Two Different Souls Collide (Blood & Bones MC Book 3)

Chapter 16

A/N Another double update day!

Buster's POV

As soon as Hawk puts the truck in park I'm out and heading inside. I need to check on my Little Bird. Need my eyes on her to know she is safe. Drake is still out there and to know that at any point during her escape to here he could have caught up to her adds to the torment I feel inside of me at knowing she will never be safe unless we catch him and put him down. I knew my brothers would take care of her worthless father. I didn't have long before Church, but I wanted to spend all the time I could with My Little Bird.

I ignore my other brothers around the bar area and head straight for my girl. When I enter the room, I see Cass checking my Little Bird's vitals. "Cass, Doc's gonna need your help outside with Cleo." She gives me a nod before grabbing the gurney that's on wheels and heading out the door, softly closing it behind her.

Walking up I see that Bird is awake, so I grab the curtain surrounding her bed and pull it closed to block her from the rest of the room. They'll be bringing Cleo in soon and I don't want Bird to see her until they've cleaned her up a bit. I take a seat in the chair by her bed and grab ahold of her hand. She's been watching me this whole time following my movements. I expected her to flinch away when I grabbed her hand but instead she allowed me to do it.

"Cass told me already." She whispers out to me. I release a small portion of the tension in my body at that news. I was debating how to tell her or even if to tell her about Drake still being on the loose. "At first I felt bad that I lead them here, but I had to get help for Cleo and stop them from doing all of this to another girl." There was the strength in my Little Bird.

"You were right to come here Little Bird." I leaned down and kissed her knuckles.

"I already allowed them to hurt Ember and what happened to Cleo was my fault too. I just couldn't be responsible for another girl going through this." Tears were coming down her cheeks at this.

Anger overtook me at her words. "Stop!" I spoke in anger to her. I gentled my tone though when I saw her flinch and she tried to pull her hand from mine, but I wouldn't allow it. "Little Bird, none of this was your fault. You were a child, and you didn't know they had taken Cleo, if you had you wouldn't have allowed that to happen. The only ones responsible is Drake and your father." I pleaded with her to see the truth in my eyes.

She just sighed and looked away, "That's what Ember said." She mumbled.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Not long after y'all left Ember came in. She was just going to sit with me thinking I was asleep, but we ended up talking. I told her how sorry I was for what had happened to her and that I had no right to ask for her forgiveness." I felt the anger rising again at her words. Her brother and father really did a number on her. It's not just the physical brokenness that we will be healing but also the mental and emotional scars as well. My poor Little Bird.

"Let me guess Flame told you were being ridiculous." I joked a little trying to lighten her mood. This self-loathing behavior needed to end.

She chuckled a little, "You're not too far off. She said for someone so smart I was being an idiot." Her small smile fell through, "Buster, I just don't know how it isn't my fault. I should have tried harder to get someone to listen to me."

"Little Bird, your family failed you. The adults in authority in your life failed you. You did what you had to do to survive. Who knows what other tortures they might have done to you had you stuck around? Who knows if you would even be alive right now? You had to survive. It's your dad, mom and brother that were all in the wrong. They're monsters and will be treated as such. I'm just mad that we won't be able to give your mom some of what she deserved but at least now she can never allow such horrors to continue to occur." I tried reassuring her. She needs to see the truth.

We heard the door open then and the gurney being wheeled in. "Is that Cleo?" Bird whispered to me.

"Yes, she's out right now though. Doc gave her a sedative for the drive down here so she wouldn't be in any pain from being jostled around in the van. She'll probably wake up in the next hour or so." I calmly informed her.

"They hurt her, didn't they? They hurt her for helping me?" Bird began to cry again.

"She didn't only do what she did to help you. She also wanted to prevent another girl from suffering the way both of you did." I reminded her.

Bird nodded slowly at this, and we both fell silent listening to them work on Cleo. I kept her hand in mine and gently traced random patterns on her palm with my other hand trying to bring her a little comfort. We'll have to take things slow. She's never had a choice before when it came to touch from a man. It will take time for her to feel comfortable enough with me to touch her more and more. Though I was dying for another taste of her lips, I would show restraint and patience for her.

After about another 10 minutes Doc opened the curtain from around Bird's bed and stepped up to her bed. "Hello Indi, despite your ordeal you seem to be doing alright. Cass said you did sleep some off and on. How is your pain level?"

"I'm probably at a 7." Little Bird whispered to him. She kept her gaze locked on our joined hands.

"Hmmm, alright I'm going to have Cass administer some more pain meds and something to help you sleep. Rest is what you need most so that your body can heal. I'll come check on you in the morning and we're going to need you to eat a good breakfast and we'll give you some more pain medicine then." Doc informed her. He looked to me and gave me a short nod before making his way back out from behind her curtain.

Not long after Cass came from behind the curtain carrying a needle to put into Bird's IV. "Cass, how...how's Cleo doing?" Bird whispered.

Cass gave a small smile in understanding, "She's still asleep. Doc decided that she needed to stay asleep longer, so he administered another sedative. She had a contusion to the side of her head, so he was concerned at the possibility of a concussion, but it appears she does not have one. However, she is severely malnourished and has some cuts and bruising to her body that he stitched up on the way here." Cass spoke as she injected Bird's IV. "We're administering some nutrients through an IV for her, but it will take time for her to get where she needs to be to be healthy. Now you need rest, you'll be passing out soon. So, say goodnight to Buster. I'm sure him and Screw will be back in the morning as soon as you two wake up."

Bird looked confused at the mention of Screw but before she could begin to ask what Cass meant her eyes were beginning to close, her body easily giving into the rest it desperately needed. I heaved a deep sigh and squeezed her hand before standing up to kiss her forehead and walk out. Screw was still by Cleo's bedside. He saw the look I gave him and with a quick nod he too stood up to kiss his girl's forehead before following me out of the medic room. He had a determined look on his face that I'm sure matched mine. We would both soon be getting some of the revenge we both so desperately craved. 

A/N Hoping to post a third one tonight, but I have to work in the morning so no guarantees.