Burn: Outlaw Romance (Hotter Than Hell Book 3) (27 page)

His rumble of laughter warms my heart. I drift back to sleep when the nurse leaves the room. Dagger holds my hand as my mind goes blank again.

I have no idea how much time has passed. They move me to a private room. I fight the pain meds and try to make it as long as I can. Dagger is wonderful about everything but that. I can’t communicate with more than my fingers, but I can finally see out of my good eye. Dagger does a lot of pacing when he thinks I need meds.

Red and Charlie visit. They don’t stay long. They tell me the clubhouse is safe and the brothers are coming to the hospital in shifts to check on me themselves. I appreciate all they tell me. I’m exhausted when they leave. Dagger comes back in. His chin scruff is a short, mangy beard now. He needs to shave. With his hair, he looks like a mental asylum reject.

I let them knock me out with pain meds because of him. He drives me crazy with his pacing.

The next day, the plastic surgeon removes my facial bandages. He has me speak, which is extremely difficult with my jaw wired. They’ll remove the wires in about three weeks. It will be two weeks after that before I can use my jaw to eat. Today is the first time I’ve actually missed food, so it sucks and I’m crabby.

“We want you up and walking around,” the doctor tells me. “A nurse will come in and remove the catheter.”

Thank God. I’m tired of the nurses checking between my legs.

“We’ll keep the IV in for at least another day,” the doctor says. “The most important thing is that you don’t fall and cause further damage to your face. If you have dizziness, sit down. Your husband can help support you today. Try a few steps on your own tomorrow.”

“What about the pain meds?” Dagger asks the doctor.

I growl.

“As needed. You do need them.” He gives me a pointed look. “Your body needs a chance to heal and will heal faster with minimal stress. Pain medication removes the stress. A police detective has called every day to interview you about what happened. I’ve put him off but no longer have a reason to.”

I nod and let the doctor know I’m okay with it.

Dagger walks out with the doctor when the examination is over. I can see them talking in the hall. I can’t hear, though, and it pisses me off. Dagger comes back in and sits on the side of the bed.

“What did the doctor say?” I mumble sloppily.

Dagger leans over and kisses my forehead. “That I need to talk to you about the baby.” I stare into Dagger’s eyes trying to piece together what he just said. “I didn’t tell you before because there was a good chance you would lose the baby and I didn’t want you worrying about it.”

My hand moves to my stomach as realization dawns. Dagger’s hand covers mine.

“You aren’t far along, a few weeks only. They gave you a pregnancy test before surgery and a second one yesterday. This little tyke likes where he’s at and the doctor says everything should progress normally.” Tears run down my face and Dagger wipes them away. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t care about the baby. I was more worried about you. Doesn’t mean I won’t love him or her but you come first. Fuck, Sofia, I love you.”

He leans in against me so my head is on his shoulder while I cry. A baby has never been part of my plans, and I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do. I take a quarterly shot so I don’t get pregnant. I guess I was past due for the shot and it’s not like we ever used protection. Stupid, I know. Dagger releases me when my tears run their course. He takes the chair by the bed and rests his hand on my stomach.

“I need to explain about my wife, Savannah, and also about our son.”

Hell, Dagger has a son. I knew he was married before, but I knew nothing about a child. I place my hand on his and squeeze his fingers.

“Savannah’s parents were wealthy and they hated me. She didn’t care…”

Dagger tells me everything. His son who died, Savannah, and also killing the man who took their lives. I can’t help my tears. They say pregnant women cry. I’m learning it’s true.

“I was a young man then, little more than a boy. I wish I could say I shouldn’t have killed that man but I can’t. He took everything from me. I missed her funeral service, though. My son was buried with her and I missed it. That I do regret. I never said goodbye.”

Tears run down his face and I ache for his pain.

“I need to know who hurt you. I won’t act irrationally. They will pay for it, though.”

“Two bikers,” I manage to say. “No one I know.” I give him the best description I can.

“I know who they are. We’ll take care of it so you and everyone else in the club is safe.”

“No prison,” I mumble.

He leans over and pulls me in close. “No prison, princess. I’ll be around for this baby.” His phone rings. He releases me and checks it. “Need to take this call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Dagger leaves me alone with my thoughts. My hand moves back to my stomach.

Dagger’s baby.

Dax

GOMEZ WAS CALLING. I
didn’t make it out of Sofia’s room and into the hallway in time to take it. I decide to walk to the parking area before calling back. I haven’t heard from Moon or Gomez since leaving their home. We have unfinished business and I’m hoping for an update.

It’s a little after two in the afternoon and sweltering heat rises off the black asphalt. There’s a bench under a tree and I head in that direction. I don’t bother sitting. I’ve done enough of that over the past few days.

