Slam stood up and handed Digger some pills and left. He’d find out what they were later, they needed to head out. He crouched in between Digger and Bianca.
“Me and King are headed to church. We’ll be back soon. Try to get some rest, beauty.” She looked exhausted. He tenderly kissed her lips and silently wished he could linger longer.
He then turned to face Digger. Turmoil darkened his eyes and the hard lines of his face appeared more stark. He could understand it, but something wasn’t right. He knew his mate as well as he knew himself and something was torturing him. He abruptly pulled him in and hoped the hard, passionate kiss he pressed to his lips kept whatever demons he was battling at bay until they could deal with them. King who was studying Digger threw him a concerned look before he too kissed Digger and Bianca.
Squaring his shoulders and leashing his anger, he and King left.
Digger
Digger knew he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding the devastating feeling that was eating him up inside. The soft hand clasped in his, was keeping his focus and sanity intact. He knew if Bianca was away from him right now he’d be tearing the room apart and any fucker who got in his way.
Bianca’s eyes were bruised with fatigue and her body would intermittently tremor as if she was cold. He knew better, it happened when she was recalling all this fucking shit that she’d been put through. They were failing her and he was solely to blame for this crap fest.
Digger and King had wanted to move her to the club the day before and he was the one who talked them out of it. He thought he knew better. His chest hurt as he couldn’t help but imagine what could have happened to them all.
Being in a MC he had skirmished with death multiple times but it was something about fire that caused his blood to run cold. His mind was tormenting him with images of the people who meant the most to him trapped behind a wall of flames. He forced it to the back of his mind and turned more fully into Bianca. She was his first priority right now and he needed to get his shit together. He had a lot to make up for.
Massaging her knuckles with his thumb, he kept his voice as soothing as he could. “Come on love, let’s get you in the shower and in some fresh clothes. Then you need to rest.”
He was expecting her agreement and a small smile. What he wasn’t expecting was for her to suddenly hunch over and sob, which is exactly what she did. He heard her say something but couldn’t make it out through her shaking breath and tears. He pulled her into his lap and surrounded her best he could with his arms. He rocked slowly hoping to soothe her and slowly stroked his fingers through her silky hair. Her devastation was eating at him. His guilt increased with every shudder of her body and tear that hit his neck. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her.
She started to calm and brokenly whispered, “You shouldn’t be looking after me. This is all my fault…all my fault.” She sniffed and silent tears continued to roll down her face.
Digger was shocked silent. He was astounded. “Why the ever-loving fuck do you think that?” His voice came out sterner than he intended but he needed an answer.
Bianca
Was he serious?! Her grief was temporarily pushed aside and anger and guilt took up the rest of the room. She tried to get out of his lap but he wasn’t loosening his grip.
“Calm the fuck down and tell me what’s going through that head of yours.”
Trying to stand was futile, he could overpower her with his little finger. She let her body slump and leaned against his massive, warm chest. She loved his voice. It was had a depth and tone to it that she could listen to all day, but right then she needed him to be quiet. She was close to losing it and he was distracting her from holding it all in. She knew if she let everything out that she was feeling she’d have a meltdown. The weeks of torment coupled with the last few days were bearing down on her soul and she felt fragile and broken. She despised feeling this way.
“Come on, love. What’s going through that head of yours?”
He squeezed her body briefly as an encouragement to talk. Something inside her snapped. He wanted to know? Fine.
She let her barrier down and exploded out, “This is all my fault! If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t have nearly died, you wouldn’t have lost your house, you wouldn’t be stuck with a girl who has a psycho after her!” Her breath heaved in and out. “Not only that but now you’ve brought me around other people! What’s going to happen when Dane or his hired heavies sets fire to this place and you’re all homeless or dead! You should have just left me at that warehouse, then none of this would be happening.”