Owned & Untamed (Back Down Devil MC #11)(72)

That’s when it hit me. The truth of the rest of my life.

I felt words slipping up to my tongue that shouldn’t be said in a hospital in such a dire time.

I opened my mouth again to say something but someone called Belle’s name.

It was the doctor.

We both stood up, holding hands, ready to face whatever waited.

I kissed the top of Belle’s head.

Then I asked, “How is he, Doc?”

**

Jim survived surgery. It took him hours to wake up and I sat in a chair next to his bed until he did wake up. When his eyes fluttered open, I grabbed his hand and stood up.

“Brother,” I whispered.

“Asshole,” Jim groaned. “You got me shot.”

I smiled. “You deserved it.”

“Probably.”

I stood there, smiling at my best friend. For a split second I saw Jim as a ten year old out of control punk kid. Clothespins holding baseball cards to our tires so it sounded like we were riding motorcycles. Stealing Big Jim’s air rifle to sneak out into the woods and shoot squirrels and birds. Getting caught and Big Jim cracking both of us across the ass with his bare hand. Not being able to sit down for hours but laughing the entire time.

That was my best friend right there.

Then we’d go upstairs and pick on his little sister. Twist the heads around on her dolls and convince her they were evil. Poor Belle, right?

Life was such a sick journey. A wild and twisted ride.

Belle came into the room and broke down in tears. She hugged Jim and he mustered up enough strength to hug her back. Then the entire MC came into the room.

To my shock, some of our brothers from Frelen were there.

“So this is the one legged wonder?” Miller asked.

“That’s me,” Jim said in a weak voice.

“Jesus, man,” Blaine said, “did you lose that just now?”

“Fuck, Blaine,” Gaige said.

“I lost it in Iraq,” Jim said.

“They ever find it?” Blaine asked.

I swore everyone let out a gasp. But Jim laughed.

“Hey, I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” Blaine said. “My bad.”

“Let’s get real for a second,” Trev said. He stood next to Miller. “This guy next to me is the President of another charter. The main charter for the MC. I wanted him to meet you.”

“Sorry I’m not dressed up,” Jim said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Miller said with a grin. “You’re a brave man, Jim. I want you to know that what you’ve done has helped the MC shore up some loose ties with things. We know who financed the Hell Five. We’re on good terms with the Russians, even down through Frelen. And thank you for what you did over there in that hell hole of a war zone.”

Jim nodded.

“And for the record,” Trev added, “all signs are pointing to the Hell Five for this shit. You getting shot and surviving keeps the MC out of this mess. The land, the body, everything. Looks like the Hell Five got themselves into some trouble and you were just a casualty, Jim. Police are going to talk to you but our lawyers will walk you through everything.”

I saw Jim blinking fast, probably fighting back tears like a big *. Ah, hell, I was doing the same damn thing.

“This guy here was my first brother in life,” I said. “My best friend. From kids to men to war and back.”

“A-f*cking-men to that,” Miller said.

“Okay, let’s give him some space,” Trev said.

“Good,” Blaine said. “There was a nurse with nice tits I wanted to check out. Tell her my leg hurts so she’ll bend over and I can see down her shirt.”

“I thought you were happily taken,” Jasper said.

“I am,” Blaine said. “But this could be a medical emergency.”

“I’m not taken,” Cash said. “You look, Blaine, but I’ll get to touch.”

The two charters started to shuffle out. A few minutes later a nurse came in to kick even me and Belle out. She hugged her brother and walked away with tears in her eyes. I kissed Jim’s greasy forehead.

“Stick this out,” I said. “You’re the toughest guy I’ve ever known.”

“Duke, send Maggie in next. Before they give me meds. I want to tell her something.”

I never found out what that something was, but that was not my business.

Outside the room I took Belle by the hand and walked her to the elevator. On the ride down to the ground floor we kissed. We exited the hospital and I gave her my helmet to wear on the ride back to the clubhouse.

She wrapped her hands around me and I looked down, again seeing her bare fingers interlock around my body. She was holding me tight as I rode away, letting my two-wheeled steel beauty take us wherever we wanted to go.

I’d been on a journey for freedom for years… yet freedom was sitting behind me… my freedom was my love for Belle.





thirty-four.



(duke)



*** ONE MONTH LATER ***



Jim was alive and out of the hospital. The land deal officially collapsed and he owned it all again. He and Belle agreed to put the house up for sale and split whatever they made off of it. What they didn’t know yet was that the MC had put together our earnings from Jim’s fight and we were going to buy it. There could never be too much real estate in our club portfolio. Or at least that’s what Cade always told us.