Chapter 1 #2
“You didn’t have to do that,” I finally manage, my voice barely above a whisper. “Fight for me.”
Zach steps closer, eliminating the space between us. “Yeah, I did.” His voice is rough, lower than usual. “Been wanting to do a lot of things when it comes to you, Doc.”
I swallow hard, my pulse racing. “Like what?” Instead of answering, Zach reaches up, his thumb brushing across my lower lip, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. “You really need me to spell it out?”
“Maybe I do,” I challenge, finding courage I didn’t know I possessed. “Maybe I’ve been waiting a long time to hear it.”
The confession hangs between us for a heartbeat before Zach growls low in his throat and backs me against my car door. “Been watching you for years,” he admits, his body pressing against mine. “Driving myself crazy wanting what I thought I couldn’t have.”
“Why couldn’t you have it?” I ask, my hands tentatively settling on Zach’s waist.
“You’re too good for this life. Too smart. Too clean.” Zach’s eyes track over my face like he’s memorizing every detail. “And I didn’t think you’d want someone like me.”
I laugh, the sound tinged with disbelief. “Are you kidding? I’ve had a thing for you since high school. When you’d come to football practice, wearing that leather jacket…” I shake my head. “You have no idea how many fantasies started that way.”
Something dangerous flashes in Zach’s eyes. “Tell me more about these fantasies, Doc.”
Before I can respond, a shout from across the parking lot breaks the moment.
“Yo, Zach! We need to move before the cops show up!” One of the MC prospects is waving frantically.
Zach curses under his breath but doesn’t step away. “This isn’t over,” he promises, his voice pitched for my ears only. “Not by a long shot.”
“It better not be,” I reply, surprising myself with my boldness.
With one last burning look that promises everything, Zach reluctantly pushes away from the car. “Give me your phone,” he demands suddenly, holding out his hand.
I comply without hesitation, watching Zach punch in his number. “Call me when you get off shift tomorrow,” Zach says, handing the phone back. “I think we’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Our fingers brush during the exchange, the brief contact sending electricity up my arm. “I will.”
As Zach walks away to join the others, I lean against my truck, heart pounding, body still humming with awareness. I still can’t believe what just happened, can’t believe that the man I’ve wanted from afar for so long might actually want me back.
“What was that about?” Samantha asks, appearing at my side with a knowing smirk.
I can’t tear my eyes away from Zach’s retreating form. “I think I just got asked out by a Devil Soul member.”
“About damn time,” my sister replies, nudging me with her shoulder. “You’ve only been pining after him since forever.”
“I haven’t been pining,” I protest weakly.
“Sure, X. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” She glances between me and Zach, who’s now mounting his motorcycle. “Though after tonight, I’m guessing sleep isn’t what’s on your mind.”
I don’t bother denying it. Because she’s right, sleep is the furthest thing from my thoughts. All I can think about is tomorrow, and the call I’ll be making as soon as my shift ends.
As the party bus pulls away, filled with cheering, battle-worn women, and Zach’s motorcycle roars to life, I allow himself a moment of pure anticipation. The night may be ending, but something else, something I’ve wanted for longer than I care to admit, is just beginning.
* * *
Zach
Instead of heading back to the clubhouse, I circle the block and kill my headlight before coasting to a stop in an area under the cover of an oak tree. So I can watch Xavier from the shadows.
Xavier slides into the driver’s seat, and I count to thirty before kickstarting my bike.
I keep a careful distance as I follow his taillights through the quiet streets.
This route is familiar as I’ve traced it so many times I could do it blindfolded.
Three miles from the bar, left at the intersection with the broken streetlight, right at the gas station that never seems to close.
Xavier’s apartment complex comes into view, a modest two-story building with decent security. Better than where he used to live, at least. I helped make sure of that after the break-in last year, though he never knew it was me who sent the anonymous tip about the better-priced unit.
I pull over half a block away, cutting the engine and watching as Xavier parks in his usual spot. The security light catches on the dried blood at the corner of Xavier’s mouth, and something possessive and angry flares in my chest.
Should’ve hit those bastards harder.
Xavier disappears inside, and a minute later, lights flicker on in his second-floor apartment.
I settle in to wait. This is the routine.
I don’t leave until I see his bedroom light go out.
Sometimes it takes hours if he’s working on medical journals or studying for some certification.
Tonight, though, the living room lights dim after just twenty minutes.
