Treats Aren't Always Sweet (8 page)

“My parents are here,” she muttered and
pulled her arm out of his hand and both men cursed under their
breath, stalking with their long legs til they were right with
Treat who seemed to be ready for battle.

“I cannot believe them,” she muttered and
then stepped into the lobby of the large hospital and looked
around. “Shit, they are probably up on the floor by now.”

War grabbed her arm and walked to the
elevators. “Listen, we get up there you do not talk. We will handle
it, you go to your sister.”

“Like hell I will,” Treat snapped.

Stone and War both moved to corner her in the
elevator. “You will do what we say or you will go back to the
compound. Right now, with all this shit you are planning, you do
not need to draw attention to yourself, or Jilly. Now, before the
doors open, what is it going to be? Are you letting us take point
or are you gonna blow this situation sky high in a public place
where we will be the ones who the cops will question.”

Treat glared at the two men, she knew they
were right, and it sucked. “Fine,” she muttered. “But if they make
a scene, all bets are off. I can take the high road as long as they
are not trying to be something they are not.”

“Let us handle it,” Stone said firmly.

The doors to the elevator opened and Treat
reluctantly nodded sharply. Right when she stepped off, she saw her
father and mother standing with the doctor whom she had already
spoken to this morning. She had also told the doctor to not tell
them anything, which thankfully he was apparently doing.

“I am sorry,” the doctor said and looked over
his shoulder with obvious relief when he saw Treat and the guys.
“Ms. Thompson’s status is only able to immediate family members who
she placed on the list last night when she was admitted. You are
not on there.”

“I am her father,” their dad said calmly,
playing the part of the concerned parent. “Her mother and I have
been worried sick, we just want to see her and talk to her. Our
grandson is missing, and we don’t know where he is, we are going to
have to call the police since her husband has been out all night
looking for him.”

The doctor moved aside as War and Stone
stepped forward while Stone guided her around her parents and then
gently pushed her toward her sister’s room that was currently being
guarded by Match again.

She frowned ‘cause she wanted to listen and
argue with her parents but Match raised an eyebrow and motioned
with his head to come over to him. With a sigh, she went, but she
didn’t walk into the room, she turned to listen.

“The doctor got to them before they even got
to the door, he had just walked out,” Match whispered into her ear.
She nodded slightly and just leaned back, seeking a little comfort.
Seeing her parents pissed her the fuck off, but it also brought up
some bad memoires. Match seemed to understand, he put an arm around
the front of her shoulders, putting his arm under her chin,
enabling her to rest her chin on it.

“I was just explaining to Ms. Thompson’s
parents, that due to the new HIPPAA laws, if you are not on the
list placed by the patient, I cannot tell them anything. Now, if
you will excuse me please, I have other patients,” he said to the
parents who were standing with their mouths open.

“Wait a minute,” her father said and the
doctor turned back and frowned.

“Yes?” he asked.

“I don’t know these people, why are you
talking to them like they are in charge of something?” her father
demanded.

The doctor frowned deeper and then pulled out
the patient file of Jilly and opened it and then said, “I am sorry,
sir, you will need to take it up with these two men. Their names
are Beau Freeman and Jarrik LaDrea, they have been appointed by
Jilly Thompson as her legal representatives, along with her sister,
Brooke Thompson, as next of kin in regards to her stay here. If you
need any information you can ask these people,” the doctor said and
then turned and walked away.

Treat frowned now too, what the fuck did that
mean ‘legal representatives’? They weren’t lawyers, they were
ex-Marine pilots. But she didn’t say a word, she listened,
especially when Match tightened his arm warningly when she went to
step forward.

“Now listen here,” her father said softly and
menacingly. Damn when his voice went like that, someone was going
to get a beating.

“No, sir,” Stone said and stepped closer to
her father. “You listen. At eight a.m. this morning, court
documents were filed in the State of California, by my partner and
me. In them our client, one, Jillian Thompson, indicated she was in
fear for her life and her son’s life. A restraining order is in
place for her and her son against you, your wife, and Lane Drick,
who you and I both know is not her legal husband. So, I will inform
you now that at no time can you be within five hundred feet of our
client. Now, you would have been served had you answered your door
today when my associates came knocking.”

