“Got some info about the shooting. Is now a bad time?” Copper asked.
“Sorry, Prez. Now’s good.”
“The shooting was a distraction. The new gun store in town had just been robbed. They just happened to be flying by the hotel at the same time some kids that were staying there pulled the fire alarm. The whole thing was a total coincidence, but they were hoping to keep the cars from being identified by letting off a few rounds. Didn’t work out like they thought,” he explained.
“I see. Any word on River’s mom and her boyfriend?”
“Nope. The detective I spoke with said they’d sent some officers out to check their local haunts and listed addresses, but hadn’t had any luck finding them.”
“Figures,” I grumbled. “Let me know if you hear anything. Oh, one more thing. I came home this afternoon to find Didi and River going at it in my living room. Didi thought it would be okay to let herself into my home and start a fight with my houseguest. Kicked her out and told her she was banned from the club.”
“Good. That bitch had trouble written all over her. I’ll let the other brothers know. If she was ballsy enough to show up at your place, I don’t doubt she’ll try showing up at the club to test your word.”
I laughed, “Yeah, she probably will, but it might be a minute. River broke her nose, and I’m pretty sure she fractured her jaw, too.”
“No, shit. River okay?”
“She’s fine. Girl didn’t even split her knuckles,” I said proudly.
We talked for a few more minutes before ending the call. As soon as I hung up, I went in search of River, but the sneaky little shit had already left for work.
***
I had been in my home office for hours trying to get caught up on billing and filing invoices, which I hated doing, when my phone rang. Figuring it was one of the guys, I ignored it and kept working. I ignored it the second time it rang, but when Copper’s designated ring sounded next, I answered.
“Get your ass to the hospital right now!” he yelled and disconnected before I had a chance to say anything.
I grabbed my keys and hauled ass to the hospital, hoping and praying the whole way that whatever happened to River wasn’t that bad, but knowing full well that it would be. Copper wouldn’t have called like that if it wasn’t an emergency.
Copper and Bronze were waiting for me right inside the doors of the Emergency Room entrance. “What’s going on? Did something happen to River?”
As I stepped farther into the waiting room, I noticed Tiny standing next to Batta who had his arm around Copper’s Old Lady, Layla. She was visibly upset and that scared the shit out of me. Layla didn’t know River, but she was very close to the other woman in my life.
Copper grimaced and shook his head. “No, brother, she’s okay. Sit down, Jonah.”
Jonah. He hadn’t called me Jonah in years, not since long before he started the Devil Springs chapter of Blackwings. My instinct was to argue; I didn’t take orders from just anyone, but I knew he only had my best interest in mind and that scared the shit out of me. So, I sat my ass down and waited for him to speak.
“Splint’s working tonight, and he was on the call. Leigh was out with some of the Old Ladies and collapsed. They think it’s a heart attack. I don’t know anything other than that right now.”
I nodded in acknowledgment and dropped my face into my hands. I couldn’t lose my mom. I lost my dad way too early in life; I wouldn’t make it through losing my mom, too. What had I done to deserve this? What had she done? We were good fucking people.
“Fuck!” I yelled as uncontrollable emotions exploded within me. I got to my feet and launched the chair I was sitting in across the room.
I heard a female scream in the background as I unceremoniously hit the hard tile floor, and a crushing weight landed on top of me.
“Rein it in, brother. Your momma is going to whoop your ass if you aren’t there when she’s allowed visitors because you’re in jail. And I’m telling you right now, ain’t none of us leaving here to bail your ass out until we’ve seen her. Breathe it out, man, and I’ll let you up,” Batta said as he held me down.
“We’ve got it under control. He just got some bad news, but I’ll have him removed myself before he does anything like that again. And let me know who I need to speak to about covering the damages,” Copper said to who I assumed to be hospital security.
“I’m good,” I said quietly.
“You sure about that?” Batta asked.
“Yeah, man. You’re right; Mom would have my ass. Probably will anyway when she finds out about this.”
“Prez?” Batta asked.
“Let him up.” I got to my feet, and Copper got in my face.“But damn it, Judge, don’t make me have you hauled out of here because I will fucking do it. We all love that woman. She’s been a mother to all of us and then some—”