Wheels of Steel, Book 3

  WHEELS OF STEEL

  BOOK 3

  Pepper Pace

  Girl, you amaze me! Music has no color.

  -Ho-Z

  Copyright

  © 2012 by Pepper Pace. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Pepper Pace.

  Disclaimer

  ~***~

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Any reference to music is in no attempt to claim ownership. All rights belong to the musical artists. This book contains graphic depictions of sexual acts and is intended for adults only. This book is part of a series and should be read in order.

  COVER ART

  Ho-Z Design

  http://hozdesign.com/

  DEDICATION

  With this story I hope to breathe life back into you. Rest in peace, Kim.

  ABOUT WHEELS OF STEEL

  This story is more a journey than a book. I didn’t want to split it, however it was the size of 3 novels and therefore I really felt that it needed to be separated into 3 separate books. My intent is not to leave you with cliff-hangers, although that will probably be the case. These 3 books are NOT separate stories and should be read in chronological order. If you want to know more about WOS then refer to my blog where these characters are still living in continuing stories at: http://pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/

  PEPPER PACE BOOKS

  ~***~

  STRANDED!

  Love Intertwined Vol. 1

  Love Intertwined Vol. 2

  JUICY

  Urban Vampire; The Turning

  Urban Vampire; Creature of the Night

  Wheels of Steel Book 1

  Wheels of Steel Book 2

  WOS

  Book 3

  ~***~

  Chapter 1

  Robin sulked Saturday. Jason had not called at all Friday night or Saturday morning and then she worried that maybe he had actually drowned in the hotel pool. She thought about calling Belinda but she was mad at her and all of them. Yeah they had been drunk but they had been assholes yesterday and she had felt like an outsider for the first time in a long while. Maybe she was a buzz-kill. But so sorry if she didn’t want her boyfriend who had cerebral palsy, to get drunk, lose less motor skills and then go naked swimming with a bunch of other drunks!

  She opened her laptop and peeked at yahoo messenger to see if Jason was logged in. He was…which only meant that he probably had never logged out.

  Her phone finally rang at about one and she saw that it was Jason. She was tempted not to answer but she had been on pins and needles for far too long to play that game.

  “Hello.” She said in a monotone.

  “Robin. Can you come to the hospital? Good Presbyterian, not University?”

  Her heart leaped. “Jason what’s wrong?”

  “Belinda got really sick.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  She slipped on shoes and dashed out the door. It took her longer then she liked getting to the hospital because she had forgotten how to find it. It was an older, smaller hospital. Once she found the emergency wing and had parked, she had a difficult time finding her way back to the correct entrance. She was out of breath from running by the time that she got to the correct front desk.

  “Belinda Stryker, please.”

  Robin was given instructions on how to locate the elevators that led to Belinda’s floor. After an impossibly long time later, she was entering her room. Everyone was there, their eyes moved to her as soon as she entered the room. They each looked horrible! Jason’s hair had gotten wet at some point and had dried into a tangle of ringlets.

  Amberly’s fine hair was matted and she had dark circles beneath her eyes. Peter was as pale as a sheet except for his red rimmed eyes. Belinda was lying unmoving in bed. She had an iv feed in her arm and appeared to be sleeping.

  “What happened?” Did she drown? OD? Go into an alcoholic coma?

  Peter was the one to answer. “She has an infection.”

  “An infection?”

  “Because of the abortion.” Amberly said softly but her words were full of accusation. “The one that I didn’t even know about until today.”

  Robin mulled that over. She smoked, didn’t rest and she had been very pale…Robin looked at Jason. “What exactly happened?”

  Jason wheeled to Robin and took her hand. “We were at the hotel partying and she started feeling sick. We thought it was the drinking and we had her go to bed. But when we woke up this morning she was burning up with fever…and not moving. So we called an ambulance. The doctors said that she has a uterine infection. It’s evidently been going on since the abortion and now is out of control.”

  “But she’s on antibiotics. They gave them to her at the clinic.”

  Peter spoke up. “Those pills? She stopped taking them, they made her vomit.”

  “Well…can’t they give her a shot, or something?”

