Edge Of Darkness (Arrow's Edge MC #2) - Freya Barker Page 0,33
joining them.
“I have to take Ezrah to the hospital.” She steps aside to show Ezrah sitting on the steps cradling his head in his hands. “We just got home and he tripped running up the steps. Busted his head. Can you keep an eye on—”
“Come here, sweetheart.” Lissie pulls the little girl in her arms. To Lisa she says, “Go. We’ve got things here.”
“I’m driving you,” I announce.
“I’m okay,” Lisa starts protesting but is quickly shut down.
“He’s driving.”
I bite off a grin at the bossy tone in Lissie’s voice. Her neighbor doesn’t argue more and nods once before heading back outside.
“I’ll be back,” I promise Lissie, dropping a quick kiss on her mouth.
Ezrah is surprisingly stoic, given the deep gash over his eyebrow, which is bleeding profusely.
“You okay, bud?”
“I’m good,” he grits out bravely, sitting between his nana and me up front in my truck.
“Almost there. Gonna take a few stitches,” I caution him.
“Ain’t the first time.”
I catch Lisa’s eyes over his head. She’s carefully blanked her face, but her eyes show concern. It occurs to me she has spent many years looking after those kids under horrible circumstances with no one at her back. That’s changed. She’s part of Arrow’s Edge now.
At the hospital I drive straight to the emergency room entrance and let them out. Then I go find a parking spot. Before going in, I quickly call the clubhouse. Brick answers.
“I’m at the hospital with Lisa and Ezrah”
“What the fuck for?” he barks.
“Kid took a tumble and busted his head on the stairs. May only need stitches, but who the fuck knows. You wanna let Ouray know?”
“On it.”
I hear the line go dead and head inside after them.
They’re in the waiting room, which is luckily not that busy, and I sit down on the other side of the boy. The wait is not that long, maybe twenty minutes, when Ezrah’s name is called.
“I’ll wait here,” I tell Lisa.
The nurse leads them down the hall. When they pass the desk, the person behind it calls Lisa over. Ezrah disappears through the door at the end.
I can’t hear what is being said, but I recognize distress on Lisa’s face. I make my way over.
“What’s going on?”
Lisa keeps her eyes on the desk and mumbles under her breath.
“I don’t have insurance, so they want a credit card.” I’m already reaching for my wallet when she takes a shaky breath in and adds, “I don’t have one of those either.”
“Go with your boy, I’ve got this.”
A hand lands on my shoulder and Brick steps up.
“I’ll take it from here,” he rumbles, slapping a credit card on the desk before turning to Lisa. “Go to the boy. I’ll wait for ya out here.”
CHAPTER 12
Yuma
LISSIE TURNS HER head when I walk into the apartment and immediately puts a finger to her lips. When I move closer I can see Kiara snuggled up to her on the loveseat, fast asleep.
“How’s Ezrah?” she whispers.
“Still at the hospital.”
When Kiara stirs, I bend down and pick her up, carrying her straight to the bedroom. She curls up on her side as soon as I pull the covers over her. Not exactly what I had in mind for that bed tonight, but it is what it is. There’s no extra bed in the other bedroom.
“She okay?”
Lissie is in the kitchen, pulling her ever-present tea from the fridge.
“Still sleeping. Left the door open a crack, in case she wakes up.”
“Good. She cried herself to sleep and I was afraid to move.” She hands me a glass of tea. “So how come you’re back? Does Ezrah have to stay?”
“Not sure yet. I called the club to let them know and Brick showed up. He all but kicked my ass out of the hospital.”
“Brick?” She looks surprised.
“Yup. Came in and waved me off. He’ll call when he knows more.”
“I hope Ezrah’s okay. Be tough on Lisa if she has a kid in the hospital or sick at home. It’s just her with those two kids.”
I got the sense Lisa is not nearly as alone as she may think she is, but I keep it to myself.
It’s about ten when my phone finally rings. I’m almost relieved. I’ve had Lissie snuggled up to me, but every time I tried to cop a feel she shut me down because of Kiara sleeping down the hall. The movie playing on TV was some chick flick so that was hardly enough to distract me.
“Brick,” I answer after checking the screen on my phone.