Ridin' Dirty: An Outlaw Author Anthology (OAMC Book 1) (3 page)

“You’re scaring me, Cross. What’s going on? Is my dad pissed because we left?”

“Get in the truck, El. We need to get to the hospital.”

Ella froze mid-stance, staring at Cross. “What happened? Why do we have to go there?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” He scooped up the blanket and balled it up, tossing it back into the tool box. “I mean it, let’s go.”

The urgency in his voice unraveled a fear that Ella was not sure she could fathom. Her heart was racing as she rushed to the passenger side of the truck, clumsily getting inside and shutting the door. Before she knew it, Cross had the truck in gear, the tires spinning, slinging gravel and dirt as he sped out of the park toward the hospital.

Death grip on the ‘Oh, Shit’ handle, Ella swallowed hard before she could find her voice. “Please, Cross. What is going on?”

He took in a deep breath, his knuckles white from the tight hold he had on the steering wheel. His jaw clenched, then relaxed. “Your dad has been in a wreck. They are on their way to the ER now with him.”

Ella fought the instant reaction to cry. Her dad had been down on his bike before, and she had done several hospital runs for him, so maybe this was one of the ones where he’d walk away with another broken bone to brag about. “How bad is it?”

“They’re taking him to the trauma section. He has an open head wound. They’re not sure he’s going to make it.”

No. This was not happening.

Her eyes shifted to look out the window, not noticing the scenery speeding by. Head wounds always looked worse than what they were. They bled like a stuck pig no matter what you did to stop it.

“He’ll be fine. He always is.” Ella nodded to herself, trying to convince her own brain that her father was going to be all right.

“I’m sure you’re right.”

She felt him look at her, but couldn’t meet his gaze. She didn’t want to think the worst in this situation. She had never known her mother, always had her bitch step-mother around since she was five, and her two spoiled as shit daughters. She couldn’t lose her only hold on sanity.

Everything was a blur.

Her mind barely registered Cross’ arm around her, guiding her into the ER. Nothing would come into focus. Not her step-mother wailing in Stone’s arms, or her two siblings sobbing while holding one another.

Ella was numb.

Was someone talking to her?

Brows furrowed as she tried to focus on what was being said to her, blinking several times to get the male who was speaking to her sharp and clear.

“He is awake and asking for you. I’m assuming you are Ella?”

Ella could only nod as the male nurse motioned for her to follow him. Unable to break away from Cross, she kept ahold of him, somehow knowing he would stick by her side.

The mixture of smells caused a sensory overload; antiseptic, blood, bleach and other odors accosted her nose. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she rounded a drawn blue curtain. Her father was laid out on a gurney, his arms wrapped in gauze as well as his head. His normally blue eyes were bloodshot and not dilated, both swollen and turning black and blue. His lip was split open, the usual white beard was splattered and matted with a rust colored substance that Ella refused to acknowledge.

“Oh, my God, Daddy!” Ella’s cry was strangled as she broke hold of Cross and dashed over to the bed. She stopped short, not wanting to hurt him any more than he already was.

He lifted up a shaking hand toward her, croaking out her name. “Ella?”

“I’m here, Daddy.” She tenderly took his hand in her own, careful of the scrapes that littered his hand. “You really did it this time.”

It was easy to see the pain that rolled through him as he tried to smile, giving her hand a squeeze. “I need you to listen to me, Ella.” He took in a deep breath, though it was cut short by a series of rattles that echoed in his chest. “Take care of Josie and the girls. They are going to need you to be strong. You know how she is. Fragile.” A cough wracked his body, forcing him to roll slightly to the side, spitting out blood as he did so.

“Nurse!” Ella cried out, fumbling for tissues, wiping at his mouth while he rolled back over.

Her father waved her away, his breathing becoming more labored as he spoke. “Do something with your life. I don’t care what it is, Ella, but live it to the fullest. Never take anything for granted, and for fuck’s sake, find a good man who will worship you and know your worth.”

“Hush, Daddy. Save your energy. The nurse is on his way.” Ella turned around frantically looking at Cross. “Please, go find that fucking nurse.”

Cross nodded and removed himself from the room, leaving Ella alone with the only man she ever called a hero.

Stroking his hand gently, Ella could not stop the tears that fell. She had never seen her father this way and the way he was talking was scaring the hell out of her. Every breath he took sounded like bubbles were popping through his throat and chest, indicating he was having more of an issue that the doctors were letting on.

“I love you, pumpkin. Always remember that.” Her father took another breath, though it was choked off by a deeper rattle, forcing him to try and take another without any success.

Ella screamed as his body began to convulse on the bed, unaware of being pushed aside as a team of nurses and doctors rushed into the room to assess the situation and take care of it.

“No.” It was a firm denial of what was transpiring before her. Her mind was not wanting to grasp that her father was not going to live. She had always seen him as invincible, untouchable. Her own personal super hero who would never be hurt and live until he was a hundred. Maybe longer. It was childish thoughts, but he was all she had ever had and now it was being ripped away from her.

Strong arms encircled her, drawing her in a blanket of warmth, her head forced into a solid chest. “I’m so sorry, Ella.”

The words were whispered into her hair as she clung desperately to Cross’ jersey. The loud wail of the monitors pierced through the fog that started to cloud her mind, shrill and long. Lifting up her face, she looked over her shoulder as the doctors stripped off their gloves and began to turn off the monitors.

“What are you doing?” Ella was flabbergasted that these so called medical professionals gave up so easily. “Cross?” Eyes cut up to look at him. Nothing but sorrow lay deep in the onyx depths of his eyes.

Her knees buckled, forcing her to use Cross to hold her up as the doctors gave her their condolences. Ella never heard the words. All she could hear was a dull ringing in her ears, an echo of what was left of the last moment of her father.

