The Biker's Fate Chapter 177

Darien

I CAME TO slowly and the lights on the ceiling whizzed by me. "Where am I?"

"Hold on a second," a gentle voice said, and then Macey's face came into view. "Hi again."

"I'm in the hospital?"

"Yes," she said. "We need to get your injuries checked out."

"I'm pregnant."

Macey gave me a surprised smile. "Okay, honey, I'll make sure that's in the chart."

I nodded and closed my eyes again, finding the darkness too hard to resist.

I woke to darkness and thankfully no pain. I blinked, forcing gritty eyes open, and glancing around the room.

"Babe?"

I looked to my right and smiled. Mack stood from his place in the chair next to the bed and leaned over me. "Hi, honey. Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Millie took the majority of the blast. I have a few stitches, but they're superficial."

"Is she okay?"

"She's still in surgery."

"How's Barney?" I couldn't stop the tears as he took my hand. "Is he dead?"

"No, honey. I took him to an emergency vet. He got a few cuts and bruises as well, so they are getting him sorted. Pauley's there with him. Flick must have been holding him because he was still cradled in his arms."

"Flick?"

Mack shook his head. "He didn't make it."

"Oh no," I whispered, and my body shook as the sobs took over.

"Shhh, baby, I've got you," Mack whispered as he climbed into the bed with me and pulled me into his arms.

"He died protecting my dog, Logan. I love him for it, but I'm kind of mad too."

"I know, honey."

"I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because it was my dog," I cried.

"You didn't set off a bomb at the club, Darien. This is not your fault."

"Am I okay?"

"Yeah. You had to have a few stitches and you bumped your head again, but you and the baby are good."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because I want you here."

"Shouldn't you be at the club?" I pressed.

"I can't do anything there right now, so I need to be wherever you are."

"What do the FBI say?"

"They say fuckin' nothing," he spat out. "But they've got thirty-six hours to deal with it, then we take over."

I gasped. "They agreed to that?"

"No. But it's the deal."

"Don't, honey." I slid my arm over his stomach. "Please don't do anything that might get yourself hurt. We need you."

"I won't get hurt, Darien."

"Those people just blew up the club, Logan." I looked up at him. "They're capable of anything."

His face tightened and he shook his head.

"Can we go home?" I asked.

"Not yet."

"When?"

Mack stroked my hair. "Depends on what Jaxon tells me tomorrow."

"You don't think our home is safe?"

"Not from a fuckin' bomb, Darien, no."

I couldn't stop the tears from starting again as I buried my face in his chest. "Why would someone do this?"

"Money and power are enticing, Darien."

"Is this the life you're okay living?"

Mack shifted so he was face-to-face with me. "This isn't a life I'm livin', Darien, and it's not a life we'll live. This is a shit storm created by bad people and made worse by the actions of Millie. I don't mean to throw her under the bus, but this escalated because we were watchin' out for her. It'll be dealt with and then we'll live our quiet, suburban life. I won't let you leave me over this."

I reached up and stroked his face. "I didn't say that because I was thinking about leaving you, Logan. I just figured we might need to make some adjustments."

He relaxed. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I mimicked,

"I can't lose you, Darien."

I kissed him. "You're not going to lose us, honey. I love you. A tiny little bomb isn't going to make me run away."

"Baby, don't joke."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to joke." I smiled. "I just want you to realize that I'm in it for the long haul. I'm wearing—" I gasped and sat up. "Crap! My ring. I took it off before I went to bed."

"We'll find it," he promised.

"Well, if we don't find it, it's obvious we should just break up."

"Fuck me, Darien."

"I'm kidding!" I said, and stroked his cheek. "I'm sorry, honey."

He sighed. "I get it. Humor's your defense mechanism."

I gripped his chin and frowned. "Do you really think I'd leave you over this? Do you really think I'd leave you for any reason... outside of cheating, of course?"

"I—"

"Scratch that," I interrupted. "Because even if you cheated, I still wouldn't leave you... technically... because you'd be dead. Not a fiber, not a hair. No one would find any part of you. Although, I might bronze your—"

"Darien," he interrupted with a chuckle.

"What? It would take me a while to trust again, but you've ruined me for anyone else, so I'd have my own personalized dildo to tide me over."

"Stop talking," he demanded, and covered my mouth with his.

I smiled against his lips and slipped my tongue into his mouth. Things were just getting interesting when the sound of someone clearing their throat had us breaking apart like guilty teenagers.

"Sorry," Macey said without moving further into the room. "I can come back."

I giggled. "No, it's fine."

"I just want to check your bandages and vitals."

Mack kissed me one last time and then slid from the bed. "I'll be right back," he said, and walked out of the room.

"How's Dallas?" I asked Macey.

She smiled. "He's fine. They're all fine, actually. They were in the back when the bomb went off, so they heard it, but it didn't touch the conference room."

"I'm so glad."

Macey took my pulse and then grabbed the blood pressure cuff. "This is all going to be over soon... or so Dallas assures me."

I grimaced. "I hope so, because I'm kind of afraid of Mack doing something really stupid if it's not."