She smiles wide. “Okay then, let’s go!”
We head back out into the main clubroom, where she has already set up a makeshift medical area. Jessa is there working on Will as Dr. Chen and I approach.
Will smiles up at me. “Bet you weren’t expecting this when you signed on to write a piece about us?”
I smirk, raising my brow. “It’s certainly going to make my article a lot more interesting.”
Will grins as Jessa begins stitching up his arm, and he doesn’t even flinch. “That’s if Sin let’s you use anything from today in your piece. The Alliance certainly wouldn’t like to be mentioned either. You gotta play this smart, Elizabeth,” Will states.
For a prospect, the guy is pretty fucking tuned into biker politics.
He’s going to have his patch in no time.
Unless he suffers the same fate as my brother.
Whatever fate that was.
“Mmm,” I simply mutter as Dr. Chen takes over from Jessa.
For the next several hours, I lose myself in the medical work. There’s something centering about focusing on someone else’s pain instead of the churning confusion in my own chest. Dr. Chen and I work well together, cleaning wounds and applying bandages while she shares stories about how she met the club. Apparently, they’ve been bringing her injured members for years, and she’s never asked questions about how they got hurt.
“They pay well, and they’re respectful,” she explains as she stitches a cut on Deek’s forearm. “That’s more than I can say for some of my other patients.”
Around us, the club girls move with efficient grace, cleaning up debris and making sure everyone has food and water.
Gia brings me a sandwich at one point, squeezing my shoulder with a grateful smile. “Thank you for staying to help,” she says. “It means a lot.”
Through it all, I catch glimpses of Sin directing the cleanup efforts. His shirt is off, muscles rippling as he helps carry damaged furniture outside. Even covered in soot and sweat, he’s devastating to look at. More than once, I have to force myself to focus on the task at hand instead of the way his jeans hang low on his hips, showing me that perfect V-shape he has.
The sun has long since set by the time Dr. Chen packs up her supplies. Most of the injured have been treated, and the clubhouse is starting to look less like a disaster zone. I’m exhausted, my body is aching in places I didn’t know could hurt. My mind has been in constant chaos. Trying to differentiate between the knowledge that these men, these callous, hardcore bikers, took the life of my brother, but also after being here with them, after witnessing the loyalty, after feeling the unwavering pull of family atmosphere they have here, the knowledge I possess and the experience I am having don’t mesh. And after the events of today, the entire thing is giving me a severe case of whiplash.
“Elizabeth,” a deep voice cuts through my rapid cycling, shocking me, and I turn to find Sin approaching, now wearing a clean shirt but still carrying the scent of smoke and hard work. His eyes look tired but alert as they meet mine.
“It’s late,” he says, his voice carrying that commanding tone that brooks no argument. “I don’t want you driving home on your own tonight, especially with the Alliance being on the warpath right now. You could be on their hit list.”
The words send a chill down my spine. I’d already thought about the implications of being here during the attack, about what that might mean for my safety going forward.
“You’re staying at the clubhouse tonight,” he continues. “Just as a precaution.”
I’m shocked by the forcefulness of his tone, but if I’m being brutally honest, I’m also a little relieved. The same thought had been nagging at me as the evening wore on. The idea of driving home, of being alone in my apartment after everything that’s happened, makes my stomach clench with anxiety.
“I… ahh… okay,” I agree, surprising myself with how quickly I accept. “That’s probably a smart move.”
Something flickers in his eyes, maybe surprise at my easy agreement, but he just nods. “Ro will set up a spare room for you. Gia has clothes you can borrow. From tomorrow onward, we can set up a brother to tail you—”
“That’s not necessary, I don’t need babysitting, Sin.” I deflect as quickly as possible. The last thing I need right now is his guys following me around twenty-four-seven. Especially when I am trying to dig up dirt on them, that would make it practically impossible to find out information on Marcus.
No.
I need to have a free leash.
Sin narrows his gaze on me, huffs in clear annoyance, but simply nods his head. “You’re stubborn as hell, woman. If you die on my watch, I won’t feel guilty for it.”
Jerking my head back, I scoff. “I wouldn’t expect you to, unless you’re the reason I’m dead. You planning on killing me, Sin?” I raise my brow at him questionably.
His top lip curls like I am annoying him. “Not right now, but with your persistent scoop siren questions, you might make me want to.”
Scoffing, my mouth drops open as he huffs, spins, and storms off.