The doctor said they’re discharging Sofia in the next few days if she keeps improving. I haven’t dwelled on what this will cost. It’s the least of my worries right now. I stand in the shade and call Gomez.

He answers immediately. “We have her and a little extra baggage. Can you talk?”

“Yes.”

“Our guys picked Pauline up in Casa Grande. One of her dealers up north pointed them in the right direction after a small amount of persuasion. They found her in a trailer with two men. Strange thing is they thought my guys were there in retaliation. Apparently they messed with the wrong Latina lady.”

I’m surprised my clenched hand doesn’t break the phone. “You have them?”

“Yes.”

“I’m at the hospital. My old lady won’t be leaving for a day or two. If you hold them, there’s nothing you can’t ask of me.”

“I don’t think you were listening before. I owe you. I don’t take that lightly. These guys are going nowhere. Do you want us to go ahead and take care of Pauline?”

“No. Keep her wherever you’re holding them. She needs to understand what happens if she decides to return.”

“What hospital are you in?” he asks.

“Phoenix General. Sofia’s fucked up and lucky to be alive. So is our baby.”

Gomez is silent for a moment. “They won’t enjoy the time they have left. Take care of your woman and the baby.”

“Thank you. Thank you for everything.” Something occurs to me. “I gave the cops the name of the guy I think is responsible. I don’t want it falling back on you.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Won’t be a problem.”

The call ends. It’s hard to believe it’s this fucking easy. I burn to take a ride to wherever they have Oho and Candy. It pains me that they’re still breathing air.

I make it one day without added blood on my hands. Sofia is improving quickly and the next day they tell us she’ll go home tomorrow. I don’t say anything to Sofia about Oho or Candy. I won’t tell her until we’re home and I’m sure we can’t be overheard.

She gives the police detective nothing. He isn’t happy, but looking at her it’s easy to believe she remembers nothing. Even though it’s a lie. She has refused to look in the mirror since the first time she went to the bathroom. I practically held her up while she examined the damage.

“Good thing I’m not a vain person,” she mumbled with her wired jaw.

Any other woman would scream the place down. Sofia is like no other woman I’ve ever known and that includes Savannah. It felt good to tell her about my wife and baby. She needed to know.

I leave the hospital after she falls asleep with the aid of some pain killers she grumbles about taking. I know part of the reason she’s reluctant to take pain meds is her mother’s addiction. Sofia is so stubborn I doubt she’s at risk. I admire her for holding out as long as she does.

I call Gomez and he gives me directions to the downtown warehouse where he’ll meet me. It takes about twenty minutes to get there. Gomez and Rack are waiting. Rack hands me the handgun I requested. I enter the building, walk to the back, and walk into the room where I first met Gomez. Fond memories, or maybe I should say painful ones.

Oho and Candy are on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs. Pauline is tied to a chair a few feet away. She looks worse than she did the last time I saw her. I’m surprised her skin doesn’t split open. I doubt she weighs eighty pounds.

I walk in front of Oho holding the gun at my hip. He knows what’s coming.

“You fucking dick,” he says while Candy cries. “Fuck you and fuck the woman we killed. I hope she meant something to you. Fucking brown bitch should never have been alive to leave the clubhouse. The guys will turn on you. Every fucking one of them. They won’t hold with no spic.”

I kick him in the stomach and he goes down. I nod at Rack and he pulls Oho back to his knees. Pauline is crying too but even she isn’t as big a pussy as Candy.

“Shouldn’t pick on women or children, asshole,” I say before lifting the gun and putting a bullet between Candy’s eyes. I didn’t come here to play games. I turn the barrel of the gun to Oho. “My old lady is alive and so is my child. Two of you pussies couldn’t kill her. We’ll never think of you again and neither will a single member of the Crows. I’ll see in you hell one day, though, and you better run and hide.” I pull the trigger.

Pauline is screaming when I head to her next.

“No, Dagger, no. They never told me. I fucking didn’t know,” she pleads.

I lift the gun and rest the barrel against her forehead. “If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. If you ever step foot in the state of Arizona, I’ll know. Do you get me, Pauline?”

“Yes, I swear. I swear.”

I hand the gun to Gomez on my way out. We don’t say a word. Justice has been served.

I sleep the last night at the hospital with Sofia. It will be wonderful to go home tomorrow. Red assured me the women have done a damn good job of cleaning my bedroom and bathroom so Sofia is comfortable.

I go to admitting to fill out the papers for the hospital bill. They hand me the paperwork and I scan the itemized total as it stands. It’s over six hundred thousand dollars.