Chapter Ten: Creep
" I don't care if it hurts, I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul." -Radiohead

It felt like she was floating; some kind of strange inky blackness all around her. Her body felt strange, she didn't really hurt. It was more like a strange tingle that filled her to the very depths. Like her whole body had somehow fallen asleep. She tried to open her eyes, but they were heavy and refused to co-operate. The distant sound of sirens filled her ears, she focused on opening her eyes. Forcing her eyes to open; she took in her surroundings, glass had shattered everywhere her body was bloody. Pieces of glass embedded in the flesh of her arms, and chest. Green, damp leafery poked through the busted windows, and the smell of gasoline filled the air. Her eyes were heavy. She was tired, very tired. So she closed her eyes again, going back into the inky darkness.

Simon slammed his palm flat against the hospital door, with a little more force than nessacery the swinging door flew open, nearly smacking some poor nurse in the face. Narrowing his eyes at the pretty young thing, he brushed past her. He'd just gotten off the phone with Jax. This was bad; very bad. He had no idea who could've done this. None. The grunts were out pounding some pavement; trying to find some answers. Demetri was at the the local repair shop; scoping out the damage. He said the car was totaled. His green eyes scanned the sterile corridor. He hated fucking hospitals. They were so creepy, so clean. The smell of peroxide and other chemicals filling his nose, the stark whiteness of everything hurt his eyes. The placard that read '419 'finally caught his attention.

Beep….beep….beep…

The slow subtle sounds of the heart monitor filled his ears. As he slipped in the room. There she was; she looked so small. In the center on that bed, with the railings up. The starchy white linens pulled up to her chin. Her face was swollen and bruised, the pale skin marred with cuts when glass had embed itself in her flesh. Her breathing was slow and steady, she didn't have one of those tubes down her throat. That had to be a good sign, and while it looked like the nurses had cleaned up most of her cuts, leaving angry looking wounds he couldn't help but think...why didn't she just listen to him? For once, why didn't she leave her 'Little Miss Boss' routine at the door and follow protocol? He could understand she had a lot to prove, in such a misogynistic world as theirs, he understood her need to be independent. Her need to prove to her men, especially the older ones, the ones who had worked for Vladimir that she was capable for doing what needed to be done, no matter what it entailed. Hell that she could stomach what some of them even couldn't. That ultimately, she didn't need them to protect her, but it was going to get her killed. There was no shame in it; even Vladimir had a protection detail but Annell was a stubborn woman. A suborn woman with a quick temper; not a good combination.

"Excuse me, sir?" the same blonde little nurse from the hall stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. "You can't be in here…family only."

"I am her family." Simon crossed his large muscled arms over his chest. His eyes narrowed as he sneered. "I'm her brother." The nurse rose a skeptical eyebrow, he was at least twenty years older than the woman in the bed. Shrugging, she backed out. It wasn't her problem.

Simon stood at the coffee machine fumbling with a wrinkled single; trying to force the machine to accept his money. After it spit the bill out for the fifth time, he cursed and slammed his palm against it. Earning looks from the other people that sat in the large waiting room.
"Hey man." A somewhat familiar Scottish brogue said behind him, a hand clapping down on his shoulder.

"Hey, "he turned, stuffing the wrinkled bill back into the pocket of his faded jeans. "Thanks for coming out." He eyed Chibs as Tig stood next to the Scotsman. "Both of you; I really appreciate it. "

"What the hell happened?" Tig asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Annell had an accident…." Craning a finger for the two Sons to follow him, he led them down the long, nearly deserted corridor. "Some asshole tried to take her out; three shots from what Demetri's telling me. Ran her off the road, she flipped…..If any cops come sniffing around though; it was just an accident…She's a pretty little girl she'll come up with some kind of story, bat those eyelashes of hers…It always works."

"You think it was one of Putlova's douches?" Tig asked as the men resumed their parade down the hall. Nurses raising their eyebrows at the strange man.

"I don't even fucking know…" Simon pushed Annell's door open, waving the two in. "That's why I called Jax, I need someone to play babysitter, while I go help the others piece this fucked up puzzle together." Chibs and Tig shared a look, a look that screamed:'Oh fuck no.' "Look, Annell's stubborn as a mule. She won't take this lieing down, and she is not going to want to sit in bed and twiddle her thumbs..." Simon ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes shifting to the small woman in the bed," She's fine, they're releasing her once she wakes up, but I need you to keep her in the fucking house, do not let her leave, they might try again when word gets out." Chibs nodded, when word got out she was alive whoever did this probably would try again. "and for fucks sake; please, do not let her sweet talk you into seeing things her way." Tig snorted, as Simon's gaze fell directly on the tall blue eyed man. "I'm fucking serious. She's good at that, real good."

