“Steady, Princess,” I murmur, softly stroking my fingers along her jaw.
“El-Ellis.”Her voiceis nothing more than a rasp, scratchy andbarely audible, but, goddamn, if it isn’t the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.“You’re h-here?”
“I’m here. You’re safe.”I say those four words over and over again while Patch finishesgetting her ready for transport.
I expected her to be shaking, sniffling, and sobbing, butshe’s almost... detached
“Shock,” Patch says, telling me I must’ve spoken my concerns out loud.
“Is hedead?” Scarlet asks. Somehow,her hoarsevoice is both the most heartbreaking and beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.
“He can never hurt you again,” I assure her, wishing like hell I could hold her in my arms.
“Do you promise?” She tries to keep her voice neutral, but I can hear the thread of fear interwoven intoher words.
“I swear it to you, Princess.”
“Okay, good.” She nods once before her face crumples. “I just want...”
“What, Scarlet? Tell me and I’ll make it happen.”
“I want to go home.” Tears fill her eyes, blazing twin paths down her swollen, blood-smeared cheeks. “I want my mom.”
Oh shit. Her mom.“Don’t worry, I’ll get everything sorted. Promise.” I don’t know how just yet, but I will—one way or another. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”
She narrows her eyes and winces, the motion splitting the cut near her eye.
I hold my hands up and amend my previous statement. “Everything'sgoing to beokay.Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but you’re strong as hell, and I know you’ll overcome this. And I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.”
“Should be good togo,”Patch says.“If it's okay with you, I'd like tofollow you back in case she takes a turn. Once we get to your place, I can get an IV in her and do a morethoroughexam.”
I glance toward Scarlet, whose eyelids are already drooping under the weight of her exhaustion. “Are you sure?” I ask.
“Wouldn’t have offered if he wasn’t,” Silas says.
“Too right.” I fish my keys from my pocket and toss them to Patch. “Bring my truck back here so we can load her up?”
He pockets them and stalks out of the dilapidated storage unit,a man on a mission.
“What about—” Itip my head toward Clint’s body.The fucker died with a smirk on his face, like hetruly thoughthe was going to best me. The sight of it sends a fresh surge of anger through me, making me want to kill his sorry ass all over again.
“We’vegot it handled. You worry about your girl—” Hewaitsfor me to argue, but we both knowhe’sright. Scarlet’s mine, and shealways willbe. “We’ll handle everything else.”
“I-I’m not...” I trip over my tongue, trying to find the right words. “I’m not patched in, or even a prospect. Are you... are you sure?”
“Goddamn positive.” His reply is swift and leaves no room for argument. “You may not wear our patch, but the same sense of loyalty andintegrity we require of all our brothers runs through your veins.You’reone of us in spirit, and we protect our own.”
“Fuck, man.” A sense of brotherhood, belonging, and gratitude like I’ve never felt before wraps itself around me. “Thank you. I-I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“No repayment necessary, Wilder.” He thumps his chest. “Like I said, we protect our own.”
There’snothing I can say to adequately express my thanks, so I settle for a nod before giving my focus back to Scarlet, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest like a hawk.
Today was fucking hard.ButI’mnotnaïveenough to think the days thatcomewon’tbe harder. Her physical injuries maynot be severe, but the emotional ones—they’regoing to take some time.
THIRTY-NINE
SCARLET
