Toxic (Satan's Death Riders MC Book 1), page 22
“Daemon!” Al suddenly screeched. “Daemon gave the order. He told me she had to go and take the trash out. It was supposed to happen before she went on her honeymoon, but then everything got messed up and he paid me a visit telling me if I didn’t, he’d kill me.”
Colt put the knife down and looked at Al.
“So, to save your own ass, you sent a woman out to get beaten up. That was my wife,” Colt said. “My wife that you sent out there. Mine.” He slapped a hand against his chest, feeling the anger rise up.
Rosalie was his. She fucking belonged to him. She wore his ring, carried his name, and one day, would carry his child.
Colt had never felt this much rage before. Not by even a smidge. He was so consumed. He picked up another knife and before he could stop himself, he pressed the blade into Al’s throat. The man didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t move away.
“And you ended up dead anyway,” Colt said, keeping him upright for a few seconds, before allowing him to drop to the floor.
Chapter Eighteen
A concussion.
A broken rib.
A sprained ankle.
Lots of bruises and cuts.
It was a beating but hadn’t left too much lasting damage.
That was what the doctor had said. The doctor the club always used at the hospital when they had no choice but to go.
Colt sat in the chair nearest Rosalie’s hospital bed. He’d already sent Gabrielle home for the evening. She hadn’t wanted to go but he knew Rosalie would prefer her mother to be at home, getting some rest, not at the hospital worrying about her.
No, he was the one who sat, watching her. She hadn’t woken up. The doctor had given her a mild sedative to help her sleep, so her body could just relax through the healing tonight. Colt had no idea what she’d be like when she woke up. The fear or the pain she might feel.
Running fingers through his hair, there was only one other time in his life that he’d felt like a failure. His sister. Nancy. He’d failed her by not being able to stop the bullets that had taken her life and now, he hadn’t been able to stop the beating Rosalie had taken.
After killing Al, his dad had looked a little pissed off, but the rest of the guys seemed to respect him for it. He didn’t give a fuck what they thought. The kill hadn’t been controlled or expected. He’d seen Rosalie in his mind, and that Al had allowed her to get hurt. He’d reacted. There had been no control over what he’d done.
“You should go home,” Warden said, entering the room.
Colt didn’t take his eyes off his woman. “No, I’m staying right here.”
“Son, we’ve got men inside. Nothing else will happen to her.”
“We had men at the diner and look what happened.” Colt shook his head. “I’m not leaving her.”
“Whoever beat her up, whoever Daemon sent, was already there before our guys and Rosalie even turned up. They waited and—”
“And they were customers when I walked in,” Colt said.
“Son?”
“Our guys would have seen someone leaving from around the back. That would have alerted suspicion which means whoever beat her up made their way through the kitchens and was already there when I walked in.” Colt gritted his teeth.
“We’ll find them. We’ve handled … Al, and we’ve got control of the diner now. I’m handling everything.”
“Control of it?”
“We now own it,” Warden said. “All it took was a couple of phone calls. It would seem Al was a very unpopular guy.”
“Yeah, because he fucked everyone over, because he was a piece of shit,” Colt said.
“Son, are you going to tell me what’s happening here?” Warden asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’ve sent her mother home. Visiting hours are over.”
“You’re still here,” Colt said.
“The rules don’t quite apply to me,” Warden said.
“I’m taking care. I promised I’d take care of her and her mother, and Petal. I failed. Just like I failed Nancy.”
“No, you didn’t fail Nancy, Colt. You never did.”
“She died, Dad, she died on my watch.”
Warden sighed and took the seat opposite. He looked over toward his father and he didn’t hide his shame.
“Son, the last time I checked, you weren’t bulletproof. You hadn’t morphed into any special ability. In fact, that day I nearly lost both of my children. Don’t for a second think I’m not grieving, because I miss Nancy every single day. Every fucking day I miss my little girl. I miss her smile and her ability to make even the hardest of us laugh.”
Colt thought about Horror, one of the club brothers. The man never smiled. He had a constant frown on his face. He didn’t know why, but he imagined it was down to some of the shit he’d seen in his life. Nancy was the only person to ever make him laugh. Not a small laugh either, but a guttural, deep-throated laugh. It had freaked Colt out the first time he saw it. Horror always looked so serious to him. Since Nancy’s death, Horror had never laughed, not even a twitch.
“Then why the fuck did you strike this deal?” Colt asked. “Why put yourself and Mom through this?”
“You know the last time we met the Evil Fuckers MC?” Warden asked.
Colt nodded. He had gotten shot and they had lost three good men. That had been a sad day.
Warden pursed his lips. “Your mother said the bloodshed had to end, or at least to figure a way for us to live in peace. I know I couldn’t live in peace with that piece of shit, but I could find a way to bring him down and that’s what I’m doing.”
Colt lifted his head and frowned. “What?”
“As we speak, Ox, Myth, Horror, and Dirty have all broken into Daemon’s compound. They’re having a big fuck-off party and seeing as it’s raining, they’re all inside. They’re stealing the truck.”
Colt ran a hand down his face. “Are you sure about this?”
