Layne's Capture (Blazing Outlaws MC, #6), page 15
“I’ll have them come in. If you need me, call. I love you, Gunner. Layne will wake up. She’s just getting her rest,” she tries to reassure me. “I’ll be back tomorrow to see you both.”
“Love you too, Riss,” I tell her, watching her leave the room as I wait for one of the guys to come see me.
While I’m waiting, I talk to Layne. It’s not really anything of importance. Just what’s been going on since we were both brought into the hospital. I also tell her about Venom leaving and her needing to wake up so she can talk to him about the situation and make him see this wasn’t her fault. Honestly, no matter what we’ve done, Lester was going to get his hands on her one way or another. It could have been when Venom and I were with her. That would have made her feel like shit more than watching a Prospect get shot in front of her. Shane was no doubt shot in front of Layne as she was more than likely being threatened. We won’t know anything until Shane and her wake up. It’s a waiting game at this point in time. I’m not always a patient man.
“Gunner, what’s goin’ on?” Satan asks as he walks in her room with Capone on his heels.
“Need to know someone is with Venom right now. He’s takin’ this on his shoulders and it’s not his fault. Lester would have gotten to her one way or another. He had to take care of business and couldn’t be with her. None of us can be with our woman or the ol’ ladies of the club twenty-four hours a day,” I tell him, not wanting my brother alone.
“Grinder’s with him. He took off outta here like a bat out of hell. What’s goin’ on with him other than that?” Capone questions me, his voice quiet even though Layne’s not awake.
“Probably the loss of the baby. And she’s not wakin’ up. The doctor’s don’t know why she’s not wakin’ up either. She needs the rest and time for her body to heal. It’s hard as fuck knowin’ she’s here, lookin’ the way she does, and her not wakin’ up. I’m scared to death somethin’ else is wrong and the doctor’s haven’t found it yet,” I tell them honestly.
“Didn’t know she was pregnant until the doctor announced it,” Satan says, his voice tinged with sadness.
“No one did. We literally didn’t know for very long before all this shit happened, and she lost it. The baby was mine. Now, we don’t have a baby and I’m fuckin’ heartbroken. Never thought I wanted an ol’ lady and kids in my life. Now I have an ol’ lady and our child has been taken from us. Layne doesn’t even fuckin’ know yet,” I tell them, my voice breaking as a few tears slide down my face.
“We got you,” Capone says, stepping up and placing his hand on my shoulder once again. “Axel is gonna come sit with you for a while. He’s gettin’ your shit from the previous room you were in. The doctors are pissed as fuck about you not bein’ up there.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Layne is down here, and this is where I’ll be. No one is makin’ me leave here for any reason.”
“Anythin’ else you need before we head out? We’ll keep Steve on the floor with you and a full patch to make sure nothin’ happens. Not gonna touch the fuckers we got until you’re out of the hospital. They’ll hold in the basement until you’re ready. Not sure how long we can keep Venom from goin’ down there but we’ll try it,” Satan says, his voice still low.
“No. Riss brought me somethin’ to eat and as soon as Axel has my shit down here I’ll be good. Not sure they’ll send a bed in for me considerin’ I’m not supposed to be down here with her,” I inform the two men in front of me.
“I’ll take care of it,” Capone responds, leaving the room with a glare already in place on his face.
“We’ll be back tomorrow. I know my sister is plannin’ on comin’ to spend some time with you. We won’t leave Venom alone. He just needs to decompress, and he’ll be okay.”
“Not this time. Never seen him like this before,” I state already knowing my best friend is in a horrible place.
With a final nod, Satan leaves the room filled with silence once more. The only noise is the beeping of the heart monitor as I lay my head back down and wait for my brother to show up with my stuff. Hopefully Capone can get a cot or something in here so I can get some rest. With half my mind on Layne, I think about Venom and what he’s doing right now. More than likely he’s out speeding through the streets and trying to outrun the ghosts chasing him. There is no reason for him to take this on, but we all handle shit in our own way. Venom’s is to get out on his bike and speed through the streets and try to outrun his shit. I’m the same way for most situations. Right now is not one of those times even if I weren’t in the hospital.
