Phoenix Bar: A Steel Demons MC Novel (19 page)

Chapter 27

Abby

              She looked like she was sleeping. The machines she had hooked up to her were beeping, showing that she was in fact still alive. The doctor said that the swelling in her brain was from the beatings she took. Her body likely shut down to protect her from further pain and from the torture she had suffered through. He expected her to wake up, it would just be in her own time.

              Titan sat in the chair beside her bed. He didn’t leave her side. “Titan, you can’t keep doing this. It’s been three days. You need to go home and get a shower, get some rest.” I was a big one to talk, it took me two days before Brice finally dragged me from her side. He took me home and made me shower and sleep at least a few hours.

              “No.” He just continued to sit there with his head tilted back and eyes closed. “I’m not leaving her.”

              “It wasn’t your fault. They told you about the text, right.”

              “Yeah, they told me, but if I hadn’t been dickin’ around, I’d have noticed her. Had I noticed her, I would have been by her side when that text came in.”

              “It’s not your fault. The blame falls on my parents, Monica, and Sam. They made their choices and they are the ones responsible for her injuries. YOU are not, Titan. YOU saved her.” When Brice first got me back home, he held me as I cried. It took him a few hours of talking to me and reassuring me that this wasn’t my fault. I still don’t fully believe him, but Titan right now needed that same assurance.

              “For what it’s worth, Titan.” I paused waiting for him to look at me. “I hate what you did, don’t get me wrong, but I’m rooting for you. Mac needs someone strong to help her fight her demons. I think you’re strong enough, but if you don’t think you are, do as Brice said and leave her alone.” He nodded his head saying he understood. His lips quirked with a bit of a smile at my warning. I guess from his view, it would have been funny, I mean the man dwarfed me and could break me with one hand if he wanted to.   

              I wanted to talk to the doctor and when I looked back at Titan, he was looking at Mac. His face was unguarded and soft for such a big guy. I felt bad for him. He was carrying guilt that he shouldn’t feel. I know that Brice said he didn’t want Titan to pursue McKenzie, but I had a feeling she was going to need him to help her heal from all this shit. We still had a few worries out there. I was still worried about her step-brother and step-father, but I was going to trust Brice to keep an eye on things and keep us safe.

Epilogue

Abby

Mac had been in a coma for two weeks. During that time, I focused on working and getting everything ready for when she woke up. This was the only way that I could concentrate on anything other than the fact that my best friend was in the hospital, unconscious. If I hadn’t been at work, I’d have gone crazy. I was fine as long as I was busy. It was when I stopped at night that everything caught up to me. Brice was my rock. He held me as I cried, whispered everything would work out, and soothed the ache in my soul. When I got the call from Titan that Mac was awake, I burst into tears, the relief was overwhelming.

They kept her a few more days after she was awake to run more tests and to give her time to regain some strength. Her body was weak after two long weeks of inactivity. I went to visit her several times in those two days. When I hugged her, it never failed that I started to cry all over again. She wasn’t herself. I could see that right away. She was pulling back from everybody, even me, and that stung. The only person nothing seemed to change with was Titan, but that was because they were always at each other’s throats anyway. The doctor said her recovery was going to take a long time. Her physical wounds would heal in a matter of a month or two, but I was more concerned about her mental state and emotional wounds. The torture she went through would have left scars beyond what we could see.

To make sure that Mac got the time she needed to heal, I hired more staff for the reopening and the running of the two businesses.  A new cook, Hannah, was looking for a job. She is shy and quiet and I felt like I have to drag everything out of her, but she is a sweet girl in her early twenties, fresh out of cooking school. She isn’t as good as Mac, but she is a damn close second. 

I also hired a new manager. Piper’s car had broken down on her way through town and she was stuck with her two year old son. She looked like she was running from something, though she wouldn’t tell me what. It was a look I was all too familiar with, so I offered her the job after meeting her. She needed to work days only, to make sure her son was taken care of in the evenings. Titan’s mom had come into town to help out with Mac’s recovery and Piper’s son. “Do you think she will mind?” Piper asked me worriedly.

              I looked over at the gorgeous redhead that had come in the bar from the kitchen. “No. She had wanted to hire a cook and be the manager, but she won’t be able to do full time for a while.”

              “Not about that. Do you think she will mind that Declan and I are living in the house with her and that you and Brice have moved into his house?”

