Chapter 21
Amelia
The real world beckoned me. Between staying away from the house and being surrounded and devoured by Shooter, it was the perfect band aid to go back into reality.
Shooter protested that I needed more time off, telling me that I had enough PTO hours for like a month off. I started to question how he knew that, but I already knew the answer.
As much as I wanted to stay in our little world, it was a daydream, not reality.
I had a plan in motion and a reality to get to.
A couple days later when I knew I had to leave, I snuck out.
Shooter was knocked out from ensuring I knew he wanted me and proving it over and over again.
Walking with wobbly legs may not have been good, especially how he treated me like a pretzel and at one point tied my hands to the bed post so I could be eaten out for what felt like hours.
And he thought I would be the one too tired, I snickered at an “old man” joke, keeping it to myself.
With a sleeping Shooter resting, I snuck out in his shirt and sweatpants with my tote in hand. I tried my best to stay quiet, but a few pairs of eyes stared in my direction.
Before I could make it to the door, I heard a familiar voice, “He’s not going to like this.”
“Too bad I wasn't looking for permission from him,” I snarked back. I turned to see Hound Dog looming close to me.
“Mia, please tell me you didn’t drug his ass.” he groaned.
“If you call fucking him senseless into a deep sleep a drug, then yes,” I joked.
Hound Dog groaned, shaking his head, and a few of the brothers laughed. Hound’s eyes zeroed in on the marks around my throat. “Why didn’t you come to us sooner?”
“Because there are some things that aren’t worth bringing into the club. Y’all already have a lot going on that I wasn’t going to add to it,” I protested. It was still true, I was close to finishing and then it would be a thing in the past.
He sighed. “I don’t like that.”
“Too bad.”
“We would have helped you regardless of if you’re Shooter’s ol’ lady or not,” he grumbled. I shoot him a confused look. “It’s only a matter of time before he asks me to make it official. But you are a friend and a good soul, we take care of our own.”
“I appreciate that, Hound Dog, seriously. But let me do this my way and you’ll never have to worry about it.”
“That’s the thing, he’ll make sure it’s taken care of and bring it into the club.”
“Then tell him no.”
He scoffed, trying to avoid a laugh. “Have you met the man?”
He had a point. Shooter was too stubborn and didn’t accept any other way but his. “Regardless, I’m going to work. Have fun with sleeping beauty. If he asks, I get off at six pm, and I’ll come back.”
Before Hound Dog would tell me otherwise, I left and headed to work looking like a walk of shame.
I hoisted the tote of essentials and walked into my nursing station with Sarah and Jennie raising their eyebrows, watching the mini train wreck unfold.
Thankfully I had packed my vest I wear with my scrubs sometimes in my backup bag.
I scrambled to find my fresh scrubs and the toilette bag. I turned, feeling like I was a child sneaking candy. Without a word from them I headed toward the showers and made myself at least somewhat presentable before my shift.
I stared at the woman in the mirror, she was different from the last time I looked.
She wasn’t on the verge of death, she didn’t look scared.
There was brightness in her cheeks, a hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth.
My hair looked longer, I couldn’t remember the last time that I cut it.
Maybe it wasn’t anything. It was starting to meet the bottom of my neck.
Months, it had been months since I last cut it.
It couldn’t mean that much, could it?
I brushed off the thought, pulling my mind to focus on the day ahead. As I stepped out for morning passdown, I felt the heat of Jennie and Sarah’s eyes staring at me. Once over, I couldn’t scurry out fast enough before the two of them called for my attention.
“You want to talk about it?” Jennie asked, as she leaned on the counter.
I shook my head, thrusting my hands in my pockets, looking down at the ground, hiding all the fidgeting signs.
“Hmm, you sure? Seems like a lot has happened. You seem… jumpy,” Sarah inquired.
“Just ready for the day ahead,” I lied. I really wasn’t ready for the day, I was ready for the distraction, hiding some of the emotions and sentiments that were expressed the previous nights.
Jennie’s face twisted to say “whatever you want to believe”, pursing her lips, and grunting a sound of disappointment.
“Well, I’m already going to call you a lying little hussy,” she said, shifting to her elbows with her chin resting on top of her hands.
“And what do you think I’d be lying about?” I threw a question back at her.
“For one, you haven’t been answering your phone. We texted you after you called out on the Friday shift,” Sarah pointed out.
“I was… sick. But I’m better now.”
“Oh, I bet you are… after you got that vitamin D.” Jennie wiggled her eyebrows.
I tried to turn around but ended up running into a vitals machine and turning back around. It wasn’t the time to be a spaz. Both just stared at me with smirks on their faces.
“Taking vitamins is good for you.” I rebuttal but it wasn’t the best.
“And were you a good little… patient with your vitamins.” Sarah teased, leaning over the desktop monitor toward Jennie.
Judging by their laughter and the heat that flushed in my cheeks, I was caught, but I wouldn’t tell them that.
I tried to walk away almost like my last brain cell was bouncing like a ping pong ball.
I heard Jennie call out, “I expect details!” As if I wasn’t already hiding the bruises on my neck, I had to find the fact I was satisfied with enough orgasms to last me until the next winter.
Hours passed by and multiple level two traumas came in and left me focused on nothing but those. I avoided my friends, only because I was too chicken to say that they were right and I was wrong.
“Amelia,” a strong feminine voice called me.
I looked to find Dr. Andres with her arms crossed, waiting for my response. We were finishing up the last trauma and the way she looked at me was more mother hen than attending needing her nurse. Lord only knows what Sarah and Jennie blabbed to her.
The other nurse smirked, waving me off to go to Andres. I jogged over to her.
