Chapter 29

29

GENESIS

I ignore the pounding in my head and focus on the door, waiting for my girl.

"That's some woman you got there, G," Mac says, telling me something I already know.

"She's okay, right?"

"She's—" His words are cut off when the door opens, and Midas walks in, followed by Hannibal, carrying Amity, out cold in his arms.

I roar and try to get off the bed, but Midas stops me before I can move.

"She's fine. She just passed out, that's all. She's been running on adrenaline since the crash. Stop being an asshole, and I'll lie her beside you."

I shut up and shift over, ignoring the pain shooting through my body. Hannibal lowers her down gently into my arms, and I pull her close.

"Fuck, I think she's bleeding," Mac curses as Hannibal steps back, looking down.

"Motherfucker," Hannibal snarls.

"You mean to tell me she was thrown off my bike, and nobody thought to check her out?" I yell.

"She said she was fine. We were focused on getting you here and the body off the fucking road," Hannibal snaps, sliding his hand between me and Amity.

"What are you doing? Wait—what body?"

"I need to get her jeans off so I can take a look. And the body of the guy she shot to save you," he fires back.

I have no words as Mac helps Hannibal pull her jeans down, revealing an angry, bleeding gash on her leg that almost looks like a giant blister.

"Looks like a bullet clipped her. I doubt she even felt it." He curses under his breath, grabbing his tray as he slowly starts to clean her up. I turn my head to look at Midas.

"Tell me everything."

So he does, from start to finish. I lie there with my mouth open, trying to wrap my head around it all. What the fuck?

When Havoc comes into the room, his eyes on Amity, I want to punch him in the fucking face. But then I get a look at the expression on his face and snap out of it.

"She's hurt?"

"She's fine. Just a little scratch. She'll be sore for a while, but nothing to worry about," Hannibal tells him.

The room's quiet as Hannibal cleans up. I look down at the woman in my arms, and my chest tightens. She's had to deal with more than anyone should have to.

"This is going to mess with her head."

"She's strong G," Mac starts but I interrupt him.

"This isn't the first crash she's been in. She was in a car accident when she was a teenager. She was pinned in place, and she couldn't get free. Her mom was trapped with her." I swallow the bile, hating that this probably triggered a bunch of unwanted memories. "Her mom died on impact. Amity said she was virtually decapitated."

"This the same accident that took away her chance of being a mom?" Mac asks softly.

"And her ability to go back to the Olympics."

"Jesus." Havoc runs his hand through his hair. "I don't have any fucking idea how she kept it together out there, but all she cared about was keeping you safe. She's something special, G."

"I know." I press my lips to her forehead and breathe her in, feeling sick to my stomach at how close I came to almost losing her.

Clearing my throat, I look up at them. "We know who did this yet? Mac said they were wearing Raven Souls cuts."

"The guy in the shack is Acid. Hannibal patched him up for now. Not sure about the other guy yet, but Amity said she could probably ID him," Havoc replies.

"Acid? As in the enforcer for your old club?"

"The one and the same."

"So the question is, why target G? And was this a sanctioned hit by the president, or do they have a couple of rogue idiots on their hands? Because there's no fucking way this is a coincidence," Midas hisses.

"It's not. Not given the history I've got with them," Havoc agrees.

"We need to get ahold of Blade. Send a couple of prospects to find him."

Mac stands. "I'm on it."

"How you feeling?" Havoc asks me before nodding at Amity. "She was pretty fucking worried about you. She was rambling about your helmet. You know fucking better than to ride without one. If she'd been knocked out, you'd both be dead right now. You know that, right?"

"I know. Let's just add it to the list of fuck-ups I've got going." I rub my hand over my face, the bright light making my head throb worse.

"You just need a few more stitches to close up the cut on your side where your jacket rode up," Hannibal says as he walks back over with his tray. "Fuck knows what you hit, but it got you good. Once I've cleaned this up, I'll turn the lights down. You have a concussion, so I'll be in and out to check on you, but you were fucking lucky. You'll be a giant bruise for the next few days, though. There's not much I can do about that.

