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Connor pales at the sight of me. “Babe,” he chokes out. He steps through the doorway, fists clenched. “Jesus Christ, your face.”
“Connor,” I say shakily. “How did you find out—?”
“Black called me.”
“Oh. Of course.” My hand goes up self-consciously to my face. “Does it look bad?”
Connor shakes his head impatiently. “You look beautiful. Don’t worry about that. Does it hurt?”
“It’s okay.” I say, trying to sound braver than I feel. “They numbed me up.”
He looks like he wants to destroy something. “Who did this to you, baby? Did you recognize him?”
“No.” My gut twists as I make myself not say any more. It’s not a lie, of course; I didn’t recognize the man. But I can’t tell Connor what he said to me. Not right now, in front of my colleagues. I don’t want to bring the drama of my life back into their minds.
Chantal comes in as Elsher is finishing up. “Kat, you’re off the clock,” she tells me in a brisk voice tinged with worry. “Take the rest of the day to take it easy and relax.”
I blink. “Are you sure?”
“Positively. We’ve got your shift covered. Don’t worry, okay? Just take the time and rest up. You must be pretty shaken up.”
I don’t argue with her, even though I know my absence will leave the department short-staffed. I let Connor lead me out of the hospital and into the parking garage. “Sorry, I came here on my bike,” he tells me as we walk toward his Harley. “It was faster to get here.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “I’m fine, really. Just a little shaken up.”
I climb on behind him and we ride back to the clubhouse. Connor takes me to his president Magnus, and his vice-president Norse. There, I finally break down and tell them the full story about the man who sliced my face, and the message he told me.
“Jesus,” Magnus hisses. “What kind of man does something like this to his own sister?”
“I’m not convinced it was Quad who sent him,” I protest, hoping like hell it’s the truth. “Maybe it was Hooch behind it. Maybe he told that guy to say it was my brother.”
Connor and the other men don’t say much. I can tell they don’t agree. They communicate with each other mostly through eye contact while I’m in the room.
“I’m taking her back to my place,” Connor finally says, putting his arm around my shoulders. “She needs to rest.”
“You should keep her here,” Norse tells him. “Be safer. Easier for us to keep an eye on her at the clubhouse.”
Connor considers this. “You might be right. Can’t have her at my place if I’m not there to make sure she’s okay. Even with a bodyguard.”
Even though I’m shaken up and still trying to make sense of everything that has happened, the way they’re talking about me like I’m not even here is starting to piss me off. “Can you not talk about me like I’m not part of the decision?” I complain.
“She’s gettin’ her sass back, that’s for sure,” Magnus remarks.
“Okay, I’m gonna set her up in one of the apartments,” Connor growls, ignoring my outburst. He stands up and holds out his hand. “Come on, Kat.”
He leads me out of Magnus’s office and down a hallway of closed doors. “Can you not talk about me with your friends like I’m not even there?” I complain as he pulls me along. “And what was going on back there? It felt like there were things you weren’t telling me.”
“Nothing to worry yourself about.” Connor’s voice is tight. “Club business.”
“Connor,” I repeat.
“What?” he snaps back.
“Don’t bark at me.” I shoot him a glare. “And don’t hide things from me. This is about me. This ismybusiness.”
He shakes his head. “Can’t promise you that, babe. Sometimes it’s for your own good.”
This sucks. I want to yell at him. I want to scream that it’s not fair. That he’s treating me like a child. But I know it’s no use. It won’t change his mind. Instead, he opens a door and beckons for me to step inside. It’s dark inside, but as my eyes start to adjust I see it’s an empty studio apartment.
