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CHAPTER SIX: CICELY

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Chrome. But I am. After yesterday, I wasn’t sure I’d ever see him again. Now that he’s in front of me, I wish he’d stayed away. Fantasizing about him last night had been a colossal mistake. Having him here in person adds to the pain. Last night, I imagined his warmth; now, I can feel it. Last night, I imagined his scent; now, I can breathe it in, and it clouds my mind.

“Chrome,” I mutter as I push past him and return to my station. “Don’t follow me. Don’t follow me,” I mutter, but, of course, he does.

“Cicely, how are you doing?” Chrome asks as I focus on bringing up Mode’s record to update the data. Before I can respond, Sara returns with the guy who came to fix my tires.

“I thought you went home,” I say, ignoring Chrome.

“I was heading out the door when he asked for you. He said he brought your car and has the keys,” Sara replies as she eye fucks Chrome. I roll my eyes, but turn my attention to Stevie.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to come all this way. How much do I owe you?”

Stevie hands over my keys, along with the bill. Chrome snatches the bill from my hand.

“What’s this?”

Ignoring Chrome, I pocket my keys and try to snatch the bill away from Chrome. He shifts it out of my reach, making Sara smirk. Chrome scans the document before reaching for his wallet. Removing seven crisp one-hundred-dollar bills, he hands them over to Stevie.

“Thanks for taking care of her, man,” Chrome says.

Stevie salutes him before sending me a wave. “No problem. Glad I could help. But you might want to get an alarm for your car. Whoever slashed them was thorough.” Sara walks off with Stevie only after sending me a concerned look. I wave her off.

“Someone slashed your tires, and you didn’t call me?” Chrome growls at me.

“Didn’t my guard tell you?” I ask without looking at him. “I don’t mind you having someone watch my place, but maybe he could focus on my car instead.”

“What?” Chrome asks, his voice cracking as he grabs my wrist. “What did you say?”

“The guard you had watching my apartment last night. While I appreciate the protection, I wish he’d have stopped whoever slashed my tires.”

“I didn’t have anyone guarding your place last night,” he says, making my heart drop and pulse quicken. He didn’t send someone to watch over me? So, he’s moved on. But if he didn’t send someone, who did I see watching my apartment last night?

“But I saw…”

“Who did you see? Was it one of my men?” Chrome’s sharp tone snaps my attention back to him.

“I don’t know. It was dark out, and he stood outside the light. I could only make out his white T-shirt,” I say as I brush my hand down my front. “Oh, and he was smoking. I could see the flame.”

“You didn’t see his face?”

I shake my head. “You didn’t send anyone to watch my place?”

“No, I thought you were safe,” Chrome responds, but he seems to be talking to himself instead of me.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” I tell him. “Now, excuse me, I have work to do.” I step toward Mr. Michaelson’s room but stop and turn back toward Chrome. “Visiting hours end at noon and start up again at five, only two visitors at a time. Don’t forget.”

“No,” Chrome says, holding his hand up when I open my mouth to argue. “I spoke with your hospital administrator. Lisa Kemper. I didn’t tell her how Mode got hurt, but I explained that I needed to keep two guards on him twenty-four-seven until he gains consciousness. She agreed. I’m leaving shortly, and I’ll take Eagle with me.”

“She did? That’s surprising.”

“Her daughter is friends with Jessica, Sam’s sister.”

“Stepdaughter,” I murmur.

“What?”

“Margo. She’s Ms. Kempler’s stepdaughter. Margo’s mother died several years ago.”

“Oh, okay. She’s letting the guys stay here to guard Mode as a thank you for protecting Sammy.”

I nod as I remember my conversation with the young prospect. God, was that just yesterday? “I spoke to Sammy yesterday. It is none of my business, but he’d like to leave Chicago once the trial ends. He doesn’t want to appear ungrateful to you for all you’ve done for him, so he might not say he wants to go. But this city holds only bad memories for him, plus his sister is living in Louisiana now. He mentioned your club has a chapter in New Orleans. Maybe he could go there?” I refuse to look at him, but his continued silence forces me to glance in his direction. He’s staring at me, but I can’t tell what he’s thinking. Maybe he’s angry because I’m telling him how to run his club, but I’m not sensing anger. “Or not,” I finally relent. “It was just a suggestion. Now, I have another patient to tend to.”

