Stepping back, she quickly put the kettle on for something to do with her hands. She hated what just happened, and she struggled to stop her hands from shaking.
“We need to get to the hospital,” Devil said.
“What?”
“Judi’s been badly beaten. We need to go and help Ripper. He’s beside himself as he left her alone this morning.”
There was no need to argue. She turned the kettle off and started to grab the kids.
Chapter Fifteen
Devil and several of the crew stood outside of Judi’s door. Ripper was beside her bed, holding her hand with Lexie in the room. Phoebe was taking care of the kids in the sitting room.
“What the f**k happened?” Death asked.
“We’re waiting for her to wake up. Ripper was at the club this morning, and when he went home, he called us after the ambulance. The doctors had to take her into surgery to drain the excess fluid from her brain. She got hit in the head,” Devil said. Judi was his daughter, and he was able to get all the information he needed from the doctors.
She was in a medically induced coma until it was safe to wake her up. Devil hadn’t gone into the room yet. He couldn’t. After the visit this morning and the threat against Lexie, he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing the damage to Judi. Today he’d had the perfect opportunity to take Gonzalez out, and he couldn’t do it because of Lexie. The bastard would have killed her, and the thought of having Lexie’s blood on his hands filled him with dread. She was the one good thing in his world.
“Who would touch Judi?” Pussy asked.
“I don’t know. When she wakes up we’ll find out.”
“Boss, you’re shaking,” Snake said.
Devil looked down at his hands to see that he was actually shaking.
“Gonzalez paid a visit to the house today. He wasn’t expecting me at home, and he brought with him one of the bastards that works for him, Ronald.” He kept his gaze on the glass.
Ripper’s head was pressed against Judi’s hand. Lexie was holding onto his shoulder, trying with all of her might to comfort him.
In his mind, Devil saw Ronald pressing her against the counter, about to rape her. He didn’t know how far Ronald or Gonzalez would have taken it, but that was already too much for him.
“Fuck, boss,” Pussy said. “Why didn’t you call us?”
“There wasn’t enough time. By the time I realized he was in my house, there was no time to warn anyone.” Devil pressed a hand to the glass. His gaze was on Lexie. He loved Judi like a daughter, but Lexie was his very reason for breathing. She’d been pretty shaken up by what was happening, and he’d seen the way Simon held onto her.
His son was as protective of Lexie as he was.
“What did they want?” Death asked.
“I don’t know what he wanted. I could have shot him and ended all of this.” He spoke the words through gritted teeth. Years ago, before he met Lexie, he’d have killed Gonzalez without any worry of anything happening to the woman. He’d met Lexie, and now he couldn’t take any risks.
“Then why f**king didn’t you?” Snake asked. “We’re all waiting for a reason and an opportunity to take this man out and you pass it up?”
Staring at his woman and then at the bed, he could only see part of Judi’s face. She didn’t deserve this, and neither did his woman.
“Ronald had a gun at Lexie’s head. I could take out Gonzalez, but Ronald was going to kill Lexie. He could have also taken out one of my kids before I shot him. There was too much to lose.” He kept his gaze on his woman, needing to know in his heart that she was safe.
His men were silent for several moments.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I know what I lost today. Judi’s attack had to have been happening while he was with us. We know Everett is dead, and Pussy killed Homer. Who else does he have to work for him?” Devil wasn’t going to allow this to simply pass him. He was going to get retribution for Kayla and for Judi.
“I don’t know. He’s got favors. We know that much from Whizz and the Fort Wills police force.”
Turning away from the window, Devil wiped at his eyes in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He had to think.
“There could be someone on the police force, but they wouldn’t risk it. Gonzalez would know that’s where we go for first.”
Staring at his men, he waited for them to come up with an idea. They all looked as confused as he was.
“It has to be one of the pimps over at the apartment blocks,” Ripper said.
Devil turned to see Ripper standing in the doorway. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked like shit.
“You don’t need to be part of this. We’re trying to figure shit out. Your woman needs you.”
“Judi’s not waking up anytime soon. She put up a fight. Whoever it was broke into our house. They did a rape kit.” Ripper paused as he stared at the ground.
Devil felt his gut tighten.
“Whoever it was they didn’t get a chance to do anything more than beat her up. I didn’t hear or see anything when I walked in. It had to be me arriving that was the reason he stopped before he violated her further. I didn’t give myself a chance to f**king listen for someone escaping. Fuck, I could have taken this f**ker out.” Ripper cupped the back of his head, cursing.
“You can’t blame yourself, and you did stop him from hurting her further,” Devil said. He had no doubt of Ripper’s love for Judi. Everyone in the club knew Ripper would die trying to save Judi.
“Shit, boss, what do you think this is all about?” Pussy asked.
Twisting away from the group, he watched as his woman sat in the chair that Ripper had vacated. She was stroking Judi’s brow, probably talking to her.
“Gonzalez is playing a game. I don’t think this is personal. I actually don’t think he gives a shit about an alliance with us or with The Skulls. All these attacks, the deaths, this is a warning for others. When Gonzalez takes over, either join him or die, it’s as simple as that. There’s no getting away from this.”
“I want to find the f**ker who did this. The only people Gonzalez can send to Judi are pimps. Whizz didn’t reach out to them. They’re the only ones left close enough to Piston County to be left alone. None of us have gone searching for the pimps. We’ve been too f**king busy with all this shit. He’s got a couple of them over at the apartment blocks where Judi used to work.” Ripper wiped a hand down his face. “I need to be part of this. I can’t sit around and watch her like this. I shouldn’t have abandoned her this morning. Fuck!”