Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
“Take care of her for me,” Keys reiterated. “Word of honor.”
“Czar just gave his word, and that binds every member of the club. Stay under cover and stay alive until we get there.”
Keys threw the phone over the embankment, leaving an open line. Code was a miracle worker, and he had a good chance of figuring out the approximate location of where to start hunting for Keys. They had signs they left one another that no one else would understand. Czar had drilled that into them: When apart, leave signs. They would come.
He kept the other phones just in case and immediately marked the direction he was going so if his club showed up, they would be able to follow him. Other than those few signs, he erased his tracks the best he could. Merrit’s brethren would be out for blood, and when they discovered the wreck of a truck and evidence of burned bodies, they would tear up the forest looking for Lyric and him.
Keys’ club would come, uncaring that he’d fucked up. That was what family did. They weren’t blood, but the ties were stronger than blood. He’d broken sacred rules, but it wouldn’t matter. Code didn’t hesitate, and he’d somehow managed to patch Czar into the conversation. Czar was president, but he let Code do the talking. That was his way. Whatever was needed most, Czar saw to.
Keys needed to stay alive to teach Lyric the importance of family. He wanted her to learn to surround herself with people who cared enough to show up, regardless of whether she screwed up or not. That’s what they did. They didn’t have to be blood, but they had to have that tight bond. He wanted that for her. She deserved to have people who saw her. Who recognized her worth.
He’d made certain his people knew she’d taken a couple of bullets for him. That would mean something. The fact that he was adamant and had made Czar give his word to keep her safe would mean even more. What he’d said was tantamount to claiming her as his old lady. He’d have to sort that out later if he lived through this.
He made his way back to the shallow cave, gathering as much dried wood as he could find. He didn’t want to leave a trace of them behind, so it took longer than expected to cover his tracks after getting the wood. Still, they needed it. He used the water filtration system to replenish their water supply.
His head was aching by the time he stepped inside the cave. It took a moment to spot the little heap lying on the sleeping bag. She took up so little space she appeared to be the clothes pile, not a woman curled up in the fetal position, her hands over her face. His breath caught in his throat. Had she been afraid? Sick? Hurting? He swore under his breath and put the stack of wood on the pile near the fire. It had gone out, which meant she’d been out for a while.
He was concerned about the head wound. It was deep. She clearly had a concussion. He’d noticed she was dizzy when she stood up to go outside to relieve herself. Had she gone outside and fallen? He swore again and crouched down beside her, sweeping her hair from her face. His heart nearly stopped beating as he saw the leaves and twigs tangled in her braids. She had fallen. He wasn’t with her, and she’d gone outside and fallen.
“Open your eyes, Wildfire.” He turned her slightly to take a look at her clothes. Her shirt had mud smeared on it.
She made a sound, a single note of pain, but she didn’t open her eyes.
“Need to know if you’re nauseous, baby. Give me your eyes.”
“Can’t.” She whispered the denial. “Let me sleep a little longer, Keys. Vicious headache.”
“Did you get sick?” he persisted. He should have told Code to ensure Steele, the VP of Torpedo Ink, was with them when they rode. Steele was a doctor, a surgeon, but he could also heal psychically, and he was damned good at it. They would need him.
“No.” She sounded a little petulant, which he was happy about.
“You’re ruining my calm Keys’ vibe, woman. I can’t turn around without you doing something to give me gray hair.”
Her lips curved into a brief smile. That dimple flashed just for a moment, but it was there. “Lucky for you I have mad skills when it comes to hair. I can fix you up.”
“You think I’m going to let you dye my hair?”
“Lots of men dye their hair.”
She still hadn’t opened her eyes. Both hands still covered her face. That was just as well, because when he looked at her, her eyes seemed more swollen than they had before. Looking at her hurt.