Willow by Erin Osborne
Chapter Twenty-One
Timothy ‘Crave’ Bennett
WE’VE BEEN OUT making sure there’s no one left from Dante and Emilio’s crew. It’s been days and so far, we’ve heard absolutely nothing from anyone. No one is talking about the brothers not being seen around town or all of the shit they were doing all of a sudden stopping. We don’t know if they had a bigger backer or were working with other organizations for the skin trade and other shit they were doing. Blood has asked us to keep riding around to make sure nothing is going to blow back on us. I sure as fuck don’t want anything to come bite us in the ass when we least expect it because we didn’t double check our work and make sure nothing happens to any of the ol’ ladies or anyone else attached to the club.
Nash and the Prospect are going to make it. They’ll be in the hospital for a few days, but a full recovery is expected for both of them. Our newest member is bitching and grumbling about being in the hospital; he hates them but then again most of us do. Scott is back at the clubhouse. The sweetbutts are waiting on him hand and foot and making sure he has everything he needs and give him sponge baths daily. He’s lapping up the attention from the girls like any other single guy would. Hell, before Trin, I’d be lapping up any and all attention from the women who have no problem walking around naked and offering up anything to make a man feel good. We’re happy to have the young Prospect back and will do what we can in order to make sure he heals and doesn’t have any type of setbacks. Including Doc coming in on a regular basis to check him over.
The one part I hate about the job is we’ve been out from the time we wake up in the morning until we have to go to work. If it’s our day off, we don’t come in until Trinity and gram are already sleeping. Gram it’s not really surprising because it’s all she seems to do these days. I’m not sure bringing her to the clubhouse was the best idea because it seems as if she’s now going downhill faster than anyone thought. Trinity bears the brunt of it because she tries to hide the pain filling her more on a daily basis. Instead of her eyes being bright and shining with happiness, even if it’s guarded, her eyes are now filled with shadows and a haunted look I never want to see on her face again.
Today, Breaker and I both have off from Legacies. Other people are filling in for us because it’s one of the last days we’ll be out riding around looking for any sign of these fuckers. That’s a direct order from Blood. We want to spend time with gram and Trinity before they go to bed for the night. Even with gram sleeping more than anything else, we still sit in with her and just keep her company. Wendy, her main nurse, doesn’t get in our way or venture out of the room when we’re in there. She wants to be close in case something happens. Plus, I believe she’s scared to death of all the members sitting around and the sweetbutts. It’s not uncommon for them to get territorial and cause a scene with new women coming in. Wendy doesn’t need that shit so it’s a good thing she stays in grams room unless she’s coming or going.
I’m riding with Bounce and Breaker today. Because it’s not a run and we don’t anticipate any danger, Blood let us ride together today. It’s been uneventful and we’re ready to head back to the clubhouse. Bounce is in agreement with us because he’s missing his woman and kids. For a guy who never wanted any kids, Bounce is a hands on dad and misses his kids and ol’ lady when he’s not with them. Breaker and I can understand what he’s feeling because it’s the same way we feel when we’re not with Trinity. We don’t have kids. Yet. I imagine it’s going to feel much the same when our son or daughter is here with us.
No matter what anyone says, I may be the biological father of Trinity’s baby, but Breaker will be the kids dad too. When he gets her pregnant, I’ll be the dad to his kids as well. If we’re going to be a family, all of us will be the parents. It’s not going to be divided in any way. At least that’s what Breaker and I want to happen. We haven’t even had a chance to talk to Trinity about it yet. Between work, gram, and searching for shit, we haven’t had much time for much of anything.
Pulling into a gas station not far from the property we found Dante and Emilio on, we park our bikes at the end of the parking lot. Taking a minute to just breathe, the three of us remain on our bikes and look out at the street. There are a lot of traffic and people milling about on the sidewalks. They don’t appear to be looking over their shoulders at incoming trouble or worried about doing things with the backlash of someone coming after them. Not a single person is going to have to worry about Dante and his fucked-up brother anymore thanks to us.
“Let’s get a drink and head back to the clubhouse. Gram and Trinity should be up now,” Breaker says, sliding his sunglasses up on top of his head as he continues to look around.
“I’m down for headin’ back to the clubhouse,” Bounce agrees, his voice fading away as he takes in a blacked-out SUV rolling up on us.
Taking a hard look at it, it’s the same one that shot at Trinity and I at Legacies. I’d never forget that vehicle because of the dirt and debris covering the front end. I look at Bounce and Breaker as they pull in the parking lot and stop at one of the pumps.
“What’s goin’ on?” Breaker questions me, his voice low.
