Ryker motions for us to get out of the car. Swallowing hard, I hike my blanket up and climb out. He turns half away from me when he realizes that I'm mostly naked, pink dusting his cheeks. It's almost cute to see the man mountain embarrassed.
"Cleo's got clothes for you in the car," he grumbles.
Kase climbs out as well, squinting suspiciously at the shabby little car. Now that I'm upright, I can see that there's a woman behind the wheel. She's pretty, in a soft, unassuming way. I get a peek of tawny skin and a sleek fall of dark hair, and wide dark eyes before Kase steps in front of my sightline.
Kase gives Ryker a puzzled look. "Why'd you bring Cleo? Don't you guys have Bryan to look after?"
Ryker releases an impatient breath. "And let you ride while shot? Fuck no. Cleo's gonna get you to Doc. I'm going to get Brooklyn out of here as soon as she's dressed."
"But we're all going to the same place. Your house right? We can all ride in the car."
"We're not. If you think I'm going to bring that sort of trouble to my family's door, you're more stupid than I thought. Bryan is with Holly and Cruz and I'm taking Brooklyn somewhere she'll be safe. You're going to sit your ass down at the clubhouse and let Doc treat you. You can join your girl when you're patched up."
"But–"
"But nothing, Kase. You wanted my help? We do things my way. Do you really think I'm going to let anything happen to her?"
Kase relaxes and finally shakes his head. "Of course not."
I don't share his confidence. This whole thing gives me the willies. Kase may trust this guy, but I don't. He's Cruz's second-in-command and he's got no reason to like me.
Ryker's hand is surprisingly gentle when he snags my elbow and tugs me toward Harry's burger joint. He looks like a bruiser, the sort of man that my father would hire as dumb muscle. But there's clearly more to him if my father thought he was worth sparing. His woman steps out of the car and I note with some surprise that she's hugely pregnant. She offers me a folded pile of clothes. It looks like a pair of jeans and a cotton-candy pink top. It's not my style, but I suppose it's a hell of a lot better than being nude.
"C'mon. Let's get you dressed," Ryker says, flustered once more.
"I want to ride with Kase," I say, jerking my arm out of his grasp when we reach the front doors. "I can get dressed later."
Ryker's brow scrunches and his mouth turns down in a frown. It's obvious he's frustrated with me, but he doesn't yell.
"You can't go where he's going."
"Why not?"
"Because the second you walk in the door of the clubhouse, shit will go down. He'll try to protect you from that. Do you really want him to be hurt worse on your behalf?"
My stomach lurches and I feel sick at the thought. Ryker's right. Kase is boneheaded enough to get himself hurt because of me. He already has been, trying to rescue me. And if I love him half as much as I think I do, I won't let it happen again.
"Alright," I mutter. "But at least let me say goodbye to him, okay?"
Ryker nods curtly and then holds the door open for me.
I draw every eye in the place walking in wearing nothing but a thin blanket. Someone even has the gall to wolf whistle. Ryker shuts them up with a sharp word and I like him just a little bit better. For some reason he reminds me of my dad. A walking force of nature, a man to be reckoned with, but a man with a heart beneath all that muscle.
I push the bathroom door open and duck into the first stall I see, letting the blanket drop to the tile floor as soon as I've bolted the door. The jeans are a little loose. Ryker's woman has more hips than I've ever possessed, but I fill the top out just fine. The simple combination makes me look younger than I am, when I dare to peek at myself in the mirror. I almost resemble the girl I was when Kase and I met.
The blanket is folded over my arm when I return. Kase is leaning against the shabby car, looking dog tired. Now that he's among his friends, he's not under as much pressure to look tough. He's finally letting on just how hurt he is.
Guilt bombards me at once. He's only putting on this indestructible persona because I'm around. Maybe if I let him go, he'll finally get the help he needs. There's no telling how much damage the shot did to his arm. I'm not stupid enough to think that because it’s non-lethal it isn't still serious. If the bullet hit the wrong thing he could lose the use of his hand. So I run to him, throwing my arms around his neck before I can break down and say something stupid like "stay with me."
I stand on tiptoe and press my mouth to his, kissing him hard, as though it's the last time I'm going to see him. Depending on how hurt he is, our reunion could be waiting a while.
"I love you," I breathe when we part. His hands rest lightly on my hips and it feels like he's only seconds away from dragging me in for another liplock. "Hurry back to me, okay?"
Kase's lips twist into an impish smile. "Be there before you know it, babe."
He kisses me again and it's awhile before he releases me. He pointedly ignores Ryker's loud throat clearing, kissing me harder to prove his point. When he lets me go I'm breathless and heartsick. I don't want to leave him. But I'm not a monster, and I won't keep him away from the doctor any longer. I don't struggle when Ryker pulls me toward his bike. I take the helmet he offers me and throw my arms around him when the bike rumbles to life beneath us.
I crane my neck when he gets us up to speed, keeping the car in my sight for as long as I can, until Harry's burger joint and the car are only spots in the distance. Only then do I let the tears fall, happy that the helmet contains the sounds of my grief.
