Snake's Addiction(44)
“Dick, you don’t even like people or women.”
“I like women. I like a hell of a lot of things, Snake. No one cares to see what I like.” Dick pointed at the men. “I’m not the only one that sees how wasteful this all is. The women, the whores, it’ll all fade. What do we do when we’re old with beer guts and we fart all the time?” Dick shook his head. “I don’t know what we did, man, but this isn’t going to be the way things are forever. We’re getting older.”
They both turned as Mia charged into the room. “Lexie’s gone into labor. Devil’s at the hospital. Vincent and Phoebe are there.”
Snake charged for the door, not bothering to see who came and who didn’t. He drove in the car, and he raced to get inside. For the last two births he’d been there, and he wasn’t going to miss this one.
Jumping behind the wheel, he drove toward the hospital. Several of the men were on bikes. The parking lot was full, but Snake found a space to park. Rushing toward the reception area, he found Ripper and Judi waiting with their son.
“What happened?” Snake asked.
“She was cleaning the nursery, and her water broke. Simon screamed the house down shouting for Devil,” Judi said. “I was there with Ripper.”
“Was she okay?”
He looked behind him to see Vincent and Phoebe were sitting with all the kids. Phoebe was leaning her head against Vincent. The woman was starting to show signs of being pregnant again. Vincent was rubbing Phoebe’s stomach while Simon walked around the kids playing on the floor as if he was the boss.
“Have you seen Jess?” he asked. He might as well see her while he was here.
Judi looked at Ripper. “I haven’t seen her, have you?”
“No.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just go look for her.” He walked up to the reception and asked. They hadn’t seen her either. Checking the time, he decided to go and check the cafeteria. There was no sign of Jessica but there was of Doctor Bastard.
“I’ve not done anything,” he said.
“Calm down. Where’s Jessica?”
“I was hoping you’d tell me that. I’ve not seen her since lunch. She got a call and left the hospital. I’ve not seen her since.”
“Wait? What? No, I told her to stay here for fucking lunch.”
“She didn’t, and I watched her leave the hospital.” Doctor Bastard shook his head. “She keeps leaving and not returning she’s going to be out of a job.”
“Fuck off.” Snake walked away, typing her number into his cell phone. Walking down to the main reception he listened to the voicemail for a second time. “Will you keep me informed of Lex?” he asked Judi.
“Of course.”
“What’s going on?” Dick asked.
“I can’t reach Jess. She’s not answering her phone, and she left at lunch. I’m going to check her house.” Something twisted in his gut. He didn’t know why, but it did. Something bad had happened.
****
Lunchtime
Jessica made her way up to the cafeteria about to have the worst lunch in the world when her cell phone went off. Seeing it was Lydia’s number she answered immediately.
“Hey, are you home yet?”
“Jess, I need you,” Lydia said, sniffling.
“What’s going on? What’s happened?”
“I’m at your place. I used the key you keep under the mat. I really need to see you. I’m hurt, Jess. I’m hurt bad.”
“Shit, fuck, yes, I’ll be there. Stay there and I’ll come to you.” Closing her cell phone, she rushed past Milford. There was a taxi waiting in the parking lot. Rushing toward it she asked him if he could drive her home.
Within twenty minutes she was rushing inside her home. Her heart was pounding thinking the worst of what happened to Lydia. They were friends, and she didn’t want anything to happen to her.
“Lydia, I’m here.” Closing the door, she walked into the sitting room. Lydia was on the couch. She was bloody, bruised, and beaten. “Fuck, Lydia, what the hell happened to you?”
“I wish you hadn’t come,” Lydia said.
“What? You’re not talking any sense.” Pulling out her penlight she tried to shine the light in Lydia’s eyes.
“Where’s Snake?”
“He’s working. Let me look at you. I should take you to the hospital. These cuts and bruises could signify internal bleeding.” She winced seeing Lydia’s wrists were also badly cut. “Who did this to you?”
Lydia opened her mouth, but it wasn’t Lydia who spoke.
“She did this to herself.”