Chelsea

I scooped Chelsea into my arms, actually feeling relief when a painful whimper left her lips.

“She’s alive,” I told my brothers as I took off ru

The scene that met me at the top didn’t surprise me. There was SWAT filling the hallway, loaded guns pointed directly at me.

“You bring an ambulance with you?” I questioned loudly. They looked at each other, I couldn’t see their faces, but I knew they were confused.

“Put Chelsea down, Optimus, and step away.” Deacon pushed his way through the crowd of men. He was decked out in full vest, clothing and crap that read DEA.

“Get me a fucking ambulance or she’s going to fucking die, and you know what,” I sneered. “I will hold you personally responsible.”

He stepped closer, lifting his dark glasses and gazing down at Chelsea who hung limp in my arms. “Who did this to her?”

“The same fucker who killed her parents, now get the fuck out of my way.”

I watched as he searched my face, maybe looking for some indication that I was lying. I was about to tear him a new asshole before he spun around and yelled at the men who filled the small hall. “Move.” They all stepped aside and he gestured with his head for me to follow as he ran for the door. I didn’t hesitate, readjusting my grip on her small body and dashing out after him. I looked around for an ambulance or medic, but the street was just filled with SWAT vehicles and cop cars.

“She needs a fucking hospital,” I yelled after him.

He pulled open the door of a large black car with tinted windows. “Get in! It will be faster if I just drive.”

I growled deep in my throat, not happy with leaving my men here to fend for themselves. But I had to have faith in them and I knew they wouldn’t want me to waste time and risk Chelsea not making it. I threw myself into the back of the car, pulling the door closed just in time as he sped away from the curb, lights, sirens and all.

The hospital wasn’t far, maybe five minutes if we had a good run. I just hoped she could hold on for that long.

I brushed my knuckles along the side of her face. “Come on, Blackbird. Fight it. Stay with me.” I felt myself choking up but forced it back down. I wouldn’t be weak. I would be strong for her. “What’s going to happen to my boys?” I asked, trying to keep my focus.

His eyes caught mine in the rear-view mirror. “Depends what was going on in that basement.”

“Marco DePalma, he’s been behind all of this shit.”

“The brother?” he asked, apparently surprised.

I nodded, not even sure if he was still looking at me. We were thrown side to side as he swerved through traffic and ran red lights.

“We didn’t kill Chelsea’s parents.” I didn’t care if he didn’t believe me. If he had any proof, someone would have been arrested fucking years ago. “What’s going to happen to my boys?” I repeated, sterner this time.

“If everyone who comes out of that place is alive—nothing.”

I nodded, hoping in my mind that Blizzard hadn’t lost the plot and killed Marco. I could see the pain in his eyes. He felt betrayed. He’d finally let himself feel something for a woman and she’d turned out to be the enemy.

It wasn’t going to be easy to pull him back from this one.

Not this time.

We finally pulled up to the front doors of the emergency room. There were doctors there waiting with a stretcher.

“My boys would have called ahead.” I threw myself out and Chelsea was quickly pulled from my grasp. I wanted to hold her, be with her. I had to fight with myself not to yell and scream at them.

This was their job.

Let them do it.

I chased after them as they flew through the doors, rushing Chelsea down a long corridor.

“I don’t have a pulse!” One of the doctors yelled.

“No!” I screamed, about to launch myself at them but two arms wrapped around my chest and held me back. I fought to get to her as they rushed her away.

“Let them do their job,” Deacon yelled in my ear. “You can’t do anything now, just let them do their job.”

I pushed his arms off me, breathing hard as I spun around to face him. He stared me down, not many men would have the balls to do that, but he did. My respect for him raised a little. I pushed past him, slamming my fist into the wall as I passed back through the doors into the waiting room. Parents ushered their kids away from me and men and women made space as I paced. Deacon followed me, dropping into a chair and ripping his cap off his head.

“This is fucked up,” he muttered.

I ignored him, I didn’t have time to think about what the hell he was feeling. It didn’t matter to me. Chelsea was mine, I was meant to protect her and I had let her fucking down.

Deacon pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a number and holding it to his ear.

“Yeah,” he said, scrubbing his head. “No pulse, they’re working on her now.” His head bobbed as he listened to the person on the other line.

“Alive? Yeah...” He looked up at me. “Wasn’t them. Get them in for questioning and let them go.” He talked for a little bit longer before hanging up. His body was tense and he held his head in his hands.

“What going to happen to Rose?” I asked, curious. I knew even though she had shit on the club and on Chelsea, that my girl would still defend her. She’d been manipulated and lied to by her own father. She had some serious shit going on in her head, shit that would need a long time in therapy to sort out. But she’d get there. I wanted to strangle her, yell and fucking scream for putting Chelsea in this position, but she was just a pawn in a bigger game of chess.

“She’ll be questioned. Find out what her involvement was.” He shrugged. “There something I need to know?”

“Her daddy was a fucking asshole.”

He nodded. “Noted.”

Time seemed to slow. I finally got tired of walking the length of the small room and dropped myself into a chair. My leg bounced nervously and I couldn’t keep my hands still. It was hard for me to tell myself that she could make it out of this alive. Even I knew the prognosis was dim at best. My chest ached and I wanted to be sick.

She deserved more than this. She wanted to be something. She had dreams and aspirations, and she was determined to make something of herself despite the constant disappointments and heartache that her life had handed her. Me included.

How would I live when she was the air that I breathed? The thought of being without her made me feel like I was suffocating.

The doors that led to the corridor where they’d taken her opened and I was on my feet instantly. The doctors eyes found mine and I could see in his eyes that it wasn’t good. I felt like I was floating as my body moved forward.

This wasn’t it.

I would know, I would know if she was gone.

He tucked his clipboard under his arm and took a deep breath. “She had a broken rib and a collapsed lung. She flat lined more than once and we managed to bring her back, but she’s been rushed into surgery. We can hope for the best, there’s a chance she’ll make it out. But the reality is, she’s been without oxygen for a while. How that’s affected her brain we aren’t sure.”

Everything started spi

His lips pursed. “There is a possibility, yes. Best case, her brain is affected and she may have some memory loss or need physical therapy if it has affected her ability to move her body.”

I tried to nod but everything was turning and my body felt off kilter. My legs gave way, but I didn’t hit the ground, someone caught and dragged me to a seat. I was struggling to breathe and I heard the doctor ask if they needed to step in.

“He’s okay. It’s fine.” I heard Harmony’s voice and she appeared kneeling on the floor in front of me. “Big bad bikers don’t pass out, Op. I’m sure that’s written in the bylaws somewhere.” She tried to smile, but I could see the sadness in her eyes. She’d heard it all.