“Yes. Absolutely.”
He grinned. “Well then, have a seat and find out.”
Definitely a trap, but I didn’t care. I scooted my ass onto the chair and reached for the box. I flipped open the lid, and my mouth watered at the delicious aroma. Deciding to take the chance, I picked up the burger and took a bite. Flavor exploded across my tongue, and my eyes rolled back in my head.
“Good, huh?” Sage asked.
I nodded. “Where’d you get it?”
“The Copper Penny.”
The club’s bar and grill. I’d heard about it last night. Apparently, the bikers hadn’t been lying about the food, because this was possibly the best burger I’d ever had.
“The first one’s free?” I asked.
“Not trying to get you addicted, just showing off what the club has to offer.” He popped the last of his burger into his mouth and took a napkin to his face and hands. “By the way, you’re in luck. We can use a medic.”
“You’d make a horrible recruiter.”
He shrugged. “We don’t recruit. I’m here to evaluate you to see if you’re even worth our time.”
“I’m not?—”
He held up a hand. “Joining a biker club. I know. But Prez’s orders and all that shit.”
I took another bite, eyeing him. “What do you want to know?”
“Why’d you enlist?”
I shrugged. “What else was I gonna do?”
“I don’t know, go to college? Didn’t you have a basketball scholarship?”
I glared at him. “How do you know that?”
He looked at me as if I were stupid. “You’ve seen what we can do. Think we didn’t know all there was to know about you before Havoc let you in?”
“Yet you’re still asking questions.”
“What happened between you and your dad?”
Had the burger not been so good, I would have thrown it in his face. As it was, I stood, taking it with me.
“Oh, come on,” Sage said. “I’m a licensed therapist. What’s the worst that can happen? A little healing? Maybe some closure? Seriously, what are you afraid of? Gaining some emotional intelligence?”
“Always a pleasure, Sage.”
He sighed and shook his head. “We will have this conversation. You’re only postponing the inevitable.”
I flipped him off as I walked away.
When I reached Mercy’s room, she was alone, watching TV. I stepped in, closing the door behind me. She grabbed the remote and turned down the volume to give me her full attention. Her skin was far too pale, and her pupils were barely more than pinpoints from the pain medication, but she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
“I thought you left,” she said.
“Nope. Grabbed some lunch with Sage. He’s the club’s shrink, and he’s a real asshole. Have you eaten yet?”
She eyed the covered tray on her table with contempt. “Jell-O and broth.”
