Kristen Ashley - Rock Chick Revolution

“Now’s not the time,” he told me.

“Now’s the perfect time,” I contradicted.

He dipped close. “Ally, baby, that’s done.”

“Part of it’s done. But the family part will never be done.”

Ren’s jaw got hard.

“Go to him,” I encouraged.

“Honey—”

I lifted a hand to his cheek. “You have a window of opportunity. It’s fucked up why you have it, but you have it. He feels this, what’s happening right now. He wants to come to you but he’s too stubborn. So you have to take this opportunity and go to him.”

“Babe—”

Urgently, I whispered, “Life’s too short.”

His beautiful eyes moved over my face. Then he nodded, leaned in for a quick kiss and straightened out of his seat.

I watched him walk to his uncle. Angela’s face lit up with hope and Dom led Sissy closer.

Five minutes later, Vito pulled Ren in for a back pounding hug.

I looked away, and as I did I caught Hank’s eyes.

He smiled at me.

My brother had a beautiful smile.

I smiled back.

It was small, but this time it wasn’t fake.

* * *

An hour later…

After Lavonne and Bear, friends of Jet’s and Nancy’s, showed with five pizzas that only Roam and Sniff touched (and also Tex, Dom and Smithie)…

After Sniff’s girlfriend showed (and she was cute and way into him as he was way into her), she got close to her boyfriend, stuck there and made me nearly smile (nearly) when I caught Shirleen staring at them. She caught me staring at her and she rolled her eyes…

After four of Roam’s girlfriends showed (yes, four), that he somehow corralled and got them out of there so if there was a drama, it didn’t happen close…

After there was a slightly elevated conversation between Stella, Hugo and Pong when they evidently learned I’d been stripping and were aggrieved Stella hadn’t shared that intel with them…

After all that, a man in scrubs and a white lab coat walked through the door.

“It’s been explained to me that you’re all here for Darius Tucker,” he announced. “Is there immediate family?”

“Me,” Dorothea chimed in, but her voice sounded croaky. So she cleared her throat as she walked his way, for once not longingly staring at Liam Clark, who for some reason she didn’t approach. Then again, Malia and Liam steered clear of her, too. Her throat cleared, she repeated more strongly, “Me. I’m his mother.”

Shirleen got up and moved in behind her sister.

And Ren’s hold on me got tighter when Malia, who was standing to the side with Liam, Indy, Lee, Jet and Eddie, broke free and edged near.

I held my breath.

“He made it through surgery,” the doctor told Dorothea, and I let out my breath. It caught again when he went on, “However, there was a great loss of blood and quite a bit of damage, including head trauma. He’s in critical care.”

I clenched my teeth when the doctor lifted a hand and curled it on Dorothea’s shoulder.

That was not a good sign.

His voice dropped quiet (another not good sign) when he went on.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Tucker. Although he survived surgery, we still have concerns. He’s not conscious, but it would be good if you didn’t delay visiting him.”

Definitely not a good sign.

I heard sobs (probably one of them Roxie; she cried all the time) and felt the vibe—already low—plummet, as everything leaked out at me and I collapsed into Ren’s side.

Dorothea nodded, her chin lifting to hold it together, her body stiff.

“Can I… can we…?” Malia started, her hand going out behind her toward Liam. She took two steps forward, her eyes on Dorothea. “Can Liam and I visit with him?”

Without delay, Dorothea raised her hand toward Malia.

Malia walked to her, took it and turned back to Liam. “Baby?”

Eyes never leaving his mother, probably knowing all eyes were on him, without hesitation, Liam moved to her.

A good kid.

Darius’s kid.

We all watched them follow the doctor.

For some reason I didn’t get and I didn’t try to process, I searched the room until I found Jane.

She was already looking at me.

She smiled and shook her head.

Even after this, she still believed in fairytales.

I wanted to believe.

Boy, did I want to believe.

But I had to admit, I was losing faith.

* * *

“Baby.”

My eyes fluttered.

“Ally, honey, wake up.”

I lifted my head from what, I noted from looking around, was Hank’s thigh. It had been some time, I’d finally cleaned Darius’s blood from my hands and I was curled up on the chairs of the hospital waiting room with Hank providing my pillow. Ren was crouched in front of me.

I shook sleep away, got up on a hand and focused on my man. “What?”

“Darius is awake, honey. And he’s asking for you.”

No longer even slightly sleepy, I surged to my feet.

Lee and Eddie were standing at the door. Lee stretched a hand to me. I hustled to him and took it. Quickly, both of them flanking me, me holding my brother’s hand, we moved into the hall and stopped at the elevator.

“Is there a change in his condition?” I asked, looking up at Lee.

He looked down at me. “No, honey. He’s just awake.”

“Isn’t that good?” I asked.

“No clue, Ally,” Lee answered, his hand tightening in mine.

I looked to Eddie.

He smiled at me, but I knew it was totally fake.

I knew this because there was no dimple.

The elevator doors opened and no one spoke as we rode up to the critical care unit. We were expelled into the hall and Lee guided me to where Dorothea, Shirleen, Malia and Liam were huddled with Indy and Jet.

Before I could say a word or take in the vibe, a nurse appeared and asked me, “Are you Ally?”

I nodded.

“Follow me,” she said.

She seemed to be in a hurry. I didn’t like that. Still, I followed her and did it quickly.

She instructed me to wash my hands. Impatiently, I did. Then she gave me a gown. More impatiently, I pulled it on.

