CHAPTER FOUR
– LINA –
For a fragment of a second, I hold my breath and hope Heart doesn’t leave. He yanks the door from Karev’s hand and closes it. I can sense Karev’s anger, and the way Heart smirks at him isn’t helping the situation either.
Karev leans forward and inhales deep, as if he’s freaking sniffing Heart, and then he narrows his eyes at him. Feeling the tension build in the room I decide to defuse the situation.
“Heart, can you come up here and make us some coffee? I need to have a word with Karev. The kitchen is that way.” I point to the kitchen and Heart instantly nods and jogs up the stairs.
“Didn’t I tell you no fucking relationships?” Karev hisses as soon as Heart’s out of sight and he’s standing in front of me.
Ugh. What the hell is wrong with him? “I only got naked in front of him so he could help check for wounds.”
His eyes widen and they flare like lighting a match.
Not just the angry look someone can throw at you.
Nope. Karev’s eyes actually resemble fire.
Weird as hell. I blink and it’s gone. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it happen and I’ve asked him about it.
Karev acted normal and simply told me some people have weird abilities and reactions to light reflecting in their eyes and stuff.
Okay, I know there’s a lot of unexplained stuff like spontaneous human combustion, a photographic memory, the ability to smell someone making a specific dinner from across the street.
Weird abilities...like how I’m not able to feel anything.
I guess there might not be an answer for anything that happens in this fucked-up world, and crazy things do happen.
Anyway, I don’t judge because people suck and so does my body. There are definitely unexplained things about me, and it’s enough for me to deal with without adding shit from other people. Especially with the stuff that happened tonight.
“You stripped fucking naked for a club brother? Motherfucker. What the hell were you thinking? Never mind. I’m going to fucking kill him,” Karev snarls and takes a step forward with such force, he makes the damn painting on the wall shake.
I place my hand on his chest to stop him and whisper, “After he treated the wound and double checked for injuries, he slapped me on the ass and I think I felt it.”
Karev jerks back, eyes wide. “You think or you know?”
“I don’t know,” I sigh. “Just like in the woods when I saw his arm move and knew he must have placed his hand on my back to guide me to his bike. It was like I could feel his warmth. When we were in the bedroom I watched him in the mirror. Watching his hands touch my skin and...maybe I imagined it, wanted it? I have no clue, but slapping my butt definitely caused some kind of a reaction.”
Karev sighs. “It’s your mind playing tricks. Like you said, all the incidents involve you seeing him do it.”
I shrug. “It’s still weird because it never happened before in all my life.”
“We are weird, Lina,” Karev grumbles and rubs a hand over his face while muttering something I can’t quite interpret.
I have no comeback and we stare at one another for a few heartbeats before Karev suddenly says, “Fuck it,” and marches toward the kitchen.
I’m on his heels when he bursts into the kitchen and I bite back a smile. Heart is sitting at the kitchen table, his feet are up on another chair while he’s sipping coffee and watching something on his phone.
He doesn’t even spare Karev a glance, until my half-brother snaps, “You’re going to claim Lina as your old lady.”
It feels like my jaw hits the kitchen floor and bounces twice. Never mind me and Karev being a bit weird, I’m pretty sure my ass just landed in the fucking twilight zone.
I’m about to sputter and declare Karev has clearly lost his mind when Heart places his mug on the table, his feet on the floor, and states, “Okay.”
Yep, twilight zone. No question about it.
“Get out, both of you,” I grit. “Seriously, this is insanity on a rampage.”
Heart slowly shakes his head. “Nope. Not going anywhere. Besides, you wanted me here a mere moment ago. So, you got me, and the damn bonus plan along with it.”
Karev snorts and then turns to Heart. “Claiming her means you respect and treat her the way Fatal handles Norie, understood?”
Heart gives him a tight nod.
“You’ll also handle the shit she’s wrapped in now? You mentioned knowing one of the fuckers who was there, right?” Karev and Heart keep talking as if I’m not there. “I suggest you take her to the clubhouse and don’t let her out of your sight until the issue is handled.”
Heart bobs his head. “Yes, I can handle my old lady and the shit she’s wrapped in. You can return to Lexmore Beach knowing I got this.”
“Stop talking like I’m not fucking here,” I roar.
Karev grins. “Good luck, brother.”
My half-brother turns to me and places a kiss on the top of my head and whispers only for my ears, “Scratch the no relationship, and even if it’s only your imagination? Go for it. Life is too damn short when you’re mortal.”
I shake my head because seriously, when you’re mortal? Aren’t we all? “Saying things like that makes you weird, Karev.”
“Being normal is overrated, sis.” He gives me a wolfish grin and stalks out of the kitchen.
The front door slams shut when Heart states, “Pack a bag with a few days’ worth of clothes. We’ll head for the clubhouse right after. I’m tired as fuck after riding back from Karev’s chapter and need a few hours of sleep before I look into Digby.”
I’m about to protest when he adds, “Morning will be here soon enough, and I will update my brothers about what happened tonight. Not only about what happened in the forest, but claiming you as well. Besides, you might not have a bump on your head, but they did somehow knock you out. You could have a concussion and need to be supervised throughout the night for the next couple of days. Then there’s the fact that they fucking took you from your store.
So, there’s a huge damn chance they also know where you live, with your home connected to the store.
Which makes it safer if you come with me to the clubhouse. ”
Dammit. Why is he making sense?
“Fine,” I huff and stomp out of the kitchen.
Twenty minutes later I’m locking up the house while Heart is shoving two backpacks of mine into his saddlebags. Talking about a wild ride. Heart might be tired, but this whole night has completely drained me.
Getting kidnapped, seeing a friend of mine beaten to death, running for my life, fighting back, killing someone, the new experiences Heart graced me with, the confrontation with my idiot brother...one, all...every-freaking-thing is making me hypersensitive.
I just want to crawl into bed, pull a blanket over my head and ignore the world for hours on end. Well, hours on end meaning until the store opens tomorrow morning. Shit. The store.
“I need to do one more thing,” I tell Heart.
“Get some food?” he instantly fires back.
Which makes me shrug. “Okay, I need to do two more things.”
The corner of his mouth twitches.
“Can we check on the store? I don’t know how they left it because the last thing I remember is being at work in the back of the store.”
“Smart thinking,” he rumbles.
It’s a good thing we check because the front door might have been locked and the sign flipped to closed, but when we go around back? The back door is unlocked.
“Stay behind me,” is all Heart says when he palms a gun and silently enters the store.
I do as he says and move with him. The store is dark and no one’s inside, but it’s completely trashed. I swallow hard, emotions hitting me full force. This is my dream, and others managed to smash it to smithereens within a few hours.
Heart steps closer and reaches out to cup the side of my face. Imagination or not, it feels good to have his full attention aimed at me.
“I’ll get some of the brothers to join us tomorrow after church to help us clean up, okay?” he murmurs.
I slowly bob my head and blink through the tears, too emotional to give him any words.
“Come on, let’s lock up and head to the clubhouse. I’ll tape your wound so you can take a shower before you get into bed. Your hair is still filled with twigs and leaves.” As if he needs to make a point he reaches for my hair and pulls out a freaking twig.
I knock it out of his hand. “Yours would be too if you had to run through the damn woods.”
He simply grins and rubs a hand over his short hair. “My hair is always on point, babe. Come on, let’s get going because I want you safe in case those fuckers come back.”
I follow him and get on the back of his bike. The only thing not horrible about tonight is meeting Heart. Although, I’ve learned the hard way how good things have a way of blowing up in my face. Time will tell how long it will take this time.