Her father sputtered. “We were not going to
answer the door to that bunch of biker roughnecks who were knocking
on our door. We called the police because we were frightened.”

“At which time you were informed they were
there to serve papers and you should answer the door. You refused,”
Stone said quietly.

Treat was holding her breath; she had no idea
what the fuck was going on, everything seemed to be moving around
her.

“My daughter needs me, and you are not going
to stop me from seeing her,” Chet bellowed loudly and then turned
and pointed at Treat. “And that little whore has no business being
here. She hasn’t seen Jilly in years, did you tell the court
that?”

Treat saw War’s eyes follow her father’s hand
and land on her. He practically growled when he saw Match had his
arm around her like that. Stone was looking at her father through
narrowed eyes. It was her mother who actually said something. Treat
had no doubt that later she would pay for it as well.

“Maybe we should call Lane…” she whispered
and Chet ignored her.

“You can’t come in here and order us around.
I know you, you and your friends. You can’t run everyone in this
town, not everyone is afraid of you,” Chet yelled.

Stone sneered at him and held out the papers
he had pulled out of his pocket and pushed them into her father’s
chest. Treat knew this was like waving a red flag in front of her
father; he hated anyone to touch him like that.

“Fuck you,” Chet said and knocked the hand
holding the papers to his chest. “We
will
be back, you can’t
hold our daughter and grandson hostage. And
you
,” he said,
turning to Treat. “You and all your fucking friends are not going
to stop Lane from getting his family back. You would do well to
tell these people to back off, and you know why too. I don’t need
to remind you, but trust me I will.”

War pushed her father aside and faced him
down. “Not a wise thing to do. She doesn’t exist for you, old man,
at all, remember that.”

Treat shivered at War’s tone, and Match
whispered in her ear, “Come on, sweetheart, go see your sister.
There is nothing else here.”

Treat nodded, turned, and leaned close to the
man who had been supporting her quietly and kissed his cheek
innocently. She liked Match, not sexually, but as a friend, he had
always been good to her.

“Thanks,” she whispered and he nodded and
opened the door behind him and pushed her in gently. She didn’t
look over her shoulder, she just walked in, missing the look War
and Stone both gave Match who was grinning and shrugged.

Jilly looked so small lying in the hospital
bed. She had seen her yesterday for the first time in years, and
she didn’t even recognize her because of the blood. Although she
knew it was her, when they were children, Jilly had the most
perfect golden blond hair. It was silky and soft, Treat loved to
brush it, it was sad her hair was how she recognized her.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she stepped
closer. She took in the injuries the doctor had given her over the
phone. Her arm was in a cast from being broken in half. Her ribs
were wrapped, one of her legs was in a soft cast because of torn
tendons in her ankle. And her face, her poor face, she was
unrecognizable, the whole area was one big bruise, from her
forehead to her chin. Swollen and grossly distorted, her cheeks
looked painful. Shit, the motherfucker was going to fucking pay for
this, every single cut, bruise, and broken bone.

“Brooke?” Jilly whispered and her eyes went
to her sister’s face.

“Oh, Jilly,” Treat sniffed and went to her
side, afraid to touch her anywhere.

“I need to get out of here, he will find me.
Even those lawyers can’t stop him,” Jilly cried.

“Honey, I am not sure—” Treat said.

“Beau and Jarrik, I mean they are nice and
everything but Lane will kill them if he has too,” Jilly said.

“Honey, they are not lawyers,” Treat said
softly.

“Yes they are,” Jilly argued and Treat smiled
at her gently.

“They are members of the MC club I belong
to,” Treat said.

“Yeah I know,” Jilly said and rolled her
eyes. “Ummm, Match? Told me. But seriously, lawyers in an MC? I am
pretty sure weekend warriors can’t stop Lane.”

Treat laughed and shook her head. “They can
explain when they come in, I promise. Damn, honey, you don’t look
good.”

