Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

44. Jett

FORTY-FOUR

Jett

“ H ey hey hey!” Tonk calls in, announcing his arrival from outside the hospital room before I even open my eyes.

With the recent turn of events I’m ecstatic to see him. Finally have good news after all these months.

My friends have been worried.

I get it.

They respect this, but I know most of ‘em are wonderin’ when I was gonna give up. Never once occurred to me to throw in the towel.

The Ciphers have done missions without me since they left L.A., but I told them I’d be back – I just didn’t know when. I had faith. It wasn’t easy watching the days pass and not knowing what would happen.

But it sure was worth it.

Glancing over to make sure she’s awake, I receive a small, closed-mouth smile. Her color is better this morning. There’s an orange juice on her little table. Must have slept through the last rounds of vitals checking.

I greet him with my morning voice, deep but happy. “Hey, Tonk! It’s cool. Come on in.”

Luna half-waves at him as he enters, looking like she feels a little like a creature in a zoo.

His eyes gleam at the sight of her. “Wow. Okay if Carmen comes in?” he asks, looking between me and Luna.

She doesn’t know about Carmen.

I haven’t had the chance to tell her and I’m not sure how she’ll take it.

But I’m not making the girl sit outside in the corridor.

“Yeah, ‘course. Bring her in. Just give us a minute.”

“Sure. I’ll get you some coffee from the cafeteria.”

Throwing the blanket off me as my friend heads out, I walk the couple steps to Luna’s bed. “She’s one of Matias’s girls, Sunshine.” Her face contorts with surprise and confusion. In a hushed voice, I reassure her, “He’s in love with the girl. Gonna take care of her and the baby.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna brush my teeth. You want help?”

With her mind now on Carmen, she mutters, “Just give me the thing full of water. I’ll do the rest.”

“You got it.”

In no time Carmen — now nineteen and ready to pop — gets guided in to meet the woman who saved her, for the first time.

We were in it together, after all, in a weird roundabout way. It wasn’t my idea for Tonk to tell Carmen that Luna’s a hero, but he did it anyway because — the way he explained it to me — she did take out the bastard behind the whole cold-blooded enterprise. Permanently.

Carmen smiles with admiration and whispers a gentle, “Hello,” then glances to me with a small nod. “Hello, Jett.”

Luna’s dark eyes are misty as she takes the girl in, huge stomach and all. She’s clutching her hospital blanket, and the room is tense as we all wait for her to say something. She’s just staring at Carmen, which is making the pregnant girl self- conscious. Tonk takes her hand protectively, but remains quiet. This is a dicey situation crackling with emotion. Tonk is aware of Luna’s history, to the extent of what we know, which isn’t much but enough.

Luna starts getting out of the bed, but stops and whispers, “Dizzy.” She meets Carmen’s eyes again, and holds out her hand. “Can you come here?”

Tonk releases her as he exchanges a look with me. I nod that I understand this is tense.

Carmen walks to the bed and nervously smiles. Sunshine offers her an open palm and the young, pregnant girl lays her hand on it. A tear slides down Sunshine’s cheeks and she croaks, “I’m so sorry.”

Carmen starts to cry. Luna rises up on her knees and encircles Carmen in a hug. The two women close their eyes and hold each other. Tonk and I drop our gazes to the floor to give them respectful privacy.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Carmen whispers.

Luna pulls away, shaking her head. “It was them. It wasn’t me.”

Tonk’s voice is hoarse now, too, but he’s not having it. “No! It was all of us.”

Carmen buries herself into his side as he goes to her, her belly pressed against his.

“You hear from Honey Badger?” he asks me, trying to change the subject for his own sanity. He really wishes he was the one who killed Matias. He’s told me many times.

I get it.

I kinda wish I’d done it, too.

“Nah. What’s up?” I cross my arms with my feet spread wide.

“Mission accomplished. He said it was a piece of chocolate cake with gooey frosting after what we did here.”