Chapter Nineteen
Layne
PAIN STILL FILLS me as I slowly begin to wake up from this latest round of being unconscious. It’s not as bad as it has been though which is honestly a relief. There’s a loud beeping noise as the blackness fades away and I begin to take stock of my body. Trying without much hope to move my hands, I find I’m able to move them about. Though in one of my hands there’s a sharp pinch as I try to open my eyes to find out what the hell is going on. Instead of being blind with the swelling I’ve had on my eyes from the beatings. They still won’t open up all the way, but I can see a little bit. I’m covered in blankets and turning my head I see a monitor showing my vitals. I’m in the damn hospital. Other than the beatings and screaming at the top of my lungs, I don’t remember much of anything.
When I try to move my hand again without the pinch in the back of my hand, I brush against something soft. Turning my head in the opposite direction, Gunner’s head is laying just off my hand while his hand is resting on my arm. Tears leak down my face as I think of the baby I was carrying. I want to know if I’m still pregnant or if Lester and his brother caused me to lose the baby. Moving my hand one more time, Gunner shoots up as a groan escapes him. Focusing on him, he’s wearing a hospital gown and I wonder what the hell is going on.
“You’re finally awake,” Gunner says, his voice filled with sleep and a husky quality.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, my voice filled with pain as it feels as if I’ve gargled shards of glass.
“You’ve been asleep for almost a week now, sweetheart. The doctors had no clue why you weren’t wakin’ up,” he tells me, a small smile covering his face as he looks at me. “How are you feelin’?”
“I feel like shit,” I answer honestly.
Gunner presses a button and it’s not long before a nurse comes rushing in my room. She stares at my man first before slowly turning her attention toward me. Shock fills her face.
“You’re awake,” she states the obvious. “Let me get the doctor.”
“First, I need you to get me one of the bikers in the waitin’ room. I also need you to get her some water. She’s in pain when she talks,” he orders the young nurse.
With a nod and quick steps, she makes her way over to me and pours a glass of ice water. Placing a straw in the cup, she holds it so I can take a few small sips. The only time she speaks is when reminding me of not taking large gulps, so I don’t get sick. After letting her know I’m done, the woman leaves the room. Axel is the next one through my door. He comes to a sliding stop just before slamming into the hospital bed I’m currently lying in. With a smile on his face, he looks down at me even though it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“How are you feelin’?” he asks.
“Like shit. I’m sure I look like it too,” I reply dryly.
“Need someone to let Venom know. He needs to be here so the three of us can talk about some things. Can you call him? I need a new fuckin’ phone since mine is MIA,” Gunner says, while at the same time having a silent conversation with his brother.
“On it. It’s real good to see you awake, Layne. You scared all of us,” Axel states before once again leaving my room.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, my throat still bothering me when I speak.
“I’m not gonna talk about it until Venom gets here. He comes to see you every single day but he’s not handlin’ this shit well at all. Get some rest before the doctor comes in, sweetheart. I’m sure they’re goin’ to want to run tests and shit to make sure you’re okay,” Gunner tells me as I lean back against the hard pillows and try to get comfortable.
“Okay, Gunner. I love you,” I tell him as my eyes close again on their own.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” he says as sleep pulls me under.
As Gunner said, I’ve been getting all sorts of tests done. They’ve done imagining and told me the long list of injuries I sustained. When I’ve asked about the baby, they’ve avoided the topic all together with a glare from Gunner. This isn’t looking good. All he keeps telling me is we’re going to wait for Venom to show up before anything else is said about what has happened to me and the next steps we have to take. It’s pissing me off if I’m being honest because it’s my body and I should know what’s going on. More than just what Gunner wants me to know at this point.
