The Biker's Fate Chapter 278

"I forgot about that," Alison whispered. "Why don't they wash those damned toys?"

I hated it when she segued. "They probably do now, but it wasn't the greatest memory, was it, love? But remember how Ryan watched the kids the next day so we could go to the spa? That was such a great day."

"We had such good times, didn't we?"

"We did, love."

"I'm so sorry, Maisie."

"I know, love," I whispered.

"If I could take it back, I would."

"I know, love. I forgive you."

"Goodbye Maisie."

Before I could process the meaning behind her words, a loud blast sounded. Over the ringing of my ears, I could barely hear Gracie's gut-wrenching scream.

"No! Mama! Ohmigod, why did you… you…! Mama, get up!"

The reality of what had just happened hit me as my knees slammed into the concrete and I fell to the ground. Somewhere in the background I could hear Poppy calling out to me and then strong arms lifted me and pulled me close.

Hatch grabbed my phone and I think he spoke into it, I'm not really sure. I climbed into the dark recesses of my mind and hid there.

"Goodbye Maisie."

She couldn't have killed herself, but I knew it was true even as I clung to Hatch and tried to deny it.

No, Ali. We can fix this. We'll get through it. I won't press charges. Everything will be okay.

But I was only trying to convince myself. I knew in my gut my friend was already gone.

"Mummy?" Poppy asked, her soft hand wrapping around mine.

"I'm okay, Poppet."

I was, but Alison…  My eyes burned.

"Mama, get up!"

She'd done it in front of Gracie. How could she? She was getting help.

Hatch had me cradled on his lap on one of the picnic tables, my phone to his ear, his face unreadable.

"What's going on?" Poppy asked.

"Grace is okay," I lied. Grace was far from okay, but it was the only hope I could give Poppy. "She'll be fine. She's tough."

"Grace," Hatch said into my phone. "I need you to call 9-1-1. I know this is scary, but I need you to do that right now, can you?"

Knight walked up to us and Hatch raised his head.

"Jax is on his way out to their place," Knight provided.

"Someone's comin' to help and he'll probably beat the cops. His name's Jaxon Quinn," Hatch said. "But you still gotta dial 9-1-1, okay? Tell them who your dad is and that they need to call him." He squeezed his eyes shut. "As soon as they can, Grace, yeah? Okay."

He hung up and I swallowed convulsively. "Did Alison really…?"

"Yeah," he breathed out.

"What's going on?" Poppy demanded.

I linked my fingers with hers. "Alison..." I swallowed. "There's been a…" Another swallow. My throat was suddenly so dry. "Alison was very sick, Poppy. And she's going through a lot and…" I turned toward Hatch. "The ambulance is on the way, right? She could still pull through. We don't know for sure that she's dead."

"What?" Poppy burst into tears.

My stomach clenched. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Lily stepped in and wrapped her arms around Poppy as Hatch led me away from the group. My knees stung, and I looked down to see blood seeping out the holes in my jeans but couldn't have cared less.

"She's dead, Hatch," I whispered. "She really… oh God." Once inside his bedroom, I stepped into his private bathroom barely making it to the toilet. After emptying my stomach of everything I'd eaten over the last year, Hatch helped me to the bed where I fell in a heap, too overwhelmed to cry.

"Let's look at those knees, Sunshine." Hatch removed my wedges, then gently pulled my jeans off, grimacing at the hamburger that used to be my skin. "Let's get some peroxide on those."

I rolled to my side, hugging one of his pillows to my chest and closing my eyes. My best friend was dead. Never had I ever thought this would happen. I'd lost the two people closest to me… and I wasn't even forty. Shit like this wasn't supposed to happen to young people.

"Connor?" I whispered.

"Yeah, baby?" He crawled onto the bed with me and cupped my cheek.

"Please don't die. I can't lose you too."

Readjusting me so I was on his chest, he held me close and kissed my temple. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Sunshine. You're gonna get so sick of me, you'll be that grumpy old lady who complains about her old man to the nurses at the old folks' home."

I smiled. "As long as you're in the old folks' home with me, I swear I won't complain… ever."

"Deal."

"My best friend isn't here anymore, Connor."

He stroked my hair. "I know, honey."

"I know she… she screwed up, but she was sick, and it didn't make me love her any less. She was still my family." I took a ragged breath. "I held out this stupid little hope that she'd get well, and we could maybe get back to normal." I glanced up at him. "And don't growl at me for using 'stupid.' In this instance, I think it's accurate, because she was farther gone than I thought, which was stupid. I should have seen it. I should have protected Grace. I should have protected Merrick. For God's sake, I let Poppy into that den of crazy." I burst into tears again and Hatch pulled me closer. "But I love her still. I've missed her. How bat shit crazy is that?" I snapped. "She tried to kill me and my child and I still love her. I am an idiot."

"Shhh, Sunshine, you're not an idiot."

"I am so."

Hatch lifted my head and thumbed my tears away. "You are a beautiful, loving mother and friend, and you want to believe the best in people. That doesn't make you an idiot. As soon as you saw the threat, you got Poppy out of the way. No one would have guessed that someone like Alison would have had the know-how, let alone the desire, to mess with your car."

"You would have."

"How do you figure?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. You know everything."

He sighed. "I wouldn't have known, baby. No one could have known. And I'd venture a guess, Ryan probably didn't know either."

"Ohmigod," I said, sitting up and scrambling off the bed. "Ryan." I hissed at the pain in my knees and Hatch sat me back down and knelt in front of me.