He had found me again, and this time he had taken my baby. Was Woof in pain right now? Was he hurting him?
The more I stared at the words, the more I shrank back. It had been stupid of me to think he would let me be happy. It didn’t matter where I went, I wasn’t safe. He had taken so much from me and now he had Woofy, and...
“Come here.” Fang's arm went around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. It should have made me feel safer, but I felt nothing but emptiness.
“Get someone to the hospital with the prospect. And clean that shit off my wall.” His chin jutted in the direction of the clubhouse before he turned to me. “Let’s get you inside, Sunflower, you don’t need to see that shit.”
I couldn't move even when he tried to lead me forward. My feet wouldn’t move. Fang paused. “Sunflower, there’s nothing you can do here, and me and you need to talk.”
I blinked at him stupidly. “I can’t leave Woof…” It was a lame excuse but the only one I had. That dog was my family. I treated him like my child. He had been my one constant in some of the worst times of my life and he was out there.
Somewhere…
“Gypsy, look at me.” There was a note of impatience in Fang’s voice. I tilted my face to him slowly. It felt like I was drugged, moving through thick sludge. Nothing seemed to be working right. “Baby, we will find him, ok? But I need you to come with me now.”
Mutely, I nodded.
He wanted to talk to me. And nothing ever good came after those words. Panic trailed an ice-cold finger down my spine. Fang was either about to tell me to take a hike, that I was bringing too much trouble to his door or...
“If you want to end things just…”
“What?” For a second he looked genuinely puzzled. “What the fuck are you talking about? End it? I don’t want to end anything. We just need to talk about what is happening. No one is ending anything and you aren’t going anywhere either.” His eyes found mine and held them. It was impossible to look away. “Is that understood?” With his arm around my shoulders, he led me into the cool confines of the clubhouse. Bypassing the common room and kitchen, he didn’t pause until he reached his closed bedroom door.
If he didn’t want to end things but wanted to talk, it meant he knew. Or at least he thought he did. I didn’t know what was worse. Him ending it or the conversation we would have to have if he knew the truth about me.
“You know, don't you?” I paused as the door swung open.
I couldn't go in there and have that particular conversation. I wasn’t strong enough even on a good day, and it had definitely not been a good day. Well, it had started well, but it was heading for tragedy.
Fang crushed me to his chest. His lips slid across mine as he walked us back into the room and kicked shut the door behind us.
“Yes, I know,” he whispered against my lips. “Daniella.”
* * *
His eyes crinkledat the corners when he saw me awake. “Back with me?”
“Fuck.” I tried to sit up and he pushed me back down, his hands firm but oddly gentle. “Did I faint?”
“Just for a minute - scared the living shit out of me. Don’t do that again.”
I tried to smile as he chuckled, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't pretend to be happy anymore. Not when it was all about to be in the open.
“How long have you known?”
“About you being someone else? Not long.” Fang sighed heavily. “How you were running from something bad?” He shrugged his wide shoulders. “Probably from the moment I saw you at the side of the road. I know when someone is being hunted, Sunflower, it shows in their eyes and you are definitely hunted.”
I shook my head. “Not hunted, Fang, haunted is a better word for what is happening to me.” I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. “How much did Bobby tell you?”
Bobby, the traitorous bastard. I had told him things in drunken confidence.
Catching my scowl, Fang pressed his thumb to my lips. “Don’t be too mad at him. I threatened to break his fingers if he didn’t tell me what he knew, and after that, it was easy to get Cyber to dig into the name on the paperwork for the bar.”
He had threatened to break Bobby’s fingers? And who the hell was Cyber?
“You’ve seen Cyber, he's the one with all the tattoos.”
I nodded, still not able to remember. Not that it mattered right then anyway.
