Page 12 of Jezebel’s Liberation (Hellfire Hackers #1)

“ W hy the fuck isn’t she awake yet?”

The anger in my twin’s voice penetrates the haze.

I force myself to the surface of the underwater current I feel like I’m drowning in.

The more I focus on Soul, the more lucid I become.

Antiseptic lingers in the air, and the steady beep of a machine keeps in time with my breaths.

My eyelids refuse to open, and I fight them with everything I have.

“It’s only been twenty-four hours, Prez,” Abyss placates.

“Her body needs time to heal. She’s got a fucking concussion among other things.

The sedative is only working this well because she needs it to. I’m monitoring her around the clock.”

“Soul,” Violet says softly. “Jez is a fighter. She’s gonna be alright. Her vitals are strong, and she’s breathing on her own. I know you hate seeing her like this, but she’s luc?—”

“Lucky… Was that what you were gonna say?” Soul snarls, his voice getting louder. “Look at her Violet, this isn’t fucking luc?—”

A meaty thump, followed by a groan of pain, echoes through the room.

“Stop it,” I mumble, finally able to find my voice. My throat is raw, so it comes out more like a gurgle.

Thankfully, the yelling ceases. It takes a moment for the room to stop spinning. I glance around and see Grim with his fist clenched in Soul’s shirt, and blood dripping from Soul’s mouth. Grim releases Soul’s shirt while they both stare at me open-mouthed.

Abyss rushes over to the side of the bed. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.” He fiddles with the IV in my arm and holds a cup with a straw up to my mouth. “Small sips.”

The cool liquid feels like heaven as it coats my sore throat. I pull back slowly, knowing it’s time to pay the piper. “Violet,” I call out hoarsely, and she rushes to my side. “I don’t have the energy to sign, can you do it for me?”

“You scared us, Jez,” she says, her voice trembling.

“I’m sorry,” I say sincerely. “But I’m okay.”

“Like fuck you’re o?—”

“With all due respect, Prez ,” Violet interjects while signing for Grim’s benefit. “Shut up.”

Soul rears back as if she slapped him, obviously caught off guard by Violet’s ferocity.

Grim grins at his old lady, and Abyss full-on belly laughs.

A few snickers come from the corner of the room, and my head swivels in that direction, the sudden movement drawing a hiss of pain through my lips.

My gaze lingers on Demon for a moment before I notice Phantom standing next to him.

What the hell is Phantom doing here?

Phantom’s gaze never leaves mine, and I gulp from the intensity of his stare.

Abyss grips my hand. “It’s time for some more pain meds.”

“No, and no more sedatives either, Abyss,” I state firmly. “I have something I need to say.”

Soul closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Take the fucking medicine, Jez,” he orders.

“I thought Violet told you to shut up,” I sass.

This earns me some chuckles. I seek out Grim, who’s staring at me with fear, hurt, and anger.

We’ve been the two musketeers for so long, and I can see that me keeping him in the dark and him not being the one to save me is killing him.

I internally kick myself for putting that look on his face.

The last time he saw me in a hospital bed was after Violet’s ex caused me to crash my car, almost taking my life. I guess for him, this is déjà vu.

“I’m okay, big guy,” I say for Grim’s benefit as well as everyone else staring at me. Violet stands beside me, signing my words to Grim. “It’s not that bad, I’m feeling better already. Just a little sore.”

“You look like shit,” he signs. Grim steps up to the side of the bed and leans over, touching his forehead gently to mine. I reach up and pat his cheek before he steps back.

I smirk. “You should see the other guy.”

“Smartass,” he responds.

“Alright, enough,” Soul demands. His eyes drift to Violet. “My apologies for yelling at you.”

“It’s fine,” Violet placates. “I know you’re worried about Jez.”

“No, it’s not fine. I took my frustration out on you, and that shouldn’t have happened.” Soul rubs his jaw, and he turns his icy stare to Grim. “That was your one and only shot.”

Grim raises his brow. “You’re lucky that right hook was all you got. You ever talk to my woman like that again, and I’ll bury you.”

I snort, knowing damn good and well that’ll never happen. Neither of them would hurt the other or a woman like that on purpose. But Soul had it coming. He should’ve kept his temper in check.

Soul flips him off. “I said I was sorry, asshole. Now, if I could talk to my sister, I’d appreciate it.”

