The Scars That Define Us (The Devil's Dust #2)(72)

“Really?” she asks with excitement.

“Hurry up. Let’s get over there.” I’m pulling my jeans up as fast as I can. I couldn’t sleep at all last night, but to be fair I didn’t want to sleep. I thought I would fall asleep and not hear my phone go off if Doc called me. I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell Bobby before he left this world, words I was afraid would have to wait and be spoken at his eulogy instead. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for acting like such a * when shit went crazy with Dani. That he’s the only family I ever considered to be my own aside from her. The idea that someone I considered a brother turned on the club is a shock on its own. And a woman I looked at as mother is now gone because of that *. I prayed, something I’ve been doing a lot of lately.

I grab my cut and throw it on. I look over at Dani to see if she’s ready, and she looks absolutely stunning this morning. Her skin is glowing and she just has this energy about her. I f*cking love her pregnant.

We ride over to the hospital quickly. When we pull up, we rush inside, afraid Bobby’s moment of alertness will pass and I’ll miss my chance to talk to him.

I grab Dani’s hand and run in the direction of his room. As soon as I enter, Bobby slides his head from looking at Doc and turns to me. He looks pale as Hell.

I walk up to the side of the bed and grip his hand firmly.

“Brother?” I question, wondering if he can hear or answer me.

“All his vitals are rising slowly. I think he’s going to make a full recovery,” Doc informs us with a smile.

Bobby smirks. “You f*cking owe me, man,” he says with a low rasp, his energy weak. All I can do is laugh and nod. The * has my emotions running like a teenage girl who’s been dumped at prom.

I feel Dani tuck her arm around my waist as she slides up next to me.

“Firefly,” Bobby whispers.

Dani smiles that drop-dead-gorgeous smile.


Dani

The next couple of days Bobby is nothing but a tornado of angry. He refuses treatment and tries to check himself out of the hospital early. He doesn’t want to see anybody, unless they are there to take him home. Doc says she has tried to reason with him, but he just won’t listen. So I’m going to try and work my magic today to see if I can persuade him to stop being an idiot. Shadow stays at the club, his only solution to the problem is to shoot Bobby in the leg to keep his ass in the hospital bed.

I step into the hospital room and see Bobby lying in bed watching TV. His face is pale and he has machines hooked up to him everywhere. He looks like shit and that’s putting it lightly.

“I hear you’re being stupid and trying to check out early.”

Bobby looks at me and raises a brow. “I’m fine. I don’t need to be here,” he says, his tone bitter. He takes his gaze from me back to the TV, dismissing me altogether.

“He needs to be here,” Doc says, walking in the room.

I reach over and grab his hand, giving it a friendly squeeze. “Bobby, you died. You killed us along with your death. We can’t have you back only to lose you again because of your stubbornness.” Bobby’s gaze remains on the TV, pissing me off by ignoring me.

I reach over and punch him in the arm.

“What the f*ck, Firefly.”

“You think that hurts? Think about what’s it’s going to feel like when the wound on your side is infected,” Doc yells. I take a deep breath, he’s trying my patience.

Bobby smiles, his eyes crinkling at the side. “You love me and you know it.” Doc rolls her eyes and starts fiddling with the sheets on the bed.

I grin. “You’re not leaving until you’re released,” I state, making no room for argument. “You’re going to be an uncle. You need to start thinking about that role.”

“She’s right,” Doc remarks.

Bobby shakes his head, his smile turning into a full-on grin. “Fine, I’ll stay, but only because I don’t want Dani to kick my ass,” he jokes, making me laugh. He winces from his own laughter, gaining Doc’s attention.

“Any regrets?” I question, staring at Bobby holding his bandaged side.

Bobby grins. “Nope.”





A couple of years later

I LAY BACK ON the beach towel and let my body soak up the sun’s rays—it feels good.

Zane tugs on my arm and points at the water. He turns two in a few months; he’s getting big too fast. I giggle and start to stand when a hand is placed on my shoulder.

“I got it, Big Momma, you sit back and relax. I don’t want my little girl coming any sooner than she needs to,” Shadow insists, leaning down kissing my growing belly. Shadow wanted to knock me up as soon as I had Zane, but I made him wait. Having Zane was rough: my blood pressure got really high so they had to induce me early, ending up in a C-section birth. Zane had everyone scared when he arrived, but he made his entrance into the world one to remember.

Shadow and I have decided to name our soon-to-be little girl after Babs, calling her Delilah. Babs was a motherly figure we never had, and she is truly missed at the club. Her funeral was beautiful, and I go to visit her grave often.

My dad took the biggest fall after Babs’ death. I never knew the two of them were secret lovers—Shadow was the one who told me. Shadow took over the club when my dad bottomed out, but I think my dad is finally starting to get his footing back and is taking charge of the club again. Shadow gave the position back, no questions asked. He has a lot of respect for my father.