There’s a car at the end of the alleyway that Atticus steers Jaeger toward. Kaiser moves to support his other side.
I limp after them, leaning on one crutch. I go as fast as I can, but I’m still the last to arrive. Atticus rides with Jaeger in the backseat, and I fall into the passenger seat just as Kaiser is starting the car.
“Where are your crutches?” Kaiser glares at me.
“She threw it at the man with the gun.” Jaeger has a goofy grin on his face.
Kaiser raises a brow.
“It didn’t work,” I mutter. “It just made him mad.”
“It distracted him.” Jaeger lifts his hand and examines the blood dripping off it. To my shock, he opens his mouth as if he’s going to lick it off his fingers.
“No.” Atticus smacks his hand. “Unsanitary. Bloodborne pathogens. Disease.” Jaeger snarls at him, showing his teeth, and Atticus shakes his head. “Kaiser, you tell him.”
“Brother.” Blue eyes meet blue eyes in the rearview mirror. “You did it. Your woman saved you, and you saved her. Now you heal so you can protect her another day.”
“So you agree? She is my woman?”
“She is.”
“I’m right here,” I snip because they’re talking over me. My heart is pounding so hard it’s painful in my chest. I cross my arms to hide my shaking hands.
“She’s grouchy when she’s afraid,” Jaeger informs the car.
“Ah,” Kaiser puts the car into gear, and the tires squeal as he guns it down the street.
“I’m here, bunny,” Jaeger tells me. “And I’ll live. It’s just a little bullet. You can nurse me back to health.”
“You’ll have to use crutches.” I tighten my arms around my torso as if they can hold me together. “Don’t expect me to carry you everywhere.”
Jaeger
I was lucky.The bullet got me in the gut, but Atticus got me into surgery in time. As soon as he could, St. James invested in a hospital. There’s a whole wing dedicated to Fraternitas, furnished with the best medical equipment and staffed by a team of discreet nurses.
I come awake with Elodie sitting to my left. She’s folded in half, resting on my bed.
There’s an IV in my right arm and a dull ache in my abs.
I reach out and stroke Elodie’s curls, and she raises her head. Her eyes are huge and dark on her pale face.
I try to tell her it’s okay, and my voice comes out a dull rasp.
She scrambles to get me a cup of water to sip from. I drink, holding her gaze until I can speak clearly.
“It’s okay, bunny.”
She sniffles.
“No, don’t cry.” I can’t bear to see her dark eyes fill with tears. “I’m here, and we’re together, so I’m okay.”
Her voice hitches as she says, “You came for me.”
“Of course. You’re my woman.”
Her sob shudders out of her.
“You can run from me, but I’ll chase you, and I will find you. I will always find you.”
