Wild Child (28 page)

Elena found Kima shivering with the shower on, huddled under the spray of water. She took one glance at her and sighed. Kima was too pale. She grabbed a towel and shut the spray off. "Kima, what’s wrong? Get your butt over here and into this towel before you look like a prune."

Kima moaned. "Elena, I've puked for hours. I think it was bad clams. I'm so sick - I just want to die."

Jersey and Thorn heard Kima and looked at each other.

Jersey needed to think so he announced, "I need a smoke, Thorn. Going outside."

Thorn called to Elena and asked her if she needed help. Elena told him to go out with Jersey. She managed to get her into the bedroom. Kima sat there shivering as Elena found a long, white, granny-style nightgown.

"Ugh, don't put me in that!"

Elena got Kima into it and pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"I think it’s food poisoning, honey. I’m getting soda for you and a pail."

Kima turned her head."I hate puking. It reminds me of that bastard Veiko!"

Elena looked back at Kima. "I think everyone thinks V is a bastard. Now rest."

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Elena stormed out onto the porch. Jersey and Thorn watched her, wondering what was wrong with Kima. Elena lit a joint.

Jersey spoke up first. "Did I hear Kima say she wished she was dead? Damn it! V fucked up, letting Misty hang all over him."

Elena choked, "What the hell?"

Thorn was wishing he was anywhere but there. Elena had a temper as bad as Kima did.

Jersey continued, "She told me she wanted his shit out of the cabin because she paid the rent."

Elena let out a drag. "Kima’s paid in full and, yes, she paid for this cabin. Thorn make the call to the club. Tell that bastard to come get his shit as soon as he’s sober. I don't want him near my girl. Fucking pigs, all of you men! I need to go get some soda and, Jersey, you sit with Kima."

Jersey looked at Thorn who shrugged his shoulders.

"Go sit with her, bro. You heard Elena. I'm making the call - at least you don't have to do that."

Jersey walked into the bedroom. Kima looked like an angel; she’d tossed her blankets off and was sleeping, her blonde hair tousled about her face. She was in all white and Jersey thought she looked really sexy.

He brushed his hand over her forehead; it was burning hot. Damn, he didn't know shit about fevers. He hoped Elena would get back soon.

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Thrash stood in the clubhouse looking for his brother. He was pissed off. Nobody was answering the club phone.

He spotted V next to a bottle of JD and felt like breaking it over his head.

Thorn had called him late last night and he wasn't able to go back to sleep. Veiko was an asshole. He had a great thing with Kima and, as usual, whiskey messed it up.

He heard Missy and Misty talking. He couldn't stand either of them - they were more of Rabid discards. He got closer without them noticing.

Misty was saying V was making her his old lady. Thrash had enough. He walked over and grabbed both of those sluts.

"Get your skanky asses out of this club! You two are done here. You want to me to call Rabid on your asses?"

Thrash pointed to the door. "Need me to have Tiny take you out?"

The girls scurried to grab their belongings.

Thrash called out, "Don't stay in New Jersey. I'll be calling other clubs about you two skanks."

His yelling woke Veiko up. He groaned.

Thrash looked at V. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Fucker! 'Bout time you woke up. Do you remember anything V? You blackout? Now you lost Kima, huh, brother?"

V sat up. "What the fuck? Who said I lost Kima?"

Thrash looked down at his brother. "I warned you JD would fuck you up, V! Kima’s sick and she wants your shit out."

Veiko didn't want to remember. He didn't want to face Thrash, either. Vaguely he recalled pulling Kima's hair and than her grabbing his balls. Fuck! And Misty. What if Kima had seen her?

Thrash stared at him. "Seriously, V, you can't drink whiskey. You're gonna lose everything like Dad did. I got my truck. I'll take you to my place to shower and then you're getting your clothes. You can move in with mama. I'm done with your shit, brother. Mama can deal with you. I thought you were more in control, but after the shit I heard about last night, I won't deal with you."

Veiko had never seen Thrash so disgusted with him. "Bro, it was an issue and we had to fix it with the Nefarious."

Thrash looked at him. "So you lost Kima over an
issue
? Kima mean so little to you? Get the fuck up! She wants your shit outta her cabin. And, Veiko, you fucking stink. It’s a damn good thing we're the same size. I'll take take pity on you one last time and loan you some clothes. Kima got food poisoning and you better not upset China. Move it." Thrash was in his older brother mode, he was Thor to little Veiko.

V got up and it felt like a bullet had gone through his heart. "Thrash, she really wants me gone?"

Thrash sighed. "V, ain't me you gotta talk to or make promises  too. Just how many promises have you broken to Kima?"

Veiko honestly didn't know. He just knew he had to get her back.

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Elena was trying to get Kima to drink some ginger ale but Kima was not having it. She looked far worse than she had last night. Hunter looked at Elena and told her he was getting the truck. Elena nodded - Kima needed to go to the hospital.

Jersey had slept on the couch and Elena kicked him awake. "I need you to help me get Kima dressed. Get in here. Hunter's getting the truck."

Jersey's eyes opened and he stumbled to his feet. "Elena? It is that bad?"

