Outlaw (42 page)

“I’m sure the money would help. But what they really
need is people willing to be tested to see if they’re a match for donation.”

“What kind of test?” Mack asked.

“Simple stuff. Swab your cheek. Take a blood
sample.”

Mack nodded. “We could get everyone on board with
that.”

Cole stared at him, dumbfounded. “You
mean…everybody?”

“If I say so. Yeah.”

Natalie walked back to the table. She looked from
Cole to Mack. “What did I miss?”

“Mack has offered to get the entire club, and all
it’s chapters to test for bone marrow donation,” Cole said, locking him in.

“Really?” Natalie asked, her mouth dropping open.

Mack looked at Cole, knowing he had to come through,
now. “Yeah. Sure. Why not?”

Natalie squealed, “Oh! Thank you, Mack!” She leaned
over, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You don’t know how much this
means.”

“I’m gonna need your help to set it up, darlin’.”
Mack said as she squeezed his neck.

Cole smiled. Mack had met his match with Natalie.
She’d have him wrapped around her little finger in no time.

It was after dark by the time they got back to town.
Mack pulled in a little dive bar, and Cole pulled in behind him. They walked
in, and sat at the bar. Natalie walked over to the jukebox to play some music.

Cole noticed the way Mack watched her. When she came
back, there was a slow song playing, and Mack slid off his barstool, and pulled
her into his arms for a dance.

Cole leaned back against the bar, and watched. He
still couldn’t believe this was happening. He shook his head, and smiled. Angel
would shit. She didn’t even like Mack.

After the first song ended, another one came on. It
was ‘Melissa’ by The Allman Brothers. Cole turned back to the bar; this song
brought back memories of Angel and another bar.

Mack and Natalie kept dancing.

Cole’s thoughts filled with Angel. How was he going
to get her to come to him? He still hadn’t figured that out. He could go out
there. Try to see her again. Maybe with Natalie on his side, he could get her
to at least hear him out.

Cole felt a hand slide up his back, and turned to
look over his shoulder. It was a pretty brunette. No one he knew. Or cared to
know. She wasn’t Angel.

The girl smiled. “Buy me a drink?”

Cole straightened up, looking down at her. He smiled
back at her. “Not tonight, darlin’. Sorry.”

She smiled back at him. “You sure? Maybe I could buy
you one. You look kind of lonely.”

“I appreciate it. But, I’m gonna have to pass.”

Natalie looked over Mack’s shoulder at the exchange.
“I bet that happens a lot.”

Mack turned to look back. He nodded. “Yep. It does.”
He looked back down into Natalie’s face. “You okay?”

Natalie watched to see what Cole would do. She saw
him say something to the girl, and shake his head. The girl turned, and walked
away.

Mack studied her face.

“Yeah. I’m good.” She smiled back at him.

“He loves Angel. He has since the moment he first
laid eyes on her. I saw it right off.”

“Is that why you sent her away?” Natalie asked him
pointedly.

Mack looked away. “You know about that?”

“Angel told me.”

“I see.”

“I have to tell you that you’re not her favorite
person.”

Mack closed his eyes. It was hard for him to ever
admit he was wrong, but he felt he had to make Natalie understand. “I thought I
was protecting Cole. Protecting the club. I was wrong.” He shook his head. “And
now Cole’s kids are seven hundred miles away from him, and it’s my fault.” He
looked down at her. “All I can say is, I’m sorry.”

“And now? What if they get back together? How would
you feel about that?” Natalie asked him, leveling a stern look at him.

“I’d be fine with it. I hope it works out. They
belong together. He needs his kids, too.”

Natalie smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that,
because I intend to do everything in my power to make that happen.”

Mack smiled back at her. “I bet you do.” And then he
pulled her close, and bent his head, and kissed her.

Cole glanced back at them, to see if Natalie had
seen the girl come on to him. He didn’t want her thinking he was interested in
anyone but Angel, because he wasn’t. Oh, he still could appreciate a beautiful
woman, and he definitely wasn’t above looking. But looking was all he allowed
himself these days. He hadn’t been with another women since he’d returned from
Arizona. And that wasn’t easy. He struggled with it. He was a very sexual guy,
and going without for this long was taking its toll on him, both physically and
emotionally. He wasn’t always in the best of moods. Sexual frustration. Fuck.
Who would have ever thought that would be his problem? And now, here he was,
playing chaperone, of all things. He shook his head at the irony of life.

Cole looked back at Mack and Natalie. He saw them
kiss, and knew this was their first kiss. He felt a little funny knowing he was
witnessing it. He smiled, and turned back to his beer. Who would have ever
thought in a million years? Mack and Natalie. Things sure did have a funny way
of turning out.

Later that night, they headed back to Cole’s house.
Cole went to bed, leaving the two lovebirds alone. He lay on his bed, staring
at the ceiling, thinking about Angel.

He never did hear Mack’s bike pull out.

The next morning, Cole got up, and wandered into the
kitchen. He looked out the kitchen window, which overlooked the driveway.
Mack’s bike was still parked in the drive. Smiling, he turned, and looked at
the closed bedroom door. You old dog, he thought, and he started a pot of
coffee.

Cole was sitting at the dining room table, drinking
his third cup of coffee, and smoking a cigarette when he heard Natalie’s door
open. A moment later, he could hear the sound of someone pouring coffee, and
then Mack walked through the archway from the kitchen into the dining room.

“Mornin’,” Mack said, pulling out a chair.

Cole smiled. “Mornin’. You sleep okay?”

Mack looked across the table at him, and smiled.

Cole looked from Mack past him to the doorway. “She
still asleep?”

