Page 7 of Killer (The Skulls #5)

Kelsey was safe, alive, and fucking breathing.

Wiping a hand down his face, Killer stood up stretching out his tight muscles.

Sandy was talking with Michael about her care while they were being kept in the dark.

He hated the bastard for what he was doing. From the look of Sandy’s waving arms she disagreed with him.

She stormed away going straight toward them.

“How is she?”

he asked, tensing to hear the bad news.

“She’s sleeping at the moment, peacefully I hope.”

Sandy ran fingers through her hair.

“This is all a fucking nightmare, Killer. She pulled through, but I don’t think she’s stable at the moment.”

“Is she awake?”

Sandy shook her head.

“No, she’s not awake. She’s sleeping. The doctor put her under. She’ll be asleep for a few hours yet.”

Michael walked over.

“I told you not to say anything.”

He folded his arms, glaring at her.

“My loyalty is to The Skulls. You want to get me fired, go ahead. I never really liked working here anyway,”

Sandy said, glaring behind her at Michael. Killer had a lot of respect for the woman before him.

“You’re not seeing her. I don’t care what you meant to each other. I don’t want you near my woman.”

Moving Sandy out of the way Killer glared at his competition.

“You really think you can keep me away?”

“I’m her next of fucking kin. Kelsey is my responsibility. Not yours.”

Taking a step closer, Killer felt all of his rage build up. He’d love to take a swipe at the man in front of him.

“You want to take this outside, then let’s fucking take it.”

Killer would deal with the bastard like he’d dealt with all of his other enemies in the past.

Michael smirked.

“You bikers, you’re all the same. You have no respect for the law. I don’t see what she does.”

“Kelsey never spoke of you,”

Tate said.

“You think you can keep us away you’ve got another think coming.”

For the first time since knowing Tate, Killer was happy to have her at his side. She was a persistent one who eventually got her way.

“Until then none of you are going to see Kelsey. She’s not your responsibility. I’ll let her know she’s loved.”

Michael turned away about to leave them.

All of his rage coming to the fore, Killer lashed out. He had enough of pompous men telling him what he could and could not have. His love for Kelsey was absolute.

Reaching out, he grabbed Michael’s arm landing the first blow to his face.

“You want to fuck with me, fine. Don’t bring Kelsey into this.”

The next blow Michael blocked. The nurses started shouting, and Tate yelled along with them. Before long they were being pulled out of the waiting room and thrown outside. The security guard glared at both of them.

“I don’t give a fuck what your problems are. This is my hospital, and you’ll treat it with respect.”

The guard turned away to stop them entering.

“You can’t keep me out,”

Michael said.

“My wife is in there.”

“Until you settle your problems I’m not letting anyone enter this door. Every part of our hospital is precious. I’m not having you cost us more money.”

Wiping the blood from his lip Killer stared at Michael.

“What is your fucking problem?”

Killer asked.

“I don’t know you, and yet you’re here pretty much pissing on Kelsey. She just tried to kill herself, and you want to keep me away from her.”

“She’s my wife. I have a right to care about her and her health.”

Killer couldn’t argue with him. There was so much he didn’t know about Kelsey. Shaking his head, Killer turned away giving the other man his back. He wished he could go back to when Kelsey was in his arms. They’d never gotten naked together, but the heavy petting had been more than enough for him. Her sweetness caught and held him all the time they were together.

She almost died.

The thought of never seeing her again petrified him. A world without Kelsey would be unbearable.

“You throw the fact she’s your wife around as if it actually means something,”

Killer said, turning back to glare at Michael. He wouldn’t be pushed aside because of him. Until Kelsey told him she no longer wanted him, Killer wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’ve only just come on the scene. Are you telling me you’ve been faithful to her?”

Michael broke eye contact.

“I was prepared to make it more when we first got married. I was more than willing to have her by my side. I never made her any promises I wasn’t prepared to keep. She didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I left everything alone. All I needed was a wife, and I got it. Kelsey wanted her independence, and who am I to take it the fuck away?”

