but he sure didn’t sound it. “Ryder and his crew showed up. Ran me off the road.”
“Ran you off the road?” I echoed in disbelief. “What the fuck? Are you hurt?”
I stepped back and gripped him steadily, but not forcefully, by the shoulders, giving him a once-over like I could see any injuries that were there. I was furious, but in a distant way—I shoved all my personal feelings aside because all that mattered in this moment was ensuring Heath was okay. Once I knew that, then I could figure out what to do about Ryder and his assholes.
“Let’s head back to the clubhouse,” Jazz said from behind me.
I’d forgotten they were tailing me to begin with. Tex and Maverick were still waiting on their bikes, idling. Jazz had his phone in hand—I assumed he was texting Blade an update.
“The clubhouse?” I asked. “He’s coming with me.”
I wasn’t letting Heath out of my sight. Not again. I wasn’t going to say it, but I wasn’t sure if I trusted Hell’s Ankhor to keep him safe.
“He’s a Hell’s Ankhor member.” Jazz crossed his arms over his chest. “And Logan is at the clubhouse—a medical professional. He’s coming with us.”
I narrowed my eyes at Jazz, and was about to argue back, when Heath stepped away from me. “I’m all right, Jazz.”
Jazz blinked and dropped his arms to his sides again.
“I’m going with Dante,” Heath said quietly, but firmly. “Logan can take my vitals tomorrow if he really insists. But I’m okay. Just some scrapes.”
“Blade’s not going to be happy about that,” Jazz said.
“He’ll be fine,” Heath said. “I’ll text him from Dante’s phone.”
Jazz looked closely at Heath, and then up to me. He fixed me with a narrow, discerning gaze, and I met it unflinchingly.
It wasn’t that Heath was choosing me over his club—it was that he didn’t only have his club to rely on now. Now, he had me to lean on, too, when he wanted to. I wasn’t taking him away from Hell’s Ankhor. I was expanding his circle of family and support. And from the way Jazz lowered his chin in a careful nod, it was clear he understood that, too. They were protective of Heath, but they didn’t need to shelter him. Not anymore, and certainly not from me.
“All right,” Jazz said. “I’ll make sure Gunnar and a few of the guys head out to see if they can pick up Ryder’s trail. We’ll grab the truck and pick up your bike. It’ll be at Ankhor Works for you tomorrow.”
Heath’s expression softened—like he hadn’t even thought about the logistics of retrieving it. Considering how close he’d come to a really bad accident, he probably hadn’t. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Come on.” I took Heath’s wrist in hand and tugged him closer to me again. “Let’s go.”
I swung my leg over my bike and Heath did the same, settling into the seat behind mine with ease. He pulled his helmet on over his head and then settled in close to me, wrapping his arms tight around my middle. It felt right, having his small body leaning hard against mine.
“We’ll be in touch,” I said to the Hell’s Ankhor guys.
None of them look thrilled, but none of them stopped us, either. So I revved my engine and took off, heading toward Junee instead of Elkin Lake. For the first time, I didn’t enjoy the winding, pretty ride. All I could think about was Heath’s chest pressed to my back and his slow, steady breathing.
I parked my bike outside the Liberty clubhouse, which was thankfully quiet—the guys must’ve been at the bar. I climbed off and set my helmet and jacket aside. Heath pulled off his helmet and moved to dismount the bike and cringed as soon as he moved. I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Are you hurting?”
Heath sighed. “Just stiff.”
“I saw you favoring one foot when you were walking.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I can walk.”
“I know you can,” I said. “Doesn’t mean you have to.”
Heath furrowed his brow. I held out my hand and he accepted it, using my grip to steady himself as he swung his leg over the bike. Then, before he could start walking, I knelt down and scooped him up behind the knees and arms, in an easy bridal-style carry. Heath squawked in surprise, eyes widening, and threw his arms around my neck to steady himself.
He weighed so little, it was only natural for me to carry him like this. I thought Heath