Chapter 1
1
NORA
“ O n our way,” my partner replied to the dispatcher as I changed lanes to make a quick left turn.
I was normally up for just about any call from dispatch for our ambulance, but the moment I heard the address of the one we just got, I cringed.
“Can’t we fob the call off to another rig?” I asked, blinking my eyes innocently at him.
Mark shook his head with a sigh. “You’re gonna run into the guy at some point. Wouldn’t you rather it was when you knew it was gonna happen? That’s better than being surprised.”
I wasn’t happy with his reply, but I knew he was right. “I suppose.“
“Are you ever gonna forgive him for standing you up?”
The topic of our conversation was Elias Prescott III, known as Ash to most people—the road name he’d been given by his motorcycle club. Although we didn’t know each other well, the first time he called me, I was one of the few he’d given permission to call him Eli instead. But only after he’d apologized for asking me out while I was at work. It’d been effective, too, helping to sway me into believing he was sincere when he apologized because I knew it was a big deal in his world. I had no clue how he got my number. He just said he had his ways.
Shrugging, I murmured, “I don’t know. It’s not easy when I already had to forgive him for being a butthead when we met.”
Mark chuckled. “You gotta give him a little credit for that one. He’d just been shot, and he apologized for asking you out at an inappropriate time.”
“I know, which was why I took your advice and forgave him for that.” I cast an accusing glance at him. “And look where that got me.”
“It’s not as though the guy didn’t call you to let you know he wasn’t gonna make your date,” Mark pointed out.
We had already discussed this yesterday, but I hadn’t been willing to listen to reason because the hurt had been too fresh. Now, I didn’t have much choice since I would see Eli soon. “Not until thirty minutes before, though. As far as I’m concerned, it was the same thing as standing me up and doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in his ability to commit to a relationship.”
Mark quirked a brow. “If you’re already thinking in terms of a serious relationship, then you and I both know that you’re going to need to find a way to get past this and put the guy out of his misery.”
I jutted my chin out. “Doesn’t mean I can’t give him heck so he learns not to take me for granted.”
“I’m not gonna argue with you on that.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “Susan did the same thing with me when we were first dating, and it’s something we’ve taught the girls, too.”
“Start how you plan to go on.” His daughters weren’t the only ones he’d given this advice to. I flashed him a quick grin as I made the turn onto the road where the Hounds of Hellfire compound was located.
“That’s right, but I don’t think you need to be worried about Ash not being willing to put in the work to build something with you. Look how much effort he’s put in over the past two weeks.”
“Fine,” I huffed, thinking about all of the texts Eli had sent since he bailed on our date. “If he’s there and wants to talk, I guess I can give him the chance to at least apologize in person. Again.”
Mark beamed an approving smile at me. “Atta girl.”
I’d been incredibly lucky when our ambulance company paired me with Mark. He’d been my mentor during my hands-on training and volunteered to be my partner when I’d been hired after passing the national certification exam. I couldn’t have asked to be paired with a better paramedic. Something I reminded myself of when I pulled through the gates and parked the ambulance in front of the clubhouse. Eli might have all his Hounds of Hellfire members to support him when we went in there, but at least I had Mark.
Knowing I was reluctant to speak with Eli, my partner headed straight for the guys after we made it inside. He asked them what was going on while I headed straight for the woman on a barstool with a big guy hovering over her. With the details the dispatcher had given us, it was safe to assume she was our patient. “You don’t look so good. Is there any medical history I need to know about or pre-existing conditions?”
“Nope, I’ve always been as healthy as a horse.”
“That’s good to hear.” Hoping to ease the concern that was clear in her eyes, I flashed her a quick smile before pulling a blood pressure cuff out of my trauma bag. “I’m Nora. What’s your name?”
“Thea.”
“Enough chitchat,” the big guy barked. “What’s wrong with my woman?
“Careful.”
If the warning had come from anyone other than Eli, I would’ve at least flashed them an appreciative smile, but I refused to let him distract me from my job. So I focused on taking Thea’s vitals. “Is there any chance you’re pregnant?”
“A whole lot of them,” she confirmed. “But only over the past two weeks, so isn’t it too soon for me to be having symptoms like this?”
“Nope.” My lips curved as I repacked my equipment into my bag, happy that the most likely outcome was something wonderful. “Your blood pressure is normal. Same with your temperature and pulse ox.”
Thea looked relieved as she murmured, “That’s good to hear.”
“The dizziness passed fairly quickly, and it’s often one of the first symptoms a woman experiences during pregnancy since it can be caused by hormonal changes or increased blood volume,” I explained, using all of my self-control to keep my gaze on her face without glancing up at Eli. But I didn’t manage to resist the impulse to poke at him verbally. “My recommendation is that you have your man send his friend out for a pregnancy test and take it as soon as possible.”
Her brows drew together as she asked, “His friend?”
“That one.” I pointed at Eli without needing to look at him since I was much too aware of the man. “It’ll probably embarrass him, which would be awesome.”
“Wouldn’t be bothered by it at all, Nora,” Eli disagreed.
I somehow managed to keep my focus on Thea as I advised, “If the test is positive, make an appointment with your gynecologist. If it’s negative, go in to see your primary care physician, even if you don’t get faint again. Better be safe than sorry.”
Her man squeezed her shoulder. “She’ll see a doctor soon, either way.”
“Good.”
With that reassurance, I headed back out to the ambulance with Eli following me. After I tossed my trauma bag in the back, Mark held his hand out. “Gimme the keys. I’ll fill out the PCR while you give the man a chance to apologize face-to-face for fucking up again.”
The smile Eli had aimed Mark’s way at the start of my partner’s statement quickly turned into a glare at the end. Laughing, I handed over the keys to the rig before turning toward the man I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about over the past two weeks, even when I was mad at him.
Considering Eli was six feet and three inches of pure muscle—combined with buzzed black hair, a short-cropped beard, tan skin, hazel eyes, and a killer smile—I didn’t think any woman alive would judge me for being mildly obsessed with the guy. Not even with how much he’d managed to mess up with me in such a short time.
“Missed seeing your gorgeous face these past two weeks,” Eli murmured as he prowled closer.
With the ambulance doors at my back, there was nowhere for me to go, so I stood my ground. “You could’ve seen it a few nights ago if you’d shown up for our date, you blundering dunderhead.”
Ignoring my insult—which irritated me since I found it quite creative—he clenched his fists at his side. “You have no idea how much I fucking hated having to make that call. If there had been any way to get out of the club business I had to attend to, I would have done it. But it wasn’t something I could hand off to anyone else since I’m the club’s legal counsel.”
“You mentioned that when you called less than thirty minutes before our date,” I muttered, hitching my hip against the rear bumper of the ambulance.
“Which just about killed me, Nora.” He pressed a hand against his chest. “I hated knowing I’d hurt you. Even more than I’ve despised not being able to talk to you since then.”
“It really sucks that you’re so good with your words.” Which was why I’d avoided talking to him until I had a chance to really think about if I wanted to give him another chance without the undue influence he wielded over me. Although, the sexy threats he’d been texting to me over the past few days had weakened my resolve…and tempted me to continue ignoring him if he was truly going to follow through with them.
“Kinda goes hand in hand with being a lawyer, baby girl.”
A delicious shiver raced up my spine at the endearment. And judging by the satisfied smirk on Eli’s stupid, sexy face, he hadn’t missed my reaction. There was no point in hiding it any longer, so I asked, “If I give you another chance—the very last one you’ll ever get from me—how will I know you won’t stand me up again?”
“Let’s go right now.”