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“We’re here, gorgeous,” I murmured to my girl after parking in front of one of the bay doors to the garage owned by the club. We did normal automotive work, but our business was mostly known for our custom work on cars and bikes.
“Sorry, did I fall asleep again?” she asked sleepily as she sat up and stretched.
I opened my mouth, but she cut me off with a cute little glare. “We can argue about this tomorrow, Roman. Oh, look!” She pointed at the clubhouse entrance, where Karina and Lorelei stood and talked. “I’m going to go say hi!” She was out of the car like a shot, and I rolled my eyes at her little stall tactic. She could put it off for a bit, but I would win. When it came to her health and safety, I wouldn’t budge.
I exited the Jeep and slammed the door shut just as Cash called out to me. I lifted my chin and glanced over to check on Layla before ambling over to talk to Cash—who was clearly hovering to keep an eye on his woman.
At least we’ll look less like obsessed stalkers if we’re talking to each other, I thought with a chuckle.
Just as I walked up next to Cash, my eyes once again strayed toward my old lady.
Then my world blew the fuck up.
The sound of gunfire filled the air, and I watched in horror as a bullet missed Karina by inches, then two more shots rang out as all three women dropped to the ground. I was already running when I saw the pool of blood beneath Layla, and my heart felt like it was in a vise.
There was a flurry of activity around me as women and children were herded into the house, and my brothers secured the compound while tracking down the threat.
But I was only aware of the fact that Layla wasn’t moving. Lorelei rolled to her side, facing Layla lying on her stomach, and gently shook her shoulder, calling her name. But there was no response.
I finally reached Layla and scooped her into my arms as gently as possible while trying to be fast. Lorelei scrambled to her feet, assuring me she was unharmed, and we raced for the front door. My breath caught when I saw the blood-soaked fabric on Layla’s arm.
Then she moaned, and the oxygen whooshed from my lungs. “Ouch,” she muttered as she blinked up at me with a disgruntled expression. If I hadn’t been so terrified, I might have laughed.
“Patch is on his way to the clinic,” Scout called out as he stalked into the lounge behind us, heading down the hall to Mac’s office.
“I’m sure it’s just a scratch,” Layla sighed, grimacing when she tried to lift her arm.
“Don’t move,” I barked as I carried her through the clubhouse to a door that led into a small clinic attached to the side of the structure. It was set up to care for most situations and even had a surgical suite. Patch had demanded it be built after a few years of treating substantial wounds in one of the bedrooms.
When we entered, Amanda—Patch’s nurse and the sister of one of my club brothers—pointed at another door. “Take her into the exam room. Patch will be here in a few minutes.”
She followed us, and when I stood by the table holding my girl, she smiled gently. “You’re going to have to put her down so we can examine and treat her.”
I grunted, trying to think of a way for them to do all that with her still in my arms.
Layla patted my arm and gave me a weak smile. “It’s okay. You’ll be right by my side, Roman.”
She had no idea the effect she had on me when she said my name. It always sounded like velvet and made it difficult to tell her no. I sighed, long and loud, making it clear that I was giving in under protest.
I tenderly set her on the padded table and kissed her forehead.
“Just let me cut away her sleeve so it doesn’t get stuck from the clotting blood.” She retrieved a pair of shears from a drawer and quickly exposed Layla’s arm. Then she looked over Layla’s body to determine anywhere else she might have been injured. “Other than a few scrapes, her arm is the only place she sustained an injury.”
Thank fuck.
Patch hurried into the room, and Amanda handed him a pair of gloves before she scooted out of his way.
I took Layla’s hand but moved to the side so he had plenty of room to work. He asked her a series of questions as he examined the wound.
Finally, he stood and peeled off the latex gloves as he spoke to Layla. “The bullet went right through. It hit the fleshy part of your arm, so even though there was a lot of blood, the wound is relatively minor.”
