Chapter 17: Evie

17

EVIE

E dge walked into Irene's hospital room much earlier than I had expected, with a coffee in each hand. He handed one to Byte and one to me before leaning down to place a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you," I whispered. Irene was still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake her.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She woke up twice during the night because of pain, but otherwise, she's doing okay. How are you?"

He smiled tightly. "Good. We'll talk later."

I glanced at my coffee and nervously toyed with the lid. I understood why he was putting me off, but I was dying to know what happened with Muzzle.

Edge cleared his throat to get my attention. "We need to figure out the details for the diner."

"We did that last night," I told him.

"You did?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. It wasn't hard. Byte knows how to run the kitchen, and I know how to run the front. We just need a few people to help out until everyone's back on their feet."

"I need to touch base with Phoenix and see who's available each day, but yeah, we've pretty much got it covered," Byte said.

"It's too early now, but I need to try calling Marcy again. I haven't been able to get in touch with her since all of this happened," I said.

"Really?" Edge asked, but he had a strange look on his face.

"Yeah. I've left a couple of messages for her and sent a text, but she hasn't responded."

"Is that normal for her?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I've never talked to her outside of work."

"We'll plan on having someone there to cover her shift," Byte said. "If she shows up, great. I'm sure we'll be able to use an extra set of hands."

Edge shifted in his seat. "Do you want to go to your house to get a shower and a change of clothes before Irene wakes up?"

"Uh, sure," I said, slightly taken aback by his abrupt change of subject. "You'll be here with her until we get back?" I asked Byte.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll head home for a bit when you get back."

"I don't need babysitters," Irene grumbled sleepily.

The three of us froze and watched with bated breath to see if she would go back to sleep. When her eyes remained closed for several minutes, Edge and I waved goodbye and quietly left the room.

I waited until we were in his truck, but just barely. As soon as he closed his door, I asked, "What happened with Muzzle?"

He grimaced. "I can't tell you the details, and honestly, it's better if you don't know them, but you need to know some of it for your safety."

He was rambling, which was completely out of character for him. "Just tell me what you can," I said gently.

"Muzzle's dead."

"Oh." I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to say, but the news took me by surprise. "Did I kill him?"

"Does it matter?"

Did it? In the grand scheme of things, I guess it didn't, but killing one's own father felt like something a person should know.

"Sort of," I admitted. "I mean, I don't care that he's dead, but if I killed him, I want to know. What if someone asks me if I've ever killed someone? I want to be able to answer honestly."

"You should always answer no to that question," he said seriously.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right," I said and laughed. Okay, maybe I was still in a little bit of shock.

Edge reached over and grabbed my hand. "Are you okay?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to compose myself. "Yes, I'm okay. I suppose I've been concentrating on Irene, and now I'm starting to feel the impact of everything that happened." I hesitated briefly before repeating my question. "Did I kill him?"

Edge audibly swallowed and slowly nodded. "Luca said he died shortly after they picked him up."

The feeling of satisfaction that washed over me was completely unexpected. I nodded once. "Good. He deserved it, and I'm not sorry."

"Are you sure that's how you feel?"

"Yes. Why?"

He grinned. "Because I'm fucking proud of you. You walked into a bad situation and did what you needed to do to protect yourself and save your coworkers."

"I'm just glad it's over with, and everyone's going to be okay."

"About that," he said and pulled out of the parking lot. "I don't know how much truth there was to it, but Muzzle claimed his son knew where he was going and what he was doing and that his club would come looking for him if he didn't return."

"Are you serious?"

"That's what Luca told us. Even though there's no evidence connecting him to the incident at the diner or of us having anything to do with his disappearance, I think we should anticipate a visit from his friends in Fairbanks."

"What do you mean by ‘visit'?" I asked, even though I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"I don't really know. Worst-case scenario: his son and their club show up to finish what he started."

"To kill me."

"That's not going to happen," he said vehemently.

"I certainly hope not, but that is what he came to do."

"Did he tell you that?" Edge asked.

"Sort of. He said he came to make me pay for trying to pin Randall's murder on him and Snarl."

"That's an odd choice of words. You didn't try to pin it on him. He did it, and you turned him in."

"Well, he wasn't the smartest man," I said and closed my eyes as I leaned back in my seat. I was hoping he would think I was tired, but the truth was I didn't want to talk about Muzzle anymore.