Spitting blood out onto the pavement he kept his gaze on the other man.

“You fucked everything that walked. You can deflect all the fuck you want. You’re not in love with Kelsey, and you’ll never be faithful to her. Are you a criminal? Kelsey didn’t have a clue why you were wealthy.”

“She never asked what I did. I own the company her family mortgaged the house with. Also, her family’s debts were known to me. I’m a businessman. A legitimate businessman. I own multiple companies, and I invest in small ones that I see turn a profit.”

Staring at the other man, Killer could see it. Michael could sure pack a fucking punch. His jaw hurt like hell.

“Why did you marry her?”

Killer asked.

“If you could have anyone, why her?”

“You really want me to talk about my decision in choosing Kelsey?”

Michael laughed.

Killer didn’t care. The other man could laugh, mock, or even try to hurt him. He still needed to know the truth. After getting Kelsey’s side of the story, he had no choice but to listen to his.

“You’re right. I can have any woman I want, and I do, but when I went to see Kelsey about her house she was the first woman who didn’t try to use her body to get what she wanted. I was intrigued by her. She doesn’t see how pretty she really is, and it makes her sweet, in a humble kind of way.”

Michael stopped to shake his head.

“My father had died years before, leaving me part of our empire. There was a clause that stated I needed to be married by my thirtieth birthday. I could have anyone, but I wanted Kelsey. I’ve learned through my dealings that a person who owes a lot of money will do anything. She was an easy target, and I was not in the market of trying to woo a woman.”

“Kelsey is not like that.”

“She was eighteen and desperate. I used her inexperience to my advantage. I know she’d different. The money I’ve given her over the years hasn’t changed her. Her need to protect her parents is what drove her decision. I don’t know why. I heard the way they treated her. They were hateful. I thought my father was horrid until I heard them talking to her, treating her like shit.”

Michael shrugged.

“To each their own.”

“You’re not going to let her go?”

Killer asked, keeping him talking.

“No, I’m not going to let her go. Kelsey is my wife and will remain so.”

Michael buttoned up his jacket.

“Now, if you excuse me. I’ve got to go and make sure my wife is in the best possible comfort.”

Killer watched him walk away. Every step the other man took made him angrier. He didn’t have the kind of money to rival Michael. However, he’d always been able to read people, and there was something in the other man’s gaze that struck him when he kept mentioning he was a legitimate businessman.

“What the fuck was that?”

Tate asked.

“He’s telling me who’s boss.”

“I hate him. I can’t believe Kelsey married him. Not that she had a choice, but still, I fucking hate him. I’m rooting for you, Killer.”

Tate stamped her foot.

Killer chuckled.

“Stamping your foot is not going to achieve anything. We’ve got to remember she did what she thought was best. She shouldn’t have kept it a fucking secret though.”

After what just happened and almost losing her, Killer couldn’t be angry with her. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Killer frowned.

“Are you still in talks with your lawyer friend?”

“Yeah, he’s trying to find a way out of the prenuptial agreement she signed. So far, no luck.”

Tate shrugged.

“I never knew any of this about her. I hate the fact I don’t really know her. I never really tried to know her.”

“It can’t be helped. We’ve all got a past, and most of the time we don’t want to share them.”

His past involved killing innocent people for his club’s amusement. Killer cut the thought off. Thinking about The Lions would do him no good. Murphy had spoken up for him, and now he was a Skull through and through.

“I want you to tell the lawyer to stop.”

“What? Why?”

He stared at the door remembering the guarded look in Michael’s face. No, he didn’t have a degree or a great education, but he knew when people were lying or trying not to lie.

“There is something about him I don’t like.”

“Yeah, he’s married to the woman you love.”

“It’s not just that.”

He spun around to face Tate.

“Tell your lawyer to look at all of Michael’s business. Go through the financials and see where the money is coming from.”

“You’re asking me to break the law.”

“Then get Alex to look into it. He’ll find what we need.”

