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“I’m good.”
She stared for another second, then turned to Mandy. “Her lungs seem clear, but we’ll keep her overnight for observation and run a few more tests.”
The nurse left the cubicle, and Mamba approached the bed. Mandy’s eyes flickered open, and his chest tightened. The bed dwarfed her body, and he fought the urge to gather her in his arms.
He leaned over one of the bars alongside the bed and clasped her hand in his. “Nurse says you’re gonna be okay.”
“They don’t think the smoke damaged my lungs or I was unconscious long enough to cause any other complications.”
“Thank fuck for that.” Mamba squeezed her hand, happy to be near her, even if it was in an emergency room. On the ride to the hospital, he’d decided they’d never be separated again and wanted to commit to Mandy. This weekend, he’d tell the Serpents about making her his ol’ lady. Mamba wasn’t sure of Cobra’s reaction, but his mind was made up. He doubted Mandy would be going back home after what Ajax pulled, which worked out perfectly. She could move in with him at the Gold Mine, and they’d take it from there with the Serpents’ protection.
Yeah, he had a good feeling—finally, his life would come together.
“I’ve come to a decision.” Mandy’s soft voice jarred him out of his thoughts.
Mamba’s lips tilted into a grin because he knew they were finally on the same page. “Yeah, me too. I wanna—”
“No, let me finish.” She stared at the bedsheet and twisted it in her fist. “Everything you said about Ajax was right. He only cares about his screwed-up version of respect and right and wrong. He’s so filled with hate that he can’t see anything else around him—nor does he care.”
“I know, babe.” Mamba unclenched her fist and laced their fingers together. “Jumping me at the warehouse, then locking you in that office. What he did to you was fucked up.”
“Yes, it was, but he’s not the only one to blame.”
“Don’t you dare try to take this on. This wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m not, I’m giving the other half to you.”
Mamba’s brows drew together.
“What Ajax did is unforgivable, but it was your club that set the body shop on fire.”
“It should’ve never gone down that way. I was so fuckin’ scared when Ajax said you were locked in there, then I saw those flames. I was helpless to save you. I would’ve lost my shit if anything happened to you.”
She snapped her head around to face him, her eyes on fire with pain and contempt. “All I hear is how you felt. I was the one trapped. The smoke billowing under the door and the ear-shattering explosions in the shop were terrifying. I was coughing and choking and gasping—struggling to breathe with no way out—crouched in a corner and overcome with the horrible fear of suffocating until I blessedly passed out. I . . .” Mandy turned her head away from him, her face pale as the sheet drawn over her fragile body.
“I know that, and you were locked in there because of Ajax.”
“And the shop was engulfed in flames because of the Serpents.” She mashed her lips together, daring him to deny it.
Mandy’s simple declaration silenced him.
Mamba reached for her hand, but she angled it away from him. He reasoned she was exhausted and would need time to get her strength back. Luckily, they were optimistic about her recovery, and she’d be feeling better by tomorrow. Then he could talk to her about their future.
Yeah, she just needed time to recuperate, that’s all.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Exhaustion hit Mamba hard as he parked his bike in the lot at the Gold Mine. What a fuck up of a night—gearing up for a fight that never happened and getting jumped by Ajax and his asshole sidekick, Blaze. Then he got the shit scared out of him when he realized Mandy was locked in the body shop. Thank fuck, the firefighters got her out in time, but he could still see those raging flames and smell the smoke fumes billowing out of the building. Thewhat-ifssent a shiver up his spine.
He’d already texted Cobra about Mandy, and tomorrow would be soon enough to straighten shit out and set something in motion to run the Marauders out of Vegas. Ajax turned into a loose cannon who couldn’t be trusted, and the times of the Serpents and the Marauders co-existing in Vegas were over.
Now he just wanted to head up the back stairs to his apartment. He longed for a nice hot shower to wash away the smell of smoke, ease his tense muscles, and then pop a few Advil. Maybe the paramedic was right about his arm because it developed a pulse of its own, and right now, it was tender as fuck.
A half-hour later, his head hit the pillow, and he fell asleep thinking about claiming Mandy as his ‘ol lady.
* * *
The next morning, Mamba’s alarm buzzed at seven a.m. He put his usual run and workout on hold because his arm was killing him. Maybe he’d have someone look at it when he went to see Mandy today.