Rudely shoved out of the way, Josie and her daughters, Katrina and Sharon, rushed into the room, throwing themselves on top of her father, making a total spectacle out of her father’s death.

Disgusted by their display, she looked up at Cross through her tear filled eyes. “Please take me home.”

The next few days were nothing more than a blur, a maelstrom of emotions that Ella was not allowed to show. Everything was about Josie and her daughters. Cross never left her side during the funeral and wake, always hovering near her to make sure she was all right.

Ella had no clue if she was coming or going. All she knew was that Cross was her anchor in the storm. He stayed at the house with her, holding her through the night, chasing away the nightmares that threatened to consume her.

The club held the wake for him, burying him with his cut, just as he would have wanted. It was easy to tell that the guys were tolerating her step-mother and the two girls during the party, Josie almost crossed a line with Gail, Stone’s wife, as she cried on his shoulder and hugged him a little too long.

Stone finally pulled Ella off to the side to sit down and talk with her, questioning her about what she wanted in her future.

“I don’t know. I have a degree in phys ed in dance, but I don’t want to teach. I’ve always wanted to dance.”

Stone nodded, leaning back in his chair, fingers running over his goatee. “Have you ever thought of joining up with Trixie and becoming a Painted Lady?”

Ella wasn’t sure how to take what was being offered. Stone loved her like his own daughter, but now he was asking her to sell her body, and her dad was barley in the ground?

“Uh, wow. Okay. Uhm. No.”

Stone chuckled and swiped a bottle of beer off of one of the girl’s trays as she walked by. Taking a long drink from it, he wiped his mouth before he spoke. “I’m not asking you to sell your body, or me to be your pimp. It’s not like that, though it can be. I’m asking you to dance. Your father loved watching you at your recitals, and I don’t think he would care if you danced for money either.”

A stripper? Wow. Not exactly what she saw in her future. Or where she thought her degree would be put to use. “I—I don’t know.”

Trixie made bank when she danced. No lie. She brought home serious cash and loved every minute of it. Yeah, she had a few johns on the side that she spent time with and they paid a hefty price, but Stone just said she didn’t have to do that.

“Just think about it. I don’t care either way, doll. But I do want you to know that this club will always be here for you no matter what. All you have to do is ask.”

She couldn’t help the tears that welled up, quickly looking away from Stone.

“Look, Ella. We’re your family. Even if we’re not blood. That fake ass bitch that he married will always be a superficial whore. The only reason Crowbar was with her was because he wanted you to have a female in your life. I wish it could have been different, but I don’t trust her. You’ll always have a place here if you need it. You can have Crowbar’s room.”

Ella almost launched herself over the table and into Stone’s arms. “Thank you so much. I’ll use it as my getaway. But Daddy made me promise to take care of her because she is incapable of functioning in the real world.”

Stone patted her back and snorted. “Well, your dad had a hefty life insurance policy, so I’m sure she’ll never lift a finger to work.”

Biting her bottom lip, Ella wiped her eyes and sighed. “Give me a day or two to let you know about your offer, okay?”

“Take your time, Tigerlily.”

Damnit to hell. He called her by her dad’s nickname for her. She loved the flower. It always reminded her of a beautiful sunset, and her father always said the sun and moon set on her.

Kissing the scruffy cheek, she went in search for Cross, finding him cornered by Kat and Sharon. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she took his hand and pulled him away from the two gold diggers and toward a quiet corner.

“You leave tomorrow morning, right?”

Cross nodded, a few strands of the dark hair brushing over his eyes. “Yeah, I have to get back for the game on Sunday.”

Ella leaned into him and rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Hey,” he lifted up her chin, making her look at him. “It’s not like you don’t have my number. You can always call and talk to me. Plus, I’m only five hours away. You can always go on a road trip.”

“I’d like that. A lot.”

“So would I.”

Ella couldn’t help but smile, her heart lifting a bit from the darkness that it had sunk into. “I guess things are looking up for me then.”

“How so?”

Ella lifted a single shoulder and let it fall as she dropped her gaze to watch her fingers slide over the corded muscle of his forearm. “Stone offered me a job, and told me I can have Dad’s room to stay in if I need it.”

Black brows shot up as Cross’ eyes narrowed. “What kind of job?”

“As a Painted Lady. Dancing, not the other.”

Cross grunted and stepped away from her. “Have fun with that.”

Confused, she moved closer to him as he started to walk away. Reaching out, she caught his hand, tugging him back to face her. “What is wrong, Cross?”

“I don’t associate with the hired help.”

The way he was looking at her crushed her at her very core. He was staring at her with contempt, like she was filthy and he was afraid to get his hands dirty.

“Hired—hired help?” Ella stuttered, placing her hands on her hips. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly as it sounds. You want to be one of the whores that breaks up families, be my guest. But I won’t have anything to do with you while you are one.”

It felt like he gut punched her. All the air left her as she stood there staring at him in total disbelief. “I’m going to just dance, Cross.”

“That’s what they all say. Then they get the taste of money and the prestige of who fucks who and it’s over. You’re nothing more than a high class slut.”

Ella physically blanched as he verbally assaulted her. Before she could stop herself, the sound of flesh hitting flesh reverberated through the room.

Cross’ head snapped to the side, his eyes closed slowly. Moving his jaw back and forth, he scoffed and shook his head. “Have a great life, Ella. I’ll see you around.”

With that, the man she had loved for over six years walked out of her life.

***

That was six years ago. Now, she was twenty-seven and the most desired and adored Painted Lady. Ella got to pick and choose who she wanted to spend her time with, Stone never having forced the life upon her. Somewhere along the way, she gave up on Cross, gave up on true love and soul mates. It was something that didn’t exist, only in fairy tales. Too bad her life wasn’t one.