Even though I knew none of it was directly my fault, I still felt responsible for what happened to Irene, Tony, and Bart. They were hurt because of my presence. I briefly wondered if I should leave town before anyone else got hurt. Sure, they might come after me, but I could just keep moving to a new town every few months.

I shook my head. I knew that wouldn't work. The only reason I'd done as well as I had was because of Irene. The chances of me finding someone like her again were slim to none.

Not to mention Edge. The feelings I had for him were deep. I could see a real future with him. There was no way I could walk away from what we had together.

Somewhere along the way, both of them had wormed their way into my heart and made what was supposed to be a temporary refuge feel like home.

By the time Edge pulled up to my trailer, I had managed to get myself in a better frame of mind. There was no way I'd be able to handle the Mad Dogs on my own. I needed to stay put and deal with the situation while I had people willing to help me.

Edge insisted on going inside first to make sure my home was clear, and I didn't argue with him. When he deemed it safe, he opened the front door for me to come inside.

"You've been pretty quiet since we left the hospital," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I lied. "I'm just tired. I think a hot shower and a large cup of coffee will help."

It wasn't entirely a lie. I was tired, but I was definitely not okay. Everything that had happened could be traced back to me, and the guilt I felt was overwhelming.

"I'll start the coffee while you shower," he offered and placed a kiss on my forehead before gently nudging me toward the bathroom.

"Thanks," I replied with a weak smile.

I knew I needed to get my shit together, but I couldn't stop thinking about how everything was my fault. The intrusive thoughts continued as I stepped under the hot water.

Did Irene blame me for the attack? Would she kick me out and fire me? Would Tony and Bart refuse to work with me?

I almost screamed when the shower door opened, and Edge stepped inside. Before I could ask what he was doing, he grabbed a handful of my wet hair to hold my head in place while he covered my mouth with his.

"I can practically hear you thinking," he said against my lips. "Let me help you take your mind off things for a bit."

Before I could respond, his mouth was back on mine and his hands were exploring my body. He cupped my breasts and ran his thumbs over my nipples, making my knees feel like they were going to buckle. With one hand toying with my right nipple, he moved the other between my legs and started rubbing my clit.

"Edge," I sighed as my hips involuntarily moved toward his hand.

Before I could blink, he turned me around, hoisted me back by my hips, thrust his cock into me, and started fucking me in earnest. I braced my hands on the wall and groaned. The way he was roughly handling my body was exactly what I needed.

"Touch your pussy," he ordered.

I moaned in response and pushed back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust until I felt a sharp sting as his palm made contact with my ass.

"I said, ‘Touch your pussy.'"

I didn't know if I could. I already felt like I was going to explode and collapse at the same time. Anything more might be too much. When he slapped my ass again, my hand moved between my legs of its own volition and gently pressed against my clit.

"Jamie," I breathed. "I, oh fuck, I can't," I said and started to move my hand back to the shower wall.

He reached over me, moving one hand from my hip to my breast, effectively keeping me from being able to put my hand on the wall. Then he did the same with his other hand, forcing me to lower my other hand as well. With his large hands wrapped around my breasts, he pinched both nipples and growled, "Play with your fucking pussy," as he continued to pound into me.

I did as he said and played with my clit, circling it with two fingers. The pressure was building inside of me, and it was going to be epic. "Jamie," I panted. "I'm going to come."

"Yeah, you fucking are," he said, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips. "Give it to me."

I did. I came like I'd never come before. As waves of pleasure pulsed through me, he continued moving, wringing every possible ounce of ecstasy from me. I wanted to collapse into a pleasure-soaked noodle, but he didn't relent.

"Again," he demanded.

It took me a moment to understand what he meant. "I…I don't think I can."

"You can," he insisted and released his grip on my nipples to begin gently passing his fingers over the sensitive tissue.

I groaned at the sensation. My nipples had always been sensitive, and Jamie knew exactly how to toy with them.

"Play with your tits for me," he instructed, and gently nipped my ear with his teeth.

I moved my hands to my breasts and circled my nipples with my fingers.

"That's right," he said as one of his hands slid down my torso and pressed against my clit. He pinched and flicked, then massaged and circled until he had me worked into a frenzy. I was panting and grinding against him, desperate for another release. When he moved his hand from between my legs, I made a sound of discontent.

He chuckled at my displeasure and pressed his mouth against my ear. "Rub your clit for me, baby, while I play with your tight little ass," he said as his finger slowly slid inside of me.