Smiling at the description, I say, “No doubt.”

“Well,” He smiles at Luna. “Carmen’s due soon, so we were thinking of headin’ home, but I’m glad we saw you alright before we left.”

Tonk’s manner has changed dramatically since Carmen has come into his life. He still looks like a huge badass, but his heart is on his sleeve now. There’s a soft light in his eyes, and it shines like crazy when he looks at her like he’s doing now.

My eyebrows knit as I think about what he’s said. “Huh. Hadn’t thought of the next move. Been busy.”

I don’t have to look to know Luna’s watching me. I can feel her staring, wondering what I’m gonna do now.

Massaging Carmen’s back with the hand that’s holding her to him, Tonk explains, “I want the baby to be born there. Los Angeles isn’t our home.”

I mutter, under my breath, “Right. I guess I’ll meet you there later on.”

“Well, I was thinkin,’ Jett, that she can’t ride the back of my bike like this. And it’s too late for flyin’ — she can’t go on airplanes at nine months, so…what about the train? Amtrak?”

“By herself?” I ask with a deep frown. “I don’t like it.”

Tonk’s eyes drift to Luna and I realize what he’s trying to get at. I look over to see her reaction. She’s smart enough that she’s caught on, too, that Tonk wants her to watch over Carmen for the trip, while we ride our motorcycles. The hopeful look on his face gives him away.

Fuck, I wish he would’ve brought this up with me, first. Springing it on her like this isn’t a good idea. “Sunshine’s just woke up, man.”

“I know…”

“They haven’t even set her free, yet.”

“Yeah.” He looks at Carmen. “Guess I’m gettin’ anxious. Any day now.”

“Two more weeks,” I tell him.

“Anything can happen, man. I want the guys around. And Melodi and Hannah.”

“Melodi’s fuckin’ nuts,” I mutter, thinking of Fuse’s crazy woman.

“She’s good with kids, though. Just has a jealous streak, that’s all.”

With amusement I raise my eyebrows at him, remembering well his speech about how jealous bitches bring men down and that Fuse should leave his. But motivation changes opinions. And Melodi is a good mother. She’s even better than Hannah whose got three runnin’ around from Scythe. Since he’s on the road the most of any of us, Melodi cares for Hannah’s kids thanks to her depression from missing her man. It’s a vicious circle, but we all take care of each other.

“True,” I mutter, shaking my head at how twisted life is.

A nurse enters with the machine to check Luna’s vitals. Behind her is that physical therapist I don’t want near her. I straighten up and eyeball him. Tonk notices and glances over as the tight-shirted fuckhead nods to us, then smiles at Luna.

“Well, look at you!”

She frowns at him and glances to me. “Who the hell is this?” she asks me as the nurse wraps the blood pressure Velcro on.

Relief relaxes me into a low laugh. She doesn’t find the dude attractive. Good. “He’s gonna help you get stronger, baby.”

She sneers from me to him. Perplexed by this reaction, he looks around with a lot less confidence than he walked in with. Tonk’s trying not to laugh.

“Sunshine likes her men dirty,” I tell the poor guy.

Luna laughs and tries to get serious as quickly as she can. “Sorry. What do you need me to do?”

As soon as the nurse finishes up, he guides Luna out of the bed and tells her, “It’s normal to feel dizzy.” Holding her up, he walks her around the small room until she finally pulls away.

“I think I’ve got it.”

Tonk and I exchange a look, but Carmen is just watching Luna like she’s the most interesting woman in the world. There’s an invisible pedestal erecting under her bare feet with every passing second.

Holding onto the wall, Luna walks around and breathes deeply in and out. The hospital therapist watches her and walks with her, but doesn’t dare make a move to help.

She glances to me out of the corner of her beautiful eyes, and smiles. “I’m gonna be fine.”

I’m feeling more pride than I ever have for anything or anyone, ever.

“ Yeah you are,” I tell her. “You’re gonna be better than fine, baby.”