Page 49 of His Flawed Ride

“No! No hospital!” Lily shrieks. “I just need to get cleaned up.”

“Talk to me, Lil, tell me what I can’t see. Where are you hurt?”

She can barely see through the bruised swelling, but Slade must see something in her eyes.

“No,” he chokes out.

“What?” I ask, not catching what’s transpiring between brother and sister.

“Nothing. Someone get me some water and towels.”

Zach fetches what his dad needs and Myles steps outside.

Lily passes out and Slade’s quick to check her pulse. The relief on Slade’s face hits me hard.

“Turn around. I want to take a look at what she’s not telling me while she’s out for the count.”

I do as he orders but I have a clear view in the mirror. Just from the sound of her rattling breaths, I’m certain she has a broken rib or two. More bruises cover her ribs and stomach.

“I should never have thrown her out of my life. I should’ve known something like this would happen to her.”

“You couldn’t have known that, Slade,” I try to soothe him.

He laughs sadly. “Yes, brother, I knew it as well as I do my own name. I can’t begin to count the amount of times I thought she’d be in this state when she’d call me in the middle of the night for help getting away from this asshole or that.”

Her thighs are also covered in bruises. I think I catch a boot print and it turns my stomach.

Zach returns with bottles of water and an armful of towels. Slade covers his sister and I take the towels to help.

“I’ll take care of her, you two go wait outside.”

Neither of us argue with Slade. I hold the door open for Zach and close it gently once we’re outside.

“She still alive?” Myles asks.

“Of course she is,” Zach snaps, then sighs. “Dad’s cleaning her up.”

I light a cigarette and lean against the wall. It always amazes me how a man can hurt a woman. It would’ve taken a sadistic rage to inflict such violence like that on Lily. I don’t know Hopper well but from what I’ve heard, he is capable of anything and most likely enjoyed it.

“We shouldn’t hang around here long. He knew where we were to drop her off,” Myles says.

“She won’t be able to drive. We’ll need a van so one of us can drive her and store our bike in the back.”

Myles nods to Zach and stands. “I’ll go acquire one.”

They don’t hang around and it’s not until Zach and I are alone that I feel tension.

“That time we arrived back from Dog City, you wanted to know who the woman was talking with my dad, you had a strange look on your face. That was when you… stayed the night with her, wasn’t it?”

I nod, then take the longest pull on a cigarette I’ve ever inhaled.

“I fuckin’ swear it, I didn’t know she was related to half the fuckin’ club.”

“I believe you. Shit, I’m not surprised she’s ended up like this, but it still makes me sick someone could do that to a woman. It’s like I know my aunt, but she’s always had this vulnerable trap about her. Like, you know she’s trouble, but you can’t still help feel sorry her. I don’t know, my head is scrambled.”

It’s a while before Slade appears and informs us, “She’s sleeping.”

Neither Zach or I say a word. He takes Zach’s blunt with a shaking hand and digs out his phone.