Saving Dallas 2 Making the Cut Read online

  “Babe?”

  “Huh?”

  “You okay?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Luke smirked at me, and I could see his ocean blue eyes laughing. Ass. It was enough to snap me out of my day-dream and remember why I was here.

  “How is Marty?” I asked, my voice coming out stronger, but full of worry.

  “He is gonna be fine. Got a broken leg and some broken ribs, but the lung that was punctured is healing good. He is cranky as hell, but I think once he sees your beautiful face, he will feel much better,” Luke said smiling down at me. So much for the walls I had built back around my heart.

  “Can we go see him now?” I asked, hoping that Marty was awake. I really wanted to talk to him.

  “Of course,” Luke said, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway. He acted as if the events from this morning had not even taken place. When we walked by the nurses’ station, I noticed all the nurses eyeing Luke appreciatively. One even winked at him in front of me. Bitch. I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, “he is off limits bitch” but of course, I didn’t. No sense in pissing them off. They may take it out on Marty.

  Marty’s room was located at the end of the hall in a corner. It was much bigger than the other rooms and I later found out that the club had requested a suite for him. I figured with all his visitors, it was probably the best move, considering half the club was still standing in the lobby. Luke pushed open the door, without a knock of warning, and I thought it was impossible to be any colder than it was in the hallway, but I was wrong. It was freezing in Marty’s room, yet he lay on the bed with only a thin sheet covering the bottom half of his body. His chest was bare and gleaming with sweat. I crossed my arms, trying to contain my body heat. Luke noticed my movement and handed me the hoodie. It was black, about five sizes too big and had a reaper on the front of it. It was warm and smelled of Luke and I found myself sniffing it. Loser.

  Marty was sitting up slightly in the bed. The pillows behind him a tangled mess and the breathing machine beside him was humming. He had a mask over his face and looked to be in a lot of pain.

  “Breathing exercise for his lungs,” Luke informed me from across the room. He had taken a seat in one of the chairs, and was flipping through a magazine. Marty turned his face towards me and held his finger up, asking me to give him a minute. I nodded and took a seat in the chair next to his bed.

  Gatorade bottles littered the little table next to him along with a bucket for a sponge bath, some Mamba wrappers and a pack of sunflower seeds. His leg was held in the air by a cable that was attached to a bar that ran the length of the bed. A small weight dangled from his ankle and swung lightly with each deep breath he took. I turned my attention to the T.V. that was muted. I tried to pay attention, but all I could hear was the machines steady beep and Marty’s deep breaths and I found myself looking back over at him. His head was shaved almost bald and his green eyes looked tired. His right hand was bandaged and his arm was covered in scrapes. Even lying in a hospital bed, covered in bandages, he was still very handsome. I wondered if he had an ol’ lady.

  My thoughts were interrupted when a nurse walked in.

  “Ok hun, looking good. You will be out of here in no time. He is a trooper,” she said looking at me. Her long blonde hair was pulled to the front of her left shoulder, and her big blue eyes were warm and made me feel better, even though I wasn’t the patient. No wonder Marty was doing so good. “My name is Ashton and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. If y’all need anything just hit the call button,” she said this while removing the mask from Marty’s face, then turned and left.

  “I should have said I needed a sponge bath,” Marty said hoarsely. He smiled at me and I got up and walked towards him. I couldn’t help it, as soon as I saw his face, tears welled up in my eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, tears flowing down my face and onto Luke’s hoodie. I felt like a train had hit me. He was here, all because of me. This was my fault and if ever I wanted revenge, it was now.

  “Don’t,” Marty said, laying his injured hand on top of mine.

  “I’m gonna step outside a minute,” Luke said from the door. I had not even noticed he got up. I could have kissed him at that moment for giving me this time, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Marty.

  “I want to tell you a story,” Marty said, holding my hand. I nodded my head at him, wiping my face on my long sleeves. “When I was twenty-three, I met this girl. She was beautiful, smart, kind, sweet… Everything I would want in a woman. I was nothing but a thug. I worked in a mechanic shop and hustled a little on the side, but she loved me. She was my good. My better. She deserved a life of happiness, one that I couldn’t give to her. I knew I would never be more than what I am, a man with grease on his best jeans and a Harley. I never thought to ask her what she wanted. I just pushed her away, assuming what I was doing was best for her. I broke her heart.” He seemed to be somewhere else and I started to offer words of encouragement, thinking he was finished, when he began speaking again. “What I done was selfish and un-fair. I should have asked her what she wanted. See, material items didn’t matter to her. She deserved a life of happiness and she had it, with me. No one could love her like I loved her. She came looking for me. She was hurt and scared and confused as to why I just stopped answering her calls and hanging around. I use to hustle on Friday nights in a bad area of town and out of desperation she went there looking for me. She was shot, twice in the chest by a group of gang bangers who mistook her for someone else. I have re-worked the scene a million times in my head wondering what-if. I asked God every day to give me an opportunity to make it up and he did when he gave me you. He gave me a chance to save someone to make up for the life that was lost on my behalf.”

