Vicious Heart (Desert Kings MC #2)

26. Cam

twenty-six

Cam

The steady hums and beeps of the machines in the hospital blended with the murmur of hushed voices until all I heard was a deafening buzz. That sound made me want to jab something sharp into my ears.

Angry, unable to shelve the emotion that threatened to boil over, I paced the long, but mostly empty, hallway. I think the nurse in the ICU took one look at me and knew I’d rip the place apart if I was forced into a waiting room with dozens of people I didn’t know. She let me stay.

When I passed the seat Riley perched on, she reached for my hand and gave my fingers a gentle, reassuring squeeze. She was there. I wasn’t alone. Knowing that was the only thing that kept me from losing my shit.

“Mr. Savage?” The nurse that approached me was a lanky man with a slight southern drawl. “She’s out of surgery and awake. They had to put several pins in, but the arm should heal fine. The orthopedic surgeon will stop by in the morning with a full update. She’s not intubated. She’s able to breathe on her own, so she should be getting a private room soon. She’ll stay here a few days, though, to make sure the concussion heals properly.”

He stepped in, leaning close. “I don’t know what happened, but…there is a counselor I’d like her to speak to.”

I cut my eyes to Riley, then back to him. He was one of those overly friendly and helpful people. They were misguided and well meaning, thinking the system could save women like Ro and my mother. I’d met too many of them to count as a kid.

But Ro wasn’t like mom. This had nothing to do with her. It all landed firmly on me. I’d make damn sure it never happened again. I shoved past him, leaving my girl to handle it. And Riley would; she’d smooth everything over so I didn’t have to.

There’d been fear on his face. I was a Desert King, the bad guy. He wasn’t going to believe anything I had to say, anyway.

In the room, the buzzing sound slid away. It was quiet here, removed from the business of the hospital outside the door that I’d shut softly. If she was asleep, I didn’t want to wake her.

One look at Ro and I had to turn away. Her face was swollen, unrecognizable. Her nose, obviously broken, lips busted and scabbed over. I choked on a wave of rage; it stole my breath and the ability to move other than to shake.

When I’d steeled myself to see it again, I turned back to her. Over my life, I’d seen some fucked up shit. But that someone had survived being beaten like that was—

She cracked an eye open and winced. “Can’t say you didn’t warn me.”

Crying wasn’t something I was used to. I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes to staunch the tears and laughed without humor. “Fuck, I wish you’d listened.”

“Used to…say the same…about you,” she mumbled between thready breaths.

Riley came in then, sliding around me to sit in a chair beside the bed, and thread her fingers through Ro’s. That hand seemed to be the only thing not busted or blue.

I moved to the foot of her bed, not trusting myself to go any further. If I did, I’d leave the hospital and track down Preacher. The club be damned. My eyes burned, and I gripped the plastic bedrail and it creaked under the pressure, threatening to crumble.

I’d destroy him for this. No patch or club rule was going to stop me. I’d never wanted to kill a man more. “I never thought he’d go this far.”

She sighed. “He needed money. I didn’t have it to give him.”

“That’s not why he did this.” Looking at her hurt, so I cast my gaze to Riley.

Ro shook her head, grunting in pain as she did. “It is. He thought Archer hid it at my place. Tried to force me to tell him where it was.”

Riley shot a frantic glance at me. I shook my head no. We weren’t even telling Ro. I willed her to see the conviction in my eyes. If he had done this to Ro thinking she knew, he’d do worse to Riley if he found out she had the money.

“I talked to the lawyer. There isn’t a huge sum of cash. Mostly, just properties like your place and the house.” Riley’s voice was cool and convincing. Lying like that, she’d make one hell of a lawyer.

“I know him,” Ro garbled, like she was talking through a mouth full of broken glass. “He believes there’s money and won’t stop until he finds it.”

She cast her open eye at Riley. A lot can be said with a look, even one from a woman with a face busted all to hell. Everything about the way she watched Riley was a warning similar to the one I’d given.

He’d never get that close to Riley. I’d kill him first and smile all the way to prison, saying cheese motherfucker for my mugshot.

“He owes somebody.” Her lips pulled apart, and she winced again.

“Yeah.”

“Pretty sure we know who,” I said, then blew out a hard breath.

***

I was outside the emergency room doors, smoking, but every inch of me wanted to be at the clubhouse killing Preacher. Riley was the only reason I wasn’t. She’d convinced me to stay until Ro was settled in her room, asleep.

And she’d be safe here. I’d already called Deputy Wyatt and made sure there would be someone keeping an eye on her, even when I couldn’t. Not that I expected Preacher to be that bold. He was waiting on me to react.

Riley came out the doors and scanned the parking deck until she saw me. Then her mouth settled in a relieved half smile. Like she’d thought I’d left, road out, and done exactly what I’d wanted to do.

Her pouty upper lip flirted with me even now. Made me want to kiss her stupid and find a different way to blow off some steam. The monster that raged inside me turned, took one look at her, and wanted her, too. And that’s why Riley was different from every other woman. The whole of me, even the bad parts, wanted her.

Only she could tame the beast.

“Hey.” She wrapped her arms around my middle and snuggled in like she knew I was barely hanging on; that I needed her to keep from collapsing into the darkness.

I flicked the cigarette butt into the outdoor ashtray and kissed her hair, inhaling the clean scent of her.

There were moments when it wasn’t about sex, when touching her was about something more. Riley was comfort, she provided a soothing security I’d never felt from anyone else. Here, with her, was my safe space.

I could never thank her enough for that. Never repay that debt. But I could protect her, get her the fuck out of Hayes County, and away from Preacher. And never had I wanted to do that more than right then.

“I know I’m not supposed to know things, and you can’t tell me anything. But I met Garza, spoke to him.”

She was right on the money with that. It was Garza who’d scared Preacher so badly he’d beaten Ro nearly to death. There were bylaws, a code that all of us wearing the cut had to abide by. Riley was right about that, too. The very same code that saved my life had killed Archer.

I was beginning to wonder if it was worth it anymore.

“I don’t know what Preacher got himself into, but it ain’t just gambling. Whatever it is, it’s more than that.” The words kept coming when they shouldn’t. “Garza showing up at the fight like that was a statement. He’ll come for the MC next. This ball is rolling now, Riley. I don’t know if I can stop it.”

I kissed her on the top of the head and pulled back, dragging her to the bike. “But I can sure as fuck keep you safe.”