party. After making an appearance, waiting until most all were smashed, I picked up my stash in their back yard and walked to the bus station. I was in San Diego before my dad realized I was gone.”
“Or me.”
“I’m sorry, Kat. I thought if you knew, you’d try to stop me.”
Jaw tight, she shoved the pastry aside. “You thought I’d tell someone and it would get to your dad.”
“I—”
Holding up her hand, she stopped what else he meant to say. “You didn’t trust me enough to share your plans. The same reason you never contacted me in all these years. How convenient for you.”
“I don’t know what else to say, except I’m sorry.”
She had to hand it to him. Chaos had the miserable expression down pat. Not that she believed he felt an ounce of remorse.
“Then don’t say anything. At least I know you’re alive. And don’t worry, I won’t say a word about you to either Mom or Brady. Not that they’d care after all this time.” Standing, Katrina picked up her trash. “I hope the last years have been all you hoped.” Stepping to an open receptacle, she dropped what was in her hands before rushing out, ignoring him calling her name.
Returning to the waiting room, Katrina was glad to see Rock and Ghost. After Chaos’s bullshit story, she didn’t want to be alone while waiting.
“Have you heard anything?”
Rock motioned toward a chair. “They’ve upgraded him to good, which is a great sign. He asked for you.”
Her gaze flew to his, her voice rising an octave. “Gunner asked for me?”
“That’s what the nurse said. They let Ghost and I go in for a couple minutes each, but he’d already drifted back to sleep. We decided to wait around a little longer in case he wakes back up.”
Relief flooded her. She’d been so afraid of losing him after they’d just connected. “That’s wonderful news. Has his family been contacted?”
They stared at her, both wondering how much she knew about Gunner’s background.
“He told me about his family when he explained why he’d be in charge at the nursery. The farm, their products, and his experience. I don’t know much more about him.”
“Wrath contacted them before his condition was upgraded,” Ghost said. “He encouraged them to do nothing until he called them again. Trust me. Gunner’s been through much worse.”
“Do they know about his connection to an MC?”
Rock nodded. “They know.”
Katrina allowed his answer to roll around inside her head. She wondered if their son being in an outlaw MC shocked or bothered them, deciding it was probably both. His involvement in an outlaw group had to weigh hard on a Midwestern farming family.
“I should get going. Would you mind getting word to Gunner I was here and will return tomorrow?”
“Sure, Kat.” Rock reached into his pocket for a card, scribbling a number on the back. “That’s my cell. Call anytime. My wife is a doctor and is making sure we know what’s going on with Gunner.”
“Thanks, I will.”
Picking up her purse, she headed to the exit. Stepping outside, she inhaled a lungful of fresh air, letting out a sigh of relief at Gunner’s condition. Heading to her car, her steps faltered at the sight of Chaos leaning against the door.
“I’m too tired to carry on a coherent conversation.” She dug keys from her purse, waiting for him to move aside.
“There are things you need to know, Kat.”
Glaring at him, she motioned for him to get out of her way. “I’m certain there are many things I should know. It’s not going to happen tonight.”
He didn’t budge, his gaze locking on a flash of light on what appeared to be a weapon across the parking lot. Without warning, he lunged at her, shoving her down onto a grassy patch an instant before a round of bullets whizzed past.
“What was that?” She tried to wiggle free, but Chaos kept her pinned to the ground.
He flattened on top of her as another round hit within inches of them. “Seems someone doesn’t like us, Kat.”
“What?”
“Those are bullets, and they’re aimed at us.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Keep your head down.” Chaos gently pushed her back down, his body still covering hers. Whoever was out there had been waiting for them to leave the hospital. He guessed it to be Dark Disciples, the same men who’d almost killed Gunner. But even as he thought it, the idea felt wrong.
“What should we do?”
“On my go, we need to get to the front of the car. Are you able to do