“That’s the fuckin’ SUV that shot up the fuckin’ club and at Trinity that day,” I answer him, my voice as low as my best friends.
“How do you know?” Bounce asks, looking over my shoulder at the SUV as three men get out.
“The dirt and debris on the front of it. They haven’t cleaned it. I also recognize the watch on that fucker’s wrist. The sun was glintin’ off it when he reached out of the window to start shootin’,” I answer him looking at the man as I turn and start walking closer. “Takin’ them the fuck out. I want my pound of flesh for them almost hurtin’ Trin and my baby.”
“Gotta play this shit smart,” Bounce warns, his voice lethal and low.
“I’m gonna knock them the fuck out at the SUV. None of them will go inside the store because they’re grabbin’ gas and nothin’ more. We can disable them quietly and then take them back to the clubhouse. When we’re ready we can question them before makin’ sure this is the last of them. Or if we’re dealin’ with another crew comin’ for us. Breaker, do your thing inside. Make sure you get the tapes, and the girl won’t talk,” I tell them, knowing the attendant has a crush on my best friend.
It’s not going to be hard for Breaker to distract the young girl. She’s of legal age, but has already lived a hard life. There is no way in hell he’s going to cheat on Trinity, but he can charm the hell out of the girl in order to get what we need. This isn’t the worst area in our small town, but the cops hate venturing over here. They only come when it’s absolutely necessary for murders and overdoses. Everything else, they wait until the last possible second to pull up and investigate anything. This time, it’s going to work in our favor.
Bounce and I walk up to the men at the SUV and don’t hesitate to beat the fuck out of them. Oh, they try to fight back using whatever they can get their hands on. One of them tries to use the gas hose to choke me out, but it doesn’t work in his favor. Kicking backward, I hit his knee and he instantly goes down. Bounce has the second guy choked out and laying on the ground of the parking lot. Turning his attention to the last man, as I knock out the man on me with one punch, Bounce pulls the man’s hands behind his back and puts him in the driver’s seat of the SUV. He climbs in with him after pulling his gun from the waist of his pants.
“Get a Prospect here with a flatbed to pick up my bike. Load up the other two in the back and let’s get the fuck outta here,” Bounce says, not taking his eyes of the man in the driver’s seat.
“On it.”
Motioning for Breaker, I pull my phone out to call a Prospect. Our new guy lets me know he’ll be here as soon as possible. Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I load the two fuckers in the very back of the SUV as Breaker comes out with the tapes in his hand. Yeah, this place is old school and doesn’t have the cameras record other than to an old as shit VCR. He watches over the tapes simply to make sure his employees aren’t stealing. We all know him because he’s been in business forever and has never changed his ways. He’s one of the if it’s not broken, don’t fix it mentality.
“You done?” Breaker asks as I shut the door on the SUV and Bounce takes over the guy who will be driving to the clubhouse with our new guests.
“Ready. We need to be on his ass. What about Bounce’s bike?”
“Prospect on the way. Sheila will make sure no one touches it. I assured her someone would be here soon to get it. Figured we’d have to leave one behind,” Breaker tells me, thinking on his feet as always. “Let’s get the fuck home so we can string those fuckers up and see Trinity and gram.”
Nodding my head, we rush to our bikes and quickly head out to catch up with Bounce. We’re his back up if this asswipe decides to try some shit while on the road. The last thing we’ll do is take a risk with innocent people on the road because this fuck doesn’t want to give up any information he may have and the chosen way we’re about to extract said information from him.
Making sure the fuckers are strung up in our torture room, we all head upstairs. Bounce wants to see his family and make sure his bike is back here. Breaker and I want to get eyes on our woman and see gram before it gets too late, and we don’t have a chance to talk to her at all. A few words from gram is all we normally get, but it’s better than anything else. Looking at my phone, it’s just about dinner time. We can sit with gram and Trin while trying to get her to eat and then head to our room to remind Trinity we are still here for her. That we want to be with her, and this shit is going to be over with soon. Hopefully in a matter of hours.
Stepping in the common room, the sight greeting me is not one I expect to see. The ol’ ladies are sitting in the room with their men, crying and seeking comfort. Blood is at the bar with his head down, the drink in his glass untouched. The sweetbutts are nowhere in sight. My gut instantly tightens as I turn and head down the hallway to my old room. Our President stops me before I can open the door.
“They’re not here son. Trinity is at the hospital with Tonya. Gram was taken to the hospital by ambulance a little while ago and she didn’t make it. Passed away in the ambulance on the way there. The staff is lettin’ Trin spend some time with her gram before they take her away,” he informs us, his voice filled with sadness and heartache.
