Hale came over to me at the table while I was smoking a joint. "This was Zobelle."
"I know."
"You gotta let me use what happened to you to stop him."
"No. If they find out about what happened to me now, it would destroy the club and my family along with it."
"Amelia please."
"No!"
I think I scared him a little because he jumped a little, oh well. He just sighed and walked away. I hoped that he would keep his word and not say anything. He was an honorable guy after all. If anyone would keep their word, it would be him. I just sat clenching my hands for a minute, having finished smoking, before Tara walked over.
"Hey, I'm gonna head over to St. Thomas. I'll call you as soon as I hear anything."
"Okay, thanks."
Jax came over to me on his way into the clubhouse. "Hey darlin', they're waiting for you inside."
"Yeah, I know." He said, giving me a kiss on the forehead and I kissed his cheek.
He talked to Tara before he went in. He was trying to reassure her.
"Who would do this? Why would anyone do this?" She asked. She looked down at me. She knew who did this just as much as I did.
Jax left to go deal with the club. When he was gone, she spoke again. "This explosion… Are those the same people that attacked you?"
"And if it was?"
"Maybe if you told somebody about what happened-"
"This isn't on me." I got up and walked past her into the clubhouse.
How dare she! How dare she accuse me of something like this! This was not my fault. I couldn't have stopped this. Even if I had told them, it would have only made this happen sooner. They would get hurt or killed either way. This is different from what we normally face. Zobelle was different. I couldn't tell them. This wasn't my fault.
I went inside and had a drink before heading home. I was sitting at the bar watching the meeting room doors. They weren't coming out of there anytime soon. Tara would call with news and I had to get out of here. I could still see Tig's blood on the concrete. Once I got in my car, I took a couple pills before driving off.
I was very high driving home. My eyes kept trying to close and I would swerve in and out of the lanes. When I finally got to the house, I went inside and just laid down on my bed. I turned my ringer all the way up so if Tara called it would wake me up.
When I woke up the next morning I went straight over to the hospital. I sat down in the waiting area and texted Tara that I was there. After a few minutes she came over and sat down next to me.
"He's stable, but critical. He landed on the back of his head and caused a subdural hematoma."
I just looked at her confused.
"A large blood clot." She clarified. "A brain bleed is severe, but if it subsides it's not life threatening. All we can do now is monitor it."
"If it gets worse?"
"They'll have to go in and relieve the pressure."
"Jesus Christ, they could open his head?"
"Oh, hopefully it won't come to that."
I turned my head and rested it in my hands.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean-"
"It's okay. It's been a shitty day for all of us." I got up and walked over a few steps.
"Hey, you um." She said getting up and I turned around. "Mind if I head home with you?"
"Sure."
"I'll just finish up a few things." She smiled.
"I'll wait for you downstairs."
"Thanks."
We both walked off and I went to the elevator to wait on Tara. Hale met me around the corner.
"What now? Come to guilt trip me some more?"
"No. How's Tig."
"Critical."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Look, is there anything else you can remember? I've hit a wall and I don't know where to go."
"I told you what I knew already. What more do you want from me?"
"I just need help, Amelia. I need something on this guy."
"They wore masks. One of them, the one who spoke, he had a tat of an upside down peace sign with blue ink. The middle was filled in with orange. It looked god awful. Worst tat I've ever seen."
"That sounds like Weston. Do you know if it was him?"
"Yeah. It was. They sent me one of the masks in the mail one night. I went to Zobelle's shop and Weston walked past me. He spoke to me and I recognized his voice and his tat."
"Why did you go to Zobelle's shop?"
"It was before I knew who he was. The mask was delivered in a Shermans bag. I just thought I was going there."
"Okay. Thank you. This really helps."
"You cannot arrest them for what happened to me. Then everyone will know."
"I won't. I swear. I can bring them in for questioning though. No one will know it's about you."
"They better not, or I will go through on that little promise I made you."
"Yes ma'am."
I turned and walked away. I rolled my eyes thinking, God, I hated how small this town was sometimes. Everyone would know soon and there was nothing I could do about it. That would be who I was for the rest of my life in this town, the girl who got gang raped by the nazi wannabes.