Chapter 11

Aldis

“Any change?”Drak asks as I drag a hand down my face.

“No.”

It’s been hours since the mess at Furry Haven. Hours since I rode in the ambulance, rushing an unconscious Winnie to the hospital. Hours since they rushed her back to run tests and left me in the waiting room.

“They’ll be here soon with news. I’m sure of it,” Drak assures me, and I nod.

“She’s going to be fine,” Chance tells me, and I nod again.

The whole Rebel Hearts MC is here at the hospital waiting with me, and it means a lot that they’re supporting me, but the only person I want to see right now is Winnie.

“Family for Winnie Mae?” A doctor calls as he walks into the waiting room.

I leap to my feet and rush over to his side.

“Me. I’m with Winnie. How is she? Is she…” I can’t bring myself to ask if she’s alive.

I know I won’t survive in a world where she isn’t still with me.

“She’s resting now. She has a bump on her head, a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured wrist, and quite a few abrasions, but she’s going to be alright.”

Fury courses through my bloodstream as I listen to all of her injuries, and I want to go back to those men and kill them all over again.

“You can see her now,” the doctor tells me, and I swallow down the rage and nod.

He leads me out of the waiting room, and I turn and nod at my friends before I follow the doctor down the hall.

“She’s still resting, so be gentle with her,” the doctor advises me, and I nod.

“I will.”

He leaves me at the door, and I walk into the dimly lit room and over to Winnie’s bedside. There’s an uncomfortable-looking chair there and I pull it closer and take a seat. I take her hand in mine and stare at her, taking in all of the red marks, bruises, and cuts. Her wrist is bandaged and her left arm is in a sling.

I hate seeing her like this. I hate that she was hurt at all, but at least the men who came after her and her property have been dealt with. I just hope this is the end of whatever is going on in town.

Winnie starts to stir in the hospital bed, and I lean forward, wanting to be closer to her.

“Hey, take it easy,” I tell her when she starts to sit up.

“Aldis?” She croaks, and I nod.

“It’s okay, Red. You’re okay,” I promise her.

“What happened?” She asks, wincing as she shifts in bed.

“What do you remember?”

“I was getting to work when someone came up behind me. I hit my head when in I was in the van. Then my shoulder and arm,” she says, trailing off as she reaches up to touch her forehead gingerly.

I swallow down my anger and the feeling of helplessness and nod for her to go on.

“I couldn’t get away or scream for help. He had his hand over my mouth,” she says, and I can tell by the faraway look in her eyes that she’s reliving everything.

“Then the one guy threw me in the back of a van and I couldn’t get out. There wasn’t a handle inside,” she tells me, her voice rising with panic.

“I heard you coming. All of the bikes,” she whispers, and I nod.

“I’ll always come for you,” I promise her, and she nods, tears sparkling in her eyes.

“I know. I was thinking that when I heard the bike. I knew that you would rescue me.”

I squeeze her hand and she gives me a weak smile.

“What happened? I remember the van running into the trees, but not much after that.”

I debate telling her that we killed the men and the MC took them and the van to dispose of. Can she handle it? She’s strong, and she deserves to know the truth, so I swallow hard and tell her what happened from my point of view.

“I’ve had someone watching Furry Haven since the fire. I needed to make sure that you were safe.”

She nods, and I go on.

“They called when you got to work and saw you being attacked. I was just headed into work so I turned around and came to Furry Haven with the rest of the MC right behind me.”

“Thank you. I’ll have to thank them too.”

“I’ll tell them.”

“What happened after I was unconscious?”

“The guys tried to run. The van had stalled out,” I explain. “We caught them and… took care of them. They won’t be bothering you again.”

“Are they dead?” She whispers, and I give her one stiff nod.

“Good,” she whispers, surprising me.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I tell her, and she smiles. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You don’t have to find out,” she says, and I grin.

“I love you, Winnie.”

“I love you too.”

“Move in with me for good. I know that the threat is gone, but I still want you there. I want you with me always.”

“What if you get sick of me?” She asks, and I laugh.

“It will never happen. I love you, Winnie. I want you. Forever.”

“Alright,” she says, and I smile.

“There’s one more thing,” I tell her, and she looks at me quizzically.

“What’s that?”

“Marry me, Red.”

I pull out the diamond ring that I’ve been carrying around in my pocket for the last six months and present it to her.

“What?” She asks, her eyes wide as she stares at the ring.

“I love you, Winnie. I have since the moment that I saw you. I know you can feel how right this is between us, and I just want to make it official. I want you to be mine forever.”

“Yes,” she whispers, tears shimmering in her pretty blue eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

My heart soars, and I lean forward, sealing her lips with mine.

I lean back, slipping the ring onto her finger, and she smiles down at it.

“This feels crazy,” she tells me with a laugh, and I grin.

“But so right.”

“But so right,” she agrees.

I smile as I lean forward and kiss her once again.