from Poodle’s arms. “Is she okay?” she sniffles, wiping her cheeks with a tissue she has in her hand. “I didn’t know… I swear, I would have tried to stop her and convince her not to—”
“I know,” I say as gently as I can, but it still sounds like there’s a monster clawing up my throat. “She’ll be fine. Especially when I get her out of here.”
“When you get out of here? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Reaper follows me along with everyone else.
While I was held there on the floor fighting the strength of four of my brothers and witnessing Daphne taking my punishment, I realized I didn’t want this life for her. She’s had enough pain to last a lifetime, and I won’t subject her to any more. I thought the MC was my family, but the past few months have left me questioning otherwise.
Daphne is my family.
Ever since they found my journals, ever since I stabbed Sarah, nothing has been the same. I want things to go back to the way they were, but that’s impossible. The best thing for us to do is leave. I don’t want to go. This MC has been a part of my life for a long fucking time, but they have only ever needed me as a monster.
Underneath the rough exterior, I’m a human being, and it seems the club has no idea what to do with that bit of information. If they want a killer, they can do it themselves.
I’m done.
Daphne is my priority. We have enough to deal with together, like figuring out how Mercy knew her mom and if her dreams are real.
I need to convince Daphne about her dreams. She’s the only one that doesn’t believe them.
“Tongue, wait a minute. Just wait!” Reaper grabs my arm to stop me from opening the door and heading down to the basement. “You don’t mean to leave? We need you here.”
The basement door opens on a groan, the hinges creaking from years of use. “Please, the last thing you need is someone like me here.” I give him my back, step onto the first stair, and hold her tighter as I use one hand to reach behind me to shut the door.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Everything will be okay.
I head down the steps. The lights are turned down low and the beep of machines tell me Sarah is okay. My boot hits the last step with a solid thud and Doc peers up at me as he places a gray monitor around Sarah’s stomach. He dips his sights to Daphne and the burn she has on her chest and hangs his head. With a tired sigh, he pulls a knitted blue blanket over her body, then another tan throw before flipping a switch on it.
Must be a heated blanket.
“Come here. Bring Daphne to this bed,” Doc waves me over to follow him and skips the bed next to Sarah. “Lay her down here.”
I cup the back of her head and lie her down gently. Her body is on the mattress first, then her cheek is against the pillow, comfortable and unmoving. I expect her eyes to flutter, to show she’s okay and to come back to me, but she doesn’t.
“She pulled champion on me.” I push the chocolate strands off her sweaty forehead and take her hand in mine as I sit down in the chair beside the bed. “Crazy Comet. What was she thinking? I could have taken it.”
Doc busies himself with preparing the IV and pain medication. The wound on her chest is going to take forever to heal. I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them. “What were you thinking?” I ask her again.
“I think it’s brave what she did. She did it because she loves you, just like you’d do the same for her.”
“She’s crazy to do something like this for me. I’m not worth it.”
Doc pierces her inner elbow with the IV and taps it in place, so it doesn’t move before hooking fluids up. “She thinks you’re worth it. Isn’t that what matters?” He grabs a syringe and then opens a medicine cabinet, taking out a clear bottle with a name I can’t pronounce.
Small words are the only thing I can read at this point.
Doc inserts the needle in the tube, and I stop him by grabbing his hand. “What is that?”
“A sedative, and then I’m going to give her a pain killer. She’ll be okay, but burns are painful, especially ones of