  Peter rubbed his face. “They think that they can stop the spread of the infection by taking her uterus. But she won’t sign off on it. Robin…they have to stop the infection or it will kill her.”

  Take her uterus! How could this be happening?! No…Belinda probably wouldn’t sign off on that because she wanted to have a baby one day. Robin released Jason’s hand and walked to the bed. She sat down and Belinda’s eyes opened. They were glassy but she smiled slightly.

  “Hey girl.”

  “Hey. You got sick.”

  “Yeah. Stupid, huh?”

  “It happens. But we need you to get better.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And plus Peter is in love with you.” Belinda’s smile broadened. “And I can’t keep him in line without you around to help.”

  “You can, if no one else can. He respects you.”

  Robin looked over her shoulder at Peter who was staring at her hopefully. She turned back to Belinda. “They want to take your uterus.”

  “I’m not going to let them.”

  “They can keep your eggs safe. Then one day you can have babies that have yours or Peter’s face. One day when you’re ready. Hell, I’ll even carry your baby for you. Not sure if the kid won’t come out part black…”

  Belinda laughed. She closed her eyes. “Okay. If you will be my baby’s Mama then I’ll do it.”

  Robin smiled. She leaned forward and kissed her forehead. It was burning hot. She nodded at Peter and his face instantly lit up. He wheeled out of the room to inform the nurses and doctors.

  Amberly’s brow was knitted, but she didn’t say anything, she just kept that strange look on her face.

  Robin realized just how critical it was that Belinda have the surgery as soon as possible, when everything and everyone began to move quickly. She was given a release form to sign and then Peter was at her bedside talking to her and clutching her hand as they began administering medicine into her IV drip.

  “Hey Blondie,” she muttered at him. Don’t look so scared. It’s going to be alright. I’m pretty tough.” He laughed, his eyes glued to hers.

  “That’s what I love about you.”

  Belinda smiled, the medicine putting her to sleep. “Sing me that song, Blondie.”

  “What song?”

  “The one you sang to me after…you know. That song.”

  He hesitated, but as he stared lovingly into her eyes he began to sing about how much he loved her and how one day they would have money and a son...

  Jason, Robin and Amberly left the room to give them their time alone before the surgery. The loss of Belinda’s uterus was devastating but the most important thing was to keep he
r here with them. And then to harvest her ovum and keep it safe so that one day Robin could carry her babies for her. She would do it willingly.

  Peter joined them in the waiting area and Robin thought that there had been too much time in hospitals for them. Amberly went and got coffee for them and then she sat next to Peter and squeezed his hands. Peter wouldn’t even look up, he just stared at the floor.

  Jason had a seizure and it was loud as he growled and barked out. He thrashed in his chair and kicked out and slapped and Robin thought that she would have to pull him to the floor and lay him on his side but when it ended he collapsed back into his seat, panting loudly.

  She wheeled him to the bathroom after and she thought she saw him wince as he stood. She thought that he might have injured his legs when he stretched, maybe pulling a muscle. She wished that Raymond was around. Robin wished for a lot of things right then.

  Back in the waiting room the quiet and long wait seemed to weigh on each of them as they all silently held their own private reflections of Belinda. A full two hours later a surgeon entered the room and looked around.

  “Belinda Stryker family?”

  “Yes.” Peter said, his back straightening as he stared at the doctor.

  The doctor sat down on the table that separated two couches and referred to a chart before looking at them. “The surgery was a success. The infection is under control. We’re going to monitor her for a few days but she seems to be improving already. She’s in recovery and you can see her shortly.”

  Peter blew out a shaky breath and he rubbed his eyes. His fingers were wet when they came away and then Amberly hugged him.

  They stayed until Belinda woke which was hours later. But no one could leave until they could see her pretty brown eyes looking at them. Jason sighed in relief at her.

  “I swear to god if you ever scare us like that again I’ll strangle you.”

  “I’m tired of being the squeaky wheel.” She said. Peter was holding her hand and Robin grabbed the other.

  “You get better soon. Jason and I are going to leave but we’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Sorry I worried everybody.”

  “Just get better, Squeaky.”

  Amberly rubbed the back of her hand lightly. “I’m going to go home too. I’ll stop by your place and get some of your stuff and bring them to you tomorrow.”

