Chapter 20: Dice

20

DICE

I was still half asleep when I walked into the diner, which is why I didn't think anything of the back door being open. I assumed Ink had gotten there before me and left it open, but I immediately realized that wasn't the case when I slipped and almost busted my ass.

"Son of a bitch," I cursed and looked down to see what made me slip. Blood. I slipped in someone's blood. Quickly scanning the kitchen, I saw Ranger and Byte lying on the floor with puddles of blood surrounding them. "Oh, fuck no," I whispered.

I don't remember reaching for my gun, but it was in my hand when I rounded the corner and found Snarl standing over Evie. She was holding her chest and gasping for breath.

"Why is this happening?" he asked in a way that made me think he was taunting her. "What's the matter, big sister? Bullet got your tongue?"

She wheezed and coughed in response.

"All you had to do was keep your mouth shut, but no, not perfect little Evie. You thought you were so fucking smart. Trying to frame us for murder. But you're the murderer, aren't you?"

When she didn't answer, he kicked her in the stomach. She curled in on herself but barely made a sound. "Admit it!" he demanded. "You killed Randall!"

He lifted his foot to kick her again but stopped when she nodded.

"Say it!"

"I did it," she wheezed as tears streamed down her face.

"And that's why I did all of this," he said.

I didn't give him a chance to say or do anything else. I fired once, striking him in the head and dropping him where he stood.

As I ran to Evie, I noticed Edge's body crumpled by the front door. For a brief moment, I didn't know who to go to first—but she was moving, and he wasn't. I tried not to think about that too much as I dropped to my knees beside her.

"Help them," she gritted out as a tear slid down the side of her face. "I'm sorry."

I watched in horror as she closed her eyes and her body went limp.

"No!" I yelled and rolled her onto her back. "Stay with me!"

After checking for a pulse and not finding one, I started CPR. I knew I needed to call for help, but I couldn't stop what I was doing. "Help!" I shouted between breaths. "Somebody fucking help me!"

I wasn't expecting a response and almost sagged with relief when I heard Ink's voice. "I'm here! What the fuck happened?"

"Snarl shot everybody. He's down. Call nine-one-one and start checking people. I don't know who's alive and who isn't," I told him as I continued to try to save Evie.

"Holy shit," an unfamiliar voice said. I continued pumping Evie's chest with one hand and pointed my gun toward the voice with the other.

Walter and Buck were standing just inside the front door with their hands raised in the air. "Tell us how to help," Walter said.

"One of you check him for a pulse. There are two more in the kitchen. And somebody needs to find Irene."

Walter dropped to his knees beside Edge while Buck ran toward the back. "He's got a pulse!"

Buck reappeared with Irene in his arms. "She's hurt, but alive," he said as he laid her on top of a table. "I'm going to help in the kitchen."

"Come on, Evie. Stay with us," I told her as I continued trying to resuscitate her. "What's going on over there, Walter?"

"Looks like a gunshot wound to the chest. I'm holding pressure. He has a pulse and is breathing on his own, but he's not conscious."

"You hear that, Evie? Edge is breathing on his own, and help is on the way. Now I need you to start breathing for me, okay? Please breathe," I begged.

"Cedar Valley Police," someone announced from the front.

"The shooter's down, and the scene is clear. Four people have been shot and need help," I said.

"Are you Dice or Ink?" the officer asked.

"Dice. Ink's in the kitchen with Buck and two victims."

"The scene's secure. Send the paramedics in," he ordered.

Within seconds, first responders filled the diner. Two paramedics rushed to Evie and took over CPR. When I stepped away from her, I looked around in confusion. I didn't know what to do next.

A hand landed on my shoulder and startled me. "Sorry," the officer said, and quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm Charlie, the Chief of Police. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm not sure how it started. When I got here, everyone was down. The shooter was standing over Evie. He was pointing a gun at her. He was yelling at her and kicking her. I shot him. I tried to help her," I told him. I knew I sounded disjointed, but I was having a hard time putting words together.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked.

I glanced down at my hands and stumbled back a step when I realized they were covered in blood. "No, I don't think I am," I managed to say seconds before I leaned forward and vomited.

"Johnny, bring me some water and something he can wash his face with," Charlie instructed as he led me to a chair.

"Thanks, but I need to check on my friends. I don't know if—" More vomit interrupted the words I didn't want to say.

"Stay right here," Charlie said. "I'll see what I can find out for you."

When Ink appeared a few moments later, he was covered in more blood than me, and I almost threw up again at the sight of him. "Fuck, man," he said and collapsed into a chair beside me. He covered his face with his blood-stained hands and let out a gut-wrenching sob. With my hand on his back, we sat there silently, waiting for someone to tell us if we'd been able to save our family members.

Somebody brought two bottles of water to us and a couple of damp dishtowels, but neither one of us moved. I had a feeling Ink was just as lost as I was.

I managed to hold myself together somewhat until I heard Phoenix's voice. "You did good," he said as his hand landed on my shoulder. And I fucking lost it. Uncontrollable body-racking sobs overcame me as every ounce of pain, fear, and terror I'd kept pushed down bubbled to the surface.

