The border crossing was less than a quick wave through, thanks to the officer on duty and his understanding of the situation. Although, they could have made it all the way home, the Hard Road wanted a pass off to take the family east. It would have annoyed Onyx if not for the throbbing headache and wetness from the seeping blood under his helmet. Two hours of riding hadn’t helped and once again, he needed to get the bleeding under control.
There may be a town near the motel, but if it was, he couldn’t see it. Instead, there was a smaller truck stop with a diner and motel across the road. At least, the doors weren’t on the outside of the building, but the single story structure didn’t scream chain to him in any way shape or form. Before joining the Steels and coming to Montana, he thought places like this only existed in movies. Not that LA didn’t have the seedy shit motels, but this rustic spot screamed of the days when families would load up and drive cross country for vacations.
Hack checked them in then handed him and Topaz a key. “Topaz, I want Regina and her children to stay in your room with you. I think she’ll be okay with that. Onyx you’re bunking with me.”
“I was going to help Onyx fix up his head wound.” Topaz frowned. “I can get them settled and come over.”
He touched his sore head and came away with blood. It was still bleeding some but not to the point, he was lightheaded. “She said it needed a stitch or two. Just gotta find a needle.”
“And you can do that yourself?” Topaz asked.
“I’ve done worse, just not on my head.” Onyx remembered his youth when they had no choice, but to take care of their own wounds because his mother believed the free clinic was a Petri dish and they didn’t have insurance for an ER visit.
“I’ll help you this time. You don’t have to do it yourself.” Topaz carried her bag and walked toward their side by side rooms.
When Onyx entered, he noticed they had adjoining rooms, not just neighborly ones.
Hack checked over the room and began setting up door and window alarms. “I did this on purpose so we could watch the women.”
“It’s the safest way.” Onyx nodded, then knocked on the door that connected their rooms. “Topaz, you ready?”
She opened the door to her room.
“Cool,” the little boy said and ran between the rooms.
“The ride did him good,” Onyx said as the boy stopped right in front of him and grasped his thigh in a hug.
“Thank you, are you like Ironman?” the kid asked, his innocent face no more than five.
“More War Machine. Broke, work for the man, but I get to play with cool toys,” Onyx replied.
“Mama’s still sad.”
“I think she’s worried about you and your sister,” he replied to the kid still attached to his leg as he ruffled his shaggy brown hair. “But see that guy over there. He’s like Ironman because he has all the cool toys and… he won’t show me, but I’m pretty sure his heart is made of spare parts.”
Hack cut his eyes to him. “Nah, just born without the connector to my brain. Hey kid, wanna help me set up security?”
“Will it knock bad guys out?” the boy asked as he released Onyx’s thigh.
“No, that’s what I’m here for.”
The boy ran back into the women’s room with Hack as he set his alarms around the doors in there.
Topaz had grabbed the first aid kit and another pair of rubber gloves.
“Seriously, you can’t touch me without them can you?” A sourness fizzled in the pit of his stomach.
“Onyx, you really have issues. I need them to protect you from germs. Go in the bathroom and sit down on your throne, so I can look at this in the light.”
Topaz dug through her purse and found a sewing kit and lighter. Red had let her sew up a raw chicken in the clinic, but she hadn’t taken the task too seriously. Now, as she stood over Onyx, she wished she’d sliced more times and focused. Maybe Hack should sew him up? Onyx could say it would be an easy task for him, but the slice to his skull would be hard. Breathing in, she settled herself. It was only a few stitches and it would stop the bleeding. She probably should have used a few butterflies to tape his damn head together for the ride, but time and patience had her hands trembling. If Onyx had noticed, he hadn’t said anything so he must not have because that man never missed a chance to point out her fear of him. Sadly, the reason for her fear and his beliefs were miles apart.
When she walked into the bathroom, he’d hung his coat on a hook and sat patiently on the closed toilet seat. His shirt was a rich blue workout one that clung to his body. Brown spots from dried blood splattered on the front.
Wiping down the counter of the sink with multiple alcohol wipes, she threaded the needle with black thread. Using her lighter, she heated up the needle then set it on the counter before opening the bottle of isopropyl alcohol and pouring it into the plastic cup the motel provided, then dropped the needle and thread into the cup.
“You really don’t want me getting infected,” he stated, the pools of darkness that were his eyes pulling her in.
“Figured even you couldn’t live with an amputated head from gangrene.” The words quick and punchy sent her in a bit of a tailspin, wondering if she’d just insulted him further.
“There are a few parts of me I like to keep as God intended,”