Then she led me to Darius in his hospital bed.

His eyes were closed like he was sleeping. But other than that and all the tubes and shit sticking out of him, and of course the bandage wrapped around his head—not to mention, Darius didn’t wear hospital gowns (as in, ever, and I loved him but it was not a good look, on anybody)—he looked like just Darius.

I got close to his bed, bent down and grabbed his hand.

“Darius?” I called softly. “It’s Ally. I’m here.”

His eyes opened and he focused on me.

I forced a smile, but as much as I fought it, I felt it trembling.

“How you doin’, bro?” I asked.

It was then he spoke.

And he did it to rasp:

“Jesus, Ally. You’re a pain in my ass.”

* * *

Lee

Standing in the hall with Indy, Eddie, Jet and Darius’s family, Lee Nightingale’s body jerked and his head twisted around when he heard his sister burst out laughing.

Six years later…

“She’s faking it,” I mumbled, doing so with my mouth barely moving.

“Shut it, Ally.” I heard Sniff’s voice coming from the bud in my ear.

“Totally faking it,” I kept at him, succeeding in not smiling, but doing this since I had lots of practice.

We were discussing Sniff’s love life. And teasing him about it.

Totally lots of practice.

Suffice it to say, Roam nor Sniff had found their Rock Chick equivalents.

But they’d been practicing for the time they made that discovery.

Copiously.

“Sniff’s convinced he gives good lovin’,” Roam put in.

“That’s ‘cause I do,” Sniff’s deep pissed-off voice clipped. “No complaints so far.”

“And that’s because they’re faking,” I said.

“Cut the chatter on the line,” Luke butted in, ending our fun.

I pressed my lips together in a further (successful) effort to fight my smile and did a scan of the club. I was in an LBD, strappy sandals and had big hair.

In other words, I was a honey trap who would, eventually, withhold the honey.

The skin at the back of my neck prickled when I saw him.

“Got eyes on him. He just entered,” I muttered, the microphone in my cleavage picking up my voice.

“Copy,” Lee came through. “Positions?”

“Check,” Roam said.

“Check,” Sniff said.

“Affirmative,” Luke said.

“Roger that,” Lee said. “Brody, got eyes?”

“Do I ever not have eyes?” Brody asked, offended.

“Appropriate responses are check, affirmative or negative,” Lee growled.

Years of this, my brother still found Brody annoying.

I, on the other hand, found him hilarious.

“Whatevs,” Brody replied. “Affirmative.”

“Roger that. Ally, you’re a go,” Lee told me.

“Copy. Out,” I told him.

Lifting a hand and pulling out the ear bud, I dropped it in my purse, clamped it shut and slid off the barstool, eyes on my target.

Fun and games done.

Time to get to work.

* * *

I opened the front door to Ren’s and my house, entering and seeing the space dark except for the flickering light of the TV.

My husband.

Since I was kidnapped, he waited up for me.

Always.

I closed and locked the door, walked in, was assaulted by our brown and white Boxer, Payton, and stopped.

This was because I needed to give my dog some loving. It was also because it was way late and my man was flat out on his back on a couch, head turned, eyes to me and our two year old daughter was dead asleep, curled up on his chest.

“You do know she has a bedtime,” I noted quietly.

“What Katie and I do during father daughter nights is up to us, baby,” Ren replied, just as quietly.

I rolled my eyes on a, “Whatever,” and moved their way.

I bent low, touching my lips to his then putting my hands to my girl. Lifting and turning her, I held her to my chest and she snuggled deep.

Even asleep, she knew Momma was home.

Loved my girl.

Totally.

I looked down at Ren. “Putting her down.”

He looked up at me, and even with the flickering light I could see his eyes were warm and sweet. They got that way frequently, but they got the way they were right now when he was looking at his wife with his daughter.

And I loved my man.

Totally.

“Right,” he replied.

I moved to the stairs, Payton following me, seeing as he doted on his sweet Katie.

Halfway up, the flickering light went out.

I put her down. She shifted around a second and I stood by her with a hand on her back until she settled. But I didn’t leave her until I’d touched her ear, her dark hair and the soft fuzz of her cheek.

Only then did I leave, Payton settling with a groan in her room. He’d start there. He’d come to Ren and me later.

I entered Ren’s and my room, closing the door halfway behind me, and saw him walking out of the bathroom in chocolate brown pajama bottoms.

Delicious.

“She wake?” he asked.

“Not really,” I answered, moving to the bed and sitting on it.

I leaned down to unstrap my sandals.

“Unh-unh.”

That came from Ren.

My happy place spasmed as I bent my head back to look at him.

“What?”

“Fuckin’ you with those on,” he told me and continued, “You can lose the dress, though.”

Eyes never leaving him, I stood up and lifted one of my hands to the side zip.

Slowly, I pulled it down.

Ren’s eyes watched as his mouth asked about my night’s activities, “You get your man?”

“Yep,” I answered.

Zip down, I tugged up my dress and it was gone.

Strapless lacy black bra, high cut lacy black panties, and heels.

Ren’s eyes didn’t leave my body when his mouth noted, “You’re gonna do that twice tonight, baby.”

Righteous.

I grinned at my husband.

My husband lunged at me.

* * *

“Ren,” I breathed.

I was on my back in our bed, Ren over me, my legs spread, knees high. He had my hands held in his at the sides of my head, pressed into the pillow, our fingers laced, but he’d angled up so he could watch as he thrust into me.