Phoenix stood between the two of us with one hand on my shoulder and one hand on Ink's until we pulled ourselves together. "Luca brought some clean clothes for you. Go get changed, and we'll head to the hospital," he instructed.

As I made my way to the employee bathroom, I passed Walter and Buck. I started to extend my hand to thank them, but stopped when I remembered it was still covered in Evie's blood. Walter nodded knowingly.

"We'll catch up with you at the hospital," Buck said.

With a silent nod of acknowledgment, I continued toward the bathroom on autopilot.

I don't remember leaving the diner or riding to the hospital, and I don't remember how long we had to wait before we heard any news. What I did remember was the feeling of Evie's ribs cracking and breaking as I tried to make her heart beat again and the feeling of her chest depressing each time I pushed down. Trying to resuscitate her played on a loop in my head over and over.

Shaker and his family were the first to arrive at the hospital. Gabby almost had to be restrained when they wouldn't let her back to see Byte. She probably would have been escorted off the premises if Ink hadn't intervened. She was crying and demanding to see him when Ink calmly said her name. "I was with him," he said and patted the seat next to him. "I'll tell you what I know."

Before she left the front counter, she turned to Shaker and loudly said, "Call Gigi. If we have to buy this hospital so I can get back there, then that's what we're going to do."

"If they're not letting us back there, it means they're working on them. That's a good thing," Keegan said to her.

"Is that true?" I asked.

She nodded, then grimaced. "Well, it means they aren't dead. It doesn't mean they're stable."

"That's more than anyone else has told us."

She came over and sat in the chair beside me. "You found them?"

"Yeah. I got there first. Ink came in a few minutes later."

"What can you tell me?"

"Not much. Ranger and Byte were on the floor in the kitchen. Edge was by the front door, and the shooter was standing over Evie in the middle of the dining area. I'm not sure where Irene was."

"Do you know how many times they were shot?"

"Sorry, I don't. I think Evie was shot once, but I don't know about the others. Walter and Buck said they were coming to the hospital. They'll be able to give you some details if we haven't heard anything by then."

Shaker was tucking his phone into his pocket as he walked over to us. "Someone will be out to speak with us soon."

"Did you name drop?" Keegan asked.

"Yes, I fucking did. Gabby is losing her shit, and I honestly don't know how you're keeping it together so well."

"My grandfather is the toughest man I know. He's also stubborn and ornery as hell. He'll live through this on principle," Keegan said confidently.

"Marks family," someone called.

"Right here," Shaker said.

"If you'll follow me, we have a private waiting room for you."

"And so it begins," Keegan said quietly.

Once we were in the new waiting room, the doctor addressed us as a group. "I understand you have several family members that were brought in. We're still assessing and stabilizing, but I'll tell you what we know so far. First, I have Michael Fuller. He was brought in with three gunshot wounds."

Gabby gasped and fell back in her chair. Keegan grabbed her hand and gestured for the doctor to continue.

"He has one gunshot wound to the right upper chest, one to his right lower abdomen, and one to the left upper thigh. He is already in surgery."

"Did it hit his femoral artery?" Gabby asked.

"No, but I believe it hit his femur. I'll double check that. The bullet to his chest punctured his lung, but the gunshot to the abdomen is the one requiring surgical intervention. I don't have specifics on the damage caused at this time. He did not regain consciousness before going to surgery, but his vital signs were improving."

"What about Papa?" Gabby asked.

"Noah Norris," Keegan clarified.

"Mr. Norris has one gunshot wound to the right chest. The bullet hit one of his ribs but did not damage his lung. Our biggest concern with Mr. Norris is his head injury. He has a large laceration on the back of his head, a skull fracture, and a small brain bleed that does not require surgery currently, but we'll be monitoring it closely. He has not regained consciousness, but he should be able to have visitors soon."

"How did he get a head injury?" Keegan asked.

"He likely fell when he was shot and hit his head on something. It's more common than you might think."

"Thank you," she said. "Who's next?"

The doctor glanced at the tablet in his hand. "Jamie Ellis. He was brought in with one gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet missed his heart but did some damage to nearby vessels, resulting in extensive blood loss. He is currently in surgery."

When the doctor paused, I gestured for him to keep going. "Irene Dawson was brought in with a gunshot wound to her right arm and right leg. The recent injury to her clavicle was worsened and will require surgery to repair, but it's not an emergency. Her surgery will likely be tomorrow, and she will be allowed to have visitors soon."

"And Evie?" I asked. I was anxious to know about her and didn't think it was a good sign that they saved her for last.

"Evie Sinclair was brought in with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was in cardiac arrest at the scene. EMS was able to restart her heart, but it stopped once more shortly after she arrived at the hospital. We were able to get it back again, and she was immediately taken into surgery. I don't know the extent of the damage, but I know the bullet hit her left lung and left kidney. They will likely have to remove part or all of her kidney."

"Her ribs are broken," I said quietly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said."

"Her ribs are broken," I repeated louder. "I was the one doing CPR. I felt them break."

He nodded and tapped at the tablet screen. "Thank you. I'll make sure her care team is aware. Does anyone have questions for me?"

