Chapter Nine #2
I touched my tongue to my swollen lips and swallowed against the lump of emotions choking me. “I thought I was dreaming.”
A dangerous smile curved his lips. “Do you dream about me often?”
“Nightmares, actually.”
We stared at each other, both probably wondering when we’d gone from hating each other to whatever this was. Water clung to his lashes and dripped from his lips.
“I was fucking scared,” he said. “McKelle is out of her head.”
Just hearing her name had adrenaline firing through me. I needed to get to her, to cling to the one good thing in my life. “Does she know you found me?”
“Not yet. Not until we’re on our way back to the MC. If I told her now, she’d be on her bike headed this way. She doesn’t listen well, and we need to deal with this first.” He glanced down at the dead body.
“I want to get the fuck out of here,” I said. Before the cops came, before Cruz could get in trouble for killing a junkie who would have killed me.
Cruz kept one hand on my waist as I tested the strength in my legs.
“I think a rib might be broken because it hurts to take a breath. Doctors will ask questions. With my probation, they could lock me up while they figure out what happened.”
“Levi’s mom is a nurse. She’ll fix you up.”
I glanced down at the filthy water filling up the bottom of the tub. “We’re going to need a tetanus shot.”
“We can get one of those at the health clinic.” He reached around me and turned off the water. “When we go to get tested.”
Without his hand on me I still felt wobbly. I kept one hand on the wall for balance. “You really think we’ll get sick from this?”
Cruz straightened. His face was close to mine. He stared into my eyes, his focus and intent sending a shiver down my spine. Or maybe my body was still in shock from the beating.
“Nah, not because of this. A test for STDs,” he said. “Because this thing between the three of us is getting complicated.”
Heat slipped under my skin making my heart race. This was how I felt the first time I rode onto the track with McKelle. Unsure and a little scared.
“If you’re with us, you aren’t with anyone else,” he said.
Us. So, like me and him and McKelle? She’d confessed to me that he liked guys, too. Was that what he wanted? Because I wanted McKelle, even a part of her, but not enough to date her boyfriend. “I’m not gay.”
“Neither am I.” There was that devilish smirk again. “But we are taking a shower together.”
“There is something wrong with you,” I said.
“I know. Sometimes wrong just works. But it’s our fucked-up relationship.
If it’s right for us, fuck everyone else.
” He pushed his hair away from his face and stripped out of his shirt.
“Neither of us wore a rubber with her. That isn’t happening again until after we have our first group date at the health department. ”
I hurt too badly to even think about dating McKelle. I didn’t want to think about her with Cruz, but I’d seen them together enough to know that she had undeniable chemistry with him.
My brows furrowed. “Where’s your cut?” His patch meant more than anything…or anyone.
“We have a lot to talk about, but not here.”
Romeo paused in the threshold to the bathroom. “This was all I could find.” He held a pair of dirty sweats.
“Anything is good.” I stumbled as I stepped over the tub trying to avoid the bloody mess the dead guy made on the floor. Cruz was instantly at my side, gently bracing me with an arm around my waist and blocking my body from Romeo.
I’d pissed in front of Kings since they’d stripped me and tied me up, and I’d pissed in front of my pervert PO for months, but I was grateful Cruz gave me cover. What did that say about us?
Romeo handed Cruz the sweats. “Rogue and Bullet are on their way with the hearse.”
I smiled but my lips were swollen. The skin stretched and burned. “Did you tell them I’m not dead yet?”
“Yeah, but there’s a dead King on the floor at your feet, another one out in the living room, and a couple more who aren’t dead yet but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the next few minutes.
” Romeo walked away, and Cruz kept a grip on me as I stepped over the dead dude and leaned against the sink vanity.
Cruz glanced around the filthy room. “Looks like we’re going to drip dry.” He rang the water from his shirt twice, twisting until he couldn’t squeeze out another drop. He held the shirt out to me. “Do you want to wear this?”
I did. I felt exposed and weak. I’d had my ass handed to me. “I don’t think I can lift my arms yet.” At least not over my head. I was barely able to stand on my legs.
“Okay,” he softly said. “I’ll try not to hurt you.” He tugged the wet shirt over my head and stretched the fabric for my arms.
“Fuck.” I grimaced against the searing pain ripping through my shoulder, ricocheting through my ribs and surging back into my chest until I had both arms through the armholes.
“Brace one hand on me and one on the wall.” Cruz dropped to a squat in front of me.
I froze. I’d never had another guy this close to my dick. He gathered the sweat pantleg at the cuff and held it for me to step into.
