The kid groaned, pulling his knees as close to his chest as he could. “You told me…you’d help.”
“Yeah, we are. When was your last hit?”
“Three days ago. I think.” The kid quickly shifted to his knees, throwing up in the dirt in front of him. Whatever he’d taken, there was nothing left, but it was clear the kid hadn’t eaten in just as long.
Grizz patted the kid’s back. “It’s alright. Get it out.”
Once it was over, the kid flopped back onto his side, worn-out.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Kyle,” he coughed.
“Well, Kyle, I’m Thunder, and the bun is Grizz. We’re going to lift you to your feet and get you to a bed. It won’t be the most comfortable, but you need to be there until this passes.”
“I should go.” He tried to stand, but his knees gave out.
“No, let me help you. Scrub is a doctor. He works nights, so as soon as he gets up, he’ll come check you out and give us a game plan,” Grizz chimed in.
“I don’t have any money.” Kyle’s eyes widened, and if he had had any strength, he probably would have taken off.
“I didn’t ask you for any,” Grizz chided. We picked Kyle up, but it was like dragging dead weight. He could barely stand, but Grizz and I stayed with him, giving him words of encouragement every time he wanted to collapse. No matter where I looked, the kid was nothing but a stack of bones. I wasn’t sure Kyle would make it through the night.
Chapter 13
Laid Bare
Elizabeth
I took a nap after the visit with the girls. I had enjoyed their company, but their conversation was almost as fast as the men’s. They would have slowed down if I had said something, but this was my issue to deal with, not theirs.
It was refreshing, but when I woke, I didn’t feel like joining whoever was in the main room. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, and no one would have said anything about my pajama pants. I loved the noise, but I was too comfortable, buried in bed, lying on Thunder’s pillow. It smelled like him, wrapped in my arms like a security blanket. It was nice having someone to share the end of the day with. We often talked at night, rehashing our days, and if I were being honest, I looked forward to it.
The door opened slowly, and Thunder appeared in the opening. He waited until he could see that I was awake before storming into the room. I couldn’t prop my head on my arm—it would hurt too badly—so I said hello and waited. What I didn’t expect was for him to throw his club cut onto the hook by the door and rip his shirt over the top of his head.
Stop ogling him.Ever since our honeymoon, something had shifted, and I didn’t want it to stop. I was openly admiring my husband, and there was nothing to feel guilty about.
My eyes must have widened because he stopped, the shirt wrapped around his neck. “Do you remember when the police arrested Grizz and the boys?” he asked me.
I nodded. I didn’t remember all the details, but I knew enough.
“The kid showed up at the gate. High as a fucking kite.” Thunder stripped his shirt the rest of the way off, and I wasn’t sure where to look. “Grizz offered to help him kick the habit, so now he’s downstairs, throwing up all over the fucking place. I can smell it on me, so I’m going to shower.” Thunder opened the buckle of his belt, dropping his pants to the floor. He wasn’t paying any attention to me.
I was enjoying every minute of this. His muscles flexed with each movement, and my eyes roamed over his stomach, his pecs, and down his arms, appreciating the years of hard work he must have put in.
His eyebrow raised when he caught me staring. “I smell too bad to steal a kiss, but come sit with me.” That was all he said as he headed for the ensuite, leaving the door open.
I heard the moment he turned the water on, but I didn’t move. I was curious what he’d been up to, and if I went in, all we would do was talk about the day. We were too old to let our hormones talk.
With my dog slippers on, I impulsively went into the ensuite bathroom. Thunder was moving around in the shower. I could see his outline through the curtain, but not well enough to distinguish anything. It made me braver as I sat on the toilet seat, stretching my legs out in front of me.
“Kid?” I asked.
“The kid downstairs? Scrub’s getting him settled. He’s lucky he made it to the gate. Didn’t look too good.”
I caught the outline of his arm as it pressed against the curtain before quickly disappearing. My cheeks flushed, my hand slowly creeping up to my neck.Would it be so bad if I pulled the curtain back and joined him?
A flick of water hit my face. “You looked like you needed a cool-down.” He laughed, letting the curtain slide back into place.
