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“You don’t think she stayed away.” It was obvious.
“No, and that worries me. Trish has a knack for trouble.”
She sure did. Grim had a right to worry.
“What you want me to do, pres?”
“Right now?” he asked, his jaw clenching. “Nothing.” He rose to his feet and walked toward the doors of the chapel as I stood. “That may change soon.”
“If it does, I’m counting on you to let me know.”
He didn’t confirm or deny it, but I knew I’d hear from Grim when he was ready.
Chapter 10 – Azrael
I was a goddamn fool.
Riding out alone, I had stopped at a local bar for a drink. Pissed off and agitated, I let my temper get the best of me. Five minutes later I was on the ground in a fight with a bunch of drunks. None of them were even in an MC. What a joke.
When one of the stupid fuckers pulled a knife, I thought I’d play the hero. Ended up cut befor
e I broke the blade and sent them all running. Didn’t realize how badly I’d been stabbed until the pain and loss of blood made me feel woozy.
Holding onto my side, I straddled my bike, wincing as the movement pulled at the layers of skin slashed during the scuffle. Blood dripped between my fingers and began soaking into my t-shirt, slowly spreading as I felt the denim dampen on my thighs.
Fuck.
I managed to keep my bike upright as I fired it up and hauled ass back toward Tonopah. The thought of stopping at Nylah’s house was too tempting to resist. She was a nurse. I was losing too much blood to make it back to the Crossroads before passing out. I’d never survive the ride.
My vision was already beginning to fade as I rode up on her driveway and it took every ounce of focus that I had to push the kickstand down and kill the engine. The keys nearly slipped from my fingers as I stood and swayed, walking toward her front door. It opened as I stepped onto her wraparound porch, grabbing the pillar to my right before I face planted on the wooden boards. I could swear I saw four images of that sexy little nurse overlapping one another.
“Rael!”
Her frantic voice brought me back from the edge and I swung forward with momentum, nearly crashing right into her. “Need you,” I whispered, shaking the fog from my head.
“Shit,” she cursed as she tried to help me over to her couch.
I was afraid I’d fall down or crush my newest obsession. I’d purposely ridden by her house as often as I could since I found out where she lived. Maybe I was more than a little obsessed . . .
I landed on Nylah’s couch with a thud, my ass frozen in place. There was no way I could move. I was fighting the urge to close my eyes and never open them again. Blood streaked across her floor and dripped onto her sofa as I gazed upward and into the prettiest blue eyes I’d ever seen.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Nowhere else to go.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” She sounded worried, not pissed. That was good.
“I’ll buy you a new couch.” She’d never get these stains out.
Nylah snorted. “I hated it anyway.” She lifted my shirt and inhaled sharply. “How in the hell were you stabbed?”
“Unlucky, I suppose.”
She began muttering nonsense under her breath. She might have been right in her observations as she berated me for being reckless and stupid. I was far too enthralled by the way her blonde hair shined in the light and how her slender fingers worked quickly and with confidence. She knew what she was doing. I sucked in a breath as she cleaned the wound, wondering when she left to gather supplies. I must have closed my eyes once or twice. Whenever I felt myself slipping away, I heard her sweet, soft voice bringing me back.
My reality shifted and I knew I was losing this battle as everything started to grow darker. I wasn’t sure when I switched from saying Nylah’s name to Willow’s. I just knew the moment the pain ceased, and I felt a freedom I hadn’t felt in over six years . . .
“Ian!”
Willow’s giggle caused my own laugh to burst forth. “You’re not faster than me!” I shouted, catching up to her and cutting her off, triumphant as I beat her to the end of the park’s trail. As I turned, my smile faded as I saw her on the ground, clutching at a skinned knee.
