The first thing Saxton noticed was the beeping. Slowly, he realized what was happening. The stench meant hospital. The beeping, some sort of machine. And the pain. Oh right.
It came back to him in a flash. A man with a gun, a man with a knife. A warning to stop asking questions, then the sharp pain, the sucking sound, and falling to his knees. Who had found him? Who had brought him here? Where was his gun?
He opened his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning.
“Saxton?”
He tried to place the voice. It sounded familiar, but his brain didn’t place it immediately. He turned his head and saw Sara sitting by his side, her face flooded in relief.
“Sara?”
“Hi. How are you?”
“I don’t know. Alive, I guess.” He felt his stomach and the pile of bandages. He must be on strong pain meds. His head felt light and hot and his stomach ached. “What are you doing here?”
“I found you. I saw your bike and I got out to find you and you were there, just lying on the ground in a puddle of blood.”
“You found me?”
She nodded.
“Why were you in that part of the city?”
“I work near there. I was going home to get Ian from school and change for my next job.”
He pulled his eyes together. “Not a safe area.”
She shrugged. “It’s a decent-paying job. And I take a knife.”
He raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t the type he’d expect that from. But then, after all that happened in the last day, he clearly did not know her at all.
“They said you were stabbed.”
Saxton nodded. “Assholes.”
“Who stabbed you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did they?”
“Ah, you know. These things happen.”
“Right,” she said. “In your ‘business’ this sort of thing is normal, I guess.”
“It is.”
“Are they going to come after you again? Are you safe?”
“Maybe. Guess it depends on what I do now. If I do what they say, or if I do what I need to do.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s better if you don’t know. Trust me.” He closed his eyes for a moment. One thing he was certain of. He was getting closer to an answer. Closer to finding Liam’s killer. The Cruel Crows. He had to find out everything he could about them. This was the best lead he’d had in a long time. And he had Sara to thank. If she hadn’t told him about Darien, bringing his knife obsession back to his mind, Saxton wouldn’t have been in the areas he was in, talking to the people he talked to.
Darien wasn’t involved. That seemed absolute. But he’d helped, too, in his own way. Maybe Saxton would send a fruit basket over to his headquarters to thank him. He almost laughed at that, but stopped himself. It would hurt too much.
“Why did you stay?” he asked.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. Seems that the guys who did this don’t know what they’re doing. They missed all your major organs. Either they’re idiots, they didn’t actually want you dead, or you’re the luckiest guy on earth.”
If Sara was here with him, here to make sure he was okay, then maybe he was lucky. “They’re idiots.” Maybe. It had been a warning, so maybe they didn’t intend to kill him. They’d sure left him for dead in a dark, abandoned alley, though.
“Are you sure you’re safe? They said they can have the cops come and—”
“Are you nuts?”
“Well, no, I didn’t think you’d want that and that’s why I told them not to call, but I didn’t know the story. I still don’t. I just wanted you to know it was an option.” She made a pouty face at him. “I’m not stupid. My brother gets himself into trouble all the time like you do. That’s why I got your gun, knife, and money out of your pockets before I brought you in.”
“You did?”
She nodded. She was smart then. “And you didn’t call an ambulance?”
“Right. Because then they’d know where it happened.”
His eyebrows raised a little. She knew how it worked. She thought fast under pressure and acted smart. She impressed him more and more every day.
“Thank you,” he said. “For all of it.”
“It’s the least I could do.”
Even if she had done everything right, he was still here. For a stab wound, the cops would surely come around whether he wanted their protection or not. So he had to get out of there. Now. He had no viable excuse to give them.
There wasn’t much pain and if he was all stitched up, he should be fine to leave. He’d take care of the wound, get some antibiotics—on the black market if he had to—and he’d just go home to recover, away from the cops.
“Did you give them my personal info?”
“I didn’t have it to give,” she said. “And since your wallet is in my car, they weren’t able to get it.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
She smiled a little. “Like I said, it’s the least I can do.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I am grateful, though.”
He pushed himself up with one arm and got into a seated position.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I have to get out of here.”
