Page 17

Kiki

I don’t know how long I’ve been lying here, but it feels like forever. My body is stiff, and there’s something in my arm. An IV? Yeah, it is. I sigh as I try to push myself, but when I do, the pain shoots through my body.

“Don’t move. It’ll hurt worse.” I lie back down and turn my head quickly to see Locke lying next to me.

“You’re okay?”

“I’m okay, baby.” I reach for him, wincing when he tries to roll to his side. I see him wince, too, and look down at the bandages covering his body.

“You’re not okay!”

“I am. Just relax,” he argues, giving me his sexy smile that sets my heart on fire. He shoves himself up and off the bed. He has to be in pain. I watch him walk slowly to the dresser, grab a cigarette, and light it up before looking back at me.

“You’re gonna be fine. Doc said so. He was worried about your head,” he tells me.

“It hurts.”

“You hit it pretty hard. Got a big fuckin’ knot and everything.”

“I don’t know where she came from. How are you here? What happened?”

“He wanted me to call you. Draw you out away from everyone so he could grab you. When I didn’t, well,” he points to the bandages on his stomach.

“Are they bad?”

“Not too bad. I’ll live.”

“Hodge? Is he okay?” I ask as the world spins around me. My head is killing me, and so is the way I feel.

“He’s good. I took most of it,” he tells me as I look at the bandages on him. There are four on his stomach and side and the one over his shoulder.

“What did he do?”

“Shot me once. Stabbed me a few times. He wanted you back, and that wasn’t gonna happen. I wasn’t gonna let him near you, Kiki,” he tells me. I scoot to the edge of the bed and shove myself up as the room spins, but I reach out and run my fingers gently over the bandages.

“You took all this for me?” I ask as tears stream down my cheeks. I can’t believe he would do that. That he would take that much for me.

“You took one for me, yeah?” I look up as he blows smoke from between his lips.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. None of this was your fault.”

“But he’s gone now, right?” I ask when I see his eyes darken. Shit. They didn’t get him. He’s still out there somewhere.

“He took off. The guys decided to get us back here instead of chasin’ after him. This isn’t over, Kiki. Not until he’s dead,” he tells me. My head keeps spinning when I lie back down and look up at him. He sits on the edge of the bed and runs his fingers through my hair.

“I saw you lyin’ there. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen, baby. I don’t think I would have made it without you.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted to be here without you either.”

“I’ll be back.” He stands from the bed and walks toward the door when I stop him.

“Where are you going?”

“There’s a whole clubhouse full of people who are worried about you.”

“I only want you here,” I whine. He smirks at me and my heart nearly explodes.

“I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

“Just … stay a little longer,” I ask. He walks over, sits back on the edge of the bed, and grabs my hand in his free hand, pulling it into his lap.

“You’re gonna give me hell, aren’t you?”

“It’s kinda what I do,” I giggle.

“I bet it is. We need to talk about this, Kiki. Not now, but we do.”

“I know that. And we will. I just … I want to be here with you for a little longer.” I close my eyes as my head pounds, but I feel him here. And that’s all I need right now. Him.

After a while, he pulls his hand away and stands from the bed. I watch him walk over and snuff out his cigarette in the ashtray before heading toward the door.

He calls out to tell everyone I’m awake, and Doc is the first one to come in, followed by my dad, Hodge, and Tina. Locke stands guard near the door, wincing whenever he moves the wrong way.

“You look like shit, sweetheart,” my dad greets me. I smile at him.

“I feel like it too. My head is a mess,” I tell him.

“The medicine will help with that. I will keep it running as long as you need it,” the Doc assures me. I nod my head as we all talk. Hodge didn’t get half of what Locke did. He hit his head pretty hard, and Doc said he had a concussion as well and he would need to be monitored. Hodge just blew him off like he wasn’t even talking. He told me how Locke gave them hell. We laughed a little, and Tina held my hand.

“You’re here, and that’s what matters. Your mom tried to show up, and I sent her away,” Dad informs me.

“Good. I don’t need to see her right now. It’s too much.” He nods, knowing mom and I don’t get along at all.

“You need your rest. When you’re better, we’re gonna cook out like old times and party,” he says.

“Thank you, Dad.”

“Never thank me, sweetheart. I’d do anything for you, and you know that,” he says. I nod my head. I do know that.

“Goes for me, too,” Hodge adds.

“I’m just sorry you had to go through this,” I tell him.

“We’re still standin’, yeah? We can handle this.”

“What’s going to happen next?”

“We heal. We recover, and then we go after the motherfuckers who did this,” Dad declares.

“What if he’s gone?”

“Then we hunt his ass to the end of the earth. We will find him and kill his whole fuckin’ crew.” Locke vows. I turn my head and look over at the serious look on his face. I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me.

“Are you sure that’s smart?” I ask him.

“Baby, he came after you. I’m not gonna let that slide. He sent that bitch after you. She’s lucky Duke is a good aim because if she weren’t already dead, she would wish she was,” he tells me. I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by so much love in my entire life. This is something I never want to let go of. Ever.