“Anything else?”
“What do you remember about the day of the attack?”
“Nothing. It’s all still a damn blur.”
“I know this isn’t easy, but I can’t help you unless I know what happened.”
“I’m trying.”
Her eyes drifted over to me, and the vulnerable look got me right in the gut. I had to remember that this was all part of the game, although I didn’t know what role she played in it. She was still just a pawn, a play waiting to be made and nothing more—or so I thought.
Remington
At first, I thought that Shotgun was only trying to help figure out who’d hurt me, but with each question he asked, I found myself wondering if there was something else going on. For a moment, I actually got the feeling that he was kind of interested in me, especially when he kept asking if I was involved with someone. I knew it was crazy to have such thoughts. He was this sexy, hot biker guy who could get any woman he wanted, and I was a hot mess. I could only imagine how horrible I must’ve looked. I glanced down at my hand and cringed at the sight of the dried blood on my wrist and forearm. I lifted my hands up to my face, gently brushing them over all the bumps and scratches, and every inch felt tight and tender. Curious to see how bad it really was, I looked over to Shotgun and asked, “Can I have a mirror?”
“What?”
“A mirror,” I pushed. I knew he was eager to find out what I could remember about the other night, but at that moment, my focus was set on seeing just how badly I looked. “Can I see a mirror?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Shotgun seemed like the kind of man who’d seen a fight or two in his time, so the tone in his voice made it clear that it was even worse than I thought. He might’ve been trying to protect me, but I needed to know. “Please.”
“I don’t see what good it’ll do but suit yourself.”
He got up and stepped into the bathroom. Moments later, he returned with a small pocket mirror. He held it in his hand for several seconds before finally offering it to me. I took a few moments to muster the courage before I finally opened it up. Gasping at my reflection, I couldn’t believe what was staring back at me. My entire face was covered in bumps and bruises, but my left eye was the worst. It was almost swollen shut with deep, dark bruises beneath it, making me look like I’d been in a boxing match. There was a knot on my jaw where one of the men had either punched or kicked me and another huge one on my forehead. My hair was matted down with dried blood with even more down my neck. I couldn’t have looked worse if I’d been in a horrible car wreck. I quickly closed the mirror and tossed it on the bed, then dropped my head into my hands.
I tried to fight back my tears, but I just couldn’t. I was too overwhelmed by what I’d seen, and it wasn’t long before I was sobbing uncontrollably. Up to this point, Shotgun hadn’t exactly been comforting about my wounds, so I was surprised when I felt his arm slip around me. He gently pulled me to his side, and his voice was soft and soothing. “It’s gonna be okay. It’s just some scrapes and bruises. They’ll go away.”
“Why would someone do this to me?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” His voice was filled with determination as he continued, “And when I do, I’ll make them pay. I promise you that.”
“Why are you helping me?” I leaned back so I could see his face. “You don’t even know me.”
“I’m not gonna lie.” He removed his arm from my shoulder and stood. “It’s not only about you.”
“Then, what else is it about? Do you know who did this to me?”
“Yes, but I can’t really get into all that. Just know that I’m gonna do whatever I can to find these guys.”
Even though he couldn’t tell me exactly why he was taking it upon himself to help me, I believed him when he said he’d find the men who’d hurt me. I had no idea what he’d do when he found them, but something told me it wouldn’t be good. I didn’t care. I was just relieved to know that he was on my side. As I wiped the tears from my cheek, I whispered, “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
“No need to thank me.” He gave me a slight chuckle. “I haven’t found them yet.”
“But you will.” I glanced down, and once again, noted the dried blood on my wrist. Seeing it reminded me of just how awful I looked, and I couldn’t stand it a moment longer. “Do you think we could take a break for a few minutes so I could get cleaned up?”