Chelsea (The Club Girl Diaries Book 2) (21 page)

I looked over at my bike, my body itching to climb on it and follow Blizzard to the hospital just so I had an excuse to check on Chelsea. I squeezed my hands into fists, fighting the feeling and forcing myself to walk back inside the clubhouse and head for the bar. I’d just downed my first shot when I felt a light touch on my back.

Sugar took the seat next to me. “Harlyn’s about to go to sleep, but she wanted you to read her a story.”

I nodded, not even having to think about it. I’d do everything and more for that little girl. Even at five-years-old she was smart, strong and independent. I may not be able to take credit for that myself—Sugar had done an incredible job raising our daughter in my absence—but I was fucking proud to be able to call myself her father.

Sugar stayed at the bar, ordering herself a beer as I headed off toward their room. I’d placed them in the same hall as my room, we kept a spare there especially for family. The boys knew that when there was someone staying there, they took their business elsewhere or to a club girl’s room so no one had to hear. I pushed the door open and smiled, spotting Harlyn sitting up, her tiny body dwarfed by the king sized bed she was sharing with Sugar.

“Daddy!” She beamed as she looked up from the iPad she was currently playing on.

“Hey, baby girl.” I kicked off my boots at the door and climbed up on the bed, settling myself in next to her. She didn’t waste a moment and was soon wriggling herself into my side. I enjoyed the moment, tucking her head under my chin and nuzzling her hair. It smelt good, like strawberry bubblegum.

“You just have a bath, kiddo?”

Her head bobbed even as she continued to swipe her fingers back and forth across the iPad’s screen, connecting some sort of dots together. “Yeah, Momma said I had to.”

I chuckled. “You don’t like the bath?”

She sighed dramatically. “It’s not that I don’t
like
it. Bath’s mean bedtime, and I don’t really want to go to bed.” I placed my finger on the game she was playing and connected some dots that she’d missed. She giggled and patted my hand. “Good work, Daddy!”

“What don’t you like about bedtime?” I enquired.

“I miss you when I’m sleeping,” she said delicately.

“You do?”

“Mmm hmm, I don’t know how long we’ll be here or when we have to go home, so I want to spend as much time with you as I can.” She closed her game and placed it down on the bed. When she turned to look at me, I saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew she was trying to hold back tears. My brave little girl.

“Harlyn, I can tell you one thing for sure. I don’t know what’s going to happen but know this, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, I love you. I promise I will make more time to see you. If I could, it would be every single day.” I brushed her curly locks back from her face and watched as her face lit up.

“You mean it?”

“Have I let you down so far?”

She held out her pinky finger and I couldn’t help but laugh. It had been something I’d done once to try and stop her from crying when I had to leave her and Sugar and head home. It had stuck. I hooked her pinky with mine and squeezed. “Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise, baby.”

She nodded her head sharply like it was a done deal. Turning around, she wiggled herself back under my arm like she’d been before. “Are you and Momma going to get back together?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Why would you ask that?” She shrugged, but I knew she was getting at something. “Do you want that?”

“No,” her answer was definitive and sure.

“Why not?”

“Because you like Chelsea.” My eyes widened, clearly I had underestimated how much Harlyn saw and heard around the clubhouse. “I like her too.”

“Harlyn...that’s not really something you need to worry about,” I told her quietly.

“I’m not worried,” she said casually as she picked the iPad back up and opened the reading application, flicking through the many different children’s books with her finger until she landed on one she liked—Cinderella.

This kid.

I drove us in Rose’s car to the hospital. I could tell she was in pain, not just from her hand but from her father, in general, but she tried to make light of the situation.

“I guess it could have been worse.” She forced out a laugh.

“Rose,” I warned, not really wanting to hear her joke about something that was actually extremely serious. This man had purposely hurt her. He was supposed to be her parent, someone who cared about her and loved her unconditionally. It was wrong. On so many levels, this was wrong.

“Oh come on Chel.” I could tell even without looking at her that she was rolling her eyes. She was trying to brush it off, make out like it was no big deal.

We pulled into the hospital parking lot and I found a park close to the front doors.

I heard her sharp intake of breath. “What’s he doing here, Chelsea?” She turned to me with her eyes wide. I didn’t have to guess who she was talking about. The club was closer to the hospital than we were, and I had no doubt he would have ridden like hell to get here.

“He cares,” was all I said, as I pulled the door open and climbed out.

Blizzard was standing at the doors that lead to the emergency room, his stance wide and his arms folded across his chest. With the light behind him I couldn’t see his face but his shadow was intimidating enough.

“You called him,” she hissed accusingly as we walk forward.

“He cares,” I told her again, growling under my breath as we got closer.

She didn’t say anything and he just stood there, watching us and waiting. We stopped in front of him, the air was slightly chilly around us, but I wasn’t sure if it was the weather or the way he eyed Rose that caused me to shiver.

“Let me see,” he demanded. Rose held her hand to her body, cupping it against her protectively. “Let. Me. See.”

Rose’s shoulders slumped as she gave in and held her hand out, palm up. He stepped to the side so that the light from inside the emergency room shone on us and allowed him to see better. He placed his hand under hers, lifting it slightly, his touch I could tell was light and delicate, almost protective.

