Page 51 of Sinister Red
“Is Jackal…”
“Trudy.”
I gasp and sink down to the chair next to him as my eyes immediately well with tears all over again.
And Brick nods. “Gunner… he didn’t make it out of the clubhouse. Trudy threw herself in front of him after he went down. She’s not…” He takes a deep breath. “You remember Link?”
“Yeah, president of the Pythons. Looked a little like a young Santa.”
“He’s across the hall. They just took him off life support. Little John and Dead Ed are in there with their families.”
My heart starts to race, my blood rushes in my ears as Brick continues to tell me everything that’s wrong, everything that is keeping the men I still consider a part of my family here, and when there are only two rooms left for him to explain, I stand because I can’t sit right now.
“Tank is still hanging on, but by a thread. Shot twice, but one did a lot of damage to his heart. He got out of surgery maybe about an hour ago and they’ll bring him back down once he’s stable.”
“Is Spider— “
“He’s with him, but he’s a fucking wreck. Watched the entire surgery, sitting outside his room in the OR wing. Won’t talk to anyone, won’t accept help for his injuries, nothing.” The giant glances over at Nadine and thewhile she sits on her ass right heregoes without saying.
And it makes me fear the worst for the man that I actually do love but won’t be with who is somewhere on this floor in pain.
“Brick… I know—I know me being here probably isn’t what anyone expected, or wanted, but… I just…” God, I can’t even keep my sobs at bay anymore. “Can you please, will you tell me…”
“Snipe is in the last room on the left. He’s still out, but they said his surgery went well.”
“S-surgery?”
Brick blows out a shaky breath. “Multiple stab wounds, two gunshots. Bullet got lodged right next to his spine, won’t know if he’s paralyzed for a few days.”
My knees buckle and the world spins, but the big guy in front of me moves fast enough to keep me vertical.
“I’m ok,” I lie as I lean on him so I don’t drop like a sack of potatoes. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”
He steadies me then gradually lets go. “You want to see him?”
So much.
I want to see Sammy with my own two eyes and make sure he’s breathing, that he’s whole, and I want to read his fucking chart and make sure my Red is being taken care of the way he should. That doesn’t mean it can happen though. After our brief encounter yesterday, I doubt Sam would be very happy to wake up with me sitting in his room.
And that’s exactly what I tell Brick. “I doubt Snipe… he won’t want to see me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He starts leading me toward the closed door at the end and stops right outside of it. “He might get pissed, he might even start a fight, but I can promise you one thing, Sofie. Snipe wants to fucking see you.”
* * *
“Why are you here?”
My eyes flutter open at the sound of a voice I would know anywhere, even with how raw and hoarse it sounds.
I blink a few times against the dim light of the hospital room, and when the sleep clears, I’m staring at the most beautiful profile.
Sam, even when he’s angry and his body is broken, is still the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. Despite feeling like this might be the last time I see him, I can’t help the butterflies that take flight in my belly.
His fire engine red hair is disheveled and a little matted, the thick strands longer than he used to cut them. The beard he usually keeps short has grown in quite a bit, but it does nothing to hide the constellation of freckles that cover his face, or his perfect full lips. Years between us and I still remember how they felt on every inch of my body, how soft they were, and how deceptively sweet they taste.
