CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Looking over at the bottle of Brandy sitting on the table in front of the couches, I asked Chibs as he finished putting bandages over my large wound, “now can I have more Brandy?”
He let out a laugh and told me as he held the bandage cloth with one hand before he used his other hand to get another cloth to tie the bandage, “I’m surprised you aren’t loonie yet. You drowned those pain killers with a quarter of the bottle.”
“I’m not a light weight.” I answered as I turned my head to stare up at my upper arm, “I’ve walked on slightly cracked ribs and ran.”
“Yeah lass I know. But we might need you sober. Clay’s still sitting on the idea to go back and get the guns.” Chibs answered.
“Shouldn’t you guys be discussing that in the chapel now?” I asked as I looked up a bit at the other guys who were talking lowly at the bar. It was only one in the morning. Unlike it felt, not a lot of time passed before we left for the first hit. Once we got back, the rest of us went inside, Chibs going to work on my wound that was now subsidizing in pain due to the pain medication that I took once Tig got them out for me. He was sitting across the couch on the other one, drinking a beer and looking at me. For the first ten minutes I knew Clay was giving a talking to to Eli before telling him to go check out the warehouse to see if the people are there and made James go with him.
Tig answered me, “Heck keeps reporting the police haven’t showed up yet. He’s waiting on you and Chibs so he can be a part of the discussion.”
I nodded and looked over at my arm. Chibs told me as he finished tying the cloth to hold the bandages, “well, I’ve done what I can. Lucky here you have a medic to take care of you. I’m going to be checking in on you for a while. It’s easy for a wound as open as that to get an infection. The skin around the wound is very irritated too from the impact and from the firepower. I’ll help you put some cream on it so that it wont hurt against the bandages. It’s half the reason I chose the cloth rather than the tight-knit bandage to wrap around it.”
Nodding again, I saw Chibs get up and I looked over at my arm. I knew it was going to scar. Chibs said that the good thing about the bullet being this close was that there was a hole, but it was clean cut, it would just hurt to have the skin and tissue grow back.
But hey, wicked scar right? Maybe even better than a tattoo I had planned there.
I saw Happy walking over to us and he asked the three of us, “you guys done?”
Both Chibs and I nodded and Happy said, “Clay will want us in the chapel then, go over the decision.” Chibs nodded and got to his feet before moving foreward, taking the bottle of Brandy with him so that I couldn’t get it. I let out a little huff before relaxing in the chair. Tig had gotten up as well and I saw Chibs drop off the bottle at the bar. Happy kept staring at me and he told me, “Clay wants you in there too.”
I gave him a weird look, but I got myself off the couch and he walked with me into the chapel, him going in first. Since I was the last one inside, I shut the door behind me before moving to lean against the wall again as I watched Happy sit at his spot, everyone else looking at Clay.
Clay looked at all of us and started off, “Heck keeps coming back to me that no one has come to investigate the warehouse. I say we finished the plan that we started and get our guns. Is everyone in agreement?”
The other guys looked at each other and I saw a collective grin starting on all of their faces before they cheered in agreement. Even I couldn’t stop my smile that was forming. Clay grinned and nodded before he banged his hand on the table a couple of times. He looked up and asked me, “Row are you able to drive the other cage?”
I nodded, “pills won’t kick in for a bit.”
He nodded and smiled, “well boys, looks like we get our guns!”
There was louder cheering and banging of the table. I smiled and let the guys get out of their chairs before moving out of the room. I waited until I was the last one again, but Jax stayed behind. He looked over at the others and asked me as we slowly walked out of the room, “do you know why Eli ran?”
I shook my head and sighed, “No…I really don’t. I’ll talk with him, see if I can get anything.”
Jax nodded and said as I saw the guys leaving the clubhouse now, “he hasn’t said anything to Clay. I like Eli. Until now he has been great, but I don’t want him to leave because of one screw-up.”
I nodded and told him, “I’ll try. Maybe he talked it out with James.”
Jax nodded and said as we made it to the doors, “I’m going to drive with you too. Make sure you don’t get all loonie with us on the trip and get into an accident.”
I rolled my eyes and told him as I went to the one flatbed, “you’ve seen me on pain killers. I don’t warrant a sitter.”
Jax chuckled and nodded off to Clay as the other guys sat on their bikes. Clay nodded back and I heard multiple motorcycles being started. I grinned a bit before I got into the front seat and started the truck as Jax went into the passenger one. I saw Clay ride out and the others follow. I put the flatbed in gear before I followed them. I looked over at Jax for a couple of seconds before I looked back at the rode and I teased him, “how does it feel riding bitch?”
He laughed out loud, causing me to smile before he answered, “not exactly on a bike here. Just thought I could give you some company. Your arm got shot today.”
I grinned a bit before I focused on the rode again. I told him, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt like a bitch and that I hope the pain killers will kick in soon, but I’m fine. Really. It kind of startled me, actually.”
He chuckled and nodded. I followed the guys as we made our way across Charming. I asked Jax as I saw us getting closer to the warehouse, “have you guys thought of anymore potential buyers and suppliers?”