Grim nods, taking Violet’s hand, and heads toward the door. I give him a chin lift when he glances at me over his shoulder before they walk out of the room. Demon and Phantom shuffle closer to me.

Guess they aren’t leaving.

Feeling more alert, I maneuver to sit up.

“Fuck, that hurts,” I mumble.

Phantom rushes forward and pushes another pillow behind my back. “That better?”

I give him a small smile. “Thanks.” Then I remember that I have no idea how or why he’s here, and I scowl. “You’re still fired.”

“I know your brother doesn’t want to hear this, but you were lucky,” Abyss says, interrupting our little moment.

“Along with a concussion, you have two third-degree burns on your thighs. Over twenty lacerations covering your arms, legs, and chest. Most of them were starting to get infected. Your shoulder was dislocated, but I popped it back in place. That’ll be sore for a while.

No broken ribs, thank God,” he ticks off his list. “However, you do have bruises covering more than half your fucking body.”

The more Abyss talks, the more his words are laced with anger. I might be cut and bruised, but screw him if he thinks I’ll let him talk down to me like I’m an idiot.

“I was fucking there Abyss, I know exactly what happened,” I bite out and take a deep breath. Abyss’s scowl drops, and I immediately feel horrible. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take my frustration out on you. It’s not your fault.”

“No, it's not,” Soul interjects. “What the fuck were you doing, Mary ?”

I narrow my eyes when he uses my given name.

Two can play that game.

“Well, Matthew ,” I grit. “It’s none of your fucking business.”

“Not my fucking business, Jez?” he hollers.

“Demon calls Abyss and tells him to be ready because he’s coming in hot .

Then he shows up with you broken and bloody along with this fucker.

” He nods to indicate Phantom. “And then Demon claims he has no idea what’s going on, only that he’s a friend of yours .

The club is on lockdown. I want some fucking answers! ”

“I’m not one of your members you can snap your fingers at,” I fire back. “What I do is none of your concern. I’m so sorry I fucking inconvenienced you with my problem. You can be rest assured that absolutely no one or anything will touch your precious fucking club.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Soul roars.

“Whatever, Soul.” I sniff back the tears threatening to spill over.

“You picked your side years ago, and I know exactly where I stand. I get it, I do. Your club, your rules, but don’t you think for one second that you get to demand answers from me when you don’t reciprocate.

This has nothing to do with Saints Purgatory. ”

“Jez.”

I hold up my hand. “We’ve said all we needed to say for now. I’m going home.”

“The hell you are.”

“Look, I don’t want to fight with you anymore,” I admit. “I need my own bed and my own space to think.” I turn toward Abyss, dismissing Soul. “When can I get out of here?”

Abyss looks from me to Soul and back to me. “I don’t know if that’s possible for a couple of days.”

“Bullshit, you’re trying to keep me here for Soul ,” I accuse. “Newsflash, Soul isn’t my father, and neither are you. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, you’re doing a fucking bang-up job of that,” Soul counters. I rear back as if I’ve been slapped.

How fucking dare he!

Demon steps up to one side of the bed, and Phantom squeezes my shoulder in silent support from the other side.

“I get you’re her brother, but you need to back the fuck off,” Phantom seethes.

Soul pokes him in the chest. “You’re in my clubhouse , and that’s my sister. You have no say here. You’d best remember that before I gut you where you stand.”

“You can fucking try,” Phantom pops off.

Soul lunges for him, but Abyss locks his arms around my twin, pulling him back while Demon pushes his chest. “Get the fuck out of my club.”

“Prez,” Demon says. “Phantom helped me get her home safely.”

Soul bristles. “And how do I know he wasn’t the reason she was in this mess to begin with?”

“It was no one’s fault but my own, Soul,” I say. “Wrong place, wrong time.”

“Wrong place, wrong time?” Soul echoes incredulously. “That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want from me? This has nothing to do with the club,” I repeat.

“But it does have something to do with your hacking, doesn’t it?” Soul challenges.

I shrug. “That’s my business.”

“You know I’ll find out.”

My heart and my mind are at war with each other over this tidbit of information.

He doesn’t know. Demon didn’t rat me out. His loyalty is to the club, not to me… And he didn’t tell them… yet. Why wouldn’t he tell Soul?

