“Okay,” Axel said, barely understandable, his little face flushed and his nose snotty.
Rebel remained close, partially in Christopher’s embraced but entirely encompassed by her ma’s arms. “I’ll dress Gunner, Momma.”
Axel ran to Rebel and threw his arms around her waist. “Can you help me too, Reb? Please?”
Trying and failing to contain her tears, Rebel returned Axel’s hug and kissed the top of his head. “Let’s hurry. Okay?”
Rubbing his hand across his nose, Axel nodded. “Okay.”
The kids trooped out, leaving only Christopher, Digger, and Megan. She didn’t move. Whereas she’d been manic a few minutes ago, now she was still.
Christopher took her face between his hands and thumbed away her tears. “We have to go, baby,” he whispered.
She blinked. Nodded. Didn’t move. Only cried.
“Megan, baby,” he crooned.
“I can face almost anything but this, Christopher,” she whispered.
He clenched his jaw, keeping his shit together by a fucking thread.
His ringing phone interrupted any words he might have said. If he knew what the fuck to say.
Yanking his phone out of his back pocket, he saw Mort’s number and answered immediately.
“Diesel rushing CJ to the hospital in the van, Prez.” Mort sounded devastated.
“He awake?” he asked. A hospital wasn’t a morgue. That had to be good.
Megan gasped, hope springing in her eyes. Christopher didn’t have the conversation on speakerphone, so she only heard him.
Mortician released a breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob. “I did everything I could, Outlaw,” he said, the words so overwhelmed with emotion Christopher thought he’d throw up. “Rushing him there now his only chance.”
His onlysmallchance.
“Stretch already sent the word out, Prez,” Mort said, more in control.
He must’ve seen everything play out on the cameras.
“Cash and Stretch got here just before Diesel left with CJ. Johnnie and Val walking in now.”
“We’ll be there, Mort,” Christopher said woodenly. He disconnected, unable to meet Megan’s eyes.
“Digger, get your bike. We need escorts.”
Without a word, Digger left.
“Where’s CJ?” Megan asked, torn between hope and despair.
“Diesel rushed him to the hospital in the van, baby. The ambulances all on other calls.”
She nodded, believing him because she needed something to hold onto. “I’ve been partitioning the city counsel to find the money for additionalemergency services since Hortensia continues to grow.”
“We’ll get it done,” he promised. “Hurry and dress so we can head out.”
Within five minutes, Christopher loaded his wife and kids into Megan’s SUV. Val, Digger, Johnnie, Cash, and Stretch served as their escort as well as Kendall’s, Roxanne’s, Bunny’s, Ophelia’s, and Zoann’s, followed by the brothers who’d arrived at the club after the SOS was sent.
Everyone except Harley and Bailey, which he’d address some other time. They still didn’t know CJ’s condition and the only sounds in the SUV were Megan’s and Rebel’s weeping.