“Apparently Bobby and Piney have a couple of groups in mind, they just don’t know how good the product is, how to make sure the police won’t charge it against us.” Jax answered.
“So basically just background research?” I asked.
He nodded, “then we are going to bring it up to the table.”
I nodded, “sounds good if you ask me.”
I saw the guys pull in near the warehouse and I saw James and Eli sitting in the van only a little bit away. Pulling up closer to the warehouse, I saw James and Eli come out to meet us. I got out of the truck and so did Jax. I turned to the fellow prospects and James came over to me and asked me as the group got together to talk, “I didn’t get to ask through the commotion, are you okay?”
I nodded, “Other than the hole in my arm, I’m fine.” I gave him a smirk.
Looking over at Eli I saw him get closer. I sighed and he whispered, “Rowen I’m really sorry.”
I shook my head and placed my hand on his shoulder and told him, “Eli, can you just tell me what happened.”
I looked between the two and Eli looked over his shoulder at the group who were just finished talking. Eli looked back at me and I squeezed his shoulder, “Elijah?”
He sighed, “I sometimes give my mom the burner number in case she needs to talk to me. I left my cell-phone in the truck. She texted me to get my cellphone since she knows to be careful on the burner and it’s for business.”
He was silent for a moment and I looked at James. He was silent, small eyes looking at the ground. I looked back at Elijah and I saw in the corner of my eyes I saw the guys disperse and start walking back to us. Elijah answered, “I…my dad was mugged, beat up. He’s in the hospital in a coma.”
My eyes widened and I pulled him into a hug, my arm stinging but I ignored it to hold him close. I held my one arm at his back and the other at the back of his neck to comfort him, the guys slowing down at my action, trying to figure out what was going on, “Jesus, Eli, are you okay?”
He nodded and slowly wrapped his arms around me. He whispered, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t think. I just wanted to make sure he was okay…”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I whispered to him, feeling from his whispers that he wasn’t ready for everyone to know just yet and the guys were right in front of us.
He didn’t get a chance to answer because Clay asked us, “everything okay?”
I answered him, “we’re fine.”
Clay nodded and said, “Row we want you bring the truck up to the warehouse garage so that we can load the guns into it. Heck, Eli we want you out here scouting still.”
Nodding, I let go of Eli and he let go of me before turning around and standing off to the side of me so that all three of us were looking at the group. I told him, “I’ll be right back then. Will the front door be the easiest?”
Clay nodded, “I think so.”
I nodded once before turning around, walking back up to the truck as I saw the guys turn to go into the warehouse to get the guns. I heaved myself into the truck awkwardly with my good arm before looking up. I saw Eli and Heck looking around, still whispering to each other. I sighed and started the truck again and I turned on the radio. I heard some weird pop song so I turned it off again and shook my head. It was stupid of me to want comfort. Eli was the one who needed it. His own dad was in the hospital. It wasn’t a wonder that he wanted to get his actual phone. Sure in the place and time it wasn’t the perfect setting but if I got word that it was my mom or my sisters or brothers I probably would have done the same thing. It was a moment of weakness. I just hope that the other guys would understand. I didn’t want Eli to lose his patch for this.
I moved the truck and went down to the front doors. When I could, I turned and backed up to the warehouse doors so that it was easier to get the guns in them and there was still room for the guys to get out. I went behind the truck and walked into the warehouse. I could see Happy, Juice, and Opie picking up some boxes. Clay asked me, “flatbed there?”
Nodding, I looked around. Dead bodies didn’t get far. There was blood everywhere. The place was beginning to smell too. These guys were good people. I knew that…or at least were somewhat good minus the smuggling and supplying drugs with motorcycle and street gangs aspect. But they messed up and betrayed us and killed one of us and they had to pay.
That’s this life. That’s how you live.
Looking at the bodies, I noticed something. I was looking at the bodies, looking into the faces of the crew members. I knew all of them.
“What’s wrong?” Happy asked me suddenly.
I looked up, the guys already walking to leave the warehouse. I looked at Happy and shook my head before asking, “did you guys chase some of the crew down to the back?”
He nodded.
I nodded as well before I answered him, “it’s nothing.”
His face didn’t change, but did it ever? He turned and began to walk back. I moved to walk with the guys as well. Time to go. Didn’t want to leave too late in case someone would be coming. I walked behind Happy and moved to get at the front of the truck, ready to go when they were. Jax came up to me and gave me a weird look.
“You okay?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You got this…look on your face. Like something is wrong or you just saw something startling.” Jax answered.
I was silent for a couple of minutes before I answered him, “I think the drugs are getting to me then.”
“Do you want me to drive?”
I stared at him for a little bit longer before I sighed, admitting defeat. Truth be told, I was feeling a bit more sluggish now. And I was sure my mind was playing tricks on me. I told him, “yeah, sure.”
Jax nodded and I moved to get into the passenger seat. I looked out the window after putting my seatbelt on, feeling the boxes of guns getting loaded into the back.
I could have sworn that I saw the missing faces of Trevor, John, and Sam.
But Happy said they did chase guys down in the warehouse. My mind was playing tricks on me.