Murphy

Before she hit the floor, Murphy held her. The man behind her went down.

He covered her as another series of shots rang out. Tate felt nothing but pain, horrible, all-consuming pain through her shoulder.

Closing her eyes she heard the screaming, and then Murphy was looking down at her.

Everything felt silent. “You shot me,” she said, pushing a hand to her shoulder. Her hand came away covered with blood.

“I had to choose, and I chose to keep him waiting,” Murphy said.

“You think you can take my f**king town you piece of shit.” The sound of her uncle’s voice cut through her pain.

“Alex?”

“I saw him coming and knew I needed to stall what was happening,” Murphy said.

“You shot me.” Everyone was alive, and she’d been shot. Tate was so thankful Murphy had shot her.

He helped her to her feet. She looked around to see men dead on the ground. Her father was leaning against the wall looking deathly pale. Eva was pressing a towel against his stomach. Alex was beating on the man known as Sal. The drug dealer was being pummeled. Killer, Time, and Whizz were working over some men with The Lions cut.

She was starting to feel sick.

A few feet away from Tiny, she saw Mikey on the floor. He wasn’t moving.

“Mikey,” she said, moving over.

“Murphy, stop her,” Tiny said.

“Let him go.” Murphy held her tight, stopping her from going to the other man.

“No, Mikey can’t be dead. He’s a Skull. He can’t be dead,” Tate said, panicking at the lack of life in the man. She’d seen a lot of death in the last year, but nothing could have prepared her for his death.

“We need an ambulance,” Eva said. “Tiny’s bleeding out, and he’s not going to make it if we don’t do something more.”

“An ambulance is on the way,” Alex said.

Unable to breathe, Tate looked toward her uncle. A scream rumbled up in her chest as with one quick swipe across the neck, Alex ended the drug dealer’s life.

“No one touches my niece and gets away with it.”

“Tate, breathe, baby,” Murphy said.

It was all too much. She couldn’t breathe, and suddenly the room went black.

****

The sound of beeping woke Tate up. Opening her eyes she saw the blank white walls, and the smell of the hospital invaded all of her senses. Trying to focus on everything that happened she tried to sit up in bed only to be held back by the pain from her shoulder. Gasping, Tate felt all the memories invade.

“I’m here, honey,” Tiny said.

Turning her head she saw her father in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown and staring at her. He held her hand, and she finally noticed the tears in his eyes. “What’s going on? It all happened, didn’t it? Where’s Murphy and Eva?” she asked, struggling to sit up.

“If you don’t stop struggling the nurse is going to shove a needle into your vein,” Alex said, making his presence known. Glancing up, she saw her uncle stood by the door.

“Eva and Murphy went to get coffee and check on the damage,” Alex said.

“What happened? Please, don’t keep me in the dark.”

“Sal is an old employee of mine. I cut him loose five years ago when I caught him stealing with intent to sell for double the price. I don’t let men get away with shit like that.” Alex closed the door, stepping closer. “As punishment, my men castrated him, and we believed he’d been fed to the dogs. No body was found, so I thought that was the end of it. I was wrong.” Alex sat on the other side of her bed.

Tears gathered in her eyes. “He, erm, wanted revenge.”

“He set his sights on Fort Wills. When Tiny told me the details I knew it was him. I got to town as soon as I could. When I saw what happened I tried to get in there as quickly as I could. He’d gotten Jeff from The Lions hooked and intended to use the club as a front, turning Fort Wills back into a dealing town. I couldn’t let that happen. I promised your mother on her death bed I’d keep this town safe.”

“Which is why he’s moving back,” Tiny said.

Glancing at her father, Tate felt the tears fall. “Tell me he didn’t die.”

Tiny looked down. “I’m sorry, baby, Mikey didn’t make it. The bullet entered his heart, and he died instantly.”

Covering her face with one hand Tate let out the sobs. Mikey was like family. He’d been part of her family for such a long time. “He shouldn’t have died. Did, erm, did anyone else die?” she asked.

“Fern was shot in the head.”

Tate gasped. No one liked the sweet-butt, but hearing her death still hurt.

“Sandy is in intensive care. She lost too much blood, but they’re keeping an eye on her.” Tate listened to them reel off the list of casualties. “Angel, erm, she lost the baby. Lash and Angel didn’t even know they were expecting. She lost the baby, and they’re handling it together.”

“Everything that could go wrong, did,” she said.

“Murphy hasn’t left your side. The nurses complained about him all the time,” Tiny said.

“People have died,” she said.

“We’re going to take care of everything.” Alex looked at her father.

“What?” she asked.

“Nash found Kate’s body. She was in a pool of her own vomit with a needle in her arm. We believe she sold out our location, and they used Sophia to distract us. Nothing is happening with the other woman. She’s an innocent in all this,” Alex said.

Murphy knocked on the door. She looked at him and smiled. Tears were running down her face, but he was the only person she wanted to see.

He carried several cups of coffee, Eva followed behind him. Within seconds he was beside her bed. “You’re awake, baby.” He kissed her head, and she reached toward him holding him close.

The others left her room with Tiny promising to return when visiting hours were over.

Her man lay on the bed beside her, holding her tightly in his arms. She let go of all the years and the pain inside her.

“You were going to pick me, weren’t you?” she asked, thinking about that moment when he’d been given the ultimatum.

“Yes.”

“I’m so pleased you didn’t. I couldn’t have handled their deaths, Murphy. Thank you for not picking me.”

“I can’t live without you, Tate. The club and all that shit I can. You, I can’t get a new you. From the time when you were sixteen and adorable to your tempting self at eighteen, I was hooked on you.” He kissed the top of her head. “I will always choose you.”