“What are you thinking, Killer? He’s a suave businessman. We can’t get him for that.”

“I know. Trust me on this, Tate. He’s not all he seems. I bet he’s got plenty of good businesses that are in fact legitimate, but something is telling me he got more than he bargained for from dear old daddy.”

He started toward the front doors. The guard kept giving him a warning look.

“Wait, what?”

Tate chased after him.

“We’re going to beat him at his own game.”

He pulled Tate in close knowing she’d tell the others what he was about to say.

“Tell me how a man who is legitimate would know all about The Skulls and about me. Michael Granito is not all he makes out, and I want to know why. It’s for the good of the club.”

He walked away, grabbing his leather cut and walking out of the hospital doors. While Tate was busy finding out what she could, he was going to do a little digging of his own.

****

“Your two men are fighting over you. You’re a lucky woman, but I don’t like Michael. He’s a bastard through and through. There is something about him I don’t like at all. Killer, on the other hand, he’s got all those muscles, and boy, he looks like he knows what to do in the sack.”

Kelsey heard someone talking, their voices going on and on about the two men she didn’t want to think about.

One man I don’t want to think about.

Her thoughts went to Killer. She was in love with him, and now she’d never know what it was like to be with him. Lifting her arm up she stopped as her arm remained by her side. Frowning, Kelsey opened her eyes staring up at the white plain ceiling.

“I’m sorry, honey, the restraints are a precaution.”

Sandy came into view.

“Sandy? What is going on?”

she asked. Why was she in the hospital? What the hell was going on?

Even as her thoughts washed over her, the memory of the blade slicing into her wrist caught her unaware. Fuck, she’d tried to kill herself and failed.

Another failure just like everything else.

Closing her eyes she felt the tears close to the surface. It felt like all she’d done in the last couple of days was cry.

“No, don’t cry. I take it you know the truth about why you’re here,”

Sandy said.

“What happened?”

Kelsey asked. The moment she’d let the blade slide into both of her wrists, she regretted the action. She’d been too drained and scared to stop what she started.

“You lost too much blood. For a few seconds we completely lost you, Kels. Killer found you with me and Stink. God, I hate that name. He really needs to change his name. Stink is awful, isn’t it?”

Sandy shook her head.

The sound of a chair being pulled up beside her got Kelsey’s attention. Sandy sat down staring at her.

“What time is it?”

Kelsey asked.

“It’s the following day, and it’s late, past eight.”

Looking around the room, she frowned once again.

“Why am I here? I thought hospitals have a lot more people.”

Her thoughts were all over the place. She hated how chaotic her mind was working.

“This is all because of your husband, Michael Granito. No wife of his will get the common hospital treatment,”

Sandy said, sneering as she spoke.

“Can I say he’s a fucking bastard?”

“What is he doing here?”

“Kelsey, you almost died. You tried to kill yourself. Killer found you in water tainted with your own fucking blood. This is a big fucking deal.”

Sandy’s voice rose.

Wincing, she glanced at the other woman.

“Is Killer okay?”

“My God, what is with you? You can’t leave here, Kels. You’ve got to be evaluated. Your wrists were fucking sliced open, and you even did it properly going up the vein rather than across.”

Sandy stood leaning over her.

“I’m sorry.”

The tears that filled her eyes finally spilled over.

“I don’t know what I was thinking.”

The lie poured out of her mouth. She was feeling trapped. Michael turning back up awakened all of her memories of her parents. Her mother’s cruel words finally got through to her and hurt her more than ever before.

“Don’t cry, Kels. You’re loved, and everyone is worried about you.”

“Look at me, Sandy. We barely know each other, and yet you’re the only one here. I’m tied to my bed, and I’m scared.”

She couldn’t admit to the other woman that she regretted slitting her wrists the moment she did it.

“They can’t see you. Michael won’t let them, and he’s down as your next of kin. He’s also paying the hospital a lot of money to keep them away. Tate, Killer, and the others are all here, waiting to see you. Killer left earlier to shower and change. He had to. He stank and was covered in blood.”

