“Shit,” he mumbled as he covered her and waited for the storm to end. She already made her feelings about him clear. Like all the other women in his life, the blonde beauty pushed him away. Garrett ran his hand through his hair as he wondered how she knew his name.
Outside, the storm continued to rage while he watched over her. It felt like his mood. Still mad at Snow for acting carelessly and running off with a strange man, dealing with the Houser brothers, and hitting a defenseless woman walking in a storm, his stomach churned. The tempest seemed to warn him that life was about to change.
CHAPTER SIX
Riley shuddered as she opened her eyes. She blinked, attempting to remember what happened. The last thing she recalled was getting hit by the truck. A man appeared out of nowhere. He appeared rough, yet she remembered how gently he set her inside his truck.
Rising, she moaned as her head swam and her stomach lurched. The big bear of a man rushed forward with a trash can in his hand and held her hair out of the way as she emptied her stomach.
“Where are we?” she moaned.
“In a basement on Serenity Ranch. There’s a huge storm outside, and they announced two tornadoes in the area. We outran the first one and got here in time. Now, we’re waiting out the second,” he said, handing her a mason jar to swish out her mouth. When she lay back against the pillows, he checked her head.
Her hand reached to feel the wound when he grabbed it. “Don’t touch it. I got the bleeding to stop, but you’ll need stitches,” he explained. “I’ll take you to the hospital when this blows over. It’s the least I can do since I hit you.”
“No. I can’t afford stitches,” she said firmly.
“I’ll pay for it,” he assured her. “It’s my fault you need them.”
Riley narrowed her eyes and her nose scrunched as she stared at him. “What’s your name again?”
“I’m Garrett. Garret Johnson,” he said softly, placing a cloth across her brow and around her injury.
Riley winced. His name made her headache worse. “No. I don’t need your help. My car broke down and I needed to get to safety. I thought you worked at Mystic Ranch,” she said, surprised to find him in Embers at a different ranch.
“I used to work there. In fact, I quit today. Gus and I were returning here with my belongings. Do you know me? You mentioned my name, but I don’t recall you,” he said thoughtfully.
She shook her head. “No. I must’ve heard your name around town. There’s an ample supply of gossip in these parts.”
Garrett shrugged. “I usually stick to myself. I’m surprised anyone talks about me.”
“Oh, it only takes one person to run their mouth, and it’s like striking a match,” she said sarcastically.
“I don’t think I caught your name,” he said, curiously.
“Riley,” she said, playing with the fuzz on the blanket. “How much longer do we have to stay down here?”
“The alert ends in about thirty minutes. If it leaves the area faster, I’m sure Matthew and Mac will be here to help me take you to the hospital.”
“I’m not going anywhere with three men I don’t know. I barely want to stay down here with you,” she exclaimed, grimacing as her raised voice caused the pounding in her head to get louder.
Garrett took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling as if he counted to ten.
“You need medical attention. It’s my responsibility to ensure you get it. If money’s a problem, my truck insurance will cover it and I’m sure they’ll give you a check for compensation in lieu of you suing me,” he said, darkly.
Riley’s head popped up, meeting his gaze. “They will? How much do you think they’ll give me?” she asked, already planning on giving it to the biker gang holding Tara.
Garrett moved off the bed and peered at her coldly. “I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve hit a chick walking in a storm.”
“How long will it take to get it?” she asked, biting her lip. “If they can give it to me right away, then I promise not to take any legal action against you.”
“How kind,” he said, his voice turning steely as his eyes blazed with anger, making her feel uncomfortable.
“I didn’t mean it as a threat. As it happens, I’m a bit low on funds, and a few bucks can go a long way,” she explained, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears as he moved to the opposite side of the room.
“I’m sure you are,” he bit out. “Since you’re hard up on money, we will take you to the hospital to get checked out for insurance purposes. I’m sure they’ll want documentation. Then I’ll write you a check for $10,000.”
Riley practically salivated. “Really?” Surely if she gave the bikers the money, they’d let her sister go.
