“Is that the price for your help?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.
“Brick, give us some time alone,” Razor said.
“Fine, I’ll leave the coffee and pastries here,” Brick said, sounding unhappy. The biker left the breakfast on the tiny table next to the bed before exiting the room.
“No price,” Razor finally said. “But you have to remember that you’re not safe, Nat.”
She sucked in a breath. God. Even breathing hurt. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she said.
“I get it. You think like Vulture, I’ll demand payment for helping you,” Razor said. “Not all bikers are like him, but he’ll be unhappy to know you lived.”
Nat painfully squeezed her eyes shut. What was she doing, pushing away the man who saved her life? She was no one important.
“Until this is all over, you’ll be under my protection,” he said firmly. He rose to his feet and gave her cheek a kiss. “After Vulture’s dead, you can do whatever the hell you want. Leave town. Start somewhere new, but there’s also the alternative.”
“What’s that?” she asked, voice hoarse. Razor grabbed the water bottle next to the bed and handed it to her. She drank it all down.
“I’ll tell you later,” Razor said, grinning.
Her heart beat a little faster. How could she have butterflies in her stomach after everything she’d been through?
“I need to ask you one more thing,” she said.
“Ask away. I ain’t going anywhere,” he told her.
“Why did you help me? We barely know each other. You just met me a few days ago,” she blurted. “No matter how you look at this situation, it isn’t normal.”
“I never turn away a damsel in distress,” he said. Was he trying to joke with her? With Razor, she couldn’t tell.
“Is that the truth?” she asked.
“No, it’s not,” he said with a laugh. “This is a first for me, too. No one would ever describe me as generous or kind.”
She patted the space next to her, and he sat once again.
“But you were those things to me,” she pointed out.
“As for us being strangers, well. We’ll change that,” he said.
She thought about what he’d told her earlier. “What exactly does being under your protection mean?”
“No one would dare lay a hand on you while you’re with me,” Razor said. “Not Vulture, or any of those scumbags from the Black Dogs MC, or for that matter, anyone in my MC.”
Her breaths came out short. Nat no longer had to wake up feeling afraid. She could finally stop wondering every single time if she displeased Vulture. True, she hardly knew Razor, but it wasn’t like she had plenty of options to choose from at this point.
She was broke, homeless, and jobless. Vulture thought she was dead. Could she really rely on Razor’s generosity?
“But after everything is over, I can leave?” She had to repeat Razor’s offer out loud because she didn’t want to be chained down to a monster again.
“Yeah.” He leaned forward, resting the palm of his hand on her cheek. Razor studied her for a few seconds, and when she didn’t do anything, he kissed her. Nat shut her eyes and soon found herself responding. He kissed her slowly and tenderly, and she liked that a lot.
With the press of his lips, he took her under. Nat forgot about the hospital room, about Vulture at that moment. She could get lost easily in this man. Razor was dangerous, but not because there was a chance he’d hurt her.
As crazy as it seemed, Nat knew deep down he’d never harm her. What if she ended up falling for him? She didn’t for a second believe that a man like Razor would ever settle down. Maybe he did help her out of the goodness of his heart, but she could just be the flavor of the month.
There was nothing special about her. Nat was just a foolish woman who got entangled with the wrong man. She wouldn’t be surprised if he would get sick of her eventually, but what was wrong with enjoying the moment?
Right now, this gorgeous, crazy, and protective biker was hers. If he wanted to give her the ride of her life, then she’d take advantage of it. See where it would lead. Nat only had to make sure she didn’t put all her hopes on him. On them.
“I’m a man of my promises, Nat,” he said after the kiss. “I’ll prove it to you.”
“I believe you,” she told him.
“Tell me what you want, Nat, and I’ll give it to you,” he told her.
At that moment, she believed him. If she asked for the world, Razor would hand it to her on a silver platter, no questions asked.
“I want Vulture to die,” she whispered. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, and she couldn’t stop them from falling.
“Done,” Razor said, kissing her tears away.