"Amity, on the other hand, fared a lot better. Other than the bullet grazing her, she's fine. Hell, you'd never even know she was in an accident. I have no idea how she managed that."

"She's a stunt woman, she knows how to fall," I tell them with a smile as I close my eyes.

"She what?" Havoc asks, but sleep claims me before I can answer.

"And what did you want me to do, Blade? You weren't fucking there," Amity snaps.

My eyes blink open at the noise to find Blade sitting at the end of the bed, running his hands through his hair. "He shouldn't have even been there. He should have been guarding that uppity bitch. If you didn't?—"

"Finish that sentence, Blade, and I will punch you in the dick. I don't give a fuck who you are."

"I'll hold him down for you," I hear Sunshine say as she walks into the room.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting."

"Yeah, well, the kiddos had other plans. And honestly, it's just as well, because it sounds like Amity's about to shove her foot up your ass, and I think she's been through enough today."

"I—"

"You're pissed; I get it. She called, and you missed it. She needed you, and you weren't there. We all fucking get it. But guess what? You are not an island, Blade. You have a clubhouse full of brothers who stepped up and did exactly what needed to be done. And Amity? She did exactly what she needed to do. You're being?—"

"An asshole. I know."

"I was going to say a diva, but yeah, ‘asshole' works too. Now, I'm going to go pee because, apparently, that's all I do anymore. I pee, I cry, and I puke. When I get back, you're taking me home and rubbing my feet before I remember that it's your fault I'm in this condition and trample your balls." She whirls around and stomps off, which is more of a waddle—though I'm not about to tell her that—making me grin.

"She's right. I'm an asshole."

"I know. I've been telling you that since I met you. Why are you acting like this is brand new information?" Amity tells him.

There's silence for a moment before Blade breaks it. "I let you down. I let you both down. Jesus, he could've died," he says, blowing out a frustrated breath.

"He knows you care, Blade, and he returns the sentiment. He wouldn't be mad you're stepping down if he didn't. You guys are family, and that's what family does. They fight, they forgive, and then they fuck up all over again."

"What about you? You forgive me for being an asshole?"

"You're my man's best friend. Of course, I forgive you, but just know I will stab you the next time you piss me off."

"That seems extreme," he chuckles.

"Don't worry, I'll wear something pretty to your funeral."

He laughs, then stands up and walks closer, leaning down to kiss Amity's forehead.

"I'm glad he has you. I know I was a dick. I just needed to know you could hack it. He needs someone like you."

"Someone a little crazy?"

"Someone loyal."

She reaches out and takes his hand. "I love him. It's really fucking inconvenient, but there it is. I fucking love him, and he's going to?—"

"Love you right back," I say, making her jump.

Blade smirks, knowing I've been awake this whole time and not ratting me out.

"I'll leave you both to it. Get some rest. And that's an order."

We watch as he heads for the door.

"Blade?" Amity calls as he reaches for the handle.

He turns to look at her.

"They did you proud today. They worked like a team, and Havoc fit right in. He kept me together when I was falling apart while doing what was best for the club. When I heard those engines, I knew we were safe. There was no doubt in my mind. I know stepping down must be hard, even if you're doing it for all the right reasons. I just wanted you to know that you're leaving the club in good hands."

He doesn't say anything, and I have a feeling it's because he's choked up, even though he'd never admit it. He places his hands over his heart and nods at her before walking out.

The moment the door closes, she turns and looks up at me, her eyes locking on mine before she bursts into tears. "Dammit," I say, pulling her to me and holding her as tight as my bruised body will allow.

"Cry as hard as you need to, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

And dammit, if that doesn't make her cry even harder.

I don't say anything else. I just hold her tighter, even though I hurt like a motherfucker. If I hadn't already fallen in love with her, this would've been the moment I did. People often look for the big things—the moments, the signs—that say they found the one. But love isn't always loud and flashy. It's not always logical, and it can leave you questioning your sanity. Sometimes, love sneaks up on you when you're not looking or when you least expect it.

Pulling back, I wipe my thumb under her eyes to dry her tears. "I'm so sorry. I fucked up a lot today. I hurt you, took stupid risks, and left you exposed. It could've all ended before it even started. I can't do this anymore, Amity."