Sandy stopped, looking toward the window.

“Michael won’t let them in?”

“No, he won’t.”

“How are you here?”

Kelsey asked. Out of all of The Skulls Sandy was the last person she knew. She would expect Murphy or Lash to be here before Sandy.

“I work here, and he can’t keep me away. I’m your assigned doctor.”

Nodding, Kelsey tried to sit up and failed. Sandy helped her to sit up.

“Can the restraints come off?”

“Not yet. We’re worried about you.”

Gritting her teeth Kelsey turned her head to look toward the window. It was night, and she’d been in hospital an entire day. Kelsey couldn’t believe how quickly her life had changed. What would Sandy say if she told her the truth about regretting her decision to end her life?

She felt so fucking stupid, and now she was bound to a bed until someone decided she wouldn’t kill herself.

“Once the doctor comes around to do his final assessment of your injuries you’ll be moved up to the psych ward where you’ll be analyzed. Your treatment will be decided from there.”

Kelsey glanced back to see Sandy still stood over her.

“I thought you were my doctor.”

“I was. Your sweet little husband got me kicked off your case. It doesn’t stop me from coming to see you.”

Sandy gave her a wink.

“I imagine he’ll be back to see you soon, and I’ll be kicked out.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

Being forced to deal with Michael while tied down scared the life out of her.

“It’s not my decision, honey. I’ll talk with some people and make sure you get the best care.”

“What the fuck are you doing in here?”

Michael’s voice boomed through the spacious room.

Closing her eyes, Kelsey tried to cut out the pain of hearing his voice.

“I’m talking with my friend. Back the fuck off. You may shout and get people to do your bidding, but I’m not most fucking people.”

Sandy had her hands on her hips facing Michael.

“Don’t, please,”

Kelsey said. She wanted some peace and quiet to deal with what had happened to her.

“She’s awake?”

Michael asked.

“Yeah, dick-wad, she’s a-fucking-wake.”

“Please, stop fighting. I can’t deal with this.”

Kelsey would have rubbed her temple if she could lift her hand all the way to her head. Everything was closing in around her.

“Don’t stress, Kels. I’ll tell Killer you’re doing fine.”

Sandy touched her arm and walked off. Panicking at being left alone with her husband, Kelsey called back to the only woman connected to The Skulls.

“What’s the matter, honey?”

“Tell him I’m sorry.”

“I will. Take care and get well. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll tell him.”

Sandy left.

Alone with Michael, Kelsey struggled to look at him. After a few minutes passed he walked up beside the bed. She finally looked up at him.

“Hey,” he said.

“Why are you keeping my friends away?”

she asked, wanting to see Tate but more importantly Killer.

“They’re not your friends.”

He reached out and stroked her cheek. She jerked her head away, biting down onto her lip to stop herself from crying out.

“I was so worried,”

he said. His voice was devoid of all emotion. She knew he was lying.

“You’re wrong.”

“What?”

She stared at the man she called her husband and shook her head.

“Tate, Killer, all of The Skulls are my friends. They’ve been there for me. Last year when this town was invaded by a psychotic murderer, Killer was there taking care of me. Why did you have to come back?”

“We’re married, Kels.”

“No, I was a convenience. Divorce me, and marry someone suited to you. Stop calling me Kels, and stop treating me like we really know each other. I don’t know you.”

The tears were falling thick and fast. She was scared, panicked, and wanted Killer.

Kelsey wanted Killer’s arms wrapped around her, whispering how he felt.

“I didn’t call your parents,”

Michael said.

“Good. Don’t.”

There was no way she’d ever survive her life if her friends met her parents.

They were all polar opposites.

Her parents didn’t care about anyone but themselves whereas The Skulls clearly cared about their own.

She’d seen the rough bikers at their worst and at their best.

They were hard and partied hard, but they loved their family. No one hurt their family and got away with it.

“I want to see my friends.”

She wanted to see Killer.

