Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“In any event, thanks for the save.”
“I wasn’t as on top of things as I should have been, and I wasn’t aware the situation had escalated so quickly.” His gaze shifted to Nadine who lifted her head to look at him. “Miss Brentner. I apologize for your mistreatment.”
“Not your fault,” she murmured, her voice strained. “Thank you for stopping things from going any further.”
Antonio’s eyes hardened again. “Be that as it may, Chief Roscoe will understand the error of his ways.”
The door opened and Knuckles stormed in, his face a thundercloud of barely contained rage. “This is fucking unacceptable, Tonio,” Knuckles growled, pacing the small space. “Tasing a woman who wasn’t even resisting is bad enough, but that asshole did it specifically to hurt us. What the fuck?”
“I’ll take care of it, Knuckles.”
“You fuckin’ better. Me and the boys are fair game. I get that. But they will not hurt our families. That will cause a war, and right quick.”
“I understand, Knuckles. I said I’d take care of it.” Tonio’s gaze hardened. “Leave it there.”
Knuckles took a menacing step toward Tonio, not backing down an inch. “Tell me to fuckin’ leave it there when they come after one of your family.”
“Are you referring to Miss Brentner or Dr. Raven?”
“Me?” I looked from Knuckles to Tonio and back. “What are they coming after me for?”
“Not you specifically,” Tonio said, straightening his cuffs. “I had to do some fast work when Knuckles told me about the danger to Miss Brentner. Since this power grab caught me by surprise, I failed to properly hide my interest in you, Dr. Raven. The wrong people inside the prison got word and informed someone, who informed someone else, who informed Chief Roscoe. In short, our esteemed new police chief thought to use Dr. Raven’s parole provisions as an excuse to raid the place and gauge the strength of my muscle.” He nodded approvingly at Knuckles. “Pissed at me or not, brother, I approve of the way your men handled themselves. They gave nothing away and complied beautifully with the police so there was no excuse to take anyone in.”
“Can’t promise it will go that easy again. And I’m not your Goddamned brother, Tonio.”
Tonio shrugged. “Half-brother.”
“No one threatens our women and lives, Tonio. Take care of him, or by Christ, I will.”
Chapter Eleven
Nadine
When everyone left, Pain shut and locked the door to the clinic. He didn’t immediately turn back to me, but rested one hand on the frame before thumping his head against the door he’d just closed.
“Pain?”
He took a breath before turning to pin me with his piercing gaze. The fear and anguish I saw in his eyes made my heart stutter. I’d never seen him look so devastated.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” he said, his voice raw. “When that bastard tased you a second time…”
I tried to sit up, wincing as my muscles protested. “I’m okay. Really.”
“No, you’re not.” Pain crossed the room in three long strides, his hands gentle as they cupped my face. “You’re hurt, and it’s because of me. Because I brought you into this life.”
“I chose to be here,” I whispered, reaching up to stroke his beard. My fingers trembled slightly from the aftereffects of the taser. “You didn’t force me.”
Pain’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. “You didn’t sign up for this. Being attacked by corrupt cops wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Neither was being attacked by Grayson, but you saved me then, just like you would have saved me today if you could.” I managed a weak smile. “Besides, I think I held my own pretty well.”
A choked sound escaped him, something between a laugh and a sob. “Jesus Christ, woman. You’re going to be the fuckin’ death of me.”
We shared a quiet moment. Pain sat on the edge of the gurney and leaned in to rest his forehead against mine for a long moment. When he was ready, instead of sitting up, he moved down to lay his head on my chest. It wasn’t anything sexual. He needed the comfort as much as I did.
“When I saw you on the ground…” Pain clenched his jaw tightly and took another deep breath. “I couldn’t get to you. I was right there, and I couldn’t --” Again he clenched his jaw. I threaded my fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp, trying to do something -- anything -- to give him some kind of peace. “I’ve never wanted to kill someone so badly in my fuckin’ life. If Knuckles hadn’t stopped me, I would have, too. I’d have ripped his Goddamned head off with my fuckin’ hands.”
I believed him. I’d seen the look in his eyes just before Roscoe tased me the second time. It was a primal, animalistic rage he was still reeling from, the same as I was.