"Mom? Mom?!"
I called Unser to see if he could track Gemma's phone. I told him I thought she had a wreck, but to not say anything over the radio so that my dad wouldn't hear it before I could tell him. Then I called Rosen to ask about bail and see if I could get a call in to my dad. He said it wasn't possible until morning and that the bail was high, three-hundred-thousand just to bond them all. Dad was gonna be so pissed. Wayne finally got a lead on her phone. He took me with him under the radar.
We got to where she had gone off the road and saw her car crashed into a tree down the slope of the shoulder. I walked down to her driver's side window and looked in. She was still there. I told Wayne to call an ambulance. He told the dispatcher it was a Jane Doe so it would stay off the radio as much as possible.
"Wayne." I called and he climbed down to me. "I'm gonna get her out of the car."
"Wait for the ambulance."
"I can't just leave her in there. She'd never leave me. I have to get her out."
"Okay. Just be careful."
I opened the door and reached across her back to undo the seatbelt. She was slumped over onto the wheel unconscious. I unhooked the seatbelt and slowly leaned her back against the seat. She groaned a little, but didn't wake up. I picked her up bridal style and walked over to lay her down next to the road. I just sat there, holding her head in my arms.
"I'm so sorry mom. This is all my fault. Stupid stupid stupid bitch."
"How is it your fault that she ran off the road?"
"She didn't run off the road. She was forced off the road. I was on the phone with her when she crashed. It got really quiet and then I heard one of Zobelle's guys over the phone. He said that maybe now I would listen to what they had told me that night. Maybe now I would give their message to my father."
"Zobelle did this?"
"Yeah. I'm sure of it. God Wayne. This is all my fault. The guys being in jail, Tig being hurt, and now mom. It's all my fault."
"No. No it's not. Knowing what happened to you would have only made things worse for the guys and with Gemma… she would have tried to kill them and probably gotten herself killed. This is not on you sweetheart." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me. I guess it weighed on his conscience too.
"I've got to tell them Wayne. Now I have to tell them. I can't let them hurt her again. As soon as I figure out how to bail them out, then I'm gonna tell them."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I don't have any other choice."
We heard the ambulance coming. She was still unconscious in my arms. The EMTs came over and checked her out before loading her up. I rode in the ambulance with them to the hospital. When we got to the ER I heard them say something about her ribs and they were working on her; they were moving so fast. A doctor came over to me after a little while.
"Miss Morrow?"
"Yes." I stood up from my chair.
"Gemma has some broken ribs and one of them looks to have punctured her spleen. Now I'm afraid we do have to go in and remove the fragment."
"Surgery?"
"Yes ma'am." I sat back down and held my head in my hands.
"Amelia!" I looked up to the hallway on my right.
"Tara."
"What happened?"
"Mom was in a car accident. The doctor said something about surgery. I don't know what to do."
"Okay okay. I'll handle it."
The doctor told Tara everything that he told me and some extra medical jargon. I was just sitting there holding my head and trying not to cry.
"Amelia? They need your consent to do the surgery. You're the next of kin."
"Do you think they should do it?"
"Yes. It will help her."
"Okay. Do it."
The doctor walked away and Tara sat down next to me. "Are you okay?"
"Okay? Am I okay? No. I'm not okay. My father and brother are in jail, my mother is being taken into surgery, and my boyfriend is in a coma because he was blown up. I am very much not okay."
I slumped down in my chair and covered my face.
"What I said the other day… I was out of line. I'm sorry."
"No. You were right. I should've said something. Everything that has happened since has been on me. I'm gonna tell them. Once Tig's up and mom's okay and I somehow get the guys out of jail. I'm gonna tell them. This has to stop."
"You think that's best?"
"Jesus Christ Tara. Pick one. Do you want me to tell them or not?"
"It's not about what I want Amelia. I just… with everything that's happened, they're gonna have more violence."
"This violence will be different. Before it's been about pride. Now it's personal. It's about family. Especially with mom and Tig. It'll get ended. They just need a push in the right direction."
"Right direction?"
"Yeah. They need a focus. One thing to zone in on and get the job done. There's no proof for Tig or mom, so there will be room for doubt and hold at least one person back, but there is for me. They'll vote to take care of it."
"And what does taking care of it look like?"
"It looks like Zobelle and his entire crew dead."
"Jesus."
"No. They deserve it."
"Yes but-"
"No buts. You wanted to be an old lady? Well this is what it looks like. Protecting each other and getting retribution when someone hurts this family."
"You said you were protecting them by not saying anything. What did you mean?"
