Wrong Move

15 - In Shock

Wren

The back of my head was aching something fierce. I supposed that made sense, given it had been bashed in, and my brain was still fuzzy.

"We can get Rocky to have a look at it, prob gonna need stitches," Mission mused, poking around back there. I winced and pulled away, shifting so I could keep Tay in my sights. I would prefer her not to be in this room, but after I made the call to Iron, he had ordered everyone back to the club.

"It can wait," I said, gruffly, "Can you get me something for the pain though?"

"One whiskey coming up," he joked, but his expression was anything but. Tay was looking at her hands like they held all the answers in the world. I wished Iron would let Coral in here to look after her niece, but that would mean she'd see her daughter. Casey was curled up on the couch in Iron's office. She was too close to my girl, and I didn't like it. But Iron wanted the entire story and so we crammed all the important people in the club in the sizeable room, making it seem cramped. The other Grey Hog, Michael, was sitting with his hands tied in front of him, looking at them with a resigned air, his head drooping down.

"What did you do with Huntsman?" I asked Iron, low so no-one could hear. He rubbed his hand over his face.

"Tay-Tay did a number on him. I called Sharps and said I'd leave it to him to clean up the mess. He was happy about it. Huntsman was going for him after he dealt with me. The kid was crazy"

No leadership spill to worry about and his biggest rival taken out by an enemy club. Things were coming up roses for the current Grey Hogs Prez.

I didn't care. My skin was itching, and I could still feel the imaginary dig of the ropes around my body. My wrists were red from struggling. I should check on Taylor's. She'd been tied up as well.

I looked at her again, clenching my jaw. She hadn't moved, just looking at her hands.

"Can you tell us again what happened?" Iron said with a sigh, watching Frame, who was pacing at the back of the room.

"Right now? Huntsman's dead, there's no point re-hashing that. It's up to you how to deal with the bitch. I need to look after Tay."

"Wings" Iron said, disapproving "We've also got this guy, who if we send back is likely to get gutted for turning" he waved a hand at Michael who sank in his chair.

I pinned him with a look, frustration rising in my chest. I snatched a bunch of tissues off his table and turned my back on him. I strode over to Tay and wrapped my hands around her waist. She stiffened, but didn't make a noise when I took her place on the chair and settled her on my lap. I looked at Iron, daring him to say something.

"Ask, but I'm gonna be sittin' right here," I warned, tipping a water bottle to dampen the tissues. I jostled Tay, so she was sitting sideways, her head tucked just below my neck. I ran the tissue over her hands, gently wiping away the residue of blood that was there. She didn't respond, her fingers limp in my careful hold. Her wrists had some damage, where she'd obviously maneuvered the knife to free herself. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She was in shock and the sooner I dealt with this, the sooner I could get her in a shower and wrapped up in a cozy bed.

"How, how did she factor into this" Frame bit out angrily, waving a jerky hand at his daughter. Casey looked up at her dad with stricken eyes.

"Daddy—" she started, but swallowed her words when he snarled under his breath, avoiding her devastated gaze. I shook my head, tucking Tay's hands in her lap and curling her into me. Not for the first time, I wondered what I had ever seen in Casey. All her charm had been superficial. Underneath was a creature so twisted and selfish that even her dad couldn't look at her. If she hadn't realized the precariousness of her situation, she certainly did now. Her face crumbling and her fist coming to plug her gaping mouth.