After getting the tests done, having a liquid lunch, and taking a nap, Venom still isn’t here. No one else has been in the room with us either. Fear consumes me for my other man. Yes, he could be busy, but Gunner told me they’ve all been at the hospital daily to check on us and bring Gunner clothes. He’s been discharged from the hospital and still hasn’t left. The farthest he gets from me is going to the bathroom in my room and washing up. He refuses to take a full shower because he would be away from me for too long. Hell, when I suggested he go home or to the clubhouse for some rest or a proper shower, the look he leveled me with was enough to tell me to leave it alone.
Finally, the man we’ve been waiting for shows up in the doorway of my room. I take my time looking at him and taking in his appearance. His clothes are a rumpled, wrinkled mess. Venom’s face is sporting a bruise in his left cheek, and the five o’clock shadow he usually sports is now almost a full-length beard. I’ve never seen him looking as rumpled and haggard as he does right now. Hell, his boots aren’t even tied as he begins to make his way to my bed side. Bending over to kiss me, the smell of alcohol immediately assaults me. Venom smells like a damn brewery. It’s so bad, my stomach is churning.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, my voice scratchy sounding.
“Not even close, darlin’” he responds, pulling up a chair and sitting next to me.
Gunner and Venom have a silent communication across the bed from one another. It’s scary how these men can read one another and have these conversations without saying a word. Though, if they’re in a dangerous situation it will work to their advantage because they won’t have to give away their positions by talking to one another. Still, when you’re on the outside looking in, the feeling is horrible.
“What’s going on guys?” I ask, irritation filling my voice.
“Layne, darlin’, we have to tell you somethin’,” Venom says, carefully sliding his hand under mine so he doesn’t dislodge the IV.
“So tell me. I’ve been scared and worried all day because I’m missing something, and no one will talk.”
“Sweetheart, there’s no easy way to tell you this. Before they found you and were able to get you away from the fuckers, you lost our baby. They caused you to have a miscarriage before you got to the hospital. Everythin’ looks good, and the doctor did tell me yesterday there is no reason to believe you wouldn’t be able to get pregnant again in the future. When we’re ready,” Gunner says, his voice falling and wavering as he gives me the news I’ve kind of been expecting to hear all day long.
Even though I didn’t believe I was still pregnant, it doesn’t mean it’s not a shock to my system. Tears fill my eyes and I do absolutely nothing to stop them from spilling over and rolling down my face. My heart is breaking with the loss of our baby. This is something I literally wanted so bad despite what Gunner or Venom thought. I’ve always wanted to be a mom and I couldn’t wait to get farther along to see my belly expanding with our baby and to feel him or her moving around inside me. This is a blow to my already fragile mindset after being tortured and beaten for so long.
“We got you darlin’,” Venom says, standing up and leaning over me to pull me into his arms.
I can’t do anything but hold onto Venom as he holds me for what feels like an eternity and just lets me sob out my pain. When he releases me, Gunner pulls me into his arms. Both of my men are crying along with me. These strong, hard men are letting their feelings out and not showing any shame for the sadness filling them at our loss. I may be the one who miscarried our child, but it’s their loss as much as it is mine. For the longest time, they just hold me, and we cry. A nurse tried to make her way inside my room for some reason and Venom chased her out. This is a time for the three of us and no one is going to interrupt us.
“Darlin’, I’m so sorry,” Venom says, his voice wavering with emotion. “This is my fault and there’s no way I can make it up to you.”
“How is this your fault?” I demand, pushing my sadness and despair down as I look at him with tears still rolling down my face.
“I should have been with you. If I had been there, you wouldn’t have gotten taken and we wouldn’t be here mournin’ the loss of our baby,” he says, letting his head hang down in shame and guilt.
“Is your name Lester? Are you his brother?” I question him as Venom’s head snaps up.
“Of course I’m not. Why would you ask me that?” he returns.