“I look like shit I know.” Jilly laughed a
little then moaned. “Yeah, note to self—laughing is not good right
now.”

“I am so sorry,” Treat said. “I should have
come back for you.”

Jilly shook her head and grimaced. “No you
shouldn’t have. You wouldn’t have stopped it; they would have
sucked you in then. Trust me, you got out when you could and I
would never hold that against you.”

Treat bit her lip, she still felt guilty.
“Well, you and Buddy don’t have to deal with that crap
anymore.”

“Buddy?” Jilly whispered.

“Oh sorry, your son, we didn’t know his name,
and I refused to ask the fuckrents, so we nicknamed him.” Treat
grinned.

“His name is River,” she whispered and
Treat’s eyes filled again. It was the name Treat always said that
she would name her kid, boy or girl, if she had any. “I didn’t mean
to take your name, but when I found out I was pregnant I couldn’t
help myself. I wanted to be able to tell you about your nephew, but
Lane told me if I talked to you, he would kill me. He said you made
your choice when you left, that you were supposed to be his wife,
but he settled for me.”

Treat’s eyes widened. “What the fuck?”

“He told me over and over that I was a second
choice. How I should be thankful he let me take care of him. It was
my duty to the family,” Jilly said quietly.

Treat swore aloud and then took her sister’s
hand carefully. “You never have to go back there again.”

Jilly sobbed a little and nodded. “I know,
those two lawyers told me that. I can never thank you enough for
hiring them for me. I can’t loose River too, he is everything to
me. I couldn’t leave until I had something to fall back on. He
doesn’t give me money for anything. Even River, if he needs
something Lane gets it. I have been searching his pockets when I do
wash, I have only gotten a few hundred together.”

Treat sniffed. “You don’t need to worry about
money.”

And she didn’t, Treat made good money in the
last few years, invested it, took the bonuses and bought some stock
in the mine from the Warriors. She had a nest egg, and it would
only get bigger. She had more than enough to get her sister started
and on her own.

“I can get a job,” she cried. “When I get
better.”

“Jilly,” Treat whispered. “Seriously, you do
not need to worry about money. I got this; I have enough for you
and me. Don’t worry about it. All you need to do is get better, and
then I can get you home, our new home for now. Buddy is already
there, staying with the President of our club and his old lady. He
is safe, and Lane will never find him.”

The door opened and Treat looked over, War
and Stone stood there in their leather chaps, and leather vest with
the patches on them.
They so didn’t look like lawyers
, she
thought and looked at her sister who was staring at them wide eyed.
Shit, let them explain why they lied to the doctors and
everyone.

“Jilly?” Stone said softly and her sister
looked at her in panic.

“This is War and Stone, um, Beau and Jarrik I
mean. They are the men from the club I was telling you about,”
Treat said softly.

“But,” Jilly said worriedly. “That other man
said you were lawyers.”

War smiled and stepped forward. “We are.”

Treat frowned; she was so kicking their ass
for lying to her sister. Dammit.

“Seriously,” Stone said and looked right at
her when he was talking. “We both went to law school while we were
in the military, made rank, wanted to have something to fall back
on when we got out. Then we joined the club, they needed lawyers,
and so we are it. Not many people know that, everyone assumes we
don’t have degrees and are idiots.”

“The members of the club though? They all
know?” Treat said tightly, thinking they had kept something from
her.

“The men know, we just passed the bar a few
months ago. Fish helped us, which is why we went back and forth so
much. So, Jilly, we are real lawyers, and we have a real protective
order for you,” Stone said and Jilly started to sob.

“Finally,” she whispered and closed her eyes
and appeared to be praying. Treat’s eyes prickled with tears when
she saw her sister had been brought so low. Beaten and battered,
and grateful someone had helped her and her son out. Shit, she
should kick her own ass for not thinking about her. The guilt was
overwhelming; she leaned over and kissed her sister’s cheek.

“We have some things we need to talk to Jilly
about,” War said gently, Treat nodded and sniffed, she needed
air.