              “I don’t think so. If she does, then I will find some other place for y’all to stay. If all else fails, you and Dec can stay at Brice’s house, and Brice and I will move back into the house with her or upstairs to the apartment after Philip goes back to New York. ” After I met Piper and found out that she needed a place to stay for her and her son, I offered to let them take over living at the house with Mac, because I figured Mac could use the distraction and didn’t need to see Brice and I climbing all over each other, which we have been doing a lot of.

We had decorated the bar with balloons and banners. I was just waiting for her to get out of the hospital. I had Hannah whip up some food. All the Steel Demons were there ready to welcome Mac out of the hospital, even the club girls showed up to the party which wasn’t surprising. According to the guys, the girls wouldn’t miss any kind of party. Brice made it a known rule among the club girls that he was with me and if they touched him without permission, they would be out of the clubhouse period. He wanted me to feel comfortable around them and truthfully, they were okay women. Their choices were theirs. I didn’t want to be best friends with women who had fucked my boyfriend, but I wasn’t going to hate them for their life choices either. The only thing that could change that was if they tried to come between me and Brice. In that case, I now have a gun and Brice taught me how to use it. 

              Philip came into town after Brice had called him and he’s been staying in the apartment above the bar. Brice has gotten over my friendship with him and they have even started to build one of their own. Titan wasn’t happy when he decided to stay until Mac woke up and we did the reopening, but he hasn’t been anywhere except at the hospital anyway. I don’t think he left her side once.

              Belle was trampled with media for a few days. The secret is out as to who Mac and I are, which is shit, but we aren’t about to try and move. We’ve waited out the press. Most of them left to bigger and better stories now. There are a few that have stayed around to keep updated on news of Mac, but mostly she is old news. It’s just a relief that she is finally awake.

              Last night, Brice presented me with my jacket, but living in Texas, I would not be wearing it until winter, all two months of it. The club emblem, a motorcycle that had the frame of a skeleton, was patched on the back with rockers that said, ‘Property of Grit’ across the top. He didn’t pee on my leg. He just patched my back, but the result was the same. I was claimed as his.

              He also put a ring on my finger and we made love all night. I am his, and he is mine. ‘Some bridges are meant to be burned and beauty made from the ashes’, just like Grams used to say. I found my beauty after the burn. Now, I just hoped McKenzie would find hers. 

THE END

About Me

              I am a single mother to the two most amazing kids in the world. I am not at all biased on that. My kids are my world and what keep me going. I am a student by day and a writer by night. My life is chaotic at best between classes and writing.

              One thing I hope to show my kids is that dreams do come true. Writing a book and publishing it has been a dream of mine since I was young. Now that it is finally here, I am so excited to be able to call myself an author and say that a lifelong dream has come true.

Want more Steel Demons?

Visit me at

www.annelisereynolds.wix.com/annelisereynolds

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Take a Look

I have the honor of calling these two women my friends. Take a look at part of chapter one of
Loving Lo
Book 1 of the
Devil’s Knights Series,
available now on amazon and nook, and a blurb for
Finding Cyn
Book 2 from the
Devil’s Knights Series
by Winter Travers coming out August 1. I also have a sneak peek at the first chapter of author Jemma Bell’s debut novel
Nerd Girl
Book 1 from the
Modern Girl Series
coming out August 18
th
.

Loving Lo

Devil’s Knights MC Series

Book 1

Winter Travers

Chapter 1

Meg

How did just stopping quickly to get dog food and shampoo turn into an over flowing basket and a surplus pack of paper towels?

              “Put the paper towels down and back away slowly.” I mumbled to myself as I walked past a display of air fresheners and wondered if I needed any.

              “Oh dear. Oh my. I… Ah… Oh my.”

              I tore my thoughts away from air fresheners and looked down the aisle to an elderly woman who was leaning against the shelf, fanning herself. “Are you ok, ma‘am?”

              “Oh dear. I just… I just got a little… dizzy. ” I looked over the woman and saw her hands shaking as she brushed her white hair out of her face. The woman had on denim capris and a white button down short sleeve shirt and surprisingly three inch wedge heels. 

              “Ok, well, why don’t we try to find you a place to sit down until you get your bearings?” I shifted the basket and paper towels under one arm to help her to the bench that I had seen by the shoe rack two aisles over. “Are you here with anyone?” I asked as I guided her down the aisle.

              “Oh no. I’m here by myself. I just needed a few things.”

              “I only needed two things and now my basket is overflowing and I still haven’t gotten the things I came in for.”

              The woman plopped down on the bench chuckling, shaking her head. “Tell me about it. Happens to me every time too.”

              “Is there something I can do for you? Has this happened to you before?” She really was looking rather pale.

