Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
She opened her mouth to say something, most likely to protest or demand I allow her to join me in the shower, but Joey pulled her into him. “Give him a little bit of time, sweet girl. He needs to wash up and get his head together.”
She didn’t look happy about it, but she acquiesced. I slipped past them and went straight back to our room. I stripped in the bathroom and didn’t bother turning the shower on until I was already inside. The cold water jolted me a little more awake, and I grunted, forcing myself to begin bathing while I waited on it to warm up.
The bullet graze on my shoulder and the gash in my forehead burned like a bitch as I washed my hair and cleaned myself up, but I just gritted my teeth and forced myself through it. I’d let Elaina play doctor once I was clean and no part of the other side of my life could touch her.
The bathroom door opened, and I opened my eyes to see Elaina standing there, her hands clasped in front of her. Joey sighed, popping up behind her. “Couldn’t keep her away for long,” he explained.
“I’m almost done,” I told Elaina. “Can you get the first aid kit and start me a hot bath?”
Silently, she nodded and began running the bath, adding Epsom salt to it for me before she gathered the first aid kit. Joey turned to the side, leaning his back against the doorjamb and closing his eyes. No doubt, he was tired. I imagined he wasn’t getting much sleep between the club, Elaina, and Antonio. It was a lot for one man to handle on his own, though he never once complained, even when I knew he was at his wits end with everything.
Joey had zero patience, and when Elaina was lost because I was gone, I knew it drove him to the edge.
I stepped out of the shower and immediately made my way over to the tub, sinking into the hot water. I groaned, my muscles already beginning to relax.
“How do you expect me to tend to your wounds?” Elaina asked, frowning down at me from the side of the tub, the first aid kit in her hands.
I reached forward and took the first aid supplies from her, setting them on the side of the tub. “You’ll strip, get in here with me, and play doctor that way, little one. Now strip.”
Her cheeks colored. Joey stepped up behind her and helped her out of her clothes before grabbing her hands and holding her steady as she stepped into the tub. Then I took over, grasping her hips to help her down to straddle me. My cock stiffened, rubbing against her belly, but I ignored it. I seriously was not alert enough to have sex with her.
“What happened out there?” Joey asked me.
“Rebels,” I spoke up as Elaina set to work on my shoulder. She tensed in my arms, and I rubbed my palms down her back, hoping to soothe her. “I got word they were rising up and creating a disturbance within local communities. Burning down houses. Robbing stores.” I’d told him some of what was happening, but it got worse once I went radio silent.
“Christ,” Joey grumbled. Elaina shifted a little, trying to get a better angle on my shoulder, so I turned my upper body a little. She shot me a small, thankful smile. I just brushed my hand along her lower back.
“They went hiding out in the mountains. That was about when I went radio silent. Couldn’t risk communication with anyone, but it wasn’t like I had service anyway. We camped out off the grid. Finally came across them yesterday. Took them out, made examples out of them, and then I rode directly here.”
“You should have rested,” Elaina said, drawing my eyes back to her and away from where I’d been blankly staring at the ceiling. Shit, I needed sleep.
I shook my head at her. “No. I wanted to be here, and you needed me here, little one.”
She sighed and moved from my shoulder to my face. “You should get stitches in this,” she told me.
I shook my head. “Not leaving to go to the hospital. Do what you can. I’ll live. I just want to relax and sleep.”
She huffed, obviously not happy with my decision, but oh well. I didn’t do hospitals. Fucking hated them, honestly. I avoided them at all costs.
Joey got up, looking down at his phone. “I need to check on some things.” He leaned over the tub and tilted Elaina’s head up with his finger under her chin. “Stay with Alejandro, you hear me? I’ve got Antonio.”
She nodded. He brushed their lips together before leaving the bathroom. I gently squeezed Elaina’s hips. “You about done, little one? I’m ready to crawl into bed.”