Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 121153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
I owed him more than he got from me.
“I haven’t got any medical supplies,” I said to Slash.
“Smiler has them in his room. Said they used to be yours anyway.”
“What does he mean?” Bella asked.
I dropped my head. “I used to be a healer, I suppose. Back at The Pasture, I was taught medicine. When I lived with the Hangmen, I was kind of their doctor. Not officially, but I could deal with lighter stuff. Stuff that happens a lot in this life—their life,” I corrected myself.
Bella’s blue eyes shone with a new kind of pride. “You are a healer? Why did you never tell me?”
I shrugged with embarrassment. “It was in my past, baby. Just never thought of it as my life anymore.” Bella threaded her hands through mine. She always had my fucking back.
Slash pulled up to the clubhouse. I froze.
“I can’t go in there, Slash.” The kid swallowed nervously. “Do the brothers know I’ve been called? Does the prez know? He will go apeshit if he sees me here. His orders were clear—I have to stay the fuck away.”
“He told me to come get you,” Slash said.
“Rider,” Bella said dubiously. I could see the immediate concern on her face, in her soft voice. She didn’t want me to go in.
Bull appeared at the door of the truck and yanked it open. “You’re needed,” he said coldly. “Get the fuck out. Keep your fuckin’ head down and don’t do anythin’ you’re not asked to.”
I took a deep breath, then followed him. The built Samoan looked ready to lose his shit.
I rushed through the bar. I felt the hard stares of the brothers who were in there, but I kept my eyes forward. My heart slammed in my chest as I ran down the hallway to Smiler’s room. I burst in the door and saw him on the bed. Someone had stripped him of his leathers, and his right side was torn the fuck up. “Shit,” I said as I walked over. I met his eyes. “What the fuck happened?”
He hissed in pain. “Aquaplaned.”
I frowned at Smiler, because the rider I knew him to be wouldn’t have fucking aquaplaned.
“You need to fix him. You need to fix him quick so we can get you the fuck out,” Bull said. Bella stood at the doorway, always close by.
Bull stepped closer to me. I knew he would make me move if I didn’t myself. I rushed to my medical bag, which was still on Smiler’s dresser. I set to work, relying on fucking autopilot, years of experience taking control. As I fixed up Smiler’s cuts and stitched up his split skin, something inside of me began to click.
I used to love doing this shit. I was good at this.
I felt like it was me.
Someone entered the room. I looked up and saw Styx blocking the doorway. I hadn’t seen him in two weeks. I froze when he met my eyes.
He wore the same murderous glare on his face as he always did when he looked at me. “You’re here ‘cause there was no one else,” he signed. His teeth ground together and the muscles in his neck strained. It was killing him to have me here in this club.
I understood.
“This don’t mean nothin’. After today the same rules apply. You get the fuck back to your cabin and don’t return. You’ll only survive about two minutes in this clubhouse if you even fuckin’ think of weaseling your way back in. You gettin’ me? You fix him then fuck off.”
I nodded and resumed my work on Smiler. Styx disappeared a few minutes later. Bella stood just outside the door. But she still hovered close.
Thirty minutes later, I’d patched Smiler up as much as I could. Everyone else was in the bar. “There,” I said, putting the medical bag back on the dresser. “That should do for now.”
“Thanks,” Smiler said.
“You might wanna get someone to re-dress them for you tomorrow.”
Smiler shook his head. “Nah, you can just come back.”
“Smiler. That ain’t gonna happen. Don’t push it,” I warned, but he closed his eyes, blocking me out.
“Need to sleep. I’m fuckin’ beaten and bruised from that fall.” I narrowed my eyes, still questioning how the fuck someone of his skill had aquaplaned. Just as I turned to go out the door, I looked back and saw Smiler watching me. He smirked and winked.
Then I knew . . . the fucker took a dive. I shook my head, not believing it was true, that he’d pull a stupid stunt like that just to get me involved again. But when Smiler’s smirk turned into a grin, I saw the confirmation on his face.
He had.
I cleared my throat as I tried to deal with what he’d just revealed. But Smiler’s pain meds looked like they were kicking in. The brother was snoring within seconds.