Claiming Crusher (Savage Brothers MC #4)(79)

“I’m here waiting for you, Hellcat. I’m right here. I’ll wait on you forever.”

As she’s taken from my sight, I realize that I am completely telling the truth. I’ll wait for her for the rest of my days and then some.

I start praying. I don’t know if it will help, but it sure can’t hurt.





Chapter 41




Dani


I’m so tired. It feels like my eyes have cement blocks on them they’re so heavy. It’s all I can do to open them. When I look around and see the hospital room, terror instantly hits me. I look around frantically, knowing Michael will be there. That’s when I see him…Zander. He’s in a large recliner beside my bed. His hair is tossed every which way on his head, his face looks haggard, and there’s beard growth on his face that he’s never had before. He’s wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. He doesn’t even have on his cut. His feet are kicked out on a stool. He’s snoring and it makes me want to smile, but that would require too much movement and the pain right now is way too intense. I look over at the door and Freak is standing there by the door, arms folded and looking every inch the bad boy biker he is. I lick my lips and try to find my voice. It hurts to breathe, so I’m figuring talking is going to be worse.

“Freak…” The sound is hoarse, dry and squeaky all rolled in together.

He immediately looks over at me, “Hey, babe.”

“What are you doing?” I ask wincing at the effort it takes to make a whole sentence.

“Standing guard so Crush will sleep before he keels over.”

My eyes go automatically back to Zander and my heart flutters with a warmth inside of me.

“Standing guard?” I ask.

“That bastard is still out there. We protect family babe, always.”

My breath lodges in my throat and I’m not sure what it is but it warms me from the inside out. Family?

“I’ll let you talk alone with Crush and relieve Hawk, he’s out front.”

“Three of you?”

“Six, we’ve got Torch and some of Skull’s crew watching the entrances to the hospital. That bastard won’t get a hold of you again.” He closes the door as he leaves and I think about all that he just said. It’s a lot to take in.

“Stop it right now, Hellcat.”

I look up to find Zander pulled up close to the bed, his elbows are on the mattress and he’s staring intently at me. His eyes look so tired and yet they glow with emotion.

“Hi…”

“Hey, sweetheart.” He says leaning up to kiss my forehead. Even that slight touch hurts, but I ignore it and just breathe in his scent.

“How long have I been out?”

“Not long honey, you’re a survivor. You fought your way back hard, and you need to stop what you’re doing.”

“Stop?” I ask, feeling his hand slide along the side of my face.

“Worrying about getting others involved. We got this Hellcat, and it’s not just you involved now. The club has a score to settle with Michael and it’s the kind that only his head on a f*cking platter will solve.”

“Score?” I ask, confused. I know Freak said I was family, but this seems…

“Dragon, honey. Michael had his vehicle rigged to blow. He and Frog didn’t survive,” Crusher tells me and I don’t understand…there’s so much sadness in his expression and then it hits me that Dragon and Frog…they…oh God, they died. I gasp and suck in a breath, because I feel like I’m drowning in the pain that causes it, along with the pain of knowing Michael killed someone else I cared about, punches me hard in the stomach causing tears to run from my eyes. Not Dragon! He and Nicole are supposed to be married. They have a baby on the way and Frog…he was so young and I don’t think he even got a taste of life…or love. My heart is hammering against my chest and I can’t seem to recover enough to catch my breath.

“Nic…Zander, Nic? The baby?” I ask, not able to form a complete sentence or thought. My mind is going in a million different directions.

“They’re okay, sweetheart. Nic’s having a hard time adjusting, but she’ll be okay.”

“I…oh God Zander, this is all my fault. This was why I left. I can’t let more people die for me.”

“Stop it, Hellcat. That f*cker is a mean son of a bitch who has needed to be killed from the day he drew his first breath. You can’t take his actions on your shoulders. We’ll handle him. You just need to concentrate on getting better.”

Logically, I understand his words. I just can’t bring myself to feel blameless. The bodies in my past keep piling up and for no other reason than they wanted to help or protect me. When is it going to end? My hand goes up to my chest. I don’t feel anything by my heart, so move it up till I find it, way too high to hit the heart and not even close to where it needed to be. Michael is right. I am pathetic.

“That one scared us the most. It was deep. You lost a lot of blood from it. It’s good I found you when I did,” he says and my hand freezes on the rough skin.

“You shouldn’t have saved me, Zander.”

He doesn’t respond and I’m too lost in my thoughts to realize that he’s upset. I close my eyes as the tears fall. Poor Nic.