He studied it silently for a minute. “What happened?”

Rose’s eyes shot to me nervously, she didn’t know what to say.

“I…uh…left the element on the stove on and she leaned on it. My fault really. Blonde moment.” I tried to play it off, just like I had scolded Rose for doing moments before. She wouldn’t tell him what happened. She didn’t want him to know, and for now I would keep her secret.

For now.

Blizzard looked over at me, his eyes scanning my face. He knew I was lying. I waited for him to call me out.

“Let’s get it looked at,” he muttered even as his eyes still watched me. There was a promise there. A promise that he would get to the truth. He placed a hand on the small of Rose’s back and gently guided her through the doors. She looked over her shoulder at me, her face full of concern, but I tried to give her my best reassuring smile. He pushed her to the front desk and I took a seat in the waiting room, allowing Blizzard to take the lead on this one. I flipped through a magazine, looking up when I felt the chair dip next to me. Blizzard was alone.

“Where’s Rose?” I asked, looking around nervously.

“I made them take her right away,” he murmured.

I looked around. The room was full of sick and injured people, all that had been waiting longer than we had. Blizzard seemed to read my thoughts. He leaned back in the seat and folded his arms across his broad chest.

“Came in before you got here. Money talks, you should know that.”

I nodded, I did know that. Being with the club had its perks, you got the best service, the best seats, the best of anything because they paid for it.

“You gonna tell me what actually happened?” he asked quietly, aware of the people around us eying him. I wasn’t sure if they were intimidated because of the MC cut or just curious. The boys were watched and judged wherever they went. It was normal.

“She’ll tell you when she’s ready,” I said simply, hoping it would pacify him for now.

He scoffed. “You called me, Chelsea. Asking me to keep an eye on her. To do that, I need to know what’s going on.”

I sighed. “Look, she’s not in any immediate danger if that’s what you’re worried about. I know, I called you, I just … I care about Rose. I want to protect her, but she’s just not ready for that yet.”

I saw his jaw clench, but he continued to stare straight ahead. “So someone did this.”

“Blizzard.”

His head snapped to me. “Someone fucking hurt her,” he growled, now obviously not caring whether people heard or stared. Which they did. My eyes traveled down to his hands and I watched them clench and flex in agitation and anger.

“Don’t pull this shit on her,” I snapped, attempting to keep my voice low. “You go all caveman on her and she will run. She will run straight back to them.”

He snarled, his lip turning up. He knew I was right.

I placed my hand over his. “She needs to trust us and know that we will be there for her. But right now, she’s just scared. And scared people do crazy things.” My words didn’t please him, but I knew that for now he understood.

“I won’t let them hurt her,” he whispered, his voice gravelly.

I nodded. “Neither will I.”

We sat in silence for a long time. I pondered about Blizzard and Rose. What the connection was that they had? Why he wanted so much to keep her from harm? Was it just because he felt something for her? Or was there more? I’d always known Blizzard to be a ladies, man. He never talked about getting an Old Lady, but then again none of the brothers do. From what I gathered they were all content being manwhores until the right one came along and then it was like a slap in the face.

Maybe Rose was Blizzard’s slap in the face?

Rose had retreated into herself over the last couple of weeks. She was no longer the flirty, cheeky girl I once met. Sure, I got glimpses of the other her occasionally, but I was really starting to worry. I thought maybe by asking Blizzard to watch out for her that it would bring them closer. Maybe they would find something that they were missing within each other. Maybe he would make her happy again and she would see that she didn't deserve to be treated like shit, that she didn't have to put up with it because she had other people that cared about her too. Us.

Blizzard stood to his feet before I knew what was happening. I looked up and found Rose standing next to the front desk talking to the doctor. Blizzard was by her side in a flash. The doctor eyed him warily but continued to speak to Rose as if he wasn’t there. I didn’t want to crowd her. Blizzard was doing a good enough job of that for the both of us.

When the doctor walked away, I moved closer. Rose gave me a soft smile. “Not as bad as we thought. Just second degree.” Her hand wasn’t bandaged or anything. “Doctor said painkillers and some antibiotic cream should do the trick.”

I felt a little better and let my body sag. “That’s good. I’m so glad.”

“Can we go home now?” she asked, her eyes pleading with me.

“Yeah, let's—”

“I need to talk to her first,” Blizzard said quickly, taking hold of her elbow and leading her away.

“Um...okay. I’ll just wait in the car.” I frowned. I hoped he wouldn’t mention anything to her about what we’d discussed. Rose was all I had at the moment. With Harmony so far away Rose was my rock, and I really didn’t want to do or say anything that would hurt her.

I could see their outlines as they stood just to the side of the emergency department doors. Blizzard reached out to touch her and she shifted back. I could even see his body go rigid as she did. It was only a couple of minutes before they were walking toward me, Rose looking sad and still slightly nervous in Blizzard’s presence and Blizzard looking frustrated.

Maybe I had it wrong.

Maybe she wasn’t his slap in the face.

Maybe she was more like a kick in the balls.