  “I appreciate it Amberly. Bring my bunny slippers.”

  “Those ratty things? No, I’ll buy you new ones.”

  “No, it has to be my fuzzy wuzzy’s. I already broke them in.”

  “Fuzzy wuzzy’s?” Peter said. “You have names for your slippers?” He looked at Amberly. “Bring her the fuzzy wuzzy’s if that’s what she wants.”

  It was night when Jason and Robin finally left the hospital. They were both exhausted and the ride home was quiet but not just because of their fatigue. Jason turned to her.

  “I’m sorry, Robin.”

  “About?” Her eyes were steady on the road.

  “Last night.” She didn’t respond. “I was drunk.”

  “Is that how you’re going to act every time you get drunk, every time you celebrate with your friends?” She finally asked.

  “No. What seemed right yesterday…seems totally stupid today.”

  “Did you…Jason, did you get into the swimming pool naked?”

  “Yeah. I did.”

  The disappointment and hurt she felt at those words almost overwhelmed Robin. She couldn’t believe how much what he just said hurt her.

  “Who else got in naked?”

  “Well…like, a lot of people that partied with us-”

  “From Wheels of Steel!” She demanded, her tone letting him know that there was one particular person that she was concerned with, and one person only.

  “Just Peter and Amberly. Belinda couldn’t because…you know, she was still healing. So…yeah.”

  Robin thought that she might have to pull the car over because she was so angry. Jason knew not to say another word until she decided whether or not she was going to blow up or if she was going to handle it in her normal way…which was not to handle it but to bury it.

  She pulled into the parking space and didn’t turn off the car. She popped the trunk, got out and retrieved the wheelchair. She slammed it to the ground as Jason watched her warily. Then while he maneuvered himself into it she moved to the backseat and pulled out the boxed Christmas tree. With a grunt she pushed it out of her car.

  “Robin.” Jason said.

  Ignoring him she got the wreath and flung it into the direction of his door.

  “Nothing happened, Robin.”

  She moved around his body and slammed the passenger door shut.

  “Robin!”

  She spun on her heels, eyes narrowed. “Me and my mother won’t be here tomorrow for dinner. I’ll see you Monday to take you to school. But…don’t talk to me. I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to hear you and I damn sure don’t want to think about you!”

  “I swear nothing happened, Robin!”

  She climbed into her car ignoring him and zoomed away.

  Jason felt lost as he sat there in the parking lot. Not only had he messed up bad, but he’d lied. Something did happen in that pool.

  Chapter 2

  Robin couldn’t get home fast enough. She wasn’t even in her house before she was calling Pinnacle. Ben answered.

  “This is Robin. I’m going on vacation.”

  “Robin? Okay. When did you want to take it?”

  “Immediately!”

  “Robin, are you okay?”

  “No. Yes. Just…can you take me off the roster?”

  “Well…Mr. Hamilton is not easy to find a replacement for-”

  “He’s got a winter break coming up soon until the first of the year. He should only need an in-home aid for that and maybe just for a few hours a shift to help him with eating.”

  “Okay. How long did you want to be off the roster?”

  “Until the first of the year.”

  “Okay…well when did you want to start your vacation?”

  “As soon as you can manage it. I’m talking a day or two.” In actuality she and Mom weren’t supposed to leave until Wednesday of next week. They would have a Christmas and New Year’s eve vacation.

  “You’re not giving us much notice-”

  “I never ask for time off, Ben. You know that. And other people do. But I need the time off!”

  “Okay, I understand. Is everything alright, Robin? I know that Mrs. Babbs death must have been-”

  “Yeah, it was. Just let me know when you have someone to fill in for me.” She disconnected knowing that she had been rude and short but she didn’t care. She just wanted to go home and throw something.

  The next day she prepared for church and went to her Mother’s house. Jason didn’t bother her and she didn’t think about him because thinking about him made her too angry. She didn’t want to tell her mother about the fight they’d had so she used Belinda’s illness as an excuse for why he wasn’t present. But Betty was more focused on the CD that Jason had made for her. She couldn’t stop talking about how good it was and how talented he was. She made Robin promise to tell him how much she enjoyed it and Robin lied by promising that she would.