“Deadly fucking sure,” Warden said. “I’m done playing games. Today, I realized that Daemon is doing the same. This is not for us to play happy families or to find a way to live in peace with the two clubs together. This is war. He’s playing dirty and he’s more than willing to hurt his daughter in the process. This”—Warden pointed at Rosalie—“this I can’t take. She’s his little girl. His only daughter.”
“And you want to take him out.”
“I want to watch the club burn to the ground, because it’s the best place for it.” Warden sighed. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but now I see the error of my ways.” He got to his feet. “I hope you realize what she means to you.”
Colt frowned and looked up to his dad. “What?”
“Today, you were not a man just taking revenge for your wife being hurt. You were a man exacting revenge on those who dared to touch your woman.”
“There’s no difference,” Colt said.
“There is a difference, son. There’s a huge difference because you would allow the men I’ve assigned to the hospital to keep an eye on a person who only holds a title. Instead, you’re here because you’re taking care of someone who matters to you, who belongs to you, and you need to realize that difference.”
Warden left the room and Colt kept his gaze on Rosalie. The bruising had started to come out. Her lip had some medical tape over it, and it looked so swollen. He’d experienced a few split lips in his time and they were never fun. Colt got to his feet and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Ah, what are you doing?” Rosalie laughed. He loved the sound and then as he picked her up in his arms, she tried to struggle but he took them both out into the ocean. Rosalie continued to flail in his arms, trying to hold on.
He let her go, dropping her into the ocean. He tried to make a run for it, to get as far away as possible, but he failed. Rosalie had caught up to him and jumped on his back. He could have easily carried them both out to the sand, but that wouldn’t have been quite so fun as to dip them both into the ocean, so he did exactly that.
He pulled out of the memory of their honeymoon. It had been a fleeting moment in time. One of many they shared during their time away when he stopped thinking about her as the enemy and started to see her as his, as his wife, his woman.
“Stop, no, stop, I’m ticklish.” Rosalie tried to fight off his hands, but after her revelation, he couldn’t resist.
Ticking Rosalie, he couldn’t tear his gaze away as she giggled. He loved the sound of her laughter. He started at her ribs, but then, temptation was too great as he started to explore more of her body, finding areas she couldn’t help but giggle.
“Stop. Please. Stop.”
He’d somehow managed to get the clothes she’d been wearing off her body and as he did so, he was then able to make love to her.
Colt remembered feeling her naked body pressed against his. All through their honeymoon, he didn’t allow her to get on her knees. No, each time they had sex, he was always facing her, always staring into her eyes as he took her, thrusting deep into her tight, hot cunt.
“Tell me,” Colt said.
“No, it’s stupid.”
“Nothing is stupid. Look how easy our lives changed. One moment we had plans and now we’re on our honeymoon together,” Colt said. “You can’t tell me that doesn’t show how quickly our lives change.”
Rosalie rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Petal and I planned to get out of town. We were going to save enough money to either rent or buy an apartment, then we’d find work. Again, this was all just two girls planning, but we saw ourselves as businesswomen working our way up the corporate ladder. Petal actually fancied herself an actress, and she figured that would be her goal. It is stupid and full of ideology, but we were just two girls having a whole lot of fun.”
“So what happened to your plans?” Colt asked.
“Growing up,” Rosalie said. “I realized who and what my father was, and I saw how my mother was around him, and I knew I couldn’t leave her.”
“That’s not your fault, though, Rosalie.”
“I was born, Colt. It is my fault. She had no choice but to stick around. He isolated her and I wasn’t going to be selfish and take something for myself.”
“Even though you deserved it?” Colt asked.
She shrugged. “Did I deserve it, though?”
Yeah, she did. Rosalie was not like her father. She wasn’t even like her mother. She was strong, loyal, and more than he could have ever imagined.
He leaned down, ignoring the nurse that came in and clucked her tongue at him. During their honeymoon, he’d gotten used to Rosalie sleeping next to him. Whenever she had fallen asleep in his arms, he’d taken a few moments just to look at her. It was in those moments, all alone and with Rosalie fast asleep, that he saw the peace in her eyes, and knew just by sleeping next to her he’d helped her relax.
Pressing a kiss to her head, he waited for the nurse to leave before he spoke. “I don’t know if you can hear me, Rosalie, but I promise you, I’m going to take care of you. I’m going to make sure you never feel another ounce of pain or loneliness again. I’ll never allow your mother to suffer. I will take care of you.” He kissed her again, and so no one else could hear it, he pressed his lips to her ear. “And I’m going to love you without hating myself for it.”
****
Two Days Later
“You do realize I’ve got no reason to stay at the hospital. The doctors seem irritated with me still being here,” Rosalie said. She hated hospitals. Hated them with a passion and always tried to avoid them. When she was a kid, about eight years old, she fell in the front yard at home, attempting to ride her bike on her own without any training wheels. There had been glass smashed and she hadn’t seen it, but it had gashed her knees and legs as she’d fallen and kind of slid. It had been painful and her mother had taken her to the hospital.