“Do you really think I’m going to let that bastard in here to see my wife?”

Growling with frustration, she glared at him wishing she could hurt him with her looks alone.

It was useless. There was no way for her to get through his thick fucking skull.

“I want to see Tate and Killer.”

“No.”

Staring at the window, Kelsey forced herself to ignore him.

You fucked up, Kelsey. People now think you’re insane.

“Are you going to ignore me?” he asked.

She was going to ignore him and anyone who tried to talk to her.

Staring at the darkness of night, Kelsey thought about Killer and what it would be like if Michael had never come home.

She should have told Killer.

Her biggest regret was not telling him the truth.

Her life would certainly be easier if Michael never came back.

****

Michael walked out of Kelsey’s hospital ward feeling like the worst bastard in the world.

From the first moment he saw her, he’d been intrigued by her beauty, but he’d also been pissed by not getting back his money.

Kelsey was a pretty girl, innocent in a way he’d never seen before.

There was nothing between them, and he didn’t want to fuck her either.

Her parents took and didn’t give him a fucking cent back.

She asked for time to pay off her parents’ debts, and he respected her for it.

Kelsey hadn’t been responsible for her parents’ debts.

The truth was, he had to marry a woman to fit with his father’s will.

The ultimatum had hit him within days of meeting Kelsey.

The way he saw it Kelsey would be easy to manipulate into what he wanted. He liked the freedom of doing what he wanted.

When he first heard about the will his father left, he’d been angry.

Then seeing an opportunity to marry a woman who wouldn’t make any demands from him had him grasping for Kelsey.

He liked the power of forcing her to do what he wanted.

Also, he liked being a married man.

The gold-digging whores stayed well away.

People didn’t mess with him, and it gave him the edge when no one knew where to look.

He made sure no one knew about Kelsey.

If they ever found out the true identity of his wife she’d be in danger.

His father had given him an ultimatum, and Kelsey was the only safe woman he could think of to marry.

Besides the usual legitimate businesses, Michael had inherited something far worse, and he hoped to never let it touch Kelsey.

He’d married her to gain his full inheritance, but he wasn’t prepared to have her death on his conscience.

Michael hadn’t liked everything he inherited, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The only reason he was in Fort Wills was because of his other business.

While he was here he always intended to visit Kelsey and remind her of their bargain.

Hearing about her involvement with The Skulls hadn’t helped matters.

The last thing he needed was the club looking into him.

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was time to leave.

If his business associates knew who Kelsey was, she’d be in danger.

He was risking fucking everything to keep her hidden, his own life as well.

Leaving the hospital he caught sight of Killer stood outside smoking.

Was he the only one of The Skulls left? With them at the hospital Michael always felt on guard.

Killer always looked too deeply.

He knew everything about the other man and wouldn’t put it past Killer not to look into him.

Fortunately, he knew his past and associations were long buried.

“You leaving her for the night?”

Killer asked.

“She doesn’t want me there. When she’s finished here I’ll take her away from all this. Probably to one of my islands for her to feel better. Fort Wills is not the place for her to get better. This is a fucked up place, and I don’t want her part of it anymore.”

On one of his islands, he wouldn’t have to think about her at all. He didn’t love her or want anything else from her, but he didn’t want her to die because of him. Michael told her what he wanted her to hear. The life he kept hidden was threatening to spill into their world.

Killer threw his cigarette away standing up to his full height.

Michael didn’t scare easily.

“You’re not taking Kelsey anywhere. She’s my woman, and I will have her off you,”

Killer said.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Michael never backed down from a challenge.

“Are you used to getting what you want?”

Killer asked.

On guard once again, Michael stared back at Killer.

The other man laughed.

“I guess I’ll see you around.”

Leaving Killer behind, Michael made his way toward his driver. Climbing into the back seat he felt Killer’s eyes on him the entire time.

“Do you want me to take you to the next shipment, sir?”

his driver asked.

Closing his eyes, Michael nodded. Shit, he wished he’d killed his father before all this shit started.