"Pussy doesn't pull one over on me like that." Tig sneered, as Chibs rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.

As Annell began to come around from the drug-induced paradise she'd been in, She slowly began to become aware of her surroundings. Like the throbbing pain in her head, the general soreness of her body and the two very male voices that seemed close yet far away. The gentle hum of the television made them hard to understand at first, but as she woke up they became clearer.

"This is bullshit, man." A familiar voice that she couldn't place ranted. "It's fucking Friday, I've got better things to be doing, why does this always happen to me?"

"I'm here too, brother. You think I wouldn't rather be nailin' some hot pussy right now?" She knew that Scottish brogue anywhere, of course she only knew one person with a Scottish accent. So there weren't many options. The heavy echo of boots filled the room, as Tig, she assumed paced.

"You think she's wearing panties?" the foot falls stopped abruptly.

"Tiggy..."Chibs sighed.

"No, they strip 'em down on intake… Come on, brother. It's just a peek."

"Tig."

"No really, brother. It's not like it's hurtin' her or anything…" There a few more heavy foot falls, as she could feel the sheet at the foot of the bed being lifted, cool air licking at her bare legs. A loud booming laugh following. Swallowing hard, she cleared her throat. Trying to find her voice.

"If you lift that sheet anymore, I'll cut out your spleen and feed it to you." Her voice was hoarse and gritty, and as her eyes flew open she was met by the light blue gaze at the foot of the bed. Head down; he gazed up at her through his lashes, sheet still clutched in two heavily ringed hands.

"Good morning, beautiful. I was just, you know, making sure everything was in working order..." he smiled sheepishly, looking very much like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She didn't miss the loud bark of a laugh from the far corner of the room.

"I know what you were 'checking on'." Annell rolled her eyes, struggling to push herself up against the pillows. That stupid IV in her arm making things difficult.

"How ya' feelin', sweetheart?" Chibs pushed himself up from the uncomfortable vinyl hospital chair, making his way to her bedside. Sliding his sunglasses up into his hairline, he looked the battered woman over. She looked like absolute shit.

"Like I got shot at, and flipped my car. Oh, how's my car?"Annell struggled, finally giving in she allowed the large Scotsman to hoist her up by her armpits. Offering a begrudging 'thanks'.

"No idea, love." God that damn IV really itched. Fuck this. She was fine, sore but fine. Annell small left hand reached across peeling back the medical tape. "Whoa, whoa what're ya doin?" Chibs grabbed her much smaller hand in his.

"Getting the hell outta here." Annell groaned, pulling her hand back. She removed the heart moniter from her finger tip, throwing it on the floor. A loud squeal comeing from the machine, as she yanked the IV from her arm. Blood oozed down her pale skin from the site. She had better things to do than lay here in this stupid bed. Better things; like finding whoever had done this. Finding them and peeling the flesh from their face. Slowly. Chibs rather than argue; helped her as she threw her legs over the side of the hospital bed, leaning heavily on the older man, she only came up to his shoulder. "Wh..oa…" she moaned, as the room began to spin bit.

"Maybe you should sit that ass of yours down." Tig offered his commentary, eyeing the slit down the back of her hospital gown.

"Maybe you stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat and I don't know, help me?" She muttered crossly, untangling herself from the large Scotsman, she stumbled over to the white sterile counter throwing open drawer half hazardly. Rummaging through them, with little thought or care for the fact that her ass hung out of the gown and both men, now openly ogled. "Where are my clothes?" she mumbled, mainly to herself. "Where's Simon, Demetri…anybody." The loud harsh squeal from the monitor continued, only getting louder and more grating.

"Out. "Tig shrugged simply. "Trying to figure out what shit you stirred up. Put that piece of shit back on," Tig held out the heart monitor.

"No, just fucking unplug it." She continued to ransack the hospital room, in search of clothes of some kind any kind. Chibs shot Tig a look out of the corner of his eye, and shook his head.

"They're trying to piece together who pulled this shit." At that moment the same poor young nurse decided to make her entrance, a scowl etched in her face and low groan as she eyed the irate looking young woman.

"Miss... you can't."

"Where are my clothes?" Annell huffed, straightening herself. She rose to her full height, which wasn't much and fixed to nurse with a scowl.

