“Flynn,” I protested. “I know you don’t believe in violence, and I never want you to kick someone’s ass for my sake ever again.”
“Who said anything about violence?” Flynn said. “There are other ways to make him hurt. But I’m fairly sure if he fucks this up, I won’t have to do anything at all to ensure he suffers.”
“You might be right about that,” Knight said ruefully.
“What?” I asked, not quite following the logic.
Flynn just grinned. “Put him to bed. I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Thanks, man,” Knight said. “For coming out. For getting me home.”
“Anytime.” Flynn tapped his heart. “We’re brothers, right?”
He wasn’t talking to me. This brotherhood was meant for Knight and other men like him, who’d gone to prison and come out the other side.
“Yeah,” Knight croaked. “Always.”
Flynn let himself out, and I pressed the ice pack to Knight’s ribs, making him flinch.
“Hold this in place,” Iordered.
“Anything you say, Doc.”
Well, at least he wasn’t too injured to tease me. I cleaned the cut on his lip and dabbed some ointment on it.
“Okay, how about some painkillers?”
“I like how you think.”
I smiled as I closed up my kit and stood. I went to the kitchen, glancing at the oven timer. Ten more minutes until it was done.
I got the pain meds and a glass of water. “Okay, let’s get you medicated and fed so I can get you into bed.”
“You going to take advantage of me in my wounded state, Doctor?”
“No,” I said, dropping the tablets into his hand. “I’m going to make you as comfortable as I can and watch you all night to make sure you don’t slip into a coma and die.”
“Sexy,” he said. “Your bedside manner is amazing, Angel.”
I laughed. “Just take your meds like a good boy.”
He popped the pills into his mouth and took the glass of water I offered. He tipped it to his lips and swallowed.
“There,” he said. “Where’s my reward?”
“Reward?”
“For taking my meds like a good boy.” He tapped his lips, the good side. “Kiss me all better?”
I rolled my eyes, knowing that Knight was trying to put me at ease by acting like everything was okay. His injuries had rattled me. Not because I thought they’d kill him—he was going to heal with some rest—but because of the viciousness of these biker assholes intent on getting him back.
I knew violent men. I’d been raised by one. They were unpredictable, uncontrollable. Animals, really.
I bent down and pressed a lingering kiss to the side of Knight’s mouth.
What I had with him was always meant to be temporary. I couldn’t keep him. I knew that.
But that didn’t mean those biker assholes could have him back.
