Unlawfully Yours (Lawless MC #1)

14

“Where is he!” My voice booms through the narrow hospital hallway, searching for a familiar face or a guiding light or some shit amongst all this madness.

Kit’s been shot.

Killian’s words have played on a constant loop ever since I took that phone call not so long ago and it damn near brought me to my knees.

I can’t even remember the ride over here, it’s all a blur, though I’m pretty sure I broke every speed limit known to man getting here.

How did this happen? Who shot him? Was he targeted or was it an accident? The questions swirling around my head are making me dizzy.

Is he alive or dead?

What if I’m too late?

My stomach churns, my heart thundering against my ribs so hard it feels like I’m about to have a heart attack.

Jett’s on my shoulder as we round the corner and my eyes find Killian, sat on a chair up against the wall, his forearms resting on his knees and his gaze on his feet. As we approach, his eyes lift and he starts towards us.

“Where’s my son? Where’s Kit?” I ask.

Kill scrubs a bloody hand over his beard. “I dunno, man. Allie’s gone to find out what’s going on.”

“Who the fuck is Allie?” I ask just as a woman rounds the corner, a woman I know all too well and my breath hitches.

“Killian, they’ve taken him into surgery. I—” Her words die on her lips when her gaze lands on me, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Allie.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my words coming out a little harsher than I intended. “Where’s my son?”

Her brows lift. “You… You’re Kit’s dad?” she asks, stunned. Did Kill not mention it to her?

My eyes drop to her hands and her shirt that are stained in dried blood.

My son’s blood.

“Where is he? What’s going on?” I repeat.

Her eyes soften, closing the space between me and the guys. “They’ve taken him into surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. He’s lost a lot of blood, but the bullet missed his main organs and arteries so they’re hopeful. The doctors are confident and they’re gonna do everything they can,” she explains.

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I drop into one of the chairs. “What the fuck happened?”

“It was a drive-by shooting. It all happened in the space of about five seconds. Kit and his friends were playing on the sidewalk when it happened. One of the kids didn’t make it, the other made it out unharmed.”

My eyes lift to the woman in front of me. “You were there?”

Allie nods.

“It was a fucking mess, man,” Kill says, running a hand through his hair.

Images flashes behind my eyes of Kit being shot, the gunshots ringing through my head as if I were stood on the sidewalk myself, watching it all unfold and a cloud of rage comes over me.

My eyes lift to Allie’s. “Why didn’t you stop it?”

She frowns, blinking a few times like she’s processing what I’ve just said. “W—What?”

“You’re a cop, right? You’re supposed to stop shit like this from happening! So, what exactly were you doing?”

Her entire face morphs from devastation to pure fury in a second. “Apologies for not being able to see the future, but I’m not telepathic. You think I have some sort of sixth sense for this? That I could predict what would happen? I get that you’re angry right now, but direct it at the people responsible for this and not at me. As for what I was doing? I was saving your son’s goddamn life, you ungrateful bastard!”

Her eyes glisten with unshed angry tears as she releases a shuddering breath, wrapping her arms around herself. “I’m sorry you think I didn’t do enough, and for what it’s worth, Myles, I wish it was me that took the bullet instead of your son. Whether you believe me or not, I hope he recovers well.” With that, she thanks Kill for his help before disappearing down the corridor without another word.

“That was a little harsh, Prez,” Kill starts. “I hate to admit it, but she was fucking amazing today, without her we’d be visiting Kit in the morgue, not the hospital.”

“I know,” I resign, rubbing my brow.

“Don’t you think if there was anything else she could’ve done, she would’ve done it?”

My stomach twists. “I fucking know, okay? Of course I do. I just can’t think straight when my son is god knows where. He could fucking die, man, and there’s nothing I can do for him.”

I lashed out at her in the heat of the moment and it wasn’t fair, I know that. It’s what I do when I’m scared and helpless, and right now, I’m fucking terrified.

“It won’t come to that.” I know he’s only trying to comfort me, but Killian can’t know that for sure.