"You haven't be-"

"I'm leaving; where are my clothes?" She said confidently, throwing open the top cabinets above the sink.

"Ma'am."

"Where are my fucking clothes!" The nurse visibly recoiled, her eyes wide and her mouth open.
"Close your mouth or I'll rip out your tongue and strangle you with it." Annell scowled, as Tig and Chibs both exchanged wide eyed looks at the sudden break in her calm demeanor. Tig even bit back a laugh at the comment. Looking thoroughly insulted and horrified the nurse backed out of the room. "I'm getting Doctor Casper's"

"You do that."

Annell was thoroughly annoyed, pissed off , irate. Any adjective she could think of described her right now. She'd left the hospital, the two large bikers on her tail, after getting fed up with waiting. No clothes to speak of, she still didn't know where they were. Probably ruined. She summoned every ounce of gusto she had, and waltzed out the door in a pair of black pumps and a hospital gown, her left hand gripping the back. But that wasn't the end of her fabulously shitty day, oh no. It wasn't until she watched the two straddle their large 'death traps' that it dawned on her. Oh fuck Simon. Fuck Simon, and his mother, his cousins and every member of his goddamn family. She watched in slow motion horror as Tig tossed her a helmet and with one of his more creepy smiles patted the seat behind him.

"Come on, doll. I don't bite...much.' and that brought her to now, laying in bed like a helpless little twit. While everyone else was out doing what needed to be done, what she should be doing. She was confined to her bed, like some invalid. The men downstairs raiding her fridge. Protection detail, fuck me.

"You need anything?!" Tig hollered up the stairs. Rolling her eyes, she couldn't even get out of bed to get her own shit? Chibs swore to her though that if she didn't 'play by the rules' he'd drop her ass right back off at the hospital.

"How about a smoke and a beer?" Sitting up in her bed, the coverlet pooling around her waist as she smoothed down her hair. She watched with a bit of fascination as Tig strode into her bedroom with little ceremony, ripping to top off her beer, he held it out to her. His light blue eyes scanning her room, suspiciously. It was clean, too clean. It made him uncomfortable. The stark white walls, were spotless. The pale pine colored hardwood was a little too pristine. It looked like no one even lived here. But someone did, and she had a great ass and an even better face. Sitting up in bed, Tig shook his head looking at the young woman. Her pretty face was ruined, the flesh marred with angry looking gashes. Her cheekbones and eye sockets so swollen that if he'd didn't know better, he wouldn't have recognized her. Shit. What a shame, it was a great face.

"Thanks, "she muttered taking the offered bottle as she scooted up against the headboard. Reaching into his cut, Tig pulled out a pack of cigarettes. With his large ringed fingers; he pulled two. Placing one between his lips, he held out the other. "So how bad is it?" Annell finally asked. She was not sure she actually wanted to know to answer to that question.

"How bads what, doll?" Tig, much to her surprise lit her cigarette, and then took a seat on her bed. Sitting on the edge the strange man faced her, and stretched out his long legs. Annell took a deep drag off her cigarette, a smirk creeping onto her face. She winced as her swollen flesh stretched painfully.
"My face."

"Oh, it's not that bad. " Tig leaned back against her footboard, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his lips. As he eyed the hot little piece across from him. "Okay; it's pretty fuckin' bad. How's it feel?"

"Like shit…I'm bored. Can I come downstairs?" She scowled, her face twisted into snarl as the words left her mouth. She was asking permission in her own goddamn house.

"Chibs says your no allowed outta bed."

"I can lay on the couch."

"You can rest in bed."

"Or I can rest AND watch TV, AND not be dieing a slow and painful death from boredom."

Tig scooped the small woman up, carrying her down the stairs. She was tiny and light, it was relatively easy. She had her arms wrapped tightly around Tigs neck as her head rested lightly against his shoulder. He smelled nice, like cigarettes, gasoline and outdoors. In her mind, it didn't sound like an appealing combination but it was. Her head was swimming. As he laid her down on the couch; his rough hands slid across the exposed skin of her thigh, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Where's Chibs?" Annell asked, as she sat up on the couch. Stuffing a few throw pillows behind her, and grabbing the remote off the arm of the couch.

"He had an errand, mind your own business, doll. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna rape you or anything.." Annell quirked an eyebrow as Tig sat down at the end of her couch by her feet. A beer in his hand, and a cigarette dangling from his lips. She gaped. What an odd thing to say…. "What!?"