“I didn’t mean that,” she said gently. “All I meant was that it has to be hard, seeing her like that and knowing what Charlene went through. But Charlene was completely different from this girl. She . . .”
“She what?” he asked warningly.
“She’s the job. We should have sent her to him.”
“No.”
“You have a soft spot for abused and hurt women.”
“Shouldn’t every man,” he said in a low voice. “Is it wrong that I don’t want to hand a beaten and bruised woman over to the leader of an MC club who is mixed up with Fergus Bartolli? Even if Reyes is a decent guy and doesn’t give her to Bartolli, what happens if Bartolli hears that the Iron Shadows have got her but haven’t handed her over?”
“Fuck,” Honey muttered.
“She’s safest with us. And if we need to use her as bait for her boyfriend, we can.”
“We’re still chasing him down?”
“He’s part of the job.” But that wasn’t the main reason. No, mostly he wanted to make that bastard suffer.
He’d hurt the fragile, scrappy woman in there. He’d likely put that darkness in her voice and those shadows in her hazel-colored eyes.
And Zander would love to teach that bastard what happened to someone who beat on people smaller and more fragile than them.
He could keep Keira safe. Even if it was against her will. Zander had never cared much about breaking rules or laws.
“Kent is going to be upset.”
Zander shrugged. “He’s always getting upset about something. He’s going to give himself an ulcer.”
“And he’ll probably name it Zander,” Honey quipped.
He studied her quizzically. “Why would he give it a name?”
Honey just shook her head, biting her lip in amusement. “No reason at all, boss. So we’re definitely taking the girl with us.”
“We’re taking the girl with us.”
* * *
Webb had declaredher well enough to travel.
She rolled her eyes after he said that. Hadn’t she told him she was fine?
“Not sure about her ribs, but I think she’d be in more pain if they were broken,” he said to Zander, who’d walked back in, followed by Honey.
More pain? Sheesh, was she not in enough pain?
It sure felt like she was.
“Mild concussion. She’s weak from dehydration and low blood sugar. Her body has been through a shock and she needs plenty of rest and good food to help recuperate.”
“Good,” Zander said. “Let’s go. She can get better care back home.”
“I don’t want to go home with you,” she stated again. This was just weird.
“Tough,” Zander replied.
Urgh. He was so infuriating.