Mack shook his head. “No. She’s awake. I told her to
stay in bed, though. She didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Cole smiled. “I see.”

Mack grinned back.

“Maybe you should bring the lady coffee in bed,”
Cole suggested.

Mack lit a cigarette, and smiled as he blew smoke at
the ceiling. “If I do, I’ll never get out of here.”

Cole nodded. “Oh, really?”

Mack looked back over his shoulder, and then leaned
toward Cold. “That is one fine piece of ass.”

Cole shook his head. “Don’t need the details, bro.”

Mack smiled, and drank his coffee.

Cole was out in the garage working on a bike, when
Natalie wandered out. The overhead doors were open, letting in the sun and the
breeze. He had heard Mack’s bike pull out a few minutes ago.

Cole looked up from the engine. “Hey.”

Natalie was standing with her arms folded. She took
a few steps closer. “I’ll need to leave for the airport in a couple of hours.”

“Okay.” He tightened a bolt.

“I wondered if we could talk.”

Cole stopped what he was doing, and looked at her.
“Yeah. Sure.” He put the socket wrench down, and stood up, wiping his hands on
a rag. He followed her back up onto the porch, and they sat down.

Natalie folded her hands on the table, and looked at
him. “Are you going to come to Arizona to see her?”

He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Will
she talk to me?”

Natalie nodded. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m going
to try to talk some sense into her.”

“Do you believe she wants a life…here…with me?” He
looked over at her.

She held his gaze. “Yes, Cole.”

“You think she’ll be happy here with me?”

She nodded. “Yes. I do.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

Natalie nodded back. “Okay.”

“I have some things I have to take care of next
week, but I’ll try to get out there the following week. Alright?”

“Yes. That’ll be fine.”

He studied her. “You’re part of this, too. Will you
be happy here?”

She looked off in the distance. “Yes. I think I
could be.”

“And if things don’t work out with Mack? Will you still
be happy here?”

Her gaze came back to him. “As long as I’m near the
ones I love, yes.”

He nodded. “Good. You’re part of this family.”

She smiled. “We’re a package deal.”

Cole smiled back at her. “I’m good with that.”

Chapter Twenty

It was after ten at night, when Cole turned off the
main highway, and down the long dirt driveway. Trees formed a canopy overhead.
The place was set back from the road. He wouldn’t have to worry about the kids
getting run over.

He stopped in front of a long ranch style home.
There was a light burning next to the front door. Cole got off his bike, and
pulled his helmet off. He looked around. He liked the fact that there were a
lot of shade trees.

He walked up to the front door. There were a couple
of steps up to a large covered area. Cole glanced around. There was enough room
to put several chairs out here, under the roof.

He took out the keys that he’d gotten at the closing
earlier this morning, and unlocked the door, and walked inside. It was a
four-bedroom house. It needed some work, but there was a lot of square footage,
and it had a great open floor plan. He walked past a sunken living room on the
right, and headed to the kitchen that overlooked the back of the property.

There was a large window over the sink with a view
of the large grassy backyard. Turning, Cole took in the large island. A
breakfast area sat to the left, with French doors that led out onto a deck. He
walked outside, across the deck, and down a couple steps off to the right that
led to the wrap around drive and a large metal building.

The out building was larger than a four-car garage.
The previous owner supposedly ran a business out of it. The place had been on
the market for a long time. Cole had gotten a really good deal. Since it was a
cash deal, with no financing needed, and the house had been sitting empty, the
closing had happened rather quickly. Cole had been able to wrap the whole deal
up in just over a week. He looked around, nodding. He thought it would work out
well.

His cell phone rang, and he pulled it out, flipped
it open, and put it to his ear.

“Cole?”

“Natalie? Everything okay?”

“No. It’s not.”

“What’s wrong?” His body went solid.

“It’s Angel. She was attacked.”

“What?” Cole felt his stomach drop.

“She was stabbed.” Her voice cracked. “In the
parking lot of the grocery store. She’s in critical condition, Cole. They’re
not sure if she’s going to make it.” Natalie broke down into sobs.

“My God.” Cole was trying to process what he’d just
heard. “Are…are the kids okay?”

“Yes. Yes, they’re with me.”

“I’ll…I’ll catch the next flight out. What
hospital?” He was already running back to his bike.

“Desert Samaritan. Oh, Cole. Hurry.”

“Ill call you from the airport.” He hung up.

The first flight out wasn’t until six the next
morning. Luckily, it was a non-stop. He arrived in Phoenix by eight. He called
Natalie’s cell as soon as he landed. She told him that Angel was still
critical, but at least she had made it through the night.

Cole took a cab to the hospital.

Natalie met him at the entrance, and led him up to
the ICU.

He could see Angel through the glass window from the
nurse’s station. The doctor was standing there when they walked up, and Natalie
explained to him who Cole was, and asked him to explain Angel’s injuries.

The doctor nodded, looking at Cole. “She has a
collapsed lung. We’ve got her on a respirator. One of the stab wounds ruptured
her spleen. We did emergency surgery last night to remove it, but she can live
without it. There were some other injuries. Right now we’re worried about her blood
pressure. Trying to get that to stabilize. If we can get her through the first
24 hours, her chances improve greatly. You can see her, but only for a few
minutes.”

Cole nodded, and looked over to where she lay. He
had raced across the country to be here, and now he was finding it hard to walk
the last ten feet. He was scared to death.

He walked into the room, which was really more like
a glass cubicle, than a room. What he saw stunned him. He barely recognized
her. Her face looked swollen. There were tubes going down her throat and
machines all around her.