Page 26 of Colt

13

Ember

The sun was starting to set when I stepped out of the shower. The doctor diagnosed me with a mild concussion from hitting my head. He gave me a list of things to watch for but was confident my recovery would be swift.At least physically.

There wasn’t much I could do about my shattered heart. Viking came to my hospital room earlier and broke the news about Fitz. There was no need for him to say anything though. I already knew before they took me to the hospital.

After the doctor discharged me, Viking insisted I return to the clubhouse. I didn’t put up a fight about that. There was no way I could ever go back to my place without the visions of Fitz dying in my entryway haunting me. It was all I saw every time I closed my eyes.

I walked over to the bed and slipped on the sweatpants and t-shirt left there. I didn’t know who they belonged to but guessed it was one of the guys based on how large they were. I rolled the waistband of the sweats several times to keep them from falling. The t-shirt wasn’t much better; it hung off one of my shoulders and was so baggy I could fit another person in it with me. Still, it was clean and comfortable.

I grabbed the pile of clothes in the bathroom and shoved them into the garbage bag I’d asked for. There was no way I would ever want to wear them again. They were covered in Fitz’s blood, and I couldn’t stand to look at them.

I tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to bring attention to myself knowing most of the club members were here. I was sure they had plenty of questions for me, but I wasn’t ready to talk about the events from earlier today. As I took the last step, I saw Zeke by the front door.

“Is there a trash can where I can throw this away?” I asked him, lifting the garbage bag for him to see.

“I can get that for you,” he said gravely. “You head into the main room, Viking’s waiting for you.”

If it was only Viking in there, I could deal with that, but as I rounded the corner, I saw several guys sitting around the bar drinking. Kate and Meredith were also there. They were trying to be pillars of strength for their men even though their tear-stained faces indicated they were breaking down too. The somber mood was in stark contrast to the usual atmosphere of this space.

“Ember, come on over here, darlin’,” Viking called while patting the barstool next to him.

Every step I took felt heavy and cumbersome; unease crept up my spine the entire way. I tried to tell myself everything would be okay. Knowing Viking, I didn’t need to be worried, but I was feeling like what happened to Fitz was my fault. What if all of the men in the room thought the same thing?

“How are you feeling?” Viking asked when I sat down next to him.

“I’m okay, just a little headache,” I answered truthfully, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught Colt’s cold expression. He clearly didn’t think much of my answer and had no sympathy for me at all.

When he glanced at me, I had no idea what he was thinking, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good based on the scowl he was wearing. The two of us didn’t have the best relationship, but I had a feeling that his low opinion of me had sunk even more today.

I waited for Viking to continue the conversation because I didn’t know what else to say. The entire room was shrouded in a blanket of sorrow and anger; the latter, I felt, directed entirely at me. And the instinct to run upstairs was almost too strong to ignore.

Viking wrapped his arm around my shoulder and spoke to me in a soothing voice. “Today has been rough for everyone. But we need to know what you saw.”

I understood where he was coming from. No matter how upset they were, they wanted information about what happened to their brother. They wouldn’t stand around and not do something. They needed someone or something to direct their anger toward. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much to give them.

“I didn’t see anything. Fitz and I were heading out, one minute we were opening the door and the next he was throwing me to the ground as shots rang out. I’m so sorry; I wish there was more I could tell you.”

“Fitz had texted me to say you guys were coming here,” Viking went on. “He said there was something important you wanted to talk to me about.”

I nodded my head. “I did, but it’s not as important as what happened earlier.” I could feel the tears building up again, but I wasn’t about to burden them with my problems when they had this to deal with. All I could think about was the fact that Fitz was trying to help me and then died right in front of me.

“You and I still need to talk, but maybe that can wait just a bit.” I could tell he was disappointed but he wasn’t going to pressure me further. “We’re going to meet now. Why don’t you go upstairs and get some rest. If you need anything, you can ask Meredith. She and the boys will be staying here with me tonight.”

All of the men in the room stood up and started heading back for church. Once they all left, I stood up and walked to the refrigerator behind the bar to grab a bottle of water.

“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” Meredith asked from where she was seated.

“No, thank you,” I answered. “I think I’m just going to go to sleep.”

Kate walked over and pulled me into a giant hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. If you need anything or want to talk, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.” I was overwhelmed by the kindness they both showed, but grateful for it even if I thought I was undeserving. I slipped out of Kate’s arms and walked back to the stairs to go up to the room I was staying in. I pulled back the covers, laid down in the bed, and cried myself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning a light knock on my door woke me up. I was surprised I managed to get any sleep, although I did have some nightmares that interrupted my slumber a few times. Dragging myself out of bed, I walked over to the door and was surprised to see Wolf on the other side.