“Tell me.”
“I used to live in Laramie,” she started, faltering almost instantly.“Had a boyfriend.He wanted to be part of the local MC there, and even started to prospect—”
“What?”Saint snapped, and suddenly all the tenderness collapsed like a house of cards.The warmth in his eyes turned into frost.“I knew it.Fucking knew it.”
He gripped her arm and shook her as his fingers dug into her flesh.She cried out and tried to pry them off her but he wouldn’t let go.
“You’re working with the Bone Breakers, aren’t you?Acting like Little Miss Innocent.Flashing your wounded eyes.Deceiving me!”
“What?”she cried out.“Stop it!You’re hurting me!”
“Saint, let her go,” Sinn ordered.“Now.”
Saint turned his head to stare at his brother.“You heard her.”
“And you didn’t.Look at her, Brother.Look at her and tell me you don’t see she’s just as messed up as you and I.”
Saint did just that.He stared at her face.Studied her eyes.Whatever he saw bit through the anger and little by little, his grip eased up until she yanked away and ran back through the hall.Her uniform had to be dry enough by now.Even if it were damp, she was going to get the damn thing and never, ever return.Perhaps she’d finally leave Wyoming for good.
“I’m sorry.”
She gasped and spun around.Saint stood in the doorway of the bedroom where she’d woken up.
Kira threw up her hands.She didn’t want to be hurt anymore.“I just need my uniform.I won’t bother you again.You can forget about me and I can forget about you.In fact, I’ll ...I’ll leave town—”
“Fuck,” he muttered, interrupting her panicky diatribe.“Look, it seems I have a pervasive feeling of being conspired against.”
She blinked, not understanding that at all.“What?”
“Sinn is an amateur psychologist,” he explained.“Apparently, I suffer from paranoia.”
“Uh.Okay.”She didn’t care.“I just want my uniform.”
He took a step forward and she took a panicked step back.His hand went up like he was trying to approach a wounded animal.
“It’s not you.As idiotic as it sounds, it’s me.Look, I don’t do this.”He gestured the space between them.“I don’t comfort.I don’t have empathy.The only things I care about are my brother and my club, and I protect those fiercely.I was looking for deceit from you because people always have ulterior motives.”
“Because you’re paranoid,” she added softly.
They stared at one another.Slowly, her defenses lowered.Not all, but enough to realize they shared paranoia.
“I think Sinn would say the same about me.”
“I’ll get him to drive you back to your apartment.We won’t bother you again.”
“You made that promise already and I woke up in your house.”
“I saved you,” he reminded.
“Thank you.Can I go now?”
He opened his mouth to say something but then must have decided to let it go.He nodded just as Sinn entered the bedroom, holding her uniform.
“Lay it on the bed, please.”
He did, and then the brothers left the bedroom.Saint closed the door behind him, and a wave of relief washed over her.What was that?Did she actually have something in common with Saint?Moving quickly, she dropped the sheet and dressed quickly.When she entered the kitchen again, only Sinn was present.
“I’ll take you home, Kira,” he said.Seems like she lost her nickname.
