What Doesn't Destroy Us (The Devil's Dust #1)(29)

“Thanks, Hawk!” Bull cuts him off. Hawk gruffs, but continues his bitching under his breath. Only Bull could get away with that shit. If we did something like that... if Bull didn’t pistol whip you first, Hawk would break your f*cking arm. Bobby knows.

A knock came at the door.

“What!” Bull yelled at the door, his body rising slightly with the force of his voice.

“Doc’s here,” Charlie says, poking his head in between the double doors. He isn’t allowed in the meeting since he hasn’t earned his patch yet. He's a good prospect, though; I’m sure he'll get it before too long; always gets the bitch jobs and never complains.

“Alright,” says Bull. “I will have Locks check into some local clubs, make sure we don’t have any problems...” Hawk raises up out of his chair and eyeballs him, pissed that Bull isn’t trusting his word.

“Just to make sure, Hawk. If you want to double check and get back to me, you can do it. See if they've heard anything, or if other clubs have been hit.” Bull throws his hands in the air in surrender. Even he is afraid of the old f*cker.

Bull comes around and pats my shoulder. “I want you, Bobby and Locks on the drop. Dani and Lady will be safe here.” I nod; I don’t want to leave Dani, but I can’t stray from club business.

“You think you can ride with that arm?” Bull asks, pointing to the blood-stained rag tied around my bicep.

“Yeah, just another day,” I respond.

“Get that lug out and get some sleep; both of you,” he says to me and Bobby before walking out.

Dr. Jessica comes in with her black bag. She's hot, I'll give her that, but she doesn’t put up with any of the guys' shit. They've all tried to get in her pants. Only guy she's slept with has been Bobby; so he says. She helps the club out under the table, repaying us for some shit she was in a couple years ago. Her husband beat the shit out of her on a daily basis, then started to hit on their little girl too. She tried to leave him and he nearly killed her. He was powerful and rich as f*ck. She was in a shit spot. She showed up at our doorstep one day all battered to hell, offering to help us if we would help her with her problem. It’s not normally our style, to take in strays like that, but Bull had a soft spot for her. He can smell a pig a mile away, so if he said she was okay, then we were okay with her. So we killed the husband and disposed of the body; didn’t have to worry about his sorry ass anymore. She was a tough bitch and great at her job so it was worth it in the end. I’ve killed for less, that’s for sure.

“If I had known you were coming, I would have shot myself!” Bobby jokes at her as she walks in. Her long blond hair is hanging down her back and she's wearing blue scrubs; she is cute as hell in those damn things. We have two docs; her and some old fart. We're always thrilled when she shows up; sexy girl playing doctor is always a win over an old fart.

“If I knew you were here, I would have brought my gun and shot you myself, Bobby,” she says with a wolfish grin. One thing's for sure, she can handle herself.

“How ya feeling, Shadow?” She pulls up a chair and angles herself around my arm. “Nice job; putting pressure on the wound. Saved yourself some blood with that little number,” she says as she starts to unwrap Dani’s handiwork; I'll have to tell her the Doc approved.

“I've been better, Doc.” I wince when the pressure is released, watching blood trickle down my arm.

“He didn’t do that doohickey on his arm; his ball and chain did,” Bobby says, with a shit eating grin on his face, pissing me off.

I pull my gun out from behind my waistband and set it on the table. “You might stay around, Doc, cause I’m about to f*cking shoot him myself.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, dick.” Bobby spits at me, his goofy grin gone, causing me to grin. When we were younger and we got our first guns, we were out shooting cans for practice. Bobby was great at shooting and didn’t feel any remorse in letting me know how much better he was at it. Let’s just say I accidentally shot him in the foot.

“Please don’t shoot him, Shadow, it’s late; and stop calling me Doc, damn it. All the damn cartoons my kid has me watching; you remind me of a damn rabbit.” She pulls out a syringe with a long-ass needle. I hate this part. I should be used to that needle as many time as I've been shot, but it still makes my lungs seize up.

“You’re going to feel a sting.” She pushes the long needle in; instantly I feel numbness licking up my arm.

“How is your little girl?” I ask, trying not to watch her as she pokes and prods for the stray bullet lodged in my bicep. My head suddenly feels a little light so I rest my head on the back of the chair and breathe deeply.

“She’s alright, got a spelling bee next week.” Her blue eyes stare intently at the wound. She has such focus. She obviously loves her job, even if doing it includes working on us outlaws.

“She’ll do great. Smart as hell, like her momma,” Bobby says, trying to charm her. And he calls me * whipped. Jessica doesn't even look over at Bobby. I wonder what their story is. She seems to be the only bitch he's ever chased. She acts uninterested, but maybe that's just a front.

“Alright, you’re all done. Take it easy for the next twenty-four hours. I would tell you to stay off your bike, but I know you won’t listen.” She sets the bullet she pulled out on the table, it's a little bloody, and then starts to wrap up my arm with white gauze and tape. I didn’t even notice her stitch it up; she works quick.