She keeps the stupid bright smile on her face, but I see a bit of light fade from her eyes. I watch that spark that’s all her go out, and that same depraved part of me that shouldn’t like her words feels bad that I caused that hurt.
I shake my head and walk out of the room as soon as the nurse comes in. She tries to stop me, but I ain’t having it. A single look has her backing off and talking to Ruby as I walk down the hall. Not enough for full privacy, but this way I can still keep an eye on my pain-in-the-ass charge.
I dial a number and wait for someone to pick up.
“Wrong number.”
“It’s Kooper,” I say quickly before Domino hangs up. I’m calling from an outside line to the one directly inside the tech room, something none of us ever do unless we don’t have a choice.
“Shit, Kooper. What the hell, man? Reports are coming in about a shooting. You and Ruby okay? Why aren’t you calling from your phone? Is this thing secure?”
“Not sure, so keep it light. Ruby and I are fine. At the hospital doing a look-over.”
“She okay?”
“Hit her head. We’ll be back soon once we get the all-clear from here.”
“Got it. And the phone issues?”
“Ran into some problems. Need you to clean and clear the primary phone. I’ll bring this one in. It’s a new one I picked up real quick.” I know he’s catching what I’m not saying. My phone was lost or destroyed during what went down. I didn’t even know I didn’t have my phone when I saw this one on the ground and picked it up before I grabbed Ruby and got us out of there as the sirens closed in. There was a shootout on campus, so no doubt the cops would show. I’ll admit that their response time sucks, but I’m not about to complain too much. We were able to get out and weren’t stopped by anyone. “Need you to do some scrubbing too.”
“Got it,” Domino says. He might not be as good as Flint, but if he finds footage of us on any security cameras on campus or of us leaving, I’m sure it’ll be erased soon. It’ll also give him some idea of what went down if he hadn’t already been looking into it. Like I said, he isn’t as good as Flint, so he might not have gotten that far into it yet.
“Talk soon.” I hang up and turn off the phonebefore popping out the battery and SIM card and putting them in separate pockets. I should toss the whole thing, but I want whatever intel Flint can get off it once we’re back at the clubhouse.
I walk back to the room just as Ruby takes the paperwork, and I hear the nurse comment that herhusband’spaperwork about aftercare is in there too.
Jesus fucking Christ.
“Let’s go,” I bark, and Ruby doesn’t jump like the other woman. She just gives the nurse a smile and limps out, not asking for a hand and not waiting for a wheelchair. It’s a slow gait, and that’s the only reason I do what I do.
“Don’t got all day.” I scoop her up and stride out the front doors. I’d like to think the glare on my face keeps Ruby from popping off some ridiculous snark, but one look down at the princess’s smile of expectations has me growling under my breath.
“Now, now, that’s no way to act as you carry me to the chariot we spoke about earlier.”
I so want to drop her on her ass, but I promised the boss I’d keep her alive. And while a fall to the floor won’t kill her, it might cause issues if she complains to Daddy and he asks what she said that made me decide that leaving her behind was a wise idea.
One thing I learned early in life is that any bit of denial about something has at least 1 percent of truth in it. And that’s 1 percent too much for Law to know about.
The drive is quick. I break every damn speed limit and run every red light I see. Don’t give a fuck. I need her off my bike. Her arms no longer wrapped around me. Her heat gone. Every part of her at least ten feet or more away from me right now.
The compound is a mess with everyone coming in, which is perfect. I get her off my bike, and then I’m gone.Another brother can deal with her. Hell, she has a dad. She’s his problem now. I just need space. A minute, an hour, a few days—I’ll take anything.
As I get to my room, I close the door, not slamming it like I want. I’m in control; no need to show I’m not. I walk to the attached bath and turn the shower on, then get under the spray and just breathe. Till I hear a noise I recognize as my door clicking open and someone coming closer. I close my eyes, already knowing who it is.
“Hey, handsome, need some help washing?” It’s a vamp. Probably has a name, and I probably know it, but right now she’s just a faceless club girl looking for dick.
Her words should make my cock jump. It should spring to attention for a bit of release. Even my mind should be on board with the possible endorphin high.
But my mouth opens before I can think. “Not now.”
Two words that have the girl walking away easily enough. But those two words let me know I’m fucked. Completely and utterly fucked.
Women screaming ain’t new around here, but it does draw a crowd. It’s been quiet since Duke, the Devils Damned VP, went missing after the club’s raid on his sex trafficking ring and his attempt to take out those close to the club a few days before today. A screaming woman should seem like things are back to basics, if the scream were in glee or ecstasy. But it draws the ear, and the eye, when it’s clearthat it isn’t either of those things. Especially when it’s Flint’s old lady, Kitten, and she’s yelling into her phone.
“He did what? That motherfucker! I’m going to kill him. You stay right there. I’m on the way.”
I think her stomping toward the cars is what drives Flint into action more than her words.
