Page 50 of Knuckles

“I know, buttercup, but if it were you, I’d be the exact same,” Trick murmurs, and I hear a sniffle.

“I’m worried about him, Miles,” Clark says, and I squeeze my eyes tighter.

“He’ll be okay, baby, he just needs his girl to wake up, and he will be alright,” Trick replies with conviction, and I wish I had his optimism because right now, after a week of watching my girl slowly fade away, I don’t have any.

“I need my friend to wake up, Willow needs her auntie,” Clark sniffles and I hear shuffling as I slowly fade into another slumber at their hushed voices, and I squeeze Kodi’s hand tighter.

***

“Why in the fuck does Barbie want to come to the hospital so badly?” Cage asks with a snap, and I slowly blink, my eyes going to my girl, who is still in the same position and ignoring whoever else is in the room. I close my eyes again, not willing to be awake when she isn’t.

“I don’t know, but I’ve told her she can fuck off,” Trick replies, “She tried using the ‘she’s his mother’ shit, and I can see it, I see she loves him somewhere deep inside, but the woman fucking abused him because his dad didn’t claim her and his dad barely paid attention to him. What the fuck did she expect?”

“We still need to kick her out,” Cage grunts, “The woman isn’t to be allowed in the club when he finally returns home, and he will with his girl as soon as the stubborn woman wakes up and preferably before Clark attacks another club bunny.”

I frown a little but don’t open my eyes.

Clark attacked a club bunny?

The last time was when Cage was put away. One of the club bunnies said shit about fucking him, and his sister lost it, causing Clark to get involved.

“Honey said as soon as Kodi is pronounced dead, then she’s going to attach herself to Knuckles, to use his grief against him for his cut, she was bound to lose it, Cage,” Trick replies, and I try my hardest not to snort.

Why does it not surprise me that word got out about my relationship with Kodi?

“I know, it’s why she’s been put on probation until Knuckles comes home and decides what he wants to do about her. The choice is his, and every club brother has agreed. We just need him to come home,” Cage grunts, and I squeeze Kodi’s hand.

I don’t give a fuck about Honey, I just want my girl back.

“He’s been in and out of consciousness all fucking day since he admitted to maybe wanting to leave the club. I want to bring it up, to deny him, to tell him he’s fucking family but the man is barely sleeping as it is,” Trick mutters and Cage replies, “He’s not going to leave the club, we won’t allow him, fuck, Kodi won’t allow him.”

I hear a door open before Trick snaps, “Belle, you are on probation, you are not supposed to be on this ward!”

“But she –”

Cage cuts her off, “Don’t try saying she’s your friend, especially when she’s been in here for a week already, and this is the first time you’re coming to see her after you blamed her for missing Tricks wedding. Clark has been here every day holding her hand, begging her friend to wake up! You just want to make sure Crash isn’t in here again, and you need to leave.”

“You can’t stop me from visiting my friend, and I will be speaking to Crash about this because I don’t deserve this. I made a mistake!” she snaps with a sob just as the door shuts.

“Yeah, stabbing me with a needle and still being aloof with your best friend kind of mistake,” Trick mutters, and Cage snorts, “She needs to get her act together before she loses Crash,” just as their voices fade and I fall back to sleep.

***

“Dad?” I hear, and I blink again and again, but my girl is still not awake, so I close my eyes.

“What?” I hear the Chief snap back, his voice tense.

The man, like my father, has been in and out of this room, and every time I ignore the fucker, just like I’m going to right now, because if I speak to him, then I’ll fucking kill him.

I just need confirmation from my girl first that he was the one to backhand her. I need her to wake up.

“You’ve been in here for two hours, you need to give Knuckles some space with her,” Benny replies softly, and the man growls.

“I lost your mother all because she fucked that jackass Cans behind my back. I refused to release him from prison, and that was after they both had threatened to have my daughter raped if she told me at six-fucking-teen. I can’t leave this room, I can’t lose your sister, especially knowing this is all my fault!” he grunts back, and I swallow back my growl.

“Dad,” Benny sighs, “you can’t change the past. Mom wanted the attention, and she went to the wrong fucking person for it and put my sister in danger. But she’s gone now, and we need to focus on Kodi, and right now, I’m hoping if it is just Knuckles in here then she might wake up, come on…”

Ignoring the pain in my stomach, the aches in my face, I squeeze my eyes tight and allow myself to fade again, and their voices disappear, whether that’s because they’ve left or because I’m allowing sleep to take me again, I don’t fucking care.