I’m about to start my bike when movement near the complex entrance catches my eye. A dark sedan with tinted windows pulls in, moving slowly through the parking lot. It stops two spaces away from Xavier’s car.
My body goes rigid, every instinct screaming danger. I swing off my bike, keeping to the shadows as I move closer. The sedan’s engine cuts off, but no one exits. They just sit there, dark and waiting, like a predator.
Three minutes pass before the driver’s door finally opens. The hospital administrator steps out, looking nervously around the parking lot. There’s a slight tremor in his movements that gives me satisfaction. Good. He should be scared.
But not scared enough, apparently, if he’s stupid enough to show up at Xavier’s home.
The administrator pulls something from his jacket which looks like a manila envelope and heads toward the building entrance. I move faster, cutting across the landscaping to intercept him before he can reach the door.
He doesn’t see me until I’m right behind him. His gasp when I grab his shoulder is high and startled, the envelope falling from his hands.
“I thought I made myself clear earlier,” I say, voice deadly quiet as I spin him around to face me.
The blood drains from his face. “You.”
“Me,” I confirm, backing him against the brick wall beside the entrance. “Now, what part of ‘stay away from Xavier’ did you not understand?”
His eyes dart frantically around the empty parking lot. “I just need to give him these documents. The lawsuit…”
“Give them to me.”
“I can’t do that. They’re confidential hospital records.”
I press my forearm against his throat, just enough to make breathing difficult.
“Let me rephrase. You’re going to give me those documents, then you’re going to get back in your overpriced car, and you’re never going to contact Xavier again.
If the hospital has something to say to him, they can say it during his shifts. ”
The administrator’s eyes bulge slightly. “The board chairman wants this handled discreetly. Off hospital property.”
“Tough shit.”
I ease up enough to let him speak further. He coughs, hand going to his throat. “Who are you to him? What gives you the right to interfere?”
The question shocks me. Who am I to Xavier?
Protector? Stalker? Something else entirely after tonight?
“I’m someone who ensures he sleeps safely at night,” I finally say, bending to retrieve the fallen envelope. “Someone who deals with problems before they reach his door.”
The administrator stares at me, realization dawning in his eyes. “You’re with that motorcycle gang. The Devil Souls.”
“Club,” I correct automatically. “And yes.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “Is he involved with—”
“Careful,” I warn, voice dropping. “The next words out of your mouth might determine whether you walk or crawl back to your car.”
He swallows hard. “The hospital can’t ignore this lawsuit. The family is powerful. Connected. They’re demanding someone take responsibility.”
I tap the envelope against my palm, considering. “And Xavier’s your scapegoat?”
“He’s the one who performed the procedure.”
“Successfully, I’m guessing, since you wanted him to falsify the records.”
The administrator’s silence is answer enough. I tuck the envelope into my jacket.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I tell him.
“I’m going to look through these papers.
If Xavier did everything by the book, which I’m certain he did, then your hospital’s legal team needs to grow a pair and fight this lawsuit properly.
If I find out you’re still pressuring him, or if anyone else from administration shows up at his home… ” I let the threat hang in the air.
“You don’t understand the politics involved,” he protests weakly.
“I understand power dynamics better than you think,” I reply. “Now, get the fuck out of here.”
The administrator doesn’t need to be told twice. He hurries back to his car, fumbling with his keys in his haste to leave. I watch until his taillights disappear around the corner before turning my attention to Xavier’s apartment.
The lights are still off. Good. He didn’t hear any of this. Doesn’t need to know about this particular problem just yet.
I walk back to my bike, envelope secure in my jacket. Tomorrow, I’ll have the club’s lawyer review these documents, find out exactly what kind of trouble Xavier might be in. For tonight, though, my job is done. He’s safe.
As I start my motorcycle, I glance once more at his darkened window. After our encounter earlier, everything has changed. Tomorrow, I won’t be lurking in shadows or watching from a distance.
Tomorrow, for the first time in years, I’ll approach him directly. The thought sends a thrill of anticipation through me that has nothing to do with violence and everything to do with the way Xavier looked at me tonight like he’s been waiting just as long as I have.
I rev the engine and pull away from the curb, the weight of the medical documents heavy against my chest. One more problem to solve, one more threat to eliminate.
After all, I’ve spent years making sure Xavier’s path is clear. I’m not about to stop now, not when we might finally have a chance to walk it together.