Reckless Temptations (Tempted #4)(50)

“Ambulance will be here soon. Just keep doing it,” he said, glancing at his watch. “After two minutes he’ll need another injection.”

He dropped Reina’s hand and moved toward us, falling to his knees on the other side of Blackie and re-filled the syringe.

“Stay with me, brother,” he pleaded. “I need you breathing,” he added.

I continued to breathe air into him until Jack pushed me off, so he could give him the second injection.

“Is this shit going to work?” I asked, before he pulled the syringe from him again and I went back to breathing life into Blackie.

Don’t fucking die.

The paramedics arrived and pulled me off Blackie. They shouted things to one another, working vigorously to save his life, administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Jack informed them of the Naloxone we gave him and asked why it wasn’t working.

Because he was already in cardiac arrest.

They rushed him to the hospital, and I followed the ambulance with my bike so Jack wouldn’t have to leave Reina’s side. They rushed Blackie into the emergency room and forced me to wait in the waiting room with all the other helpless souls.

I had gone from taking life with my own hands to standing by as one was taken from me.

Standing by, helplessly as I depended on doctors to take care of my brother reminded me of Lauren and her decision to quit nursing school. I was just a biker, nobody’s hero, but the men and women in there trying to reverse the damage caused by Jimmy’s hand—those people were heroes.

Kitten.

I dropped into a chair in the waiting room and waited for my brothers to arrive. Jack was the first one flying through the door with his banged up pie goddess tucked tight against his side. He urged her to get checked out too and disappeared into triage with her. I don’t think he will let her out of his sight for a long time coming.

I didn’t blame him.

Not one bit.

Again, I thought about Kitten and the rejection that took over her features when I blew her off.

I think it’s safe to say she wouldn’t be down to cuddle.

Sometimes a man just needed to cuddle.

Especially after the hell I’ve lived.

The rest of the club showed up as another ambulance and a cop car pulled up. Jimmy was burned badly, his body covered with a sheet as they wheeled him into the ER with the blue and whites glued to his side.

That motherfucker was going to rot in prison.

But first he’d rot on a gurney with his insides exposed because his skin was melted off.

Prick.

Hours passed before we heard word from the doctors. Blackie suffered a heart attack from all the drugs and he was in critical condition. The next twenty-four hours would be critical for him. They already had to give him another dose of Naloxone and he was in a coma. It was all a blur. I don’t really remember if he was in the coma because of the drugs or if they had medically induced it, but he was out for the count. His body had been tried and tested and still he hung on a by a thread.

Blackie was a bull.

Jack ordered us all to leave, to go back to the compound and recharge our batteries before we took a chance a piece staying with our vice president. He kept a prospect with him until he himself could get back there after he got his woman situated and made good on a promise he made to his daughter.

By the time we pulled into the compound it was approaching dusk, making it way over the twenty-four-hour mark and pushing close to forty.

I was going to sleep for a fucking week.

At least that was my plan, but I was learning the hard way, plans changed.

By the hard way, I meant Maria Bianci charging at me, wielding a pool stick the minute I stepped foot through the door.

“You son of a bitch!” She shouted.

“What the fuck did you do?” Bones asked from behind me.

“Beats the fuck out of me,” I hissed, reaching for my gun, because so help me God I was not in the mood for this woman.

“Ma,” shouted Anthony and Lauren in unison.

Anthony was quick on his feet, wrapping his arms around his mother and holding her back before she could crack me with the stick.

“What the hell is your problem?” He shouted at her.

“Let me go! This son of a bitch took advantage of your sister!”

“Oh you have got to be shitting me,” I shouted.

“What do you mean he took advantage of Lauren?”

“Lauren’s right here you know!” Kitten argued. “And he didn’t take advantage of me!”

“Oh no? Tell that to the baby you’re carrying when he asks where his dad is,” Maria shouted back.

Wait.

What?

“MOM,” Lauren screamed, throwing her hands up in the air frustrated as she turned around and her eyes found mine.

“Shit. Duck!” Bones warned.

Anthony released his hold on crazy, pushing her to the side as he reared his fist back and punched me square in the jaw.

“You son of a bitch,” he growled, flexing his fingers, debating if he should ball them into a fist and give me another shot to the jaw.

“I told you to duck,” Bones shouted, moving around me to stand between me and Anthony.

“Anthony,” Lauren screeched, stepping in front of me.

He must’ve clipped my lip too because it was bleeding.

“Move,” I hissed.