The look in her eyes will stay with me for the rest of my life. If I was worried she didn't feel the same, I'd know the truth now. It's all right there in her eyes—the fear, the love, the heartbreak, and the hope, all mixed together in that one look.

"No more expiration dates. I don't want you to leave."

"But—"

I kiss her softly, cutting off her protests before pulling back. "Stay. When filming ends and everyone else leaves, I want you to stay here with me. I want to see where this goes with us because you're more than just a fling to me. So much more."

She searches my eyes for the lie, but she won't find one. She's it for me.

"Lay with me?" she asks, her voice soft.

I ease back down, grimacing through the pain. But it's worth it when she rests her head on my chest, the tips of her fingers tracing the neat row of stitches near my ribs I close my eye, letting the feel of her in my arms soothe me as I brush my fingers up and down her arm.

"Okay, G. I'll stay," she says softly, making me freeze. Hoping to hell this isn't a dream or a side effect of the concussion, I slide my finger under her chin and tilt her head up to look at me.

"You'll stay?" I ask, and she nods.

"You're serious?"

"As a heart attack." She snuggles closer, her hand resting over my heart. "I thought I lost you today, and I can't go through that again, G. I don't know if we'll crash and burn or live happily ever after, but I owe it to us to find out."

"Thank you." I kiss the top of her head, wishing I had something more profound to say, but I think I'm still in shock. I figured I'd have more of a fight on my hands.

"You don't need to thank me. I'd be an idiot to walk away from you, and my mama didn't raise no fool."

"No, she raised an angel. And I'll be eternally grateful for that."

No more words are spoken, and we eventually drift off to sleep, oblivious to the brothers who come in and out to check on us.

I'm woken up early the next morning when Hannibal comes in and nudges me. "Hey man, how you feeling?"

I roll my neck and wince. "Like I got hit by a Mack Truck."

"It was a pickup truck, but close enough." He pulls out a small flashlight and shines it in my eyes, making me curse. "Pupils are reactive. How's the head?"

"Sore, but not as bad as it was."

"I'll get you some painkillers. Blade's called church. Do you think you're up for it? He said it's your call."

"I don't wanna leave Amity."

"I'll wait in the bar for you," she says, opening her eyes. "Hey, Hannibal."

"Hey, gorgeous, how are you doing this morning?"

"I'm okay, but my leg's a little sore."

"You were grazed by a bullet. You were lucky."

"Really? I knew it was close, but not that close. Motherfucker," she curses, making Hannibal grin.

"It could have been worse. Had a prospect drive out and take some pictures of the scene, and the fucker you shot in the leg was bleeding like a sieve."

"Good. I hope he crashed his truck and is stuck in a ditch somewhere while his leg slowly rots off."

"Savage. I love it," I say with a grin, and she smirks. I watch her face as she talks to Hannibal to make sure she's telling the truth. My girl's strong, but yesterday was a complete shitshow that would shake anyone.

"We need a shower," I hear her say. "Do we have time before church?" Amity asks Hannibal.

"Plenty of time. Let's see how steady this asshole is on his feet first," Hannibal says, helping me sit up.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and slowly get to my feet. Once the room stops spinning, I let go of the bed.

Amity walks around and stands in front of me. "You good? I don't want you acting all tough and then face-plant on me later. I might be strong, but I'm not carrying you if you collapse."

"I'm fine, I promise. And if that changes, I'll let you know," I tell her, hearing the worry in her voice.

She's worried I'll hurt myself worse. If she wasn't here, I probably would've been reckless and ignored everyone, but the last thing she needs is me collapsing on her.

"Alright, you've got an hour. I'll bring the painkillers to church. One hour, G," Hannibal says, giving me a pointed look, then leaves before either of us can say anything.

Amity looks up at me and smiles. It's a little brittle and unsure, but I'll take it. After everything, she could've left. Hell, because of my association with the club, she was nearly killed. And yet here she is, giving me even more. I don't deserve her.

But I'll make sure her staying is a decision she never regrets.