The sound that left me was almost feral. The sensations were overwhelming and borderline disorienting. It didn't take long before I was once again exploding with pleasure and struggling to stay upright. Thankfully, Jamie's grip on me kept me standing while he found his own release moments later.

Bracing my hands on the wall, I took a few moments to catch my breath. Before I was finished, Jamie turned me around and wrapped his arms around me. We stood there for several minutes, taking each other in, as the water poured down around us.

"We should probably finish up before we run out of hot water," I said quietly. I had no idea how long we'd been in there, but the water heater was small, so we had limited time.

Once we were both dry and dressed, I gathered a few things I wanted to take to the hospital while he filled two travel mugs with coffee.

"Ready to go?" he asked and handed me a mug.

I took a sip and groaned. "It always tastes better when you make it. And yes, I'm ready."

He grinned. "It's because I put more sugar in it."

"La la la," I said loudly since I couldn't plug my ears because my hands were full. "Don't tell me your secrets."

After a quick stop at Irene's house to get her some clothes to wear home from the hospital, as well as her phone charger and her backup pair of glasses, we then drove back to the hospital in a comfortable silence.

"Took you long enough," Irene said as soon as we entered the room.

I quickly spun to the side to place her things on the bedside table and to hide the flush heating my cheeks. "I didn't realize you were timing us."

"The doctor said she could go home, and she's ready to leave," Byte explained.

"I've spent enough time here. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to," Irene griped.

"You have to wait for your discharge papers," Byte told her. "The doctor said it would be a few hours."

"They'll get me out of here a lot faster if I bug the piss out of them."

Byte chuckled. "I'll be happy to confirm with Gabby, but I'm almost certain you'll get the opposite result if you annoy the nurses."

"Fine," she huffed. "I'll wait patiently and hope I survive another horrendous meal. Seriously, what is this crap?" She lifted the warming lid covering her plate and pointed to the food masquerading as lunch.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "I have no idea but cover it up before more of the smell gets out."

"I'll go pick up whatever you want," Edge offered.

"I'll have a double cheeseburger meal from that place on the corner. No onions, add mayo, large fries, and Coke to drink," Irene rattled off without an ounce of hesitation.

"Do you want anything?" he asked me.

"I'll have the same thing she ordered."

"I'll be back soon," he said after getting Byte's order.

"Do you want me to help you get changed?" I asked Irene.

"I don't want you to," she grumbled, "but I do need help."

"I'll wait outside the door," Byte said, and quickly left the room.

"The fastest way to clear a room is for an old lady to threaten to take her clothes off."

"Oh, stop. You're still smoking hot, and you know it."

"Well, I've definitely held up better than others my age," she admitted. "Okay, let's get this over with."

I'm not sure what she thought she needed help with. I stood there while she did everything herself. "Glad I could help," I teased when she finished.

"I forgot about not being able to wear a bra. What the hell am I going to do for the next few weeks? I can't let the girls swing free. Someone might get hurt."

"Maybe you could wear a strapless bra," I suggested.

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to pretend like you didn't say that."

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Strapless bras come in two sizes—so tight you can't breathe or loose enough to breathe, but end up around your waist in a few hours."

I nodded in agreement. "Okay, I see your point. We'll figure something out."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't mean to be cranky. I'm hungry, my entire body hurts, and I'm ready to go home."

"You don't need to apologize to me. You have every right to be cranky."

"I'm also pissed that son of a bitch got one over on me. And Byte refuses to tell me what happened after all was said and done. All he says is, ‘we took care of it.' Now, I know what that means, but I want to know the details."

"I'll tell you when we get you home," I whispered.

"That's my girl," she said and patted my hand.

"I don't know if this will make you feel better, but you being injured on the floor is likely what saved all of our lives."

"How so?" she asked curiously.

"I dropped down beside you and was digging through my purse to find my phone when Muzzle started talking behind me. I was able to get my gun without him seeing because of how I was positioned."

A sharp knock caught our attention. "Ladies, let's save this conversation for later," Byte said from the other side of the door.

"I swear. I haven't been able to fart without one of those boys knowing," Irene grumbled.

"I'm not concerned about your farts," Byte retorted.

"Well, I am. Sometimes a lady wants to break wind in peace," she called back.

"We're finished. You can come back in," I interjected.

"You look like a new woman," Byte said with a grin as he resumed his seat.

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"You love me," he said.

Irene grinned. "You love me, too."

When Edge returned with lunch, Irene was packed and ready to go. We were just waiting for the nurse to bring her papers.