"If I would have told them when it happened, the club would have fallen apart. My family would have fractured and a lot more people would have been hurt or killed. My dad has always been overprotective of me, mom too. So if I would have told them sooner, this town would've turned into a goddamn war zone."
"And you think it won't now?"
"I don't know. I know it'll get bad and bloody for a little while, but I think that there's no other choice. They're going to keep coming at us until we're all dead. I can't let that happen. Jax and dad have been going at it more lately. When I tell them it will make them pull together to take care of this. If we're divided, we're all dead."
She looked so sad. She was worried. I turned my head and saw Darby walking out of the hospital. I wondered what he was doing there, but then again I didn't really care.
"I'll be right back." I said to Tara. "Darby. Wait." I said, walking over to him.
"What're you doing here?"
"Gemma. She was in a car accident."
"Oh. I'm sorry. Look," he said, lowering his voice and leaning in a little. "I don't have anything on me right now."
"That's not why I came over here. The guys are in county and I was wondering if I could persuade you to get them some protection."
"Word has spread that any white guys who help out the club are on the hit list of 'The League'." He said, with air quotes and an eye roll.
"Please Darby. They aren't safe in there. These pricks are going after my family. Tig and Gemma are both in the hospital and with everyone else in jail. I can't do this alone Ernie. Please?"
"I don't know Amelia."
"What if I said I would make it worth your while."
"Meaning?"
"Whatever it needs to mean." I said, dancing my fingers across his chest.
"Meet me at my house in 15 minutes."
"I'll be there."
I walked back over to Tara and told her to call me when she heard anything. I went back out to my car lit a joint. I couldn't take anything stronger, but I needed some extra courage. I drove over to Darby's house and went to his door, knocking. He opened it and invited me in. We sat down on the couch.
"So, what exactly do you need me to do?" He asked.
"I need the guys to have protection in jail."
"Like I said, that's not easy. White is fighting white now. The League has major ties, especially inside. It won't be cheap."
"Well," I said, moving my hand up his thigh. "I'm not cheap either."
Darby leaned over and kissed me, pushing me back onto my back. He undid the button on my jeans and stuck his hand beneath the band. He put his fingers inside of me and started to move them.
"Damn baby. You're so dry."
"Just do it."
I was so high that I didn't even care about what was happening. He took off both of our pants and underwear before climbing back on top of me. He tried to be gentle but I guess he got frustrated. He grunted and then pulled out and sat back.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't do it." He said. "You're Tig's old lady. I can't do it. Plus, with what Zobelle did…"
"Which thing?" I asked with a snort.
"What he did to you."
"What're you talking about?" I got up and put on my pants.
"I know what they did to you. The night of Bobby's party."
"How the hell do you know about that?"
"He asked me for one of my guys. He didn't tell me what it was for. I said no, but I followed Weston that night. I saw them put you into the car and…"
"And what, Ernie?"
"I followed you all to the warehouse. When I saw them come out, I went in the back door. I saw you, just lying there. You were bleeding and unconscious. I didn't know what to do. I put the blanket over you and then I left."
"You left me there? Alone? After you knew what had just happened to me?"
"I didn't know what to do, Amelia. No one could know that I was working with Zobelle and he couldn't know that I was undermining him. I didn't know what to do" He put his head in his hands.
I just stood there, I was furious. He left me there. He watched them take me. He let them do that to me. I finished getting dressed and stood there, watching him. He was crying.
"Dry it up Ernie. It's not like it happened to you."
"It should have never happened at all."
"You're right. It shouldn't have, but it did. Help me protect my family, please? Help us make it right."
"I'll get them protection. Tonight. Wait here a minute." He went into the back of the house for a few minutes and then came back out. "I called my guy inside. Your family will be protected until they get out."
"Thanks." I grabbed my purse and turned to walk out the door.
"Wait. Here." He handed me a large manilla envelope. "Just don't let Clay or Gemma kill me alright?"
"What is this?"
"Bail money. I heard how much it was and I know the club's assets are tied up right now."
"Why give me this?"
"To say I'm sorry. I should have stopped them three months ago, before any of this happened."
"Thanks Ernie." I kissed him on the cheek and left.
Tara called me when I got to the car and told me that mom was out of surgery, but that I couldn't see her until the morning so she could get a little more stable. I went home and smoked and drank until I passed out. When I woke up the next morning I showered and got ready for the day. I gave Rosen the bail money before heading over to the hospital. Not only did I need to check on Tig, but mom now too. I felt so alone. It wasn't the first time I had ever felt that way, but this time it was true. I was alone and it was up to me to take care of my family.