Elena stared at him. "Damn it, if I say I need you, Jerz, get up and help me. Of course it's that bad if we're taking her to the emergency room. She’s dehydrated. Hell, I don't think she knows her own name. I doubt she'd be happy going there in a granny gown, so help me."

Elena found one of V's tee shirts, some panties, and a pair of shorts. Kima was like a rag doll, limp, as they dressed her. Jersey carried her to the truck and they left as he stood wondering what would be next.

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CHAPTER 23
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Kima was put on a bag of fluids as soon as she got to the hospital. Nurses were drawing blood, and Elena was trying to tell them all she knew. The same doctor that had treated Kima for her concussion was checking her and wanted to know if she had hit her head again.

Elena didn't know. Could she have? Only Kima knew and she was too sick to answer.

Hunter had called the clubhouse. Pops told him V had gone to Thrash's to shower, so he called there. "Hell, all I know is they admitted Kima to the hospital and want her family here. Thorn's calling them now." Hunter sounded exhausted.

Thrash held the phone tightly. "Do you want us to come down?"

Hunter took a deep breath. "That’s Veiko's call. Look, I've been in his shoes. I know he's playing President. I ain't blaming V. Her feelings are hurt. Elena's been there, but this is her girl. So yeah, she's pissed at V. I ain’t throwing him outta' the cabin either until I hear it from Kima's mouth. V hasn't had it easy with Flop taking off and doing two jobs. So he fucking got drunk, I ain't seen him drink much here."

Thrash relaxed a bit. "I went off on him, Hunter. Didn't really think about the pressure he's under."

"I figured as much. He’s trying to balance everything, and it ain't easy.” Hunter snorted.

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Thorn hadn't found Jack, so he and Jersey sat with Kima.

Thorn was thinking, "Whoever punched the guy in Nefarious needs to be found out. This is the shit that fucks clubs up. I kinda' feel for V. I know Kima, and I know she was feeling left out. It was explained to her what being an old lady was about. Shit, I don't want an old lady anytime soon."

Jersey yawned. "All I want is a good woman. I'm tired and want to settle down. I make good money and having a life outside of the club sounds good to me. Coming home to dinner and a clean house is just what I want."

Thorn thought Jersey was plumb crazy but kept his mouth shut.

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Veiko was sitting, staring into space, blaming himself. If he’d been walking with Kima and getting her seafood, maybe she wouldn't have stopped at that vendor.

He should have been buying her presents. She never asked him for money. She put in more money than he had into their relationship. He never even got her anything for carrying all that speed. The last thing he wanted to do was buy her crap from a vendor.

He decided to ask China what Kima would like. She seemed to have excellent taste. "China, do you know of a place I could buy Kima something really nice?”

China tipped her head, thinking. "I see Kima as the type of woman that would like something personal. I saw a silver snake bracelet in a local jewelry store. I was planning to buy it as a Christmas present for her. The jeweler hand makes them and they remind me of your tattoo. Do you want me to run down and buy her one?"

V reached in his pocket and handed China his wallet. “Take whatever you need, buy whatever you think she’d like. I've got to show her how much she means to me. Hey, can you get some dog tags made up for me? I'll write down what I want on em." He quickly scribbled some words down on a scrap of paper and handed it to her.

China smiled happily. "Sure, it isn't a problem. I think something jade for good luck too. Tell the Mighty One I'll be back in about a half hour."

Thrash sat next to V and punched his shoulder. "Hey, maybe I was too hard on you last night. I know you cut down on drinking whiskey. We all love Kima and don't want you to lose her. You gotta find a balance with the club and your life with her. I know it’s hard. But now that I have China, I’m doing the best I can. I love her so much, V. But I'm wondering what mama will say. I got this feeling she isn't gonna like her."

Veiko had thought mama would be happy for both of them. Now he wondered? She was always trying to get them hooked up with her friend’s daughters. Mama still wanted to run their lives. She'd worked hard raising them. They had been told their dad had left to drink his life away. Mama wouldn't let him even see any of his kids.

V vaguely recalled his dad saying to them when he left that mama would try to run their lives as she had his. That mama was the reason he started drinking. Hell, maybe it was true. He used his brother's real name. "Thor, you ever think of looking for dad?"

Thrash responded. “Yeah, I did. Mama threatened me if I saw again him, she'd disown me. Maybe we need to see for ourselves what dad is like. When I saw him, he seemed straight to me and happier than when he was with her. "

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I was lying in the hospital bed hooked up to a damn IV bag. I still felt awful. The nurses didn't let me get any rest and that damned doctor was bugging me about my head. I had a gash in my hairline so maybe I did fall?

All I could remember was vomiting. The nurses were bugging the shit out of me. You don't get rest in the hospital. I wondered about V and if he’d ever made it home. I figured he was still at the clubhouse.

I was also thinking about Darko. He seemed like a nice guy for a biker. But they all were nice in the beginning, then they ignored you. They became bossy bastards and expected you to take last place all the time. I was tired of being in last place. It didn't seem to me that Thrash put China last, nor did Nailz put Jo last, at least not yet.

I told Jersey and Thorn to get out. Damn babysitters! So when my dad walked through the door, I was shocked.

"Kitten? You up to having me visit?"