Most everyone in the club has come to care about gram. Everyone spent time with her in the room at one point or another during the day. She would cuss like a sailor and tell stories which made most the members laugh their asses off. It seems grams was a wild woman in her younger days. Back before she had Trinity’s mom that is. Once she became a mom, grams settled down her ways and was the best mom she could be. Even raising her daughter on her own because her husband died when Trin’s mom was a toddler. Said he was her one and she never had an interest in trying to find someone when she had already experienced the greatest love of her life. I can kind of understand where she’s coming from. Without a doubt, Trinity is the one I want and need. Even if it takes time to break down her walls.
“Why didn’t anyone fuckin’ call us?” Breaker barks out, losing his shit as he looks around the room.
“You were on a job, and we didn’t know where you were,” Blood states, the guilt he feels filling his face. “Shoulda called ya, but Tonya is there with her. She’s not alone.”
“We should be there with her,” I respond, heading through the common room and straight out the door. “And why is no one else there with them?”
“We’ve all been there until a few minutes ago. You called the Prospect, and we knew some shit was goin’ down,” Vanish says, following us outside.
“Yeah, and he could’ve handed the phone off, so we knew what was goin’ on. What if we pulled that shit if somethin’ was goin’ down with your ol’ lady or a family member?”
“We fucked up,” Vanish says, hanging his head.
I don’t bother listening to another word from anyone as Breaker and I straddle our bikes and start the engines, revving them a little so we don’t have to hear anything being said as more guys file outside with their women in their arms. Including Bounce who leads his woman to her SUV and gets in. I guess he’s taking her home. Breaker and I pull from our spots and race from the clubhouse. No one really said how long ago this all happened, but it’s been more than long enough for Trinity to get lost in her head with guilt, grief, and the thought of being left again. Yeah, I know that’s exactly where her minds at. Now, we’re not there with her and she probably expects us to leave her too. Not gonna happen, but she’s explained why she feels that way and it’s a valid reason.
Pulling into the emergency room lot, we park our bikes next to Tonya’s truck. We don’t hesitate to rush through the doors, almost knocking over the security guard as he stands in an attempt to block our entry. Not gonna happen. Our woman is in here and we’re gonna be with her for as long as she needs to say goodbye to her grams.
“Fuckin’ move!” Breaker barks, pushing past the man and placing him against the wall with his arm against the man’s throat.
“You can’t just rush in here like this,” the security guard grunts out as his face begins turning red.
“The fuck we can’t. Our pregnant woman is here and just lost her family member. You’re not gonna fuckin’ stop us,” I growl out, pulling on Breaker’s arm to get him to release the man so we can get to Trinity.
“Where the fuck is she?” Breaker pauses long enough to ask the older lady at the front desk. “Woman brought in by ambulance and passed away on the way here.”
“Last room on your left through those doors.”
We take off from the desk and rush through the doors once the woman pushes the button to let us in. Rushing down the hallway, doctors and nurses jump out of our way. When we get to the room the woman told us Trinity and grams was in, Breaker pushes the door open and the sight before our eyes stops us both dead in our tracks. Trin is on the floor with Tonya kneeling by her. The Queen of our club looks up, a helpless look covering her face.
“The fuck happened?” I ask, rushing to Trinity’s side to check her pulse.
“I don’t know. She went to get out of the chair and just collapsed. It just happened as you burst through the door,” she answers, getting out of the way so Breaker can get on the other side of her. “Trinity? Baby wake up.”
“Get a doctor in here,” Breaker says as Tonya rushes from the room.
Breaker and I keep our eyes off grams where she lies in bed. For now, Trinity is our only focus as we try to wake her up. In seconds, doctors and nurses are rushing into the room. They back us out of the way as we stand and let them do their job. For the first time since entering the room, I look at grams. She looks so peaceful instead of having a hint of pain on her face. Breaker follows my eye contact and we both shed a tear as they get Trinity ready to take to a different room so they can exam her and find out what’s wrong. I don’t have to let them know she’s pregnant since she has a baby bump now.
“I can’t believe we weren’t here with her,” Breaker says, stepping up closer to grams and running his hand over her head.
“I know. I’m pissed as hell right now,” I answer as a nurse comes in. “What are you doin’ in here?”
“I need to begin preparing the body to go downstairs,” she answers, not cowering from us.
“Nothin’ happens to her without her granddaughter’s consent. Is that clear?” Breaker barks at her.
“Yes, sir.”
Leaving the room, we spot Tonya in the hall looking in a room. That must be where Trinity is. We head straight for her but don’t make a move to go inside as several people work on her. This is not a good fucking sign at all.