  I stopped breathing. Tears were pouring out of my eyes, but even through the blurriness, I could see Marty’s smile. He seemed to be at peace with something.

  “Dallas, I should be thanking you. You saved me. I know that things are not where they should be with you and Luke, but don’t make the same mistake I did. When God gives you an opportunity, embrace it. He loves you, Dallas. Let him.”

  I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t know if he knew all the details of me and Luke, but what I did know was that Marty was right. I loved Luke and I knew he loved me. I was tired of playing these stupid “he loves me, he loves me not” games. I also knew that my life would not be complete without Luke in it.

  “Thank-you,” I said to Marty, once again. I leaned over and planted a light kiss on his scruffy cheek.

  “PROSPECT,” came a boom from the door. Both our heads turned around to see Luke standing there with a smile on his face. “I will be happy to add another year if you don’t get your hands off my girl.” Marty smiled in response and shook his head.

  “I couldn’t help it, Pres. She’s beautiful.”

  “That, she is,” Luke said eyeing me with admiration. It made me melt. I stood up, shaking the thoughts of Luke and his blue eyes, and hard muscles and “my girl” comment from my head.

  “Okay, enough with all this sappy shit. What are you, a pig? Look at this place.” I began tidying up the little room, clearing off the table and folding blankets that were scattered everywhere. Marty laughed, then held his side as a pained look crossed his face.

  “You okay?” I asked concerned, and immediately at his side.

  “Stop babying him. You’ll turn him into a pussy,” I heard Tiny, the club’s Sergeant At Arms, say from the door.

  “Pussy? Did someone say pussy?” Buck asked, pushing his small frame past Tiny and entering the room that was now filling up.

  “Quit talking about pussy,” Crash chimed in. He was now sitting on the arm of the chair, flipping through the same magazine Luke had earlier, but not really looking at it. “I haven’t had any in a week.”

  “Is that why you had you were holding hands with my girl?” Luke asked him, his death glare back in place. The whole room erupted with laughter, except
for Crash who looked like he wanted to jump out of the eight story window. “I mean, if you think you can compete, then by all means.” I shot a glare at Luke and he smiled and cocked his head to the side. “Babe. I’m just kidding.” I rolled my eyes and started adjusting Marty’s pillows. This was no easy task. Just for him to move a couple inches caused him enormous pain, although I know he tried to hide it.

  “You need to rest,” I said to him quietly, so no one else could here. From what I had been told, PROSPECTS caught hell during their first year. I knew he was trying to be hard in front of the guys, but this was ridiculous and since I was the reason he was here, I felt it was somewhat my responsibility to ensure his comfort.

  “Okay, guys,” I said to the room. It grew quiet immediately, and I started to chicken out. “Marty has had a long day. I think we should let him rest.” Every face in the room, including Marty’s turned to Luke. Luke was eyeing me, seemingly impressed by my courageous, outspoken request. I mean, who the hell was I to announce to a bunch of bad-ass bikers that they needed to shut the hell up and get the hell out, although I didn’t say it in those words, they knew the meaning. What seemed like minutes, but was really only seconds passed when Luke finally spoke.

  “Well, y’all heard the lady. Let’s give Marty some time to rest. Buck, you and Crash stay close. No further than the lobby.”

  Both Crash and Buck nodded in agreement. Everyone said goodbye to Luke and I, then hugged Marty as gently as possible. I could tell they cared about him and gave him great respect for what he had done. No one had mentioned War, and even at the thought of him, my stomach plunged. I didn’t think it was an appropriate time to say anything so I kept my mouth shut, but made a mental note to ask Luke about it later.

  “Babe?” Luke said to me, shaking me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him and smiled. He really was stunning. You wanna go? Maybe grab something to eat and let PROSPECT get some sleep?” My stomach growled at the mention of food and I turned to Marty to say my goodbyes.

  “I’ll come visit you tomorrow. Is there anything you need?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m good. Thanks, though,” he said managing a weak smile. I leaned down and kissed his cheek again and felt it heat against my lips. Big, bad, biker Marty was embarrassed. I straightened and Luke approached the bed.

  “I love you, brother. I’ll see you later.” My heart clenched at the sight of the two grown men, exchanging hugs and expressions of love for one another. I had never seen Luke like this. You could tell by the look on his face and the sincerity in his eyes that he meant every word of it, as if it was his blood brother. My eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. Luke held his hand out and I walked around the bed, taking it in mine and he led us out the door. Once in the lobby, he exchanged a few hushed words with Crash and Buck, then led us onto the elevator to the second floor parking garage.

  We were sitting in Firehouse Subs, Luke eating a meaty, foot-long sandwich, and me a chicken salad sandwich, watching the cars pass on Hardy Street. Luke left his truck at the hospital and we had come in my car. He had insisted on driving and I handed him the keys as he opened my door and ushered me in. It was little things like that, and holding my hand all the way here that had my heart swelling with love for him. Luke was no ordinary man, running a construction company by day, being a biker by night, making mad love to me in-between and during. Good thing, I didn’t like ordinary.

  “You sure are in deep thought, babe,” Luke said, smirking at me from across the table.

