout decided to swing on him, only Scout just leaned into the bike and tried to push it another step. Creature did the only thing he could think of then and got in front of it, holding it so it wouldn’t move.

“Scout?” Creature said, keeping his voice low and gentle. “Can you look at me?”

It took a moment and a bit of shoving that Creature resisted until Scout stopped trying and raised his head, blinking against the light Creature shone on himself and then Scout, who flinched and recoiled at the brightness, cringing and clinging to that bike.

From the dazed look in them and the line of blood dripping down Scout’s face, Creature was certain he had a concussion.

“You know me, right?” Creature asked as Mark and the others crowded around, though he was glad that none of them tried to touch Scout, aside from Axel, who’d slid an arm around him and was holding him steady.

It took a moment before Scout nodded. “Y-yes sir, I’m s-supposed ta work for you on Monday.”

“Yes, you are, though we may need to move that back a little.”

“N-no, I’m okay. I-I need that job. I f-f-finished with the shoots today. I-I did the last three, back to back, s-so I wouldn’t have ta go back. P-please don’t fire me.”

“No one’s firing you, kid; we’re here to help get you and Sawyer to the hospital.”

“Y-your gonna help? You’re not gonna try to stop me?”

“We’re gonna help, I promise. But I need you to let go of the bike now. There’s an ambulance on the way. They’ll take it from here. You did good.”

“He groaned,” Scout stammered. “A few minutes ago, I hit a pothole. I-I stumbled, and the bike shifted, and I nearly dropped it.”

“But you didn’t, and he’s groaning now, so it sounds to me like he’s gonna be okay,” Creature said.

If it hadn’t been for Axel holding on to him, Scout would have fallen when he tried to turn. As it was, he collapsed against Axel’s chest, sending him staggering back a little until he got a better grip on him.

“No one’s gonna hurt you,” Axel told him, clutching him close and stroking his hair, while Mark and Kong eased Sawyer off the bike and onto the ground, where he coughed several times.

“S-scout?”

Sawyer’s shaky voice was punctuated by another cough before he spit out a mouthful of blood.

“I’m right here,” Scout said, lurching away from Axel only to stumble and land on his hands and knees by his brother’s side. “Are you okay?”

“S-sucks ta breathe.”

“There’s an ambulance coming.”

“Then you need to get and don’t tell ‘em nuthin’ ‘bout where you found me.”

“B-but…” Scout stammered.

“Go!” Sawyer snapped, trying to shove him, only he couldn’t even manage to roll.

“Quit movin’ and hold still before you give someone a reason to ask,” Kong snapped, pinning Sawyer in place, while Scout scooted backwards, stumbling and nearly falling, again.

Creature set the kickstand so he could grab the little shit before he did try and take off and only wound up hurting himself worse than he already was. The last thing he expected was for Scout to start fighting the moment his arms wrapped around him.

“No!” Scout wailed. “Let me go; you promised you’d help. I’ll get you your fuckin’ money; just let us go so I can get him help.”

“Scout, dammit, focus. It’s still Creature.

I need you to sit down for me before you fall.

I’m only holding you so you don’t hurt yourself; I’m not keeping you from getting help for your brother,” Creature insisted, glad when the fight started to go out of him as Creature spoke low and slow by his ear. “Listen, and you’ll hear the sirens.”

Scout’s whole body shuddered as he sucked in a ragged breath and clutched on to Creature’s arm, a little sob breaking loose before he dissolved into tears.

His eyes met Kong’s over Sawyer’s restless form as he fought with everything he had in him to try to get to where Creature held Scout.

“No one’s hurting him, for fuck’s sake,” Kong snapped. “I’m somewhat fond of the little bastard, but you’re pissing me off right now.”

Bright lights filled the alley as Danger helped them back in as far as they could manage, an EMT opening the rear door and rushing to help Sawyer while Scout cried all over Creature’s sleeve.

Axel had scooted in next to him and wrapped his arms around Scout too, murmuring words into his ear that Creature couldn’t make out with the echo of the siren still ringing in them.

Scout clung, sniffling and rapidly going limper and limper against him.

“Scout, you need to stay awake until they can take a look at you,” Creature insisted, gently brushing his hair back from his face and lightly smacking it.

Scout moaned and blinked up at him, seeming confused for a moment before he finally nodded.

“You did good, kid,” Creature told him as he hugged Scout and Axel together. “But why the hell didn’t you call anyone to come help you once you’d reached the road?”

“D-didn’t think a-anyone would help s-since I’m not protected,” Scout stammered, giving voice to what Creature had feared.

“You are now,” Creature said. “And in case anyone needs me to say it a little louder, Axel, you and Scout both belong to me now. Anyone fucks with you, they are fucking with me, got it?”

“Y-yes, s-s-sir,” Scout muttered against the leather, all of his weight supported by Creature now.

As long as he kept talking, Creature would let the EMTs get Sawyer loaded up before he carried Scout into the back with him, but he was rapidly growing concerned over how slurred Scout’s speech was becoming.

“Just stay awake, okay?”

“S-sawyer’s o-o-kay, right?”

“Yup, they’re getting him on the gurney now,” Creature said, gently stroking his hair. “Sounds like he’s going to be just fine. So let’s get you over there and into the ambulance with him.”

“P-please.”

He felt much too light in Creature’s arms when he lifted Scout and carried him to the back of the ambulance.

“He’s hurt too,” Creature declared as he climbed up in the back and sat Scout across from his brother’s gurney.

“Sir, we can call for another ambo, but—” the EMT began, only Creature just turned and shot him a look before stepping back out.

The EMT nodded to the other, who closed the doors and hurried around to the driver’s side to do his fuckin’ job and get them to the hospital.

“Come on,” Creature said, motioning for Axel to go back to the bike so they could follow the ambulance.

As he turned and passed Kong, he grabbed a fistful of the big man’s shirt and slammed him against the brick wall behind him.

“If you ever pull a gun on one of my boys again, I’ll shoot your fuckin’ toe off,” Creature snarled.

“Why’s it gotta be a toe?” Danger, ever the smartass, asked.

Creature shot him the bird with his free hand but never took his eyes off Kong’s, the deep tones brimming with fury.

“Your boy?” Kong snarled. “Just because he’s working for you doesn’t mean he’s yours.”