“No way.” I shake my head as I arrange cushions and pillows on the couch. “He was so mad and worried. His face just about broke my heart. And he calls you Scar!”
“It’s kind of cute,” she agrees with a soft smile. “Almost as cute as firefly.”
“I still have no idea why Rome calls me that. He’s done it since the very beginning. I asked him, but he wouldn’t say.”
“Well, whenever he tells you, I want to know, too.” She winces as she tries to settle herself onto the couch. When she leans forward on the cushion I stole from a nearby chair, her eyebrows climb in surprise. “Hey, this is comfy. How did you know to do this?”
“My dad used to like to dislocate my shoulder.” Her jaw drops, and I shrug. “I got good at figuring out ways to get comfortable. Hopefully, this is the last time either of us has to do this.”
“I hope you’re right,” she says with a deep sigh.
“Are you still hurting? I can give you something.” The doctor sent us away with some oral pain meds, but Scarlett shakes her head.
“No, I won’t do anything stronger than ibuprofen. I have a sister who’s addicted to pain meds, and I refuse to go down that road.”
I sigh as I sit next to her and lean my head back against the couch.
“Oh shit!” I sit up straight, startling her. “I never told Rita I’m not returning for my shift.”
“I’m quite sure she knew when she saw Rome carryme out of the playroom with you right next to me,” Scarlett says.
“I didn’t even notice that,” I confess. “I was too busy worrying about you.”
Scarlett reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear. “You’re a good friend. Lulu.”
“So are you. I wonder what our guys are doing right now?” Rome mentioned something about the cell, but I have no idea what that is.
She bites her lip. “We probably don’t want to know.”
Thirty-Seven
ROME
The puddle of blood beneath Emilio is quite impressive, but I need to slow down so the piece of shit doesn’t bleed out before Luke gets here. He should be here by now, but I suspect he probably swung by the infirmary to check on Scarlett.
It’s what I would do.
The door opens and in walks my cousin. He glances at me, and I see the rage.
Murderous rage.
Emilio isn’t leaving here alive.
Without a word, I pass Luke the whip and step out of the way. I gesture for the other men to leave the room, leaving only Luke and me here.
“Please,” Emilio whispers right before Luke hits him. “You can call my boss. He’ll pay you to keep me alive.”
Luke pauses. “Who the fuck is your boss?” he growls.
“Damien.”
Luke’s gaze whips to mine.
What the fuck?
How did one of Damien’s men get membership access to my club?
Luke doesn’t say another word. He whips the man over and over again, circling him. He strikes him from behind, from the side. On the head, the ass, over his dick. He’s stopped screaming, and now the only sound is the crack of the whip against flesh that might as well be ground beef.
