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“I’m sorry, Clink.”
I whipped my head up and scowled. “Don’t start. You didn’t do shit. This wasn’t your fault.”
When she flashed me a dirty look, my head jerked back, surprised.
“It’s not yours either. You told me to stay put and if I did as you’d asked, or at least called you, this never would’ve happened. I… I shouldn’t have run off. I was scared for Tyson and–”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Or going to help him. This whole situation is fucked, and I know I’m partially to blame, whether you want to admit that or not.” Tyson nudged me, reminding me of the conversation we had earlier. If we kept playing the blame game, Sam would never let herself off the hook. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
“We can do this all night, but I don’t think it’ll do us any good. How about instead we have a fresh start?” I thrust my hand out at her. “Hey, I’m Eric. I’m an addict in recovery and my friends think I’m a shithead. I think you’re hot as fuck and I’d really like to take you to dinner. Or something.”
She burst into giggles and the noise was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. All the pain and fear, all the anxiety and fury, it was all set aside because of her. She made me feel better and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in to capture the sound with my lips.
She melted against me, bypassing my hand to clutch my cut instead. When she drew back, resting her forehead against mine, she smiled brightly at me. “Hi. I’m Sam. I’ve got trust issues and my biological family is made up of assholes. I think you’re cute, and I’d love to go to dinner. I’m starving.”
Like she was listening in, Riley pushed into the room with a tray of hospital food, a smile on her face. “You two are so cute. I’m not allowed to bring food for the family, but I did sneak a few extra jello cups in there.”
We spent the rest of the night hanging out with Sam, making sure she was okay. She was in good spirits, but I could see the anxiety flash across her face every time Tyson or I got up, even if we didn't go far. I didn’t mention it, and neither did Tyson, but when visiting hours were over, we straight up refused to leave. I climbed into bed with Sam and Tyson took the chair nearby, moving it close enough so that he could hold her hand. Doc looked pissed, but Riley just shook her head and nudged him out the door. We weren’t going anywhere, and she knew it.
After she fell asleep, I stared at the ceiling for a while. Sam said something earlier that kept crossing my mind. Yeah, I had some serious shit to deal with, but I wasn’t alone. She had her own fucked up past and her own baggage. We both had shit we needed to overcome. It might’ve been a little selfish, but it made me feel better that I wasn’t the only one who needed work. At least together, I knew we could do damn near anything.
CHAPTER 41
CLINK
It took some convincing after Sam got settled back at the clubhouse for her to feel comfortable with me leaving. In any other circumstance, I would’ve outright refused. But there was something I needed to deal with. Or more specifically, someone. I asked the old ladies and Tyson to keep her occupied and headed out to the old gas station on the outskirts of town. A good deal of the crew was already there, and I knew they wouldn’t finish him off without me.
When I stepped inside, Knox was getting his turn with Hammer. The asshole attacked Allie while she was in California and pissed off one fucked up dude. Knox had a thing for burning people, and based on the look on Hammer’s face, he wasn’t enjoying it. His teeth were gritted, sweat pouring down his face, his skin all red. Well, what portion of it that wasn’t swollen and bruised anyway.
I stepped up beside Croy, my eyes locked on Hammer. “What’d I miss?”
He grunted, his arms crossed. “Plenty. We’ve been at it for hours.” I thought for a minute he was pissed that I wasn’t here earlier until he spoke again. “She okay?”
“She’ll be alright. She’s with the ol’ ladies.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “She gonna get her own title?”
A smile pulled, and my lips and I shrugged. “Eventually. She’s been through hell. I’m gonna give her a bit before making it official. Is it my turn?”
When he dipped his chin once, I stepped forward, putting a hand on Knox’s shoulder. He glanced up at me, smirking when he saw the dark look on my face. “I was wondering when you’d get here. Thought I’d have to drag this out a little longer.”
I wouldn’t be the last one. That honor went to Croy. This shit all started when Hammer attacked Riley. Sam wasn’t the only one who nearly died at the hands of this asshole. But they knew I’d want a piece of him, and when he finally looked up and saw his next opponent, a flash of fear crossed his face.
I shot him a bored look, pursing my lips. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been in this room together. You remember how I liked to do this?”
Based on the look on his face, I could say he did, but I pretended not to notice, a slow grin crossing my face. “No? Well, I’ll just have to remind you.” I leaned in close while the guys set us up. “This is what you get for coming for my girl. I’m gonna draw this out. Make it last. And when I’m done, you know who comes next, don’t you?”
Croy and Reaper stood behind me, glaring down at Hammer. He looked defeated, his chin dropping to his chest. I nodded, a mock frown on my face.
“Yeah. You fucked up big time. But hey, look at the bright side. It’ll all be over soon. Well… maybe not soon. A few days? A week. Who knows? I kinda wanna see how long we can drag this out.”
His head whipped up and his eyes bulged out of his skull, making me snicker.
“You didn't think this would be quick, did you? Nah, man. You messed with the old ladies. That makes you a walking corpse. Not only that, but you killed Mass. And for that, we’re gonna keep you just on the edge of death for as long as humanly possible. This has been a long time coming. Time to reap what you sowed and all that bullshit.”
Taking the cattle prod from Brewer, I spun it in my fingers. “I wonder if I shove this up your ass if you’ll cry. You told Sam you liked it when they cried, right? Let’s see if we can give you what you want.”
* * *
