Chapter 9—Gator
“How you feeling, Dad?” I greet him as I watch him exit the SUV. He might not like the help, but I’m always here for him if he needs it. He knows it, and he fucking hates it. Which makes me smile. We both hate appearing weak and having people help us. Hell, when I was shot a year ago, I was pissed that Law benched me while I healed. Which made a few of the brothers actually like me. Apparently it’s a common flaw among us Hounds. A trait my dad shares.
“Boy, if you don’t wipe that smile off your face, I might remove it for you,” he grunts as he eases himself down the few steps.
The car accident was a major one by insurance standards. Totaled both my dad’s truck and the drunk-ass teenager’s Corvette. I wanted to beat the shit out of the kid for hurting my dad, but I did the next best thing. I had himmeetmy dad, and two hours later, the kid walked out of there with the fear of God in him and joined the military. I asked him why when he came back the next day to tell my dad, and he just said he needed a new direction in life, and my dad showed him the path. Which makes me chuckle even now just thinking about it. Typical Dad, always getting the most unlikely people to join the military, but they always succeed, as he sees something in them that they don’t see in themselves.
As for his injuries, it took longer than I thought when I first rode up there with Bass. He only coded once in the ambulance, thank God, and they found some internal bleeding. He had a pretty nasty head wound that kept him in a coma for an extra week. His right leg’s in a cast, and his left wrist is sprained, along with a dislocated shoulder. He might look like shit, but at least he’s alive. We waited another week after he was released before his doctor gave him the green light to travel.
That’s when I called Law, and we agreed it was best to bring him back with me. Law even sent Atom up with a cage to drive him and some of his stuff down to the clubhouse. With him staying at the clubhouse, it would ease my mind and also save a shit ton of headaches for any home nurse who was stuck watching him. He isn’t the friendliest on his good days, worse when in pain. The boys will keep him in line and help out as needed. General’s already had a few Zoom calls with my dad’s doctors so he can take over as his primary doctor while he’s here.
I grab one of his bags and walk with him to the clubhouse. Atom and Bass already went in. I’ve got to admit, Bass was a world of help. There were a few times I thought I would go apeshit on the hospital staff when we first got there because they kept telling us fuck-all. He used that big-ass mouth of his and smoothed the way for us to see my dad. Actually, I think Bass even got a few dates out of it fromseveralof the ladies he spoke to, so it didn’t seem like a hard task for him.
He told me if I’d just put on the charm, I could have gotten the same. But none of them were feisty enough for me to be intrigued or curvy enough to turn my head.
And that right there is why I need Bailey in my life. She was a constant thought on my mind while I was away. When shit got bad with my dad because I couldn’t just fix or shoot something to make him better, I thought of her and it eased a part of me. Well, that and the continuous updates I got from Jordan. The guy really stepped up and kept me in the loop with everything, be it how the workouts were going for her or her picking a new nail polish. Guy might swing for the other team and not be a Hound, but he’s got some serious skills when it comes to intel on an operative.
“Shit, this place is bigger on the inside.”
I laugh, as I know my dad is just referencing one of his favorite shows,Doctor Who, but it’s fitting. The clubhouse might look like a two-story L-shaped brick building on the outside, but the inside is a whole other feel. Open floor plan till you get to the back wall, where two hallways split off—one side for brothers’ rooms, the other for the clinic, some regular offices, and Flint’s tech office. The industrial-size kitchen is behind the bar on the right, while the officers’ quarters and the prez’s office are to the left, accessible by stairs. The club’s room for Church is at the back on the first floor, next to the sliding doors that lead out to the back of the clubhouse.
We make it as far as the bar before I have him take a seat as Law approaches. I get the new prospect’s attention behind the bar, and he nods with understanding and grabs a few beers.
“Good to see you back.” Law pulls me in for half a hug and a pat on the back, which I return.
“Law, meet my dad, Mike Stalone.”
My dad grabs the hand that Law holds out for him to shake as the prez takes a seat beside him to keep him sitting. I kept the club in the know the whole way while I was gone. Not that I needed to, but they called and asked a few times. Fucking love that I found this family. And I’m glad as shit that I got patched in when I did. Not that I don’t think they wouldn’t have done the same thing if I was still just a prospect, but I’m happy to have a full patch on my back to feel the comfort in surplus.
“Thanks for letting me come and stay for a bit,” my dad offers as he takes the beer placed in front of him.
“No thanks needed. Family is what the club’s about. Most of us have little outside this place, but that doesn’t mean we would turn one away who needs something.”
My dad grunts in response, and I take that as my cue to put my shit in my room. “I’ll be back in a second.”
Law smirks. “No worries. Bass hinted at a few stories your old man might be willing to share with me. Take all the time you need. I’ll keep him company.”
My dad full-on laughs as horror crosses my face. I fucking knew having Bass with me while I was gone was a bad idea. Now I know why.
“I’ll be right back.” I take off at a run to my room as howls of laughter filter through the clubhouse.
The moment I’m out of eyesight, I slow my pace. I haven’t heard my dad laugh like that since before Mom died. A few embarrassing stories told at my expense to keep himthathappy won’t break me.
I hope.
As I put what little I brought with me back in its place, a knock on my doorframe has me looking up. I rarely keep the door closed to my room unless I’m not in it or sleeping. Or using a vamp. But that was before Troublemaker came into my life. I already heard and saw the shit Chains was dumb enough to do when he was seeing and yetnotseeing Mama Bear. I won’t be making that mistake. Might seem like a crazy person to go so long without free and willing pussy, but I’ve got a hand and one hell of an imagination. I’m good. Besides, I’m not the first or only brother who doesn’t use the vamps. It’s widely known that Law won’t tarnish his old lady’s memory by taking a side thing after her death. It’s been years since she passed, and he still says no to all the young and willing just begging to hop on the president’s dick.
“Hey, Flint.”
“Hey, man. Glad to see you back. How’s your dad?”
“The same. In pain but won’t say shit. I took to lacing his water with his meds just to get him to take them. He might think he’s invincible because of all the battles he survived when he commanded his division, but he isn’t.”
That’s the biggest frustration I have with my old man. He’s fucking stubborn and convinced that he doesn’t need pain meds since he went his whole life without them. Of course, reminding him that he never had this many problems at once before is beside the point. My old man was a badass in his day and fought in every war they had, leading the charge. But despite all his combat time, he never actually got hurt. Hell, before his accident, the only time he went to the hospital was for my birth. Not that it’s something to gloat about, but I’ve got more battle scars than him, even if he has more war stories.
“Don’t worry about it, man. Half the reason you brought him here was because you know the brothers won’t let shit stand. Even if we miss something, we can always get General to knock his ass out and put him in a coma till he’s healed up. We’ll even inject his meds directly into his system if we have to.”
I smile at that, ’cause it might be needed. “What did I miss while I was out? Anything new with Duke?”