There’s no one in his club who’ll ever be able to piece together the things I’ve done unless I confess, which I have no intention of doing, or one of the men spills their guts.

The only way Demon and Phantom could have possibly found me was by Phantom getting into my cave.

Something he and I will be discussing once I get out of this godforsaken clubhouse.

That calms my anger a little, but I’m still pissed. Hacker rule number one: Never enter someone else’s lair without express permission.

Without Phantom’s interference, you’d be dead.

“You can try,” I taunt. “Abyss, take this IV out, now .”

Abyss shakes his head, but before I can argue, his voice comes out gruff.

“I know you want to get out of here, and I won’t hold you against your will, I promise.

Can you at least finish that bag of fluids first?

It has the antibiotic you need for those infections, plus you were severely dehydrated. ”

I nod. “Demon, where’s my car? As soon as this IV is out, I’m getting the fuck out of here.”

“What do you mean?” Confusion spreads across Demon’s face. “Your car wasn’t there when we found you.”

Fuck! I forgot I switched vehicles. No one would know that the Acura is one of mine.

“Jez, please,” Soul pleads. “I don’t want you to go. And there’s no way you can go home alone. You’ll need someone to watch over you.”

“You’re right about one thing.” I take a deep breath, knowing the next words out of my mouth might end my relationship with not only him, but the people I consider family.

“This is your club, not mine. I don’t belong here anymore.

You or anyone else who wants to see me, they know where to find me, but I won’t be coming back here. ”

A gasp from across the room stops all of us. Cece marches up to the bed. “Jez, I don’t know what’s going on, but you don’t mean that. Think about Harper.”

I glower at her. “Low blow, Cece.”

She’s using my niece to try to get me to submit to their will, and under normal circumstances, that might’ve worked.

Instead, I keep my head down, knowing that if I speak, I’ll lose it completely.

I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially Cece.

I love every single person here with everything in my heart. Right now, though, I need space.

“I’ll stay with her,” Phantom volunteers.

“I. Don’t. Fucking. Know. You!” Soul punctuates each word.

“But I do, Soul,” I speak up. “Whether you like it or not, I’m walking out that door as soon as Abyss clears me. I agree that I’ll probably need some help.” My gaze lands on Phantom. “You sure you can spare time to stick around?”

“Well, my boss is a real ball buster,” he jokes. “I think I can convince her to give me some time off.”

I chuckle at his inside joke and look up at Cece and Soul. “Problem solved.”

Cece clasps my hand. “Jez, talk to me, please. Don’t leave like this.”

I squeeze her hand. “You're my sister, and I love you. Never forget that. But for now, I need to put some distance between me, my brother, and this club.”

She nods as her eyes fill with tears. “I understand, stupid alpha male testosterone.”

I give a small, brittle smile. “You know it, girl.”

“I’m standing right fucking here,” Soul says, exasperated.

Cece pats his chest in a soothing motion. “Let her go, Soul.”

Soul raises his head to the ceiling. “For the love of everything unholy…” He drops his icy glare back to Demon. “Fine, but Demon, you never leave her side, I don’t care what she says or if she threatens to cut off your dick.”

“You got it, Prez,” Demon says.

Soul points to Phantom. “I don’t trust you, and if I find out you had anything to do with my sister being attacked, nothing on this Earth will protect you from my wrath, not even her.” He nods in my direction.

“Jez, this is your home. Don’t be a stranger.” Cece grabs Soul’s hand and pulls him toward the door. “Come on, let’s give her some space. I think Demon and Phantom have her covered.”

I let out the breath I’ve been holding and let the tears fall.

Abyss squeezes my shoulder. “He’s worried, Jez. Hell, we all are. You’re family, and you staying away from the club won’t change that. You guys will work it out.”

I shake my head. “Not this time, Abyss. I appreciate you patching me up, but you weren’t here when the club was formed.

I was. Front and center, just like Malice and Grim.

Hell, it was Grim’s and my idea. The more people that came along, the more I was pushed out.

Like I said earlier, I understand. MCs have their chauvinistic views when it comes to women and club business.

Doesn’t mean I have to like it or put up with it. ”

Abyss sighs but doesn’t say anything else because he knows I’m right. I won’t stay away forever. Cece’s right, this is my home, but it hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

It’s time to seek out my liberation from Saints Purgatory and my brother.