"Oh, thank you, you dear, sweet man. You get to be my favorite today," Irene said as Edge placed her meal in front of her.

"Hey!" Byte said, pretending to be offended. "I've been by your side the whole time you've been here."

"And not once did you bring me food," Irene quipped before taking a huge bite of her burger. "Oh," she groaned. "This is so good." She had just taken her second bite when a nurse walked into the room with her discharge papers. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I can come back later," the nurse offered.

"Nope. Let's get this done. But I'm going to eat while we do," Irene said and continued devouring her food like she had been starving for days.

The nurse looked around the room and seemed to hesitate. Irene swallowed the food in her mouth and gestured for her to get started. "Go ahead, honey. They're family."

With that, the nurse started going over Irene's discharge instructions. I tried to listen to everything she was saying, but she lost me in the first few minutes. "Do you have any questions?" she asked when she finished.

"Yes," I said immediately. "Is everything you said written on those papers?"

She smiled knowingly. "Yes, everything you need to know is right here."

I relaxed a little at her words. I planned on helping Irene, and I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly.

"You can always call Gabby if you have questions," Byte said.

"Thanks. Will you text me her phone number? I don't think I have it."

He nodded, and my phone dinged seconds later.

"Finished!" Irene declared and wadded her wrapper into a ball. "Let's go." When I glanced at my untouched food, she laughed. "It'll keep until we get to my house."

I didn't argue with her. I had a feeling there was more to her urgent need to get out of the hospital and wondered if it had anything to do with the loss of her husband. She talked about him often, but not about his death. I got the impression he died suddenly and unexpectedly, though I'd never asked.

When the wheelchair arrived, Byte led the way to an SUV waiting for us at the curb in the patient pickup area with Dice behind the wheel. Somewhere along the way, Ink joined our group and helped Irene into her seat.

"Where did they come from?" I asked Edge.

He grinned. "They've been here the whole time."

"Is anyone else here?"

"Yep," he said simply. "You ride with Irene. I'll be right behind you."

"All right, now that we're behind closed doors, will somebody please tell me what actually happened?"

Dice chuckled, but it was Ink who answered. "Your girl put two bullets in the man who attacked you."

Irene huffed. "I know all that. Tell me what happened after."

"You know he was my father, right?" I asked quietly. At her nod, I continued. "Well, uh, he died, which sounds like a good thing, but he was the vice president of an outlaw motorcycle club in Georgia, and that's the reason for all of this," I said and waved my hand to indicate our security detail.

"Ah, now things are starting to make sense. So, y'all are expecting his club to come looking for him?"

Ink and Dice nodded.

"There's more to it than that," I said, and inhaled deeply. I didn't want to tell her the rest of it, but she deserved to know. "Muzzle came looking for me because he thinks I wronged him and his son. Supposedly, his son knew where he was going and why. When Muzzle doesn't return, it's very likely someone will come looking for him, and me."

"Your brother, right?" she asked.

I couldn't stop the look of disgust that formed on my face. "Technically, yes, but I never refer to him that way. We have different mothers and didn't grow up together. He's a piece of shit, and the world would be a better place if he wasn't in it."

Irene reached over with her good arm and patted my hand. "Noted. One down, at least one to go."

"I'm so sorry you got caught in the middle of my mess."

"Well, I'm not," she said vehemently. "You ended up where you were supposed to be—with people who can help you. A broken bone and some bumps and bruises are a small price to pay for your safety and freedom."

Placing my hand on top of hers, I gently squeezed. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Let's hope you never have to find out."

Once Irene was settled at home, we started going over the details for the next few days.

"Has anyone heard from Marcy?" I asked. "I've called and left several messages, but she hasn't responded to any of them."

"I'll try calling her," Irene said and reached for her phone. Moments later, she lowered the phone and shook her head. "It went straight to her voicemail, which is apparently full."

"Crap. I could cover her shift, but I don't want to leave you here by yourself all day," I said.

"I'll be fine," Irene insisted.

"I'm sure you will, but you won't be by yourself," Byte told her. "Annabelle and Macy volunteered to keep you company tomorrow."

"I see," Irene said and gave him a pointed look. "And how many of your boys will be here?"

Byte shrugged. "A few, but they can stay outside."

"Oh, please. They're welcome in my house anytime."

"Okay. So Evie will work a double tomorrow while Annabelle and Macy stay with Irene. Ranger and Byte will man the kitchen while Dice, Ink, and me help wherever we're needed," Edge said.

"Sounds like a plan," I said.