Page 25 of Crucified By the Dark
Duke finished his business and made his way over on his three good legs, his head touching her hand as if trying to calm her down. She hadn’t realized how angry she was until she took a shuddering breath and stepped away from Judd.
“Am I being demoted,” Judd asked as she picked Duke up.
“Not unless you force my hand,” Morry answered.
Morry didn’t want to start a shitstorm by mentioning that Judd would be answering to Jeremy at some point. They needed to sort out whatever the beef was between them before she ever made that announcement, or the club would end up divided. She walked past Judd, then called over her shoulder. “Pick whatever sweetbutts you want to stay back with you.”
It was a small thing, but Morry knew that an offering like that went a long way with a man like Judd. He wasn’t complicated. Ride, fight, fuck, and food. Those were his top priorities, just not necessarily in that order.
She kicked the button to open the automatic door and walked inside and down the hall to Wolf’s room. There was a plate of toast and eggs on the floor already, which made her smirk. At least Doc Henry listened.
Morry placed Duke down on the floor and let him eat while she walked over to the bed. Grabbing Wolf’s hand, she squeezed his limp fingers and leaned over close to his ear.
“You feel that? I’m right here, and that means you need to keep fighting, soldier. You can’t give up, not after all the shit you’ve survived. I mean, fuck, you’re either the luckiest or unluckiest motherfucker I’ve ever met. Seriously, you would think you would have learned to stay out of trouble by now.” She watched the monitors and the little line silently bouncing along that said his heart rate was strong.
“Listen, I have to leave, but I promise I’m leaving you in good hands, and Duke is right here with you. There is some family crap I need to take care of. I won’t bore you with all the details. I will once you’re up walking and talking, and I do expect you to be awake in a few days. None of this lying around in a bed all day shit.” She smirked, picturing the look Wolf would give her if he could. He was one of the hardest working people she knew, and the concept of lying around all day in bed would be something he wouldn’t even contemplate.
“Do you remember when we found that little village? The one that was mostly abandoned and nothing but rubble? Remember that boy who showed up out of nowhere all alone and told us to spend the night?” She paused as she pulled on the memory. Like so many memories from that time of her life, the ones she wished she could forget plagued her mind, while the ones she would love to remember seemed just out of reach.
“That bowl of cold slop he gave us tasted so fucking good. It was like a three-course meal. You know, I don’t know if we would’ve made it out alive without that full night’s rest.” She sat quietly for a moment. “I think of him often. He was like a little ghost, came out of nowhere, gave us food, and was gone by morning. Sometimes I wonder if I dreamed him up, and then I realize I’m too scared to ask because it would mean I was seeing things.” Leaning forward, she rested on the white railing and stared at the side of Wolf’s face. He’d been a constant, just like Dean, TK, Jimmy, and, of course, Perez. They were her family away from home, a group of brothers who always had her back.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I can’t help thinking he was a guardian angel sent to look out for us. I just wish he could’ve looked out for all of us. So many didn’t come home, so many we had to leave behind.” She wiped away the tear sliding down her cheek. This was why she didn’t like to get together with the rest of the guys much. Not only did they have to keep a low profile from one another, but seeing their faces stirred emotions in her soul and made her heart ache.
“Sometimes, I wonder which of the guys it was. I like to think it was them, or maybe it was Mel. She would do something like that. I see them all the time. They still smile in my dreams until I wake up and realize they’re all gone. Sometimes I see their images at my table, laughing and telling jokes. I hope they’re happy wherever they are.”
Morry cleared her throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all emotional; it’s just that…Well, that family stuff I mentioned is Kyle. He’s sick, and I could use another angel right about now. Well, maybe two.” She looked down at the sound of Duke moving. She smiled as he hopped toward the bed. “You already have your angel,” she said and bent to pick up Duke.
There were a great many things she could’ve used in her life, but a miracle to save her son was at the top of the list. Morry placed Duke on the bed, and she waited until he was comfortable before patting his head.
“What do you think, boy? Do you have an extra miracle tucked in your fur?”
“Hey.” Jeremy’s deep voice behind her made her body jerk with the sudden sound in the silent room.
Glancing over her shoulder, she took in his relaxed position as he leaned against the doorjamb with his arms and feet crossed like he’d been holding up the wall for a while.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough,” he said and stepped into the room. Morry angled toward him. “Don’t worry, I would never repeat anything I heard, but I would like to know more about you and your past.”
Morry cleared her throat, completely uncomfortable with this whole emotional support, trying-to-get-to-know-her thing.
“Maybe one day, but we need to get going.” Laying a hand on Duke and then giving Wolf’s hand one last squeeze, she marched past Jeremy with her head held high and her shoulders back. “Let’s go. We have ten things to do and not enough hours in the day to get them done.”
Jeremy glanced in the side-view mirror at the procession of motorcycles following them and then to the front but didn’t see Judd in the pack. He was tempted to ask, but honestly, Judd’s name, even leaving her mouth, set his blood on fire with anger, so it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.
The music was on shuffle, and the next song that came on was about driving backcountry roads with the woman you love. He couldn’t help looking at the woman in the driver’s seat, her face calm and in control, just like she always was, but today there was something more. He never saw it in Morry before and yet appreciated it just as much as the take-no-shit side of her personality. Under all the layers and toughness, she had a vulnerable side. A side that had lived through and seen terrible shit he couldn’t even imagine. And yet she dealt with it like she did everything else, and that was to kick it in the face and keep going.
“Why are you staring at me?” Morry turned her head, and even though he couldn’t see her eyes behind the dark sunglasses, he could feel the weight of her gaze.
“Just thinking.” He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “About you, about the club, about us.” Morry shifted in her seat like she was uncomfortable, and he wasn’t sure if it was because they’d been driving for four hours or because of what he said.
“Dangerous topics,” she finally said.
Shifting around, he leaned his back against the door and lifted his foot up so his knee could rest against the back of the seat. She looked over, glaring at his boot on the seat, but he didn’t move it. Pushing Morry out of every comfort zone she had was now firmly at the top of his to-do list.
“Dangerous, how?” He grabbed the unopened bag of chocolate-covered peanuts and yanked the package open. Popping a couple into his mouth, he waited for a response.
“What exactly do you think is going on between us,” Morry asked instead.