              “Unfortunately yes. I ran out of the house today without eating breakfast. I’m diabetic. I should know by now that I can’t do that.” My mom was also diabetic so I knew exactly what the woman was talking about.  Luckily, I also knew what to do to help.

              “Just sit right here and I’ll be right back. Is there someone you want to call to give you a ride home? Driving right now probably isn’t the best idea.” I set the basket and towels on the floor, keeping my wallet in my hand.

              “I suppose I should call my son. He should be able to give me a ride.” The woman said as she dug her phone out of her purse.

              I left the woman to her phone call and headed to the candy aisle that I had been trying to ignore.  I grabbed a bag of licorice, chips, and a diet soda and went to the check out. The dollar store didn’t really offer a healthy selection but this would do in a pinch. The woman just needed to get her blood sugars back up.

              I grabbed my things after paying and headed back to the bench. I ripped open the bag and handed it to the woman. “Oh dear, you didn’t have to buy that. I could have given you money.”

              “Don’t worry about it. I hope if this would happen to my mom there would be someone to help her if I wasn’t around.”

              “Well, that’s awfully nice of you. My names Ethel Birch by the way.”

              “It’s nice to meet you, Ethel. I’m Meg Grain. I also got you some chips and a soda.” I popped open the soda and handed it to Ethel.

              “Oh thank you, honey. My son is on the way here, should be only five minutes. You can get going if you want to, you don’t need to sit with an old woman.” Ethel said as she ate a piece of candy and took a slug of soda.

              “No problem. The only plans I had today was to take a nap before work tonight. Delaying my plans by ten minutes won’t be a problem.”

              “Well, in that case, you can help me eat this licorice. It’s my favorite, but I shouldn’t eat this all by myself. Where do you work at?” Ethel asked as she offered the bag to me.

              “The factory right outside of town. I work in the warehouse, second shift.” I grabbed a piece and sat down on the floor. If I was going to wait for Ethel’s son to show up, might as well be comfortable while I waited for him.

              “Really? Never would have thought that. Figured you would have said nurse or something like that. Seems like you would have to be tough to work in a warehouse, sounds like a man’s job.”

              I laughed. “Honestly, Ethel that is not the first time I have heard that and it probably won't be the last. You definitely need a certain attitude to deal with those truckers walking through the door. I have an awesome co-worker, so he helps out when truckers have a problem with a woman loading their truck.”

              “Sounds like you give them hell. My Tim was a trucker before he passed. I know exactly what you are talking about.” Ethel took another drink of her soda and set it on the bench next to her.

              “Feeling better?”

              “Surprisingly, yes. It’s a wonder what a little candy can do. How much do I owe you?” Ethel asked as she reached for her purse by her feet.

              “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad that I was here to help.”

              “Mom! Where are you?” Someone yelled from the front of the store.

              “Oh good, Lo’s here. You’ll have to meet him.” Ethel cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled to him she was in the back.

              I started getting up off the floor and remembered I wasn’t exactly as flexible as I use to be while struggling to get up.

              “Ma, you ok?” I was halfway to standing with my butt up in the air when his voice made me pause.

              It sounded like the man was gurgling broken glass when he spoke. Raspy and
so
sexy. Those three words he spoke sent shocks to my core. Lord knows the last time I felt anything in my core.

              “Yes, I’m fine. I forgot to eat breakfast this morning and started to get dizzy when Meg here was nice enough to help me out until you could get here.” Ethel turned to me. “Lo, this is Meg, Meg this is Lo.”

              Oh lord.

              I couldn’t talk. The man standing in front of me was… oh lord.  I couldn’t even think of a word to describe him. 

              I looked him up and down and I’m sure my mouth was hanging wide open.  I took in his scuffed up motorcycle boots and faded, stained ripped jeans that hugged his thighs and made me want to ask the man to spin so I could see what those jeans were doing for his ass. I moved my eyes up to his t-shirt that was tight around his shoulders and chest and showed he worked out.

              I couldn’t remember the last time I worked out. Did walking to the mailbox count as exercise? Of course, I only remembered to get the mail about twice a week, so that probably didn’t count.

              His arms were covered in tattoos. I could see them peeking out from the collar of his shirt and could only imagine what he looked like with his shirt off. Tattoos were my ultimate addiction on a man. Even one tattoo added at least 10 points to a man’s hotness. This guy was off the fucking charts.

              My eyes locked with his after my wonderful voyage up his body and I stopped breathing.

              “Hey, Meg. See something you like, darling?” Lo rumbled at me with a smirk on his face.