I still hadn’t moved. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my chilled skin. I had one hand on the wall but hadn’t put my other on Cruz.
He lifted his gaze. I assumed to figure out why I hadn’t taken a breath nor moved my foot off the floor.
“Only thing going on here is between you and me.” He stared hard into my eyes.
“You need help, Rizz. I’ve got you.” He released a heavy exhale.
“I know I’ve been a dick. I wanted to hate you because it pisses me off that you got something with McKelle that I don’t.
This isn’t sexual, so put your hand on my shoulder and let me help you get dressed, so I can get you home. ”
I braced myself, caught my balance, and lifted one foot. Once I had a foot in each leg, Cruz pulled the sweats up my legs until they sat low on my hips.
Home? “Cruz, I can’t go back to the halfway house. Kings have been coming and going from here all day. It’s the neighborhood pharmacy. Kings know I’m here, and they’ll know where to find me when they realize I’m gone.” I glanced at the guy on the floor. “I’m dead when they do.”
“Home is the MC. You can stay with me until Pike’s room opens up.”
A lump rose into my throat. “Why are you doing this?” I whispered. “Why do you care?”
Cruz stilled and the moment thickened with tension. “I want to say it’s because of McKelle. Only it’s not just her. It’s not the Hellers either. Although, this right here with Romeo and Dozer is what being part of the brotherhood is all about. They have your back and so will Rogue and Bullet.”
“I’m talking about us, Cruz. You, me, and McKelle.” I felt the bite of insecurity sinking her teeth into me. “I can handle a lot of shit.” My throat tightened. How did I trust him with my truth, when trusting the wrong people had always fucked me over? And it always hurt.
Cruz kept referring to an us, but I’d never been an us with anyone. It had always just been me, and I didn’t want to fall hard for McKelle to be crushed under the weight of her and Cruz’s relationship.
“If you’re stringing me along just to fuck me over—”
“I’m not,” he interrupted. “And McKelle wouldn’t play that way. Don’t hurt her, Ryatt. I’ve hurt her enough.”
Dozer stepped into the room. “You ready? Rogue and Bullet are here with the hearse.”
Adrenaline hit my bloodstream. I’d rather take a beating off the Kings than face off against the VP of the Heller Raiders and Bullet.
“We’ll finish this conversation with McKelle,” Cruz said.
We stepped out of the bathroom. The scene got worse.
Drew slumped in the corner of the room. Blood trickled from his mouth and darkened the front of his shirt.
Vic sat next to him with tears streaming from his eyes and snot dripping from his nose.
Another guy blankly stared into space with lifeless eyes, a gun still in his hand.
Romeo sat on the ratty couch. He glanced up from his phone. The hurt in his eyes took my breath. He stood, crossed the room, and carefully pulled me into a hug. “You should’ve told me.”
When he let me go, I took a step back. “The Kings are my problem. After everything the Hellers have gone through I didn’t want to bring my troubles into the MC.”
“You’re fucking family,” Romeo said. “You don’t deal with this alone. Now, we’re all about to have our asses handed to us. Rogue gets salty when he’s left out of a fight.”
Dozer chuckled and opened the side door as Bullet drove the hearse over the curb, onto the weeds and grass, and parked alongside the house.
Rogue threw open the passenger door and strode toward the house. His massive frame filled the doorway. He paused and surveyed the damage. A couple dead guys, a couple incapacitated, Cruz soaking wet and without a shirt, and I was a wreck.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he said.
“Yeah, that about sums it up,” Romeo said. “Got another guy in there.” He nodded toward the bathroom.
Bullet stepped into the house.
Vic’s eyes widened. “Oh, man. Fuck, we didn’t know you were riding with Hellers,” he said to Bullet. “Last we heard you disappeared with Wrench and the Crawlers. Fuck, we heard you gave up pimping.”
Bullet lit a cigarette. “Shouldn’t believe rumors.”
Vic sniffed snot. “This is just a misunderstanding. Please, let me go. I won’t say fucking shit to anyone. Ryatt, fuck, man. We didn’t know you were riding with him.”
Dozer squatted down in front of Vic with a cigarette between his lips. He sparked the flame on his zippo. “Welcome to the party.”
“Looks like the party started without us.” Rogue’s brows pinched. “What happened?”
I wrapped an arm around my ribs and stood straighter. “This is on me. Kings think I’m a narc.”
Bullet raised a brow. “Are you?”
“Fuck, no. I didn’t say shit to the cops.”
Cruz stood next to me. “A couple months ago, a dealer was found dead in a bathtub after a raid in Shady Valley. I heard about it at the time. Blue was there when we talked about it.”