Stone (Highway Jokers #1)

CHAPTER 12

STONE

Pulling off my helmet, I sat there for a moment and sighed when I heard another motorcycle pull up next to me. Looking over I saw Mage pull off his helmet and hang it on his handlebars. “What are you doing here, old man?” I snarled.

“Watch it, boy.” He warns me, “I’m here because I wanted to know how you were doing.”

“How do you think I’m doing?” I snapped at him. I climbed off my motorcycle and placed my helmet on the handlebars before I made my way inside the hospital. I knew Mage was following behind me. He was like the father of the club.

I slowly opened the door to Lolita’s room to see a nurse checking her IV etc. and Vikki sitting in the corner but once she saw Mage and I walk in, she greeted us. Once the nurse left the room, she spoke up. “They say she is doing better. Her wounds are not infected and are healing nicely.”

I leaned down and kissed Lolita on the head while Mage spoke to Vikkie quietly. “Stone baby, are you hungry?” I heard Vikki but I shook my head.

“Go get the boy something from town,” I heard Mage tell his wife. I stroked Lolita’s hand as I took a seat. I was barely paying attention to the couple and before I knew it Vikki had left.

“Did you forget what the prospect did for this club?” Mage asked after a while of silence as he sat across the room. I was stroking Lolita’s hand.

My eyes met the older man across the room. “Do you remember what he did for Thrasher and why we nicknamed him ‘Deadshot?’,”

“I remember.”

“Then you’ll remember that I was sitting right where you were a couple of years ago.” He said, pointing at me. “The doctors say she’s getting better but that doesn’t mean you need to go off on your own.”

“Mage…”

“No. You listen to me. I may be sixty-odd years old but I can still do rings around you, boy. I know what it is like to have the feeling that you might not hear their voice again or to see their smile again but the club will always come first, brother.” I sat there running my fingers over the rip in my jeans.

“I know what it is like to see your loved ones here. Wondering, begging for hope. Vikki and I know exactly how you feel. We have been through it when we were younger and we went through it again when Tom was here.” Mage said, making me lock eyes with him. Tom, his son, was the youngest full-patch member of the club. 8ball. 8ball had been in and out of hospital throughout his life. So yes he did know how it felt to sit here.

Maybe I was being selfish… but when I look at Lolita… I see her smile. I see the love she always holds in her eyes. Ever since I saw her that very first day in the hall at school. She just lit up the room.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. “We will always be here for you, brother but I am right. We can’t go in guns blazing, we have to go over everything to the finest detail before we go in there.” Mage said to me as we sat there. I knew he was right. I knew that now after I had calmed down.

“Okay… I’ll head back to the clubhouse later,” I told the old man.

He nodded his head and looked over his shoulder when Vikki came wandering into the room, carrying a plastic takeaway bag. “You need to eat, baby,” Vikki said as she placed the bag on the small table in the corner.

“Thank you, love,” Mage said as she walked over to him.

“Of course, anything for my boys,” she smiled and kissed his head.

I sighed as I hung my helmet over the handlebars of my motorcycle. I ran my hand over my tired face before I climbed off my bike. I made my way inside the clubhouse and headed over to the bar. I nodded my head to Medusa when she handed me a beer. “It’s good to have you here brother,” Gravel said as he patted me on the back. I nodded my head and took a long sip of my beer.

“Church!” I heard Thrasher yell out when he came through the doors. I placed the now empty beer bottle on the bar and followed everyone else towards the chapel doors. I threw my phone into the bucket and took my seat at the Jarrah table.

“Alright, I just got word that The Devil’s Riders and The Broken Hitchmen will be making a move on us tomorrow so we need to move out on them now. We leave tonight at Dusk. Go talk to your Old Ladies, and your families and check in with your loved ones. Make sure they are geared up, just in case. We are going to war and there will be blood. Let’s just hope not on both sides.” Everyone nodded.

After talking in Church for another twenty minutes Thrasher slammed his gavel down ending church and we all stood up. I felt Thrasher smack me on the back as he leaned over the table. “We need your head in the game brother. We are all worried about your Old Lady but to protect her and everyone else in this club, we need to handle business first. You got me?” I nodded once in agreement.

“I’m headed to the hospital to see her. I need my time before we do this.” I told him. He stared at me for a moment before nodding his head.

I stood over Lolita as I watched in her most peaceful state. She didn’t look in pain despite the machines she had been hooked up to. Instead, she looked rather content. Like the world couldn’t touch the one place it had always haunted her. Her mind. I held her hand in mine as I swallowed thickly thinking of the right words to say and also hoped that she could hear me. I didn’t know if this was the last time I would lay eyes on her.

“Hey, Poet.” I choked out tears that wouldn’t be held back by the warriors of my eyelids.

“I’m back. I miss you so fucking much that it hurts. I wish that I could’ve protected you more. I wish that I could’ve seen this all coming so that it could be me lying here instead of you. But we have been dealt the opposite cards.” I sighed deeply.

“We go to war tonight. I hope that I will make it back to see you when you wake up. But unfortunately, I cannot predict the future. I’m doing this to protect you. Make a right and protect my family. Please forgive me for all of the pain I have caused you. I love you so much. Forever and always.” I looked over to her face once more before kissing her hand and laying it down gently before walking out of the room.

Once I got to my bike in the parking lot, I looked over my shoulder one last time at the entrance of the hospital. Sighing, I grabbed my helmet and climbed onto the motorcycle before I tore out of the parking lot, heading back to the clubhouse to gear up.