Page 36 of Bleed Me

“Giver, she’s locked in this biker world as much as you are.”

“Nope. You’re wrong. She is the sister of the Prez. I’m disposable. No need to drag her heart to hell with me when they finally smarten up and shoot my ass.”

A gasp escaped Justice who was standing in my now open doorway, holding a bottle of water for me.

I covered my face with both of my hands. “Justice. Please don’t do this shit to me right now.”

“Whatever you say, Giver.” She tossed Saint the bottle of water and sat on the end of my bed, not wanting to be close to me.

I stared at her, so sad she was angry with me for trying to protect her.

“Think you can sit up?” asked Saint, changing my focus.

Deciding to leave her alone, I nodded and tried, but as soon as I was up from the ground, my vision blurred.

“James.” Justice rushed to my side, laying me back down.

Blinking, I tried to clear my sight. “Maaaaybe I need a minute.”

She pulled my hand to her mouth and kissed it, over and over. “Please be okay. I’ll stop being an asshole.”

My voice cracked as I patted my chest. “She’s not the only one here.”

“I know.” She kissed my hand. “I know.” She looked to Saint. “Why is this happening? He’s been doing fine.”

With me flat on the ground and safe, he sat back. “I’m no doc, but I can tell you what I’ve researched and experienced. There are triggers, connections, and a change in security.” He pointed to her. “You two don’t need to fess up to me about what’s happening here, but it’s affecting him. I watch you two.”

“No,” I groaned.

He ignored me. “This ‘friendship’ brings stability for him.”

Delilah… After she became my savior, I changed. I couldn’t bear going through it all over again, possibly hurting Justice.

My breath caught in my throat. Justice kissed my hand again. “James. Please. Let me in.”

Adamantly, I chuckled. “You’re being an asshole again.”

Playfully, she smacked me. “It’s because you make me crazy.”

“Crazy?” I gestured to my present situation. “Too soon, babe.”

All three of us laughed since we were on the floor and I was most definitely a nut job.

Once the laughter died down, Saint quietly told me, “Justice and the club being a safe place for you may also be a trigger of sorts. It sounds like you’ve been close to someone, a girl, once.” When I refused to speak of Delilah, he continued, “I’m my girl’s safety net. That is how I broke through her memory loss. But, once I did,” his eyes slammed shut, and he swallowed over and over, “it was brutal.” His eyes opened and stared at Justice. “He will need you like never before, if I’m right.”

She paled. “Right about what?”

“More memories to come.”

Silence lingered as I thought of that man over my young body. My stomach turned. I could feel the blood draining from my face.

Justice leaned her forehead to mine. Her long ponytail caressed my face as she said, “Shhhh. By your side is where I will be.”

Not for the first time, I wanted her mouth on mine. I wanted to escape in her beauty and let her steal me away from a past that was rapidly catching up to me, but I couldn’t let that happen. Not only was I clearly unstable, if I were ever caught with my illegal identity, I didn’t want her implicated. Plus, Justice was a damn good woman who deserved a good man, not a kid who had just recently turned eighteen.

Saint’s voice became strained. “Jamie lost her memory, completely. She didn’t even know who she was. When the memories finally started coming back, they flooded her.”

With Justice’s face still hovering over mine, I told him, “I don’t think I can survive it.”