“You give me one goddamn minute and I’ll prove it.”
She shook her head, those brown locks swaying around her beautiful face. “Wish I had a minute. We can’t get distracted by sex. Remember the angry man with long, stringy hair? We need to be on the lookout for him and keep you safe. Don’t you have people who can come and help you?”
“I got brothers. Taking care of him is my assignment. I ain’t gonna call for no backup ‘til the job’s done.”
“Jesus, you’re supposed to kill him?” she asked, sounding shocked.
“Best you don’t think on what I’m meant to do to that ornery bastard. Get back to work before they come lookin’ for you. I’ll think of something, doll. I always do.”
Nodding, she avoided looking in his eyes. That wasn’t a good sign, but best for her to get her head around what he did early on, ‘cause when this was all over, he was definitely gonna come looking for her again.
~ Ryder ~
Ryder spent the next couple of hours mulling over his options. The one inescapable fact of his life was that he simply could not stay here after the light of the coming day. He needed to get his wallet and get the fuck outta town, taking Ace with him. The only way to keep Tiffany safe at this point was to put distance between them.
A plan slowly formulated in his mind. He’d pretend to settle down back in his emergency room bed when she came for him. Once she was out of the building, he’d discharge himself whether they liked it or not. Members of his club did it all the time. It was called leaving against medical advice. They could advise all they wanted, but in the end, it was still his choice to stay or leave.
Once he was out, he’d buy a gun at a local pawn shop and hunt Ace down like the mangy mongrel he was. When it was all over, he’d come for Tiffany. No matter the time, the expense, or the protesting on her part, he’d make her fall in love with him. Hell, the pretty little witch was already halfway there. If there was one fuckin’ thing he was competent at, it was wooing women.
Before he knew it, she was standing over him again. “Time to wake up, mister sleepyhead. You don’t look very comfortable wedged in that tiny chair. Ready to get back to your comfortable bed?”
“I need to get outta this joint, doll.”
“I hear they’ve lined you up a bed at Mercy. Transport should be here for you within an hour.”
Grabbing her by the hips, he pulled her down into his lap. “I was gettin’ worried that you forgot all about me back here.”
Smiling warmly, she brought a bottle of water to his lips. “You’re too tasty to forget.”
His eyes shot up to hers. “Is that a fact? Ain’t no woman ever told me that before.”
“I thought you might want to know.”
“Gobbled a lot of dick in your day, princess?”
Biting her bottom lip, her face heated and she shook her head.
“I didn’t think so. You seem kind of shy about it. You gonna be shy about me returnin’ the favor?”
Her eyes shot wide open. “Get your mind back on staying alive, will you?”
“The coast is clear? You didn’t see our guy, did you?”
“No, maybe he’s not coming back.”
“I’m not getting my hopes up. He’s pretty tenacious.”
She slipped back and off his lap. He followed her until they were standing face-to-face.
“I honestly don’t know what to make of this situation. It’s getting progressively harder to believe all this is actually happening.” Before he could respond, she turned and headed through the door.
Grumbling as they headed out, he did a mental assessment and felt as if his body was stronger. “Unfortunately, it happens to me all the time. Don’t worry, I’m hard to kill.”
“He needs to leave you the fuck alone.”
“Careful, doll, you’re starting to sound like a woman who gives a shit. Those are in short supply in my world.”
He climbed into bed, noticing that the sheets had been changed. She quickly covered him with a blanket that had been heated. Next, she tenderly changed out his bandages. He liked how she held down his skin when she pulled tape up and smoothed her hand over his skin as she cleaned him. Hell, this must be what it felt like when someone gave a shit about you. Instead of just demanding shit from you constantly like the club whores, they were kind and gentle. It felt wonderful, and Ryder desperately wanted more of it.