Chapter Thirty-Two
“I’m fine. I promise.” Elizabeth let Kevin led her into the clubhouse and through the main room. He was insisting someone he called Bones look at her. She’d met a bunch of people since she’d moved in with him, but she couldn’t remember a Bones.
“It won’t take long. He’s already waiting on us.”
“I told you, I’m fine.” She didn’t jerk away or strike out, she simply stopped following. He was going to listen to her one way or another. She didn’t know yet what she would do next if this didn’t work but she was determined he would listen.
Kevin took three more steps after she stopped before he realized she was no longer with him. He stopped and scowled at her.
“What’s wrong? Does something hurt? Do I need to carry you?”
“No. You need to listen to me.” She put her hands on her hips and glared. He stopped and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. The room around them went silent.
“All right, I’m listening. What do you want to tell me?”
“I am fine. I do not need some backroom crackpot to tell me that.”
Kevin stared at her, mouth open.
“I have to admit,” came a deep voice from an open doorway a few feet beyond Kevin. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but backroom crackpot is a new one. I’m still in touch with an old professor. I’ll have to tell her that one. She’ll get a kick out of it.”
A tall, slender man stepped out of the room.
He wore a leather cut like the rest of the men, and the name on his shoulder confirmed he was Bones.
She was confident this was really him because no one in their right mind would try to impersonate a Warrior in their own clubhouse but that was where the obvious similarities ended.
He wore a dark, button-down shirt with a collar under the vest, thought he sleeves had been rolled back, revealing colorful tattoos covering both arms. His dark hair was cut in a neat, professional style and he was clean shaven.
One of the few here she’d seen here. Most of the men kept at least a scruff if not a longer beard.
She didn’t think she’d ever seen him before.
She stared at him for a moment, her face heating.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I just want to understand why he wants you to see me.” She motioned one hand in Kevin’s direction.
“No worries and she’ll find it funny. She was never happy when I decided to come home but the people here deserve access to doctors who know they are passionate about what they do just as much as the people in New York or L.A.
” He snorted. “Sorry.” He shook his head.
“From my understanding you were hit on the head hard enough to knock you out?” Bones tilted his head to one side.
“Yeah.” Elizabeth resisted the urge to lift her hand and rub the sore spot on the back of her head.
She’d figured out on the drive back that every time she touched it, not only did it hurt more, but it also made her stomach churn.
Finally she’d realized it was no different than poking at a bruise.
It wouldn’t make it hurt less, all she was doing was torturing herself. She reminded herself of that now.
“He wants me to make sure you weren’t hit harder than you think.” Bones’ voice was calming, as if he was trying to sooth someone who looked about ready bolt. His gaze flicked to Kevin, then turned back to her. “I promise, I’m a licensed physician, legal and everything.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. Was he making fun of her?
After what she’d said, she wouldn’t blame him.
But maybe he was just trying to turn the situation from being so serious.
She could imagine what it looked like from his perspective.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to hold it for a few seconds so she could be rational.
After a moment she looked back to Kevin.
“That’s all you had to say. Talk to me like I’m an adult who can understand.
I’m not unreasonable, Kevin, but I want to know what’s going on and why, when I can.
Especially after something like today.” She dropped her gaze, wanting nothing more than to curl into his side and let him hold her, but she wouldn’t do it if he thought she was weak.
If he thought she couldn’t handle something as basic as a checkup after being hit in the head.
“I’m sorry, sugar. you’re right. I should have told you. My only excuse is that after all the worry of today, I’m not thinking clearly.”
A couple of the men in the room coughed, as if they were trying to cover a laugh so they didn’t end up in trouble with the man in front of them. Kevin never looked away from her.
“I spent the whole time we looked for Anderson and followed him to Point Clear worrying about you. I couldn’t see you and that’s a long time to be unconscious.”
“How long?” Bones voice asked but neither of them looked at him.
“I don’t know how long I was out, but it wasn’t the whole time. I woke up and was so nauseated that I stayed still. I didn’t sit up until he stopped, when if I was going to be sick, I could open the door.”
Kevin shook his head. “Typical. So worried about everyone else that you’re not even willing to puke in the car after you’ve been kidnapped.”
She moved to him, stopping before she touched him.
“Just talk to me. I can handle whatever is thrown at me, good or bad, but I need to know. I can’t handle living in the dark. Okay? I just need you to talk to me.”
He stared down at her for a moment. Then hooked an arm around her waist, but he didn’t pull her against him.
“All right. I’ll try. You may have to remind me a time or two, I’m used to keeping my own council, but for you, I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask.” She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his chest and taking in the scent of him.
Elizabeth stood that way for a moment, letting his strength and self-assurance fuel her.
Then she turned and looked at Bones. “Where do you want to do this?”