Claimed By The Devil - Joanna Blake Page 0,31

minutes while I finish up. Then we’re going inside and you’re going to take a shower while I make you something to eat. And then you’re going to lie down for a few hours."

"I can't leave my mom alone for that long," I said guiltily. A hot shower and a nap sounded wonderful. The truth was, I felt like I could sleep for a week.

"Someone will be at the hospital. Sally and Kaylie are taking the first watch. They’ll sit with Meg until later.”

“They’ll do that for me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’re with me. You’re one of us now.” He leaned over me to brush the hair away from my face. “You’ll never have to face anything like this alone again.”

And then he kissed me. Soft, sweet, and far too quick. I felt immediate shame for the wonderful feelings being around Nick was giving me. Not just the kissing. His words. He said we were together now. How could I feel so loved and protected on the same day I was losing everything?

Not everything. Her. I was losing my mom. The most important person in my life. But maybe . . . there could be other important people too. Not just a boyfriend, either.

Though having Nick as my boyfriend sounded too good to believe.

According to him, I had another family ready and willing to take care of me. That was a lot to take in, but for the first time all week, I didn’t feel so alone. Maybe, just maybe, I really wasn’t alone anymore.

I leaned back against the rough wood wall and waited as he finished feeding the horses.

Chapter Seventeen

Nick

“I told you to rest,” I said, eyeing Melissa. She was not behaving herself. But I didn’t have the heart to scold her.

Melissa had followed me outside where I was opening up the paddocks and letting the horses roam for a few hours. I gave her a look but she shook her head. She looked exhausted but just as beautiful as ever. I knew it might just be me. I was too infatuated to notice the dark circles under her eyes. But I was pretty sure she was perfect, all the same.

“Let me help you put them out. I like watching them. They look like children when they first get out,” she said sweetly. Well, fuck. How could I refuse her that?

I nodded my agreement, and we walked the horses out, one by one, until they were all roaming. Then we shut the gate to keep them safely corralled. Melissa made sure there was fresh water in the big trough. We leaned against the old wood fence and watched them. She was right. The horses were like children at recess. Running. Playing. I watched as Hendrix nipped the flank of a younger mare. She tossed her head at him and trotted away. But the look she gave him was pure ‘come hither’.

I laughed.

“Does Hendrix have a girlfriend?”

“He’s a bit of a playboy, honestly. But I think Heather is his favorite.”

“Good to know.”

I looked to the side just in time to see her eyes gently close. The girl was falling asleep standing up. Enough was enough. I scooped her up and she let out a surprised squeak.

“Playtime is over,” I said gruffly. As much as I wanted to play with her, I had to take care of her now. She needed me. She needed food. She needed to rest.

My girl was not going to fall apart. Not on my watch. She had a shoulder to cry on and someone to pick up the slack.

She had everything I had to give and more. She had my family, too. The Riders weren’t going to let her suffer through this alone.

I lifted her and carried her toward the house, watching my step on the sometimes uneven path. I had precious cargo in my arms. I could not risk dropping her.

I opened the front door with one hand and carried her in and up. “Which room is yours?” I breathed, not willing to admit how many times I had fantasized about seeing where she slept over the past month. She pointed and I opened the door. The afternoon sun glowed softly against the faded floral curtains. A small twin bed stretched from the wall underneath the windows. A homespun bedspread lay on top.

My dick got hard. Just like that. Just from seeing where she slept. My mind wanted to spin off in the wrong direction. I had to get a grip on myself. She needed me now. Not my