Page 29 of Enforce This
Trista stared at him, her eyes wet and her jaw set. Her hatred and all the fucked-up emotions she carried in regard to her father were brimming.
I placed my hand at the small of her back and she released a ragged breath.
“How you doing, babygirl?” He grunted and struggled to reposition himself.
She glared at him, and her body started to tremble. He must have noticed it, because he gave a defeated huff, glanced at my hand and asked, “The fuck happened to you?”
I looked down at my left hand and snorted when I saw the swelling and bruising over my pinky knuckle and the side of my paw.
“Turns out some bikers don’t teach their daughters how to ride…”
He barked with laughter, but quieted when he realized his daughter had tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Crystal said the bullet nicked your spine,” I cut straight to the point before shit started blowing up in my face.
His eyes locked with mine.
“They did surgery this morning,” He admitted after a long silence.
“Expected outcome?”
He growled low in his throat.
“If you can’t ride, you can’t sit at the head of the table.”
“I’m aware,” He grumbled.
“If you can’t sit at the head, then whoever does better care about this girl as much as you do, or she is as good as dead. Demetri already sent men to my house for her. Just this morning.”
His eyes widened and filled with guilt. His jaw set and his nostrils flared.
“Half the fucking club is dead, Easy.”
I nodded.
“That leaves slim pickings, huh—”
Voices sounded outside his hospital door, and I turned to see Oak’s big ass stepping into view. We stopped talking long enough for him to step inside, but before he could shut the door, Mak and Anthony were pushing their way in, too.
I looked out and realized the cops had split.
“Excuse me,” a nurse called from behind the desk. “Excuse me, you can’t all be in there. Two visitors at a time.”
She held up two fingers and started to round the desk, but Anthony poked his head out the door and coldly clipped, “Sit down and find something to do, bitch.”
“Good. It’s good that more of you are here. You need to hear this.”
The door clicked shut and Mak’s gaze instantly narrowed on the hand I was holding to his sister’s back. I was never more certain that I was about to lose a limb.
Mark cleared his throat, drawing his son’s attention to the bed.
“Fill us in, son… What progress have you made…?”
“Progress?” Anthony spat. “Is that what we’re calling all this?”
“I spoke to the Italians. The only way they will agree to call their hit men off is if and I quote, “That Greasy fuck takes off his crown, bows to my authority, and gives me his daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“What?” Mark spat, his face contorting. “Real fucking funny. What does he want…. An arms deal… Women? I hear he’s been selling pussy up in Chicago.”