Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
“We get you out of here as soon as possible, and I get you home.”
“And you?” I asked quietly. I hated how vulnerable my voice sounded. Now that I’d finally given in to him, I didn’t want to be apart from him. Even now, just with him touching my neck and fingering my collar, my head was blissfully quiet, and I didn’t feel so on edge.
“What about me, baby?” he asked, lifting his gaze to meet mine.
I swallowed thickly, forcing myself to be vulnerable for just a moment, even if it made my skin crawl. “Are you going back to Washington?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nah, baby. I’m wherever you are, Shadow.”
22
Rurik
Denis eased the SUV to a stop as close to the front doors of the clubhouse as he could before shutting the engine off. I turned my gaze from my laptop and focused on Malik. He’d fallen asleep not long after we left the hospital, and he still hadn’t woken up. The pain meds the hospital had him on had to be some good shit.
Silently, I closed my laptop and set it aside, then leaned over and brushed my fingers over the side of Malik’s neck, slipping my index finger beneath the thick chain. He shifted slightly before grunting, his brows pulling low in pain, but he continued sleeping.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to keep that other side of me locked down. I’d taken out the man who harmed him, and with time, the Savage Dreams MC would be taken care of, too. Until then, I just needed to wait patiently—something I prided myself on being able to do—and take care of Malik so he was healthy.
Eventually, I would need him to reach out to Kaleen and find out what the fuck happened and why a meeting hadn’t happened, but not yet. Not until Malik was a little more healed and not constantly doped up on pain pills.
Despite Kaleen being part of the rival crew, I was damn sure he wouldn’t turn his back on Malik. He didn’t strike me as that kind of man. Hell, he’d gone against his club to meet up with Malik. And from what I knew of the man, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be pleased that his friend had taken two bullets that had almost killed him—bullets that had been issued by the SDMC.
“Malik,” I murmured, gently tugging on the chain around his neck. “Come on, baby. Wake up. We’re home.”
He slowly peeled his eyes open and lifted his head off the window. Reaching up with his good arm since his other one was in a sling per my instructions since he couldn’t just seem to keep it fucking still, he rubbed at his tired eyes. Finally, he turned his head to look at me, and I slipped my finger beneath the chain on his neck again, loving the weight there. “You good?” I asked, running my eyes over his face.
“Mhm,” he grumbled. “Tired. Fuck these meds.”
I chuckled. “You need them.” Abram, one of the soldiers, opened Malik’s door then, and I tugged on his chain when he angled to get out. “Wait,” I ordered. “Don’t move.”
He didn’t put up an argument. He did arch an eyebrow at me, but he stayed quiet and obediently sat still.
Good boy.
He was learning.
Denis opened my door, and I slid out before walking around to Malik’s side. Holding my hand out, I beckoned him to place his hand in mine. When he did, I helped him out of the SUV. Once he was on his feet, I laced our fingers together, then led him inside the clubhouse. Chet and William were sitting on the couch, and Chet was napping with his head resting on William’s shoulder. William tipped his chin up at me in greeting but didn’t say a word, ever the silent one.
Hyram was at the bar pouring himself a drink, and he lifted the bottle of whiskey in his hand in greeting. “Welcome home, brother,” he said, directing his words to Malik.
Malik grunted in response, still not awake enough to form anything coherent. Malachi was sitting in a computer chair in front of the TV, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he shot at a bunch of zombies. I wasn’t sure he was even aware we were there because he didn’t look away from the screen.
“Headset,” Malik told me. I looked at him, arching a brow in question. He gestured at Malachi. “He has a headset in his ears. Completely zones out when he’s got them fucking things in. Fucking building could collapse around him, and as long as that game didn’t turn off, he’d never know.”
I snorted. Nolan, who had served in the military with Konrad and Shaw, stepped out of the chapel, a tablet in his hand. He held it up and nodded once at us. “Come sit in the chapel. The guys and I have done some talking, and Hyram and I want to catch you guys up.”