A hand lands on my left shoulder as my brother moves into the seat beside me. “It’s gonna be okay, brother. He’s as hard as nails, a stubborn SOB just like his dad.” Jett’s words do nothing to comfort me.

I won’t believe a single thing until I see him with my own two eyes.

An hour later, I’m surrounded by my brothers. Every single one of my guys here to support me and send their best wishes to Kit, and having them near sets me a little more at ease.

A nurse turns the corner and audibly gasps, taking in the corridor full of huge bikers dressed head to toe in leather before spinning on her heel and darting back to wherever she came from.

I stare out the window that overlooks a small wellness garden situated between the main hospital buildings, decorated in vibrant flowers of all colours and types. It’s a safe space for patients to escape the plain white walls of the hospital and the sickly chemical smell that lingers in the air.

A soft hand comes to rest on my arm and I glance down to find Rita’s soft smile. “That boy’s strong, just like his daddy. He’s gonna be just fine, I know it.”

“What if he isn’t?”

“You can’t think like that, Myles,” she tells me.

“I’m being realistic, preparing for the worst.” No point getting my hopes up to have them crushed.

“I know it’s hard, but you have to keep believing, my boy.”

Rita heads back over to her husband, settling into the seat besides Ray as he places his hand comfortingly over hers.

I glance down at my watch and curse. “What the fuck is going on? We’ve been waiting for hours.” I stress, tugging at the strands of my hair so hard it makes my scalp sting, but I welcome the pain, it takes it away from the agony in my chest.

Just as I’m about to head to the nurse’s station and demand an update on my son, a voice calls my name.

“Mr. Lawson?” A male doctor in a white overcoat enters the room where we’ve been waiting for almost two hours. “My name is Doctor Stephens. When your son was brought in, he’d lost a lot of blood but we’ve managed to sustain the bleeding and remove the bullet. We’ve since given him a blood transfusion and also bandaged up the graze to the side of his abdomen. He has a very mild concussion and will need plenty of bed rest. I would like to keep him in for at least a week as a precaution. You son was very lucky today.”

“He’s going to be okay?”

The doctor offers me a comforting smile. “Yes, Kit is going to be just fine. You’re welcome to go in and see him, he’s been asking for you, though he may still be quite sleepy.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

I follow him down the corridor to Kit’s room and open the door. He’s lying on the hospital bed in the middle of the room, his eyes closed, but the second the door clicks shut, he blinks his eyes open, his eyes finding me instantly.

“Dad!” His eyes light up when I step into the room. He offers me a dopey smile as the anesthetic wearing off, I doubt he has the energy.

I drop into the chair beside his bed. He’s hooked up to a couple of machines that beep and make other tedious fucking noises, but I do my best to block them out. “Hey, buddy. How you feeling?”

“Sore. And my head hurts,” he groans groggily.

“You gave me quite a scare, buddy.”

“Sorry.”

I cover his hand with mine. “Not your fault. It’s whoever put you in the hospital that are to blame. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

I already have a pretty good idea of who is behind this. It’s The Cobras’ MO to gun people down in the middle of the street. And as much as I want to give every single one of those fuckers a slow and painful death, I’m too exhausted to be angry right now. That anger will come some time soon, I’m sure, but right now I need to focus on my son, and the last thing he needs right now is any more stress.

“Kill said that the new police officer, Allie saved your life? That true?”

He nods. “Where is she? Can I see her?”

“Maybe when you’re feeling up to it. Okay? Just get some rest, you’re gonna need it, buddy.”

His eyes grow weary. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

“Nothing could keep me away.” I lean over and carefully wrap my arms around him, thankful that he’s okay. “I love you, Kit.”

When I pull back, he’s already fallen asleep. I don’t know how long I sit and watch him sleep, but I keep my eyes transfixed on the rise and fall of his chest, just so I know he’s still breathing.

This whole day could’ve turned out so differently. Like Kill pointed out earlier, I could be visiting my son’s body in the morgue right now if Allie hadn’t been there.

Regardless of my mixed feelings towards her, I owe her my thanks. Hell, I owe her a lot more than that, but above all, I owe her an apology.