“Those were the only two men in the room putting their hands on me. Lester is the one who took me, and his brother did a majority of the beatings I received. You couldn’t have known that was the day they were going to put their hands on me and take me from you. If you had been there, you would’ve been the one shot and in the hospital right along with Gunner and me. How do you think I would have felt then?” I tell him, ignoring the pain in my throat. “How is the kid who was shot? I haven’t even asked about him yet.”
“He’s okay. Shane was found by Venom, and he had to have surgery. He’s awake now and recoverin’. They had to give him a blood transfusion. Shane’s been askin’ about you. When one of you are better, we’ll make sure you get to see him. It’s just a matter of if you go up there to him or he comes down to you,” Gunner informs me.
“That’s good to hear. Venom, you have to work, and these assholes would have gotten their hands on me one way or another. If anything more had happened to either one of you, I’d be even more devastated than I am right now. We’re going to be feeling the effects of what they’ve done for a long time. It’s important for us to stick together and not let them take even more from us. Venom, you did absolutely nothing wrong and I’m not going to lay here and listen to you say otherwise,” I state, trying to level him with a glare while there’s still swelling around my eyes.
“She’s right Venom. There is nothin’ you could have done differently. They were watchin’ the three of us no matter where we were or who we were with. It’s how they knew about the baby, where she was, how they found my house, and everything else,” Gunner says, sitting up straighter in his chair as he looks at his best friend.
“What about the girl? There was a girl in there with me. Not in the room, but the building they held me in. Did you guys find her? Is she okay?” I question, my memories coming back full force. “I tried to keep their focus on me so they wouldn’t rape and hurt her like they said they were going to. So, if anyone is to blame for me losing our baby, it’s me,” I state, the thought tearing me apart even more.
Uncontrollable sobs break loose, and I know there will be no stopping them this time. Guilt and devastation fill me to the point I want to go back to sleep and not think about the loss we’ve suffered. I want to go back to before I was taken and take better precautions against Lester and his brother so they wouldn’t have been able to take me away. The only thing in the entire situation I wouldn’t change is taking the attention from the girl who wasn’t even legal age yet. She has her entire life to live, and I can only hope they didn’t hurt her or do any of the things they used to taunt me with.
“She’s okay, darlin’. Other than bein’ tied to a nasty bed, she’s just fine. She’s actually Celia’s sister. That’s how they knew some of the information. After you confronted her in the hallway at the clubhouse, she broke down and told us everythin’ in church. We got her sister out and they’re both at the clubhouse for now. So far, there doesn’t seem to be any lastin’ side effects from them takin’ her but we want to make sure,” Venom assures me as my sobs continue.
Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I close my eyes to conceal some of the pain mixed with relief I’m feeling right now. The only reason I’m relieved is because that girl made it out of there without being tortured and raped like they said they were going to do. I couldn’t live with myself if she was hurt because of me. So, yeah, guilt is going to ride me hard for a while because I essentially chose to put that young girl above our baby.
“You’re not to fuckin’ blame for this shit either,” Gunner states vehemently. “Neither one of you are to feel any guilt because of what Lester and his fuckin’ brother did here. They are deranged psychopaths and will pay for their crimes. Lester and his fuckin’ brother caused both of us to be in the hospital, caused the death of our baby, and everythin’ else. If the two of you take this on, you’re lettin’ them win still. It’s goin’ to take time and we’ll be there for one another on the days we’re not strong enough to get through this on our own. Don’t fuckin’ let them win.”
Instead of agreeing with Gunner, Venom nods his head and leaves the room. I watch his back until the door closes behind him and begin crying once again. Venom’s going to take this on himself. Or he blames me for our loss. I wouldn’t put it past either one of them to hate me for doing this. If I had been more cautious and not met with my client at the office, I’d have been at the clubhouse. Satan did offer to let me use his office and I refused because I didn’t want to put my personal life out there or make my clients uncomfortable with being in a clubhouse. This is on me.
