Lone Wolf *The Animals MC book one*

Chapter Ten.

They sat together, in the tiny, white, sterilized, closet sized room that the hospital called a waiting area. Morgan sat like a statue in the back of the room, dark circles under her eyes and her face white. Lacy sat to her left, gripping her hand. Zeke sat to her right, silent but present. Across the room Ty leaned against a wall, also silent and stirring his coffee. Demon was pretending to read a magazine but it was upside down. Wolf sat nearest the door, his legs shaking, elbows on his knees and face buried in his hands.

Iris was in surgery, she had been alive when the doctors pulled her gently from his arms and though he'd be reluctant to let go of her, he was glad she made it to the hospital. The amount of blood she'd lost was astounding. She could be dying, might not survived surgery, the doctors warned it was dangerous but her only chance.

He took a shaky breath and felt the guilt wash over him. The poor baby girl might die because of his stupidity, he walked outside and allowed her mother to follow.

A doctor walked briskly down the hall and entered the room, all the bikers pushed to their feet. Morgan walked to meet the doctor.

"Miss Evans?"

"That's me, my baby....is she okay...is she..."She trailed off with a stifled sob.

"She's alive. The next forty eight hours are crucial, she'll be in ICU until we're sure she's out of the woods. If she survives she'll have a long road to recovery, she lost a lot of blood and the bullet was a mere inch from her heart."

Morgan pressed her hand to her lips, trying to hold back more tears but not being successful. She cried and Lacy wrapped an arm around her friends waist.

"I can't make any promises, honestly it could go either way over the next forty eight hours. She is alive though, she's a fighter."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course but I should warn you, since this was a drive by shooting the police will come ask questions. I've seen the wound and I can confirm it was a drive by but since it was a shooting and a child, I have to report it."

"Okay, can I see her now? Please?"

"Follow me."

The doctor turned and went back down the hall, Morgan following closely behind him. As soon as both had disappeared all the bikers crowded into a circle.

"What's our move?" Zeke asked.

"We're on full lock down, starting now. Call your families get them to the club, call all members have them there too."

"We don't have time, we have to go after these bastards." Lacy said.

"We will, but first we have to protect the rest of the families. I don't think this was a random attack," Wolf said.

"What are you thinking?" Zeke asked.

"I think this is backlash from Demon and Lacy going to see the Aces Wild. They're in a war with the Trojans and I think this was a warning from the Trojans."

"If that's true we have to warn King," Lacy said.

"No, we're not choosing sides just yet. I'm not so sure King is innocent in all this."

"He told me he was, Demon was there."

"Lacy, we're not picking a side until all our families are safe."

Lacy shook her head clearly disagreeing but wisely staying silent. Demon cast her a wary glance and then turned back to Wolf.

"Call your loved ones and I'll meet you all at the club."

"What about you?"Ty asked.

"I'm going to go see Morgan, I need to apologize."

The men all separated each pulling out their cell phones and calling different people. Ty immediately called Becky, though not related to him or Zeke she was the closest family they had next to each other.

Wolf waited until they all seemed distracted before moving down the hall Morgan had just went. He glanced in a few rooms, until he found the one Iris was in.

He stepped in the doorway and paused. Morgan sat with her back to the door, her head bowed in what looked like a prayer. Iris lay in the large bed, dwarfed completely, machines ran under the blankets and her shirt to her chest, she had an IV, and a breathing tube in her nose. She was asleep and looked peaceful, her heartbeat was steady.

"Morgan?" He called softly.

"Go away," She said softly.

"Morgan I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"They're going to investigate, what do you think they will say when they find out I work for you and that's why she's here?" She turned to look at him and under the pain in her eyes he saw the anger.

"I won't let them take her away from you, I promise you that."

She stared at him a minute longer then turned back to her daughter. She reached out a lay a hand gently on the childs arm.

"I suppose it's just as much my fault as yours," She said.

"No, no..."He moved to beside her.

"I followed you and Iris....always follows me, you've told me a hundred times not to bring her by the office."

"It's not your fault, none of this is your fault. It's mine."

"How is it yours?" She asked.

"I looked into a war that was breaking out between two other gangs, I think this was a repercussion of that."

"Why would they think that hurting me and Iris would bother you?" She asked.

"Because they don't know any better and.....I am terribly sorry about Iris. If I could trade places with her I would."

"You saved my life today......if you hadn't knocked me down I'd be here too. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

He stood beside her in a comfortable silence, watching the small girl sleep like a princess. Finally, he realized that his club needed him.

"I need you to listen to me, we're on full lock down. I'm going to have someone here with you at all times and if you need to go to your place call me, someone will stay with Iris and someone will go with you. When she gets out of here if we're still in lock down, you have to come to the club. It's the only way."

"I don't want in your stupid war, I don't want that life."

"I know, but it's the only way. You and Iris will have a private room, I promise."

She gave a small nod of agreement and he knew it was just because she realized she didn't have a choice. She may not like having to participate in the lock down but she would because she knew it was the only way.

"I'm going to go, I'll send someone here immediately."

"Okay."

He spared one last look at the little girl and made a mental note to send her flowers, and balloons and a stuffed animal or ten.

He exited the room and walked out of the hospital, careful to watch for anyone that may be planning on shooting at him. He couldn't help but think that the bullet they dug out of Iris may have been meant for him.

He wasn't even sure which club had been the ones to do the shooting. Lacy was quick to defend her old friend King and his MC but nobody saw the logo of the men who shot Iris, nobody could be sure what side had fired those shots and Wolf wasn't ready to believe King. He needed to talk to the Trojans and hear their claims before he got involved in this war.

His plan had been originally to stay out of it but they brought this war to his doorstep and he was going to end it.