Page 11 of The Crowing of Hell
“The doctor said you’d be off sick at least a month, so everyone got you something. Look, prezzies!” Lindsey exclaimed and bounced on the bed before apologising as I winced.
“Yay!” I replied weakly and sent Mac a beleaguered stare.
He grinned at me with no sympathy at all. Nasty man!
Rooster
He parked the SUV at the hospital two days later and wondered how the hell he’d became responsible for picking Kendara up. He’d taken a call from Chance an hour ago, telling him to go and fetch Kendara and take her home. When Rooster asked why he had to pick her up and not Rage, Chance actually growled at him. Then he’d muttered something that had made no sense. Chance had complained that he had his own crazy bitches to dealwith; he didn’t need Rage’s on his back too.
As he walked through the reception of the hospital, his eyes hit a familiar figure, and he stopped.
“What’s up, man?” he questioned Inglorious, the President of the Unwanted Bastards.
“My fuckin’ idiot of a VP,” Inglorious bitched.
“He’s had an accident?” Rooster asked.
“There will be one once I catch him. The stupid fuck put a rubber spider on Bomber’s pipes, which, of course, popped out when we’re heading down the highway. Bomber screamed and crashed the damn bike. Psych is dead when I get my hands on him. Bomber broke his leg but is otherwise okay—apart from some road rash. His bike, however, took a beating, which means Bomber’s gonna make Psych hurt,” Inglorious complained.
“Could be worse. You could have Jailbait’s bunch of psychopathic bastards,” Rooster pointed out.
“I don’t understand how he deals with Zoom and Zippy. I’d have put bullets in their brains by now,” Inglorious moaned. “You heard? They have been seen around RC with Magic? I do not wanna know. Fuck that, I don’t want to be anywhere near those nut jobs when Fury grows some balls and decides to hit us man on man.”
Rooster sensed himself paling. “They’ve been with Magic? Does Chance know?”
“Probably, I called it in, and not even Jailbait could get out of Zoom and Zippy what they’d been up to,” Inglorious stated.
“Great,” Rooster muttered.
“Why are you here?” Inglorious asked.
“On pickup duty for Rage. A lady connected with them was involved in an incident, and because I pulled Kendara from the car, I’m now responsible for her.”
Inglorious stared at him and then began singing, “Dun, dun, dun, another one bites the dust!”
“Hell no, brother. Ain’t looking for a woman.”
“Yet Rage and Hellfire seem to be falling over them. Looks like it’s your turn. You going to fight or accept this?” Inglorious mused, studying Rooster. “You’re gonna fight!”
“Dude, I got a bitch who claims she’s carrying my kid but wants nothing to do with a cripple for a baby dad.”
Inglorious scowled and opened his mouth.
But Rooster continued, “I’ve three boys at home who are terrified that every time I go out, I’m not coming back. We got old ladies dropping babies, and I can’t keep up with who’s knocked up and who isn’t. Then we have the Holy Terrors, and they are starting to rival Rage’s Hellions. Ain’t got time for a high maintenance girl, and make no mistake, Kendara’s class and high fuckin’ maintenance.”
“And you want to claim her,” Inglorious taunted.
“No.”
“You don’t mind if I take a pass? I’ve met Kendara at some cookouts; pretty stunning woman,” Inglorious prodded.
“Be my guest. Now I better go fetch her ass before Ifind myself sued for being late,” Rooster said, clapped elbows with Inglorious, and walked away.
Inglorious
No sooner than Rooster was out of sight than he messaged the allied presidents.
‘Next Hellfire is about to fall. Taking bets on how long before he’s shacked up with her.’