Rosalie had tried to remove the glass from the offending knee and tape it up with some basic clear tape, to stop it from bleeding. Petal had been there, keeping watch. There had been a lot of blood, but Rosalie had never been too squeamish, and seeing as she and Petal had always fallen over, cutting themselves, blood was a regular occurrence. Her mother had nearly fainted at the sight when she came home. Rosalie wouldn’t ever forget it.
She hated hospitals, though.
“I’m paying,” Colt said. “For the room, for them to keep checking on you.”
“And for the food?” Rosalie asked, looking at the burger and fries, which was not hospital food.
“I brought the food here,” he said.
She chuckled, picking up the milkshake and taking a sip. “Seriously, I feel fine.”
“The rib?”
“Sore, but it’s cracked and bandaged, so there’s nothing we can do there. I’ve got cuts and bruises, all of which are being taken care of.” She shrugged. “Honestly, I feel fine. I don’t want to stay here another night. Don’t you want us to sleep in our bed?”
Colt never left her side, which she did love. The first morning, she’d woken up a little groggy, but she’d been warm and there had been a weight surrounding her, and that was Colt. He’d been sleeping next to her. She didn’t want to wake him, even though she had cried the moment the events had come to her.
Al had lost his temper with her and ordered her to take out the trash. It had been heavy as well. The trash bin had been closed and she had no choice but to put the bag down, and then as she went to open the bin, the pain had started. Rosalie had tried to fight back. She’d kicked back, scratched, done everything in her power to be strong, and then once she was down, he’d finally stopped. It was one guy who had attacked her. She hadn’t recognized him, but then the world had spun around her and she’d curled up when everything went dark. The next thing she knew, she heard Petal and Colt, and that had been too much. Until finally, all she had felt was numb, then Colt’s arms.
“You’re trying to tempt me, aren’t you?”
“Is it working?”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on. I hate it here. It fucking sucks.” She pushed the tray of food out of the way and climbed out of bed. Petal had brought her some clothes. Colt continued to refuse to bring her anything and it had been driving her crazy for the longest time. “I’m fine. We’re keeping this bed from someone who could use it.”
“The only person who can use it is you, babe, trust me.” He folded his arms and she shook her head.
“No, I’m not doing it. I was trying to be nice and play along, but you’re taking this way too far.”
“Oh, no,” Petal said, entering the room. “Is this where you put your foot down?”
Rosalie glared at her friend, who had also shut the door. Petal folded her arms and waited.
“Go on, Rose. Don’t mind me. Put your foot down.”
“Petal!”
“Go on.”
Now, all her anger was gone. She merely stomped her foot and then winced as the pain vibrated through her body.
“There you go, Colt, you have finally seen Rose put her foot down.”
“Mesmerizing.”
“Stop it. Both of you,” Rosalie said. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side. I’m here providing emotional support.” She clapped her hands. “Go, Rosalie, go.”
“This is not helping,” Rosalie said.
“I’m going to talk to the doctor,” Colt said. He turned toward Petal. “Keep her here.”
“With pleasure.” Petal walked over to the bed and stole a fry.
“That food is mine,” Rosalie said, padding back to the bed.
“And you’re not eating it. So, what gives?”
“I don’t want to be at this stupid hospital anymore. It sucks. I’m fine.”
“You’re bruised. You kind of remind me of a piñata, only with the stuffing still inside you.” Petal stole another fry.
“You’re not helping.”
“Rosalie, you were beaten up, like a few yards away from me.”
She groaned. “I know, okay, believe me, I know.”
“Do you think you’d recognize the guy?” Petal asked.
“I might, I don’t know. I’m not sure. He came from behind. It’s a little foggy.”
Petal looked toward the door and then leaned in close. “Did you know Al’s gone missing?”
“Huh?”
Petal’s brows went up. “Yeah, like gone completely missing, never to be seen or heard from again.”
“How is that possible?”
“The diner has been closed.”
Rosalie frowned and looked toward the door. “Why are we whispering?”
“Because, you never know who’s listening and I think your … new family has something to do with it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Rosalie, think about it. Think back to that day. That bag was heavy and I was going to help you take out the trash. Al specifically ordered you to go out, remember? I was suddenly so busy with everyone in the diner that I didn’t realize how much time had passed until Colt came in. You were beaten, Colt was pissed, and now Al is missing. Al had something to do with your beating, and now Al is gone. Don’t get me wrong, I’d already figured out that Al had something to do with it, but I don’t know who would tell him to do that.”
“My dad,” Rosalie said.
“Your father ordered you to be beaten?”
“It’s the only explanation. I’ve never seen Al afraid, apart from when he’s dealing with stuff between the two clubs.”
“That is messed up. Don’t worry, though, it just makes me love your husband a little bit. Al was an asshole, and trust me, I was going to gut him for what he’d done.” Petal helped her finish her food.
Colt returned, not looking too plussed. “The doctor said you can go, that he was ready for you to leave yesterday.”
“See, and trust me, he only said yesterday to be polite to you. I could have left within a few hours of being admitted.”
“Rosalie, you had a concussion.”
She waved her hand in the air.
“Don’t do this.” Colt waved his hand and Rosalie couldn’t help but laugh.