“Yes, ma’am?” I sing-songed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
“Did you not ask for a few days off?” she asked. When did I say that? My face dropped. I didn’t say that. That crazy bastard must have done something. That’s why he said to take more days off, the fucker must have sent something to my boss and my boss told Andres.
I spotted Sarah and Jennie snickering, I made a face at them as if to say “a little help here”.
I lied my ass off. “You know what, originally I did, but my umm… My plans fell through and I thought I would just be bored at home doing nothing when the hospital could use me.” I plastered on a wide smile hoping that she bought it.
I got the infamous Andres face of disappointment and the sudden pinching of the bridge of her nose. “You know, you keep at this and you’ll be lying in a pile of ashes from your crash out.”
I cocked my head. “I think you mean burn out.”
She waved her hand. “Same difference.” She took my hands, squeezed them tight, then lifted a hand to my cheek and gently patted it. “You’re still a bad liar, Amelia.”
When I tried to defend my statement, or at least put her at ease, a vision in denim and leather walked in. My eyes widened as he approached the nursing station with Jennie and Sarah. Dr. Andres’ eyes followed mine.
No, no, he wasn’t supposed to be here and looking like I did regret leaving his bed.
“Excuse me, I was wondering where I could find Amelia Flynn.” His voice echoed from across the room.
Jennie and Sarah blushed and their mouths fell open. He couldn’t have seen me near the trauma bays or anything. When they traitorously pointed in my direction, he turned around with a sexy ass smile on his face and I got a good look at him.
He had showered, and cleaned up from our days rotting in his bed.
Heat pooled as I looked further. Did he fucking get groomed or something?
I thought. His dark denim and maroon long sleeved shirt with his cut just made him delectable.
At night, I saw the handsome devil that devoured me like the last meal and in the daytime, a devil in angel clothing.
He carried a small bouquet and a lunch bag. I knew I was in trouble when he was being too sweet like that. There was a slight fear that rose in me, yet excited me.
Dr. Andres leaned over. “Who is that?”
Good question, what the hell was I to say? He was the lover that I was trying not to introduce to people yet? He was the “friend” that folded me like a pretzel? He was the man that was slowly captivating my heart and protecting my soul?
“That is ummm…” Shit was I to call him Shooter or River?
“Amelia,” Shooter said, stepping toward me, leaning down to kiss my cheek. The brush of his lips sent tingles down my spine and horny thoughts.
There was a notch in my throat, words tried to escape, but it failed.
“What are you doing here?” The words were meant for a whisper, but I don’t think it came out that way.
“Why, can’t I come visit my favorite girl and make sure she eats?” he teased before handing off the small bouquet and the packed lunch. He stepped behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I knew he could feel the heat from my body at his touch.
Dr. Andres stood there with a smirk on her face and simply nodded. “Keeping secrets from me. Amelia?”
“Secrets? Of course not, I wouldn’t… I mean… there’s nothing to hide.” I sputtered, feeling like a complete moron.
She pinned her eyes toward Shooter. “You a good man?”
“I’m a saint.” he answered.
I snorted at the double meaning. Her eyes darted back to mine, then flipped back to him. “She’s a good girl.”
“We both agree to that,” Shooter teased.
“She works too much, so she needs a good man to take care of her.”
“Again, we both agree. Looks like we have that in common, this beautiful woman and what’s best for her.” He rested his head on top of mine.
“Amira.” Dr. Andres extended her hand.
“River.” He shook her hand. Why did it feel like he was meeting my mother, and I needed her approval.
With a curt nod, she insisted, “Take a good hour. I’m telling your charge nurse, I know she won’t argue.”
“Oh, that means I get an hour with you?” He asked. I could see the wheels spinning in his head.
Much to my growling stomach and admittance of defeat, I tugged him along past the nurse’s station where Jennie and Sarah looked like they were ready to burst into shrills from knowing part of the truth.
Before I could make it down a blocked off corridor, one of the residents came to find me, calling out my name. Work never stopped, even if you had something else to do or someone else itching to have his hands on you.
“Mia, they finally got that trauma one from earlier into the ICU. Looks like they’re in the long haul for recovery.”
Recalling the trauma, a horrible vehicle accident that had the patient’s ribs almost punctured their lung, and unfortunately as soon as they got to the hospital, the movement from the transition was enough to move the rib further and we had to act quickly.
Between the screaming spouse begging for their partner to live and asking us to do everything.
I volunteered to go with the spouse and try to ease them through the process, while I waited for the social worker to tag along.
Once I knew my social worker was taking care of the spouse, I helped where I could.
The screams of the spouse were enough to echo in your mind. And that look of sorrow for the unknown and the hopes that the prayers were answered.
The resident, Mark I think his name was, reached out and squeezed my upper arm with a small smile, “Thanks for your help.”
I offered a smile but heard the low growl from Shooter. Before I could say a response, Mark scurried away.
“Seriously?” I shoved him. “Caveman mode, really? You do realize that I have to work with everyone here.”
“If I wasn’t here, he would have taken a shot at you.”
I scoffed. “Thanks. I feel so good knowing that I have a big, strong man to scare off all the potential suitors.” I rolled my eyes.
Shooter pulled me in close to him, squeezed the back of my neck to look up at him, and his stare was just as hungry when I finally gave in to him.
“I know that’s a little sarcasm, I’ll let it slide.
But there’s a difference between a person being professional and being a professional that’s being too friendly.
He was being too friendly. Yes, you are a gorgeous goddess, but that doesn’t give a person permission to touch you, touch what’s mine. ”
His possessiveness should have scared me off, but yet I stood there in a pool of my own arousal. I tried to fight it off. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know you do, I can’t help but be an added extra measure of reassurance.”
I pressed a quick kiss on his lips, “Just stop scaring people off.”
He smiled brightly. “Yes ma’am. Now, can I feed you?”
Fine, it would make him happy.