Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“I don’t need a lecture,” I tell her. It’s too late for me to be mothered now.
“You should have thought about that before calling me,” she points out.
“I didn’t know what else to do.” I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
“Who did this to him?” Gentle hands press around his lacerations.
“Another club. I got caught up in something because of my mother. I had to bail her out of some debt and didn’t have the money so I agreed to do a favor for her dealer.” The truth just spills from my lips. I’m done keeping her secrets.
“Why not just call Jameson?” She begins snipping away the thread we used to close his wounds. They’re red, angry, crusted blood oozing.
“I’m beginning to wish I had,” I sigh. Ezekiel groans in his sleep, and our attention goes to his face, waiting for signs he’s coming around. Melanie rips her gaze away first. Tearing open an antiseptic wipe, she cleans the infected area.
Her body jolts when a pounding vibrates down the hallway from Lily’s room. “What the hell is that?” she asks, searching the space behind her.
“My mother,” I huff out. Marching out of the room, I bang my fist on the door. “Shut the hell up!”
“You can’t lock me up, Ruby. Who is out there? I hear voices!” She sounds hoarse, weak.
“I need you to just shut the hell up for a little while. I’ll open the door soon,” I promise.
“No. I need medicine. Let me out of here.” Panic seizes her voice. Her hand bashes against the door before trying the handle unsuccessfully.
“Is she injured?” Melanie asks as I re-enter the living room.
“No. She’s sober.” A throbbing in the back of my head spreads to the front of my eyes.
“You look like you’re ready to drop,” Melanie evaluates.
“It’s been an unusual couple days,” I sigh, taking the chair by the couch, watching as she neatly re-stitches his wounds.
“I don’t recognize him,” she confirms, looking up at his face again then over to me.
“I think he’s kind of like a nomad.” I frown. “Travels doing jobs for the club when needed.” I shrug.
“Doesn’t explain how he ended up here with you.” She casts a suspicious eye my way, her curved brow raised.
Fate.
I think it but don’t say anything.
“Something is going down with the club. It’s not safe right now,” she informs me as she snips her thread and expertly forms a little knot.
“You’re good.” I nod to her work.
She makes a tutting sound. “It will have to do with what I have with me.”
“Thank you for coming.” I rub my hands down my face. “I was so scared when he passed out.”
“Why won’t you call Jameson?” She ties off the last wound and applies cream before getting a bandage out of her bag.
“Because he’ll be pissed.” I chuckle without humor.
“He’s always pissed, but he’s never not there for you.” She covers his injuries, taping the bandages in place.
“I didn’t want to cause trouble for him, for the club. And I didn’t want him to know the crap my mother gets me into. You can’t tell him anything. Patient doctor confidentiality,” I remind her.
“That doesn’t work in these situations.” She narrows her pretty eyes on me, her blonde hair pulled into a small ponytail, her scrubs a little big on her small frame. “And he’s the patient, not you.”
“Ezekiel.” I wring my hands together. “His name is Ezekiel. And someone set him up. He says we can’t trust anyone right now. Including club members.”
Getting to her feet, she swipes her hands down her scrubs. “You can trust your brother, Ruby.”
“I know, I know, but involve him in my mother’s mistakes and start a war?” My voice rises. I’m so out of my depth. Drowning.
“There’s already a war.” She moves toward me and drops on her haunches, becoming eye level with me. Small hands rest on my knees, squeezing.
“What do you mean?” My heart races.
“I mean you need to talk to your brother and be with your family. It’s not safe right now for any of us. You were lucky to find me at work. Your brother tried to stop me from going in. Things are bad right now.”
“Let me out, you little bitch,” my mother hollers down the hallway, her fists pounding the door once more, interrupting our conversation. Standing back up, Melanie’s eyes enlarge as she follows the sound then tracks back at me.
“Yes, she’s talking to me, and this isn’t new. It’s why I didn’t want to involve Jameson. If he knew what she’s really like…” I shudder.
“Maybe he should know. She shouldn’t be talking to you like that. Have you locked her up?”
“I had to. Trust me.”
“I do, and you can trust me.” There’s honesty in her eyes.
Silence hangs between us before I ask, “You promise?”
“Yes. Take me to your mother. I’ll give her something to calm her down.”