The Scars That Define Us (The Devil's Dust #2)(63)

“Damn right, I am,” Bull yells, pushing the nurse out of the way. He makes his way to Babs and hangs his head low. “What happened?” he asks softly.

“I was in surgery when I got the distress call. She had a stroke; it could have been caused by a brain clot. Her head took quite the impact when she fell, and brain clots are hard to find. We did everything we could,” the doctor says, his tone somber, looking at a chart.

“I called the husband ten minutes ago when the patient started having problems,” a nurse says, stepping up behind the doctor.

“Did you get a hold of him?” I ask.

“Yes, I did,” she responds.

Bull grabs Babs’ hand and closes his eyes, his body slumping forward with a sob. I always wondered if Babs and Bull had anything on the side, and now I know they did.

I walk up to Babs and look at her, knowing I will not see the mother of the MC again. Her bright red hair is curled around her face, and her freckles are vibrant against her pale skin. I close my eyes and rub them with my fingers, the emotion of the situation weighing heavy on me. She was like a mother to me and Bobby, the only one I really ever had.

“Someone will pay for this,” Bull threatens, his eyes closed and his lips pierced with anger.

He stands up and kisses Bab’s lips tenderly. As their lips touch, a slight sob escapes him. I turn and walk out, giving him a minute. Seeing the President of your club—a badass who takes no shit—cry is not something anyone can take lightly.

Seconds later, Bull walks out of the hospital room, his face sad and hung low.

“You get Dani to tell you f*cking everything,” Bull orders, his tone sharp and demanding.





I RINSE THE SOAP from my face and turn the faucet off, the smell of Shadow’s soap still lingering in the misty air. I grab a towel and hop out of the shower then I peer into the mirror, scared what I might see. I haven’t looked in the mirror since my attack. I noticed the little beady, black stitches snaking in and out the corner of my eyebrow and yellowish and bluish splotches on my neck and shoulders where they kicked me. I close my eyes to try to wash the images away but still see them swimming in the darkness behind my closed eyelids. I open them and turn to get dressed, putting on some jersey shorts and a light white tank top—something light and breezy.

The bedroom door opens and Shadow walks in, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sit down, Dani,” Shadow demands.

I do as he says, hesitantly.

Shadow walks up and kneels in front of me.

“Babs has passed away,” he whispers.

“What?” I question, shooting off the bed, distraught.

“She passed away today,” Shadow affirms, standing with me.

“But how can that be?” I ask, shocked that her health disintegrated so quickly.

“The doctor said she had a stroke, possibly by a brain clot which could have been caused from her fall,” Shadow explains, pulling me close. I grab hold of his shirt and pull him close. A strangled cry breaks though my mouth, as Shadow wraps his arms around me while the turmoil of the situation hurls through me.

“Dani, I need you to tell me everything you know,” Shadow says, pulling my chin up. “I can’t keep you safe if you don’t.”

“Fine,” I whisper as tears slide down my face. That could have easily been me in that bed, and if I don’t tell Shadow what happened, it could be another ol’ lady.

“Babs had a niece whose boyfriend beat her up for getting into his drugs. So me and the girls went and picked the guy up in the club’s van and took him somewhere to teach him a lesson. Now they are coming back for us,” I blurt out.

“Where did you pick this guy up?” Shadow questions, his tone serious and jaw clenched.

“I don’t know. I was in the back of the van, so I couldn’t see anything. We found him behind some building with green lights all around it, and he was wearing a green bandana. That’s all I know.”

“Fuck,” Shadow mumbles.

“What?” I ask meekly.

“I think you girls threw us into a f*cking turf war. We are not allowed over on that side of town, and they aren’t allowed over here. You girls going over there and messing with that guy was stupid. Why didn’t Babs just bring it to the table?”

“Babs said she told Locks but he told her no; that it wasn’t club business,” I inform.

“Keep your ass in here. I have to go find your father,” Shadow commands, pointing to the bed.

I sit back down on the bed, throw my face in my hands and sob. I can’t believe Babs is really gone. She has been a friend to me ever since I arrived here, she was family.





SHADOW


“I’ve called you all here because I have some bad news, along with the club being on lock down,” Bull states, taking a sip from a full bottle of whiskey.

“What?” Bobby asks, eyeing Bull with concern.

“Babs passed away about an hour ago,” Bull reveals slowly, his eyes beginning to glaze over. I can tell he’s trying to act tough for the club, but he’s failing.

“What?” Bobby exclaims, standing from his chair.

“Stroke,” Bull says flatly.

“Where the f*ck is Locks?” Old Guy asks.

I look next to Bull where Locks usually sits, but there’s only an empty chair.