              Busted. I sucked air back into my lungs and tried to remember how to breath.

              Lo’s eyes were the color of fresh cut grass, bright green. His hair was jet black and cut close to his head with a pair of kick ass aviators sitting on top of his head. He was golden tan and gorgeous. The man was sex on a stick. Plain and simple.

              “Uh, hey.” I choked out.

              Lo’s lips curved up into a grin and I looked down to see if my panties fell off. The man had a panty-dropping smile and he wasn’t even smiling that big. I would have to take cover or risk fainting if he smiled any bigger.

              “Thanks for looking after my ma for me. I’m glad I was in town today and not out on a run.” Lo said.

              Ok. Get it together Meg. You are a 36-year-old woman and this man has rendered me speechless like a sixteen-year-old girl. I needed to say something.

              “Say something.” I blurted out. Good lord, did I really just say that. Lo quirked up his eyebrow and his smirk returned.

              “Ugh, I mean no problem. I didn’t really do that much. No problem.” I looked at Ethel, while Lo was smirking at me; Ethel had a full-blown smile on her face and was beaming at me.

              “You were a life saver, Meg! I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.” Ethel looked at Lo and grinned even bigger. “You should have seen her, Lo. She knew just what to do to help me. I could have sworn she was a nurse the way she took charge. She’s not though, just has a good head on her shoulders and decided to help this old lady out.”

              “That’s good, Ma. You got all your shit you need so we can get going? I got some stuff going on at the garage that I dropped to get over here fast.”

              I took that as my cue to leave and ripped my eyes off Lo and bent over to get my basket and paper towels.

              “Yes son, that’s my stuff right here. I just want to get Meg’s number before she leaves.”

              “Why do you need my number?” I asked as I juggled my basket and towels.

              Ethel grabbed her purse off the ground and started digging through it again. “Well, you won’t let me pay you back for the snacks you got for me so I figured I could pay you back by inviting you over for dinner some time. So what’s your number sweetheart?”

              “I don’t eat dinner.” I blurted out. I was really going to have to have a talk with my brain and mouth when I got home. They needed to get their shit together and start working in unison so I wouldn’t sound like such an idiot.

              “You don’t eat dinner? Please don’t tell me you're on a diet.” Lo said as he looked me up and down.

              “No.” I said. Lord knew I should be.

              Lo and Ethel just stared at me.

              “So, no, you don’t eat dinner?” Lo asked again.

              “Yes. I mean no, I’m not on a diet. Yes, I eat dinner. I just work at night so I meant that I wouldn’t be able to come to dinner.” I looked at Lo and blushed about ten shades of red. “Why is this so hard?”

              “What’s hard, sweetheart? Can’t remember your phone number? I can barely remember mine too. Don’t worry about not being able to make it to dinner; I can have you over for lunch. You eat lunch right?” Ethel asked with a smirk on her face. Lo had a full-blown smile on his face, even his eyes were smiling at me. That smile ought to be illegal.

              I could see where Lo got his looks from. With Lo and Ethel standing next to each other, I could totally see the resemblance. Especially when they were both smirking.

              I had to get out of here. I’m normally the one with the one and making everyone laugh, now I couldn’t even put two words together.

              “Lunch would be good.” I rattled off my number and Ethel jotted it down.

              “Ok, sweetheart, I’ll let you get your nap. I’ll give you a call later and we can figure out a day we can get together.” Ethel shoved the pen and paper back in her bag and leaned into me for a hug.

              I awkwardly hugged her back and patted her on the shoulder. “Sounds good. Have a good day Ethel. Uh, it was nice meeting you Lo.” I mumbled as my gaze wandered over Lo again.

              “You too Meg. See you around.” Lo replied.

              I gave them both a jaunty wave and booked it to the check out. Thankfully there wasn’t a line and I quickly made my escape to my car. I threw my things in the trunk and hopped in. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and plugged it into the radio and turned on my chill playlist, as the soothing sounds of Fleetwood Mac filled the car.

              Music was the one thing in my life that had gotten me through so much shit. Good or bad, there was always a song that I could play and it would make everything better. Right now I just needed to unscramble my brain and get my bearings. Fleetwood Mac singing “Landslide” was helping.

              I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. All I needed was to forget about today. If Ethel called for lunch I would say yes because she did remind me so much of mom, but I wasn’t going to let Lo enter my thoughts any more. A woman like me definitely did not register on his radar, he was better just forgotten.

              When I was halfway home, I realized I forgot dog food and shampoo.

              Shit.