  “Have y’all heard from War?” Apparently, my brain had remembered the mental note I made earlier. Luke’s face tightened and I could see he was trying to control either anger or heartache.

  “Not yet. Regg is looking into it.” I thought about how I had not seen Regg’s face in a couple of days. Is that what he had been doing?

  “Is he okay?” I asked, my hand covering Luke’s on the table. Regg had been one of the first to arrive the night Frankie had gotten to me. I remember him caring for me side by side with Luke. He had become a very important person in my life and I would hate for anything bad to happen to him. Especially if it was on my behalf.

  “Who? Regg?” Luke asked, clearly confused. I nodded my head at him and his face seemed to somewhat soften. “Yeah, babe, Regg is good.” He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm, then sat it back on the table and continued eating. This was a nice way of saying he didn’t want to talk about it. Tough shit.

  “What happened that night?” Luke halted his sandwich in mid-air and gave a big sigh.

  “You left upset and I didn’t want you doing anything stupid, so I had War and PROSPECT follow you. They let me know you were at Our Place Bar and waited in the parking lot beside it. War called me about ten minutes later, told me you were swerving all over the road. I told him to make sure you made it home then head back to the club house. PROSPECT’s orders were to watch your house. He tried to lure them away, but they caught up to him and ran him off the road. I’m not sure why they didn’t finish him off.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face when he said this. Finish him off? My mind drifted back to PROSPECT Marty lying in a hospital bed. He was so close to death, yet he took it as an honor that the club thought enough of him to watch over me.

  “What happened to War?” I asked. Luke’s brows were drawn together and he looked like he was in deep thought. For a man that was always in control, I knew it was frustrating that he didn’t have all the answers. He trained his eyes on me and I could tell he was fighting emotion; I just wasn’t sure which one it was.

  “He never made it back.”

  I decided two things in that instant. One-I would drop the subject, for now. Two-I would do everything in my power to help Luke figure this shit out.

  “Let’s go. We have a lot more talking to do and I would prefer to not do it in a public place.” Luke’s face looked serious, but I could tell by the way his eyes shown and his voice changed that he had a lot more in mind than talking. The thought excited me so much that I fumbled around for my purse and managed to knock my cup, full of soda, over in the process, which bought me a laugh from Luke. It was well worth it.

  Luke drove us back to my place. Holding my hand once again and tuning the radio to our favorite classic country station. I’m not sure if in that moment it was divine intervention or a turn of luck, but Alan Jackson was singing his rendition of “Blues Man.” The lyrics poured out of the speakers as I looked at Luke and all of his magnificence and thought how perfectly that song matched my feelings for him. I loved him, I needed him, and he had nothing to prove to me. The thought of being with a bad ass biker was thrilling at first, but now, I knew I would love Luke even if he was a librarian. How had I gotten so lucky?

  “You are my blue’s man,” I said, drinking in the sight of him in nothing but a plain white t-shirt and jeans, sitting in my car as if he belonged here and nowhere else. He turned his head to look at me and smiled. I didn’t even have to elaborate-he got it. He pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed each of my fingers.

  “Do you know that I love you, babe?” he asked, against my hand.

  “I do, Luke. I’m just confused.”

  “I know, baby. I know.”

  I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know all the details anymore. It was confusing enough as it was. If my brain consumed anymore new information, I was afraid it might explode. Red had told me so much already.

  “I didn’t want to take the job,” Luke said out of nowhere. I turned in my seat to look at him, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. I knew he was talking about me. “I had just become the Sergeant at Arms of the club and this was my first big job. My Pops was still acting as President, but from an undisclosed location. Most people thought I was taking over the club, but I was just training. This was my opportunity to prove myself. Everyone knew my plan was to take the club in a new direction. My Pops was not very happy about my intentions, but he said if I was smart enough and loyal enough, I would have the gavel one day and I could
do with it what I chose. You were a test. He wanted to make sure I could keep my dick in my pants and my head in the game. Frankie had been out bad with the club for five years, but we had kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t fuck up. He was in lock-up, doing time for grand larceny, so we didn’t have to worry about him too much. About a month before he was released was when I got the job. You were in college at The University of Tennessee. I still remember the first time I laid eyes on you.” He paused to turn to me and smile. I couldn’t help it. I smiled back, even though I was sure I looked like I was about to lose it.

  “My aunt, Lori, lived in Tennessee, and I had moved up there with her. It was late one afternoon, and I was riding to the college to get a copy of your schedule. Aunt Lori is a Tennessee Alumni and had rode with me to show me around the campus. She thought I was gonna attend the University. I remember she was talking my head off, pointing out all the buildings and telling me stories when I saw you walk out of the main building. You were wearing a yellow dress and looked like you belonged on a fucking movie set, not on the campus of a college. I wanted to back out. I wanted to call Pops and tell him I couldn’t do it. From the very first time I laid eyes on you, Dallas, I knew that you were mine.”

  Well, fuck me. If that wasn’t the most romantic thing I had ever heard in my life, then I didn’t know what was. Who gives a shit that he was getting paid? I felt like I had melted into the passenger seat beside him. I was such a sap.