The Biker's Fate Chapter 374

"Make the call now," I said glaring at him. "Tell him to release her, and when she's safe I'll let you go. You can just walk away."

"I don't think you understand how this works, Sparky. You see, I'm the one in charge here. I'll most certainly be leaving here this evening, but I'll be leaving with my cargo, my money, and my freedom, because if I don't, Poppy will die. If you don't think I'm serious, please allow me to call Curly and have him cut off one of her fingers, or better yet an ear."

He pushed a button on his cell phone, and switched it to speaker mode. It rang twice and went straight to voicemail. He hung up and tried again with the same results. I could tell he was losing his patience, but tried to remain calm and collected as he tried to reach Curly's phone for the third time.

"Hey, Foghorn Fuckface! Are you looking for me?" a female voice yelled.

For a split second, I thought my damaged eardrums were playing tricks on me, but I quickly realized I was definitely hearing Poppy's voice. My head snapped to the right and I could see her approaching, along with Agent Moore, Hatch, and Doom, who had guns drawn.

I spun back around and immediately clocked Harlan square in the nose, causing a satisfying gush of blood to flow all over him and his suit; a stark contrast of bright crimson against a sea of white linen. He staggered back and I rushed for Poppy, but Harlan grabbed one of the assault rifles from the pile on the deck, and put himself between us.

As he turned off the safety on his rifle, I reached for the 9mm I'd tucked in the back of my pants earlier. I squeezed off one shot, only managing to hit his right arm, but with enough force to push him further away from me, toward the ship's rail. Harlan smiled, blood, staining his ultra-white teeth and he raised his weapon at me once again. As he did, a single shot from Agent Moore hit him square in the forehead, sending him over the railing, onto the deck below.

I ran to Poppy, taking her into my arms before kissing her deeply. My heart sank into my chest when I saw the black eye and scrapes on her face. I could see she'd been through hell, and I was happy to have helped send the bastard that did this to her back there.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I am now," she said before pulling me in for another kiss.

We walked to the rail and looked over, to see Harlan Cavanaugh's mangled corpse lying on the deck below. Blood pooled around him, as FBI agents, and the now liberated captives surrounded his lifeless body.

Poppy leaned over the rail and yelled, "I told you you'd end up with a bullet in your head, Colonel Chicken Dick!"

God, I love this woman.

I squeezed her and she whimpered. "What, baby?"

She grimaced. "Bruised ribs I think."

"Doc!" I bellowed.

"And, now I've lost my left ear," she grumbled.

"Shit, sorry," I said.

She dropped her head to my chest and held me tight. "I'm okay, Dev. Just never ever let me go, okay?"

"Promise, sweetness." I slid my hand to her hair, careful to be extra gentle because I didn't want to hurt her.

Doc rushed over and did a quick check of Poppy's injuries, determining she needed scans, so I settled her in one of the FBI's SUV's, and once Hatch joined us, Dalton drove us to the hospital.

"You feelin' worse, baby girl?" Hatch asked Poppy.

She was in between the two of us, but leaning heavily against me.

"I feel kind of dizzy."

"Not far, Poppy," Dalton promised, pulling up to the emergency room less than five minutes later.

"I'll get a chair," Hatch said, and walked inside, while I gently lifted her out of the car.

"I'm gonna be sick," she warned, and rushed to the bushes just outside the doors...which automatically opened and closed with every motion she made.

I stroked her back and she stood up straight just as Hatch arrived with a wheelchair.

"Gotta head back to the scene," Dalton said. "Y'all okay?"

"Yeah, brother, we got this," Hatch said, and shook his hand. "Thanks for your help."

Dalton nodded and headed to his car, pulling away from the curb, and I helped Poppy into the chair. I guided her inside, Hatch fussin' like I'd never seen him do before, and then he was handing his insurance information to the receptionist and getting Poppy sorted.

I grabbed her a bottled water, a can of pop, and the blandest crackers I could find in the vending machines, then we hunkered down to wait.

Poppy

"Honey, I'm okay," I insisted as Devon fluffed up my pillows (again) and tucked the covers gently around me (again).

We were back at the compound and I was in his bed, with strict instructions from the very serious ER doctor to stay on bedrest for two days in order to fully heal. I had a cracked rib, along with a couple of bruised ones.

Luckily, I had really strong drugs to keep me from caring about whether or not I was in agonizing pain every time I breathed. I was currently holding an icepack against my black eye and trying not to throw it at my man.

"Let me take care of you," Devon argued, sitting on the bed and leaning his back against the headboard.

"Okay," I said. There was no point in arguing, not that I wanted to, because it made him feel like he was being useful and I know he needed that right now.

"Did you call your mom?"

I nodded. "She didn't pick up."

I had to use my dad's phone because mine was in the middle of a freeway somewhere.

"I'm sure Hatch'll let you know as soon as she calls back."

I bit back a yawn. "I'm not worried. I'd rather she not know about any of this until it's absolutely necessary."

"I hear ya."

Someone knocked on the door, so Devon slid off the bed to answer it, and Hatch peeked in. "How are you feelin', baby girl?"

"I'm good, Dad."

"If you ever leave my immediate vicinity without me signing a permission slip in triplicate, I will murder you in the face," my mother threatened as she pushed past my father.

"What are you doing here?" I cried as she sat on my bed and pulled me in for a gentle hug.

"Are you kidding me?" She leaned back with a frown. "I got on a plane the second I got the call that you'd been taken. Hawk and Payton are watching the boys for a few days."

I burst into tears and fell back into my mother's arms. "I'm so glad you're here."

As my mother held me while I cried, Hatch and Devon sat on the bed, surrounding me. Once I'd calmed down (and taken another pain pill), the four of us sat in our little family huddle and debriefed, with Devon filling me in on what happened on the boat (I'm pretty sure he censored a lot), and Hatch filled him in on everything that happened at the docks. He said the Curly connection was from a feud with him years ago, but it was done now. I had a feeling he wasn't telling me everything, but there was no point in asking, because he'd never give me more.

I watched as Mum leaned back against Dad and he held her close, wrapping an arm around her and linking his fingers with hers, and I felt so much love, I nearly burst.

Devon mimicked Dad's position with me, and I snuggled into him as we got off the subject of our horrific couple of days and gloried in the love and security of our family unit.

Devon made the decision right then and there that he was coming home with me and I was good with that. I had a feeling no one would argue, and I squeezed his fingers as he kissed me quickly.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Love you, too, sweetness."

I'd longed for him forever and now my life was complete.