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“Why are you here?” she shouts. “What do you want from me?”
A blade is pressed against my chin, forcing me to straighten from her blitz attack. “Fucking answer me!”
“Pep!” Harlow yells. “Stop it, now!”
She doesn’t stop. She slices her blade down my chest, ripping my shirt, but somehow barely breaking the skin. I grab her wrist and twist it enough that she drops the knife, but another knee to my groin and I’m on the floor.
Peppermint drops on top of me, fists flying, rage filled hate spewing from her mouth. I can’t make sense of any of it, because all my focus is on protecting myself from her wrath.
What the fuck is happening?
With my arms in front of my face, I block blow after blow until her weight is lifted off me.
“Let me go!” she screams. “I’m gonna kill him. I need to kill him.”
A sickening crack reaches my ears through her screams, and I look over just in time to see Peppermint fall to the floor next to me, Malachi’s arms around her to ease her fall.
“Tahiti, call the doc and get him here,” Harlow says, and that’s when I notice that we’re surrounded by the other women in the room. She’s also shaking her hand out, so I assume it was her who hit Peppermint. “Giggles, sit with her and make sure that she doesn’t get up if she comes to.”
Harlow moves from her VP to me, her glare sparking fire. “What the fuck was that all about?”
Sitting up, I wince at the pain. “I have no fucking clue.”
“Bullshit,” she snaps. “Peppermint can be unhinged, sure, but no more than the rest of us andnevertoward someone who doesn’t deserve it.”
“Bella,” Malachi says, warning in his tone.
“Don’t you dare ‘bella’ me,” she seethes. “You saw what just happened.”
“I did, so I know that Nico didn’t do anything to provoke her.”
“Goddammit!” Harlow jumps to her feet and starts to pace. “Fox, go get him some ice for his face.” The woman scrambles to do her bidding. “Fiona, pour us all a drink. I think we could use it.”
When Fiona returns, she’s balancing a tray of shot glasses full to the brim. I get to my feet and down three in quick succession. The tequila burns a path on the way down, but I savor it.
“Doc said he’s twenty minutes out,” Tahiti informs Harlow when she returns. “He was staying at the casino tonight in case any of today’s rescued needed anything.”
“Thanks.” Harlow heaves a sigh as she stares down at her best friend, who remains knocked out cold on the floor. “Everyone get outta here. Shut the place down and go to your rooms or head home. I don’t care which. Just… fucking go.”
Tahiti, Fiona, Fox, and Giggles split up the tasks of shutting down the clubhouse and locking up for the night. Malachi, Harlow, and I remain in place until they’re all gone.
“We’re not going home, are we?” Malachi asks.
“Not a chance in hell,” Harlow replies. “I’m not leaving until I know what set her off.”
“I did,” I say quietly.
“No shit,” Malachi quips. “But why?”
Peppermint stirs but doesn’t wake. I crouch down beside her, needing to be close. Reaching out, I brush a strand of hair out of her face, and gently run a finger over her cheek, careful not to touch the split skin from Harlow’s fist. And when she leans into my touch, my heart skips a beat.
Without giving it a second thought, I scoop her up in my arms and hold her against my chest as I stand.
“What are you doing?” Malachi asks.
I keep my eyes focused on Peppermint’s face. Nothing will make me put her down, but I’m very aware of the damage she can inflict if she wakes up while I’m holding her.
“Where’s her room?” Malachi and Harlow exchange a look, so I try again. “Look, I’m not gonna let her lie on the cold floor when she’s got a bed somewhere around here. Now, where. Is. Her. Room?”