"Not at this time," Keegan said. "Just let us know when we can see the ones not in surgery."

After the doctor left, I looked around and realized more of the Blackwings had arrived. A lot more. Phoenix was standing off to the side, talking to Badger. It looked like they were having an intense conversation, and I had a feeling I knew what it was about. I also had an important piece of information that Phoenix needed to know before any decisions were made.

I pushed to my feet and crossed the room to where they were standing. "You doing okay?" Phoenix asked.

"I need to speak with you both privately," I said.

Since the hospital was packed with people, the three of us went outside to one of the club SUVs.

"What's going on?" Phoenix asked as soon as we closed the doors.

I exhaled heavily. I didn't want to tell him, but I knew I had to. "Before I shot Snarl, he was standing over Evie, yelling at her. He said everything that happened was her fault and insisted that she knew why. I don't know the details, but Evie killed her roommate and tried to frame Muzzle and Snarl for it. She admitted to it."

Phoenix drew in a sharp breath and rubbed his chin. "You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. She was having a hard time breathing, but she managed to say, ‘I did it.' That's when I shot him. I knew he was going to kill her after she confessed."

"Fucking hell. There must be more to the story, but the only people we could ask are in surgery."

"I really hope there is more to it," I admitted. "If there's not, I wrongfully killed their enforcer."

"No," Phoenix said vehemently. "Regardless of what really happened with Evie's roommate, their enforcer shot three of our club members and one family member. You had every right to take him out."

"We need to wipe the camera feed," Badger said urgently. "Or at least wipe the audio. No one else needs to know about her confession right now. Can Flint do it?"

Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. He's been working with Byte, but I don't know if he has access to Irene's system. I'll text him."

A few minutes later, Flint climbed into the back seat with his laptop in tow. "What's going on?"

"Do you have access to Irene's security cameras?" Phoenix asked.

Flint nodded. "Yeah. Byte gave me access after Muzzle attacked Irene in case—" he stopped abruptly and cleared his throat. "In case something happened to him."

"What you're about to hear does not leave this vehicle. That's an order."

"Understood," Flint readily agreed and opened his laptop. "What am I looking for?"

"I need you to find the footage of Evie and Snarl in the main dining area. Save a copy that only we have access to. Then wipe the audio."

"There are three cameras in the main part of the diner," I added.

"Got it. Give me a few minutes," he said and started typing. His fingers flew over the keyboard in a way that would make Byte proud.

We waited in silence until he finished. "Show me the one with audio," Phoenix said.

Flint handed his laptop to his dad. "Click right there when you're ready to play it."

"Prez," I said hesitantly. "I don't think I can do this."

Flint held out a pair of earbuds for Phoenix. "Here."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. Just the thought of having to see or hear that video was making me feel sick. I experienced all of it firsthand and would likely spend the rest of my life trying to erase it from my memory. I wasn't used to dealing with crises of such a serious nature because, thankfully, things like that didn't happen often.

After Phoenix watched the video, he passed the laptop and earbuds to Badger. When Badger returned the items to Flint, I exhaled in relief.

Phoenix turned in his seat. "First, I want you to know how proud I am to call you my brother. The way you and Ink handled the situation is beyond impressive. You neutralized the threat, provided lifesaving help, and maintained security."

I looked down at my hands, unsure of what to say. I didn't feel like the hero he was making me out to be.

"Evie's confession stays between the four of us until we can have church and make some decisions. Like I said before, whatever did or didn't happen with her roommate doesn't change the fact that Snarl shot three patched members. I'm sure we'll be hearing from the Mad Dogs when they get word of Snarl's death, but we have some time before they'll be able to do anything." He paused and directed his attention to Badger. "I think we should lock up the clubhouse and send everyone in Croftridge to the farm. If it comes down to it, they can wait this out in one of the underground bunkers."

"Yeah," Badger agreed. "I think that's a good idea. If the Mad Dogs do come for retaliation, the first place they'll go is the clubhouse."

"I have something you might want to see," Flint said and handed his laptop to Phoenix. "It's a police report from Evie's roommate's murder."

Phoenix took the laptop and quickly read the report. "According to this, an anonymous caller reported the murder. The victim's throat had been slashed. The investigators found fingerprints belonging to Snarl and Muzzle in the apartment, and they found Snarl's prints on the murder weapon. Evie's fingerprints were also on the murder weapon, but it was a kitchen knife, so it makes sense that her prints were there." Phoenix turned in his seat and looked at me. "Didn't she say that she didn't have a relationship with her father or brother?"

"Many times," I confirmed.

"If she didn't have a relationship with them, then their fingerprints shouldn't have been in her apartment."

"What are you thinking?" Badger asked.

"She showed up in Cedar Valley with a busted-up face, right?" Phoenix asked me.

"Yeah. She had two black eyes and a swollen nose. She told people she'd just had sinus surgery."

"I'd bet money they made her do it," Phoenix said.

"Makes sense," Badger agreed.

The shrill ringing of Phoenix's phone abruptly interrupted our conversation. "Phoenix Black," he answered. "Okay. We'll be right there," he replied and ended the call. "The police are here."

With that, we went back inside to answer their questions.