you’re better at taking care of yourself than anyone believes.”
She heaved a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest in a protective movement. “I took some self-defense training when my life went sideways. I can’t believe I might actually have to use it.” She sounded utterly defeated and resigned.
I grunted and tilted my chin up a little. “Gonna be a minute before I can see well enough to get on the bike. How did you get into town? Grab the stuff you came for and I’ll go to your apartment with you so you get what you need.”
She blinked up at me, eyes wide and surprised. “Excuse me?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Get your shit and let’s go.”
She balked a little, telling me, “I took a cab. My car is still at the apartment.”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. The apartment is a short enough walk away. You can get another cab once you’re situated or take your car back to Kody’s. If someone is actually following you, you don’t need to be out there wandering around alone.”
I could see she was going to argue so I bent down and put my red, irritated face close to hers and told her through gritted teeth, “You practically blinded me. Can you stop arguing for five minutes and just make one of our interactions easy?”
Who knew being a nice guy was so damn hard?
It took another long moment before she relented, and I could tell she only gave in out of guilt, but I didn’t mind. There was something about the pretty medical examiner that kept pulling me in, and it’d been a very long time since I’d been this interested in someone outside of my world.
Sure, I’d had it pretty bad for Kody Lawton, but I’d gone into that knowing it would never work out. The doctor was a mystery and full of surprises. I had no idea what our next encounter was going to bring, and for the first time in forever, I found I didn’t mind being surprised.
Chapter 4
Presley
I glanced at the man walking next to me out of the corner of my eye.
I didn’t know much about bikers or the outlaw lifestyle, other than what I’d seen on television and in the movies. So far, all my interactions with Shot Caldwell and his club led me to believe some of the outrageous scenarios presented for entertainment weren’t actually that far off base. There was an intensity about the man, a rebellious quality that practically oozed from his pores. It was easy to tell he wasn’t one for convention and standards, just by looking at the ink that covered most of his visible skin. While tattoos were more and more common on every kind of person, the heavy, dark images scrawled over the biker’s arms and up the side of his neck made a bold statement. He was a grown man, living life on his own terms, and to hell with conformity. It was unsettling how intrigued I was by the dangerous and mysterious aura that surrounded him, just as I had been when he’d been clinging to life while my hands were covered in his blood. It was an unexpected fascination, one I had no time for, and it was completely out of character for me.
I was even intrigued by the way he smelled, like leather and sunshine, mixed with a hint of something that had to be gasoline or motor oil. It was an unmistakably masculine smell, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. It made me want to lean in closer and bury my nose in the crook of his neck so I could fully take it in and memorize it.
At the moment the skin around his dark eyes was red and irritated, and he kept clearing his throat. He also repeatedly rubbed his nose, which made the tip of it bright pink. I felt terrible for catching him dead in the face with the Raid, but my survival instincts were at an all-time high and would more than likely remain that way until Ashby Grant was behind bars. He caught me by surprise when I’d already been questioning my trip into town for Cheetos and a Red Bull. I really was feeling a little hemmed in at Kody and Hill’s place, mostly because I couldn’t breathe without Kody asking me if I was okay. I appreciated her concern, but the way she watched me, both with confusion and concern, made me feel