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With the door behind her, Riley looked around the space, setting down the man’s personal belongings.What had his brother called him?She tried remembering, but her mind was too full of what ifs and trying not to panic. Turning the tap on hot, she pumped soap into her hands. The smell of artificial citrus had her nose wrinkling.
Lather and rinse. Lather and rinse, she repeated in her head as she scrubbed her hands together under the hot water. It was on an infinite loop. Glancing in the mirror, her eyes gave away her emotions. She was pissed that two of her crew had tried to stop her from helping the man, angry that they would leave someone lying helpless in a dirty parking lot like an animal.
She understood they couldn’t be seen tailing the truck, but the situation had changed and there was no way she couldn’t do something to help. Even now, she had no idea if the guy would live or not. She didn’t know if her leaving the car had jeopardized the job. No one had called her, which told her she’d screwed up and would pay for it.
The water turned from red to dark pink to clear as she thought about what the payment would be. Watching the last of the blood-tinted water swirl down the drain, she thought about how life could end just that simply. Snapping off a few paper towels, she dried her hands.
Picking up the dog tags that laid on the counter, she ran her fingers over the name and numbers stamped into the metal.Just like mine.Slipping the chain over her neck, she grabbed the wallet and flipped it open. Pulling out the driver’s license, she read the name on it.Yuri Goraya.She pulled out a business card and lifted an eyebrow as she read the words printed in bold, black letters across the crisp white paper.The Gypsy Kings MC - Preacher.Riley froze as she realized he was one of the men from the warehouse.
“God, if I don’t make it out of here, shoot the blonde with the Glock first.”
“But he’s super smexy, Whip.”
Riley remembered the moment she saw him through her rifle’s scope. She remembered the comment from Whip and her reply. He was Mr. Smexy.Fuck!
Leaving the bathroom, she wanted to run fast, but cops were standing at the front desk. She saw the nurse point at her and sighed. This was why she shouldn’t have gotten involved. Meeting the two officers halfway, Riley pulled out her ID and waited for the interrogation to begin. She answered everything with basic information.
She told the cops the truth about not being the guy’s girlfriend. She omitted the part where Scout and Kit were witnesses. She gave a description of the truck and was honest when she told them the men had masks covering their faces. The officers left once her statement had been made and all questions were answered. She found a spot out of sight and settled against a wall while she waited for news on Yuri, or Preacher. Whichever name he went by, he was trouble for her.
Riley knew the moment the men walked in. She could hear people whispering. Looking around the corner, she saw a group of men looking around. Riley recognized a few of them from the warehouse, and she was thankful she didn’t look like the sniper from the landing tonight.
She knew when he’d spotted her. The man looked enough like the injured guy to be his brother. Both were tall, lean, and muscular. She saw his eyes wander over her and looked down at herself. Yep, she was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were stained with blood from helping his brother. Even her shoes had blood on them.
There was no question of who she was as Bones approached. She stood there, pale against a gray wall, covered in blood.Preacher’s blood.Walking across the Emergency Room, he stopped in front of the girl and introduced himself. “I’m Bones, Preacher’s brother.”
“Your brother was taken back immediately.” Riley looked toward the closed metal doors and wondered how he was doing. “They wouldn’t let me go with him.” Her eyes met Bones’s. “You should check, maybe they’ll let you go back.” She was rambling but couldn’t stop. What she needed was to be out of the ER.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
Lie,the voice in her head whispered.“Riley James.” The truth was easier sometimes.
Just then, the doors opened and a nurse came out. When she went to speak directly to Riley, she directed the nurse’s attention to Bones. “This is his brother.”
The nurse looked up at him. “Your brother’s headed into surgery. There’s a family room through those double doors.” She pointed to two doors on the far wall. “I’d get comfortable, it’s going to be awhile before he’s out.”
“What’s going on? What kind of surgery?” The nurse looked at Bones, who wasn’t in the mood to be ignored. Preacher was his only family, and he wanted to fucking know what was happening. “Will someone at least let us know how things are going?” Bones asked the nurse before she stepped away.
“Yes, someone will keep you updated,” she said and turned to walk away.
“Thank you,” he said as he watched the nurse walk off.
“From what I was told, your brother’s girlfriend’s quick thinking might have saved his life,” the nurse commented before continuing to walk away.
Bones looked at Riley. “Girlfriend?”
“Hey, man, don’t look at me.” Riley held up her hands in surrender. “She concluded that on her own.” Maybe because she’d said that lie when she ran into the ER.Probably why. Most likely why.
Riley held out her hands, giving Preacher’s things to Bones. “I hope your brother will be okay.” Riley went to move toward the exit, but Bones stopped her.
She looked at his hand gently gripping her elbow. “Can you tell me . . . us . . . what happened? Please?” He asked, and she let out a breath.
“I was across the street from the gas station when I saw a boot party jump your brother. I yelled that I was calling the cops, and they ran. They piled into a silver Ford F-250 and hit the highway heading toward Mendocino. When I saw him struggling to get up, I ran over to help. That’s when I saw all the blood.”
She shoved her hands in the front pockets of her denim shorts and took a breath. “Listen, I was a combat medic in the military. I know what a knife wound can do to someone. Waiting on an ambulance would’ve been a death sentence. I made the decision to put him in the car and bring him here myself.”
Riley could see Bones was visibly shaken by the story. Something behind his eyes said he would find the assholes and make them pay. “Thank you for helping him,” he said with a shaky voice.
“No problem.” Waving, she headed for the door.