I don’t wait for him to respond before I enter Mr. Michaelson’s room. I put my name on the whiteboard before tending to him. He is incredibly handsome with a strong jaw, broad forehead, straight nose, and defined cheekbones. The right side of his scalp is shaved and covered in gauze. According to his chart, someone bashed him on the side of his head with a blunt object. After switching out his IV, I replaced the catheter bag. Just as I finish, Dr. Kemper enters.

Dr. Kemper is the most popular doctor on staff. His boyish charm lights up the room, and patients and staff cannot help but smile when he’s around.

“Good morning, Cicely,” he greets me as he grabs Michaelson’s chart. How is our patient doing? Are there any signs of waking?”

“Not yet.”

Dr. Kemper pulls out his penlight as he lifts one of the man’s eyelids. He checks one eye and the other before making a note in the chart. Kemper unwraps the gauze before checking the wound. He makes notes in the chart as I rewrap the wound with a fresh bandage. “Everything looks good. His pulse is steady, and his blood pressure is normal. The wound is healing with no signs of infection. It’s up to him to come out of it.”

As we leave the room, we find Lisa waiting near my station.

“Hello darling, looking for me?” Dr. Kemper asks, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

“Yes, well, both of you. I must inform you that I’ve permitted Mr. MacLeod to always have two men in his room. He’s a member of the Demon Dawgs. Someone attacked him, and their President asked me to let him protect his friend.”

“I understand. I’ve spoken to Chrome; he explained that you approved the guards. When my relief comes, I’ll pass the information to them.”

“You know Chrome?” she asks, surprised.

“We’ve met. Remember the men the cops arrested? They were prison escapees from San Diego. I had met the bounty hunter looking for them. I called her when I spotted them. She arrived with Chrome. Chrome offered to let me stay at the clubhouse for protection.”

“Are you still living there?”

“No. The men who tried to kidnap me were arrested and returned to San Diego.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m sorry. I had no idea you were going through all that,” Lisa says. “Will these men make you uncomfortable?”

“No, not at all. I’ve already met the men guarding Mode. I’m glad he is in the hospital and getting care. Chrome mentioned that your daughter and Sammy’s sister are friends. Sammy’s a good kid. Once the trial ends, he might leave Chicago to live near his sister. If Margo wants to send anything with him, you can give it to me and I’ll get it to Chrome or one of Mode’s guards.”

“Very good. I’ll let her know. Have a good day, and thank you,” Lisa says before leaving.

I spent the next two hours focused on my patients. I tried not to let stares of Mode’s guards bother me, but they did. The questions they asked me told me they didn’t trust me. Even after Chrome stood up for me, I could feel their eyes on me when I changed Mode’s IV and checked his vitals. The intensity of their stares made my shoulders twitch. They were here to protect Mode. I needed to remember that.

Since I would be spending time with these men, I decided not to let them make me uncomfortable. After all, I have nothing to feel guilty about. I didn’t hurt Mode. Since his attack, I’ve done all I could to care for him. So, after replacing his catheter bag and washing my hands, I face them.

“I’m heading to lunch, would you like me to bring you something?”

Padre glances at Stone, who rises from his seat. “I’ll go with you,” he offers.

Well, fuck. That wasn’t what I wanted. Unwilling to go back on my offer, I suck it up and lead the way out the door and to the elevators.

“I didn’t hurt Mode,” I tell him when he remains silent.

“Didn’t say you did,” he replies.

“But you suspect me?” I press.

“I suspect everyone,” Stone says. The anger in his tone has me glancing up at him.

“You do? Even Chrome?”

He shrugs.

“Chrome didn’t hurt Mode. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t have. I was with Chrome during the attack.”

Stone looks at me sideways. “How do you know when someone attacked Mode?”

“I don’t know the exact time, but I saw Mode earlier in the day when he came into the kitchen to get coffee. Chrome and I were eating breakfast. Mode grabbed a breakfast sandwich. I was with Chrome until Babe rushed in to tell us that something happened to Mode. That’s when we found him in his office.”

Stone remains silent as we exit the elevator. In the cafeteria, I grab a tray and hand it to him. When he takes it, he speaks. “I need you to tell me everything you remember about that day. Who was in the clubhouse, and who wasn’t?”

“You think a member of the club attacked him? Don’t you?”

“I don’t think. I know.”