“You can’t leave yet. You’re not ready for that.”
“I’ll be fine.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to push off from the bed. His arms shook and he broke out into a sweat. He could probably slide down to the floor, but he was afraid his legs wouldn’t hold him. After trying again, he collapsed back onto the bed, and moved his legs back into place.
“Told you,” she said.
“I need to get out of here.”
“You can stay a day or two at least. Why do you need to go so badly?”
“So the cops don’t show up asking questions.”
“They won’t.” She sounded perfectly confidant.
“They always come for an injury like this.”
“Yeah, I know. They were here and I told them what happened.”
“You what?” So much for thinking she was smart.
“I told them how we got into a fight and I was too emotional because I found out you were cheating and I tried to cut off your balls, but I missed.”
He blinked at her. “What?”
She let out an exasperated breath. “They don’t bother investigating domestic disputes if both parties are present. They were satisfied that since I brought you in, I wasn’t going to hurt you again, and I assured them that I did not want you dead, I just wanted you to not be able to cheat on me. But if you want them to come, to go after whoever really did this, we can call them back.”
He stared blankly at her, letting her words sink in. She had made up this elaborate story and put herself at risk, just to cover his ass and make sure the cops didn’t come back around to question him? He might be falling in love.
“Damn, girl.” He closed his eyes. “You’re a fucking angel.”
“So are you. And I didn’t want to do anything that got you into trouble.”
“Well, you sure did a good job.”
“So, does that mean you’ll stop trying to leave the hospital before you’re ready?”
“Maybe.”
Sara stayed with him that day. Stayed when they took him upstairs to another room, and even after he started drifting off. It wasn’t until later that night that she said she had to get home to her son.
“Thanks for all you did,” he said.
“I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” She winked at him. “I want to make sure you’re okay and no one comes and attacks you in the night.”
“I’ll be fine.” But his heart warmed at her concern.
Saxton had a rule when it came to women. Fuck them and forget them. Don’t let them get close, don’t let them in your brain or your heart, and don’t even let them in your house if can avoid it. But with Sara, it was too late. She’d been in his house, of course. He hadn’t had much choice there. But from the moment he’d seen her on that stage, looking scared out of her mind, she started to get into his heart. After their few conversations, and now all of this, she was getting into his head, too.
This was no good. She wasn’t right for him, and he was so wrong for her. She might know about this life, be proxy to it because of her brother, but she didn’t belong here. Not with bikers, not with criminals. She had a child to think about. Worked two jobs to send him to a good school. And she couldn’t even make herself sleep with someone for eight thousand bucks. She was out of his league. She was far too good for him.
Yet, here she was, saying goodbye and looking sad to go. Saying she’d be back tomorrow. How was this possible? She couldn’t be starting to have feelings for him, too, could she? She had called him her savior. Maybe she was the type who liked to be rescued. The victim who wanted to be saved, the damsel in distress.
He wanted to keep saving her, too. He knew it was bad and he shouldn’t, but he wanted her. And not just her body.
Sara came back every day like she said she would. She couldn’t miss a lot of work, and she apologized when she couldn’t be there, which was ridiculous, but sweet. And when she was there, she kept him entertained with conversation. They’d started talking about things more and more personal. As their conversation got more in-depth, he was aware the whole time of what a slippery slope he was edging down. Each time she left, he started to miss her, and when she came back, he was happy to see her.
Today, though, it had to stop. He couldn’t sit there anymore, knowing he was so close to finding Liam’s killer. And he couldn’t let this thing with Sara go on.
When he woke, he waited until after the nurse came in to see him, then he pushed himself up carefully in the bed. It was still difficult to get up and he wasn’t supposed to be out of bed alone. He held onto the bed’s railing as he slid out and stood still for a moment, waiting for the room to stop spinning before he shuffled over to the closet and pulled out his clothes. He didn’t have a shirt anymore. The one he’d had on was covered in blood, and the nurses had cut it off him. He’d have to leave the hospital gown on, but his jeans were okay. Dirty, bloody, but not terrible.
He set his clothing on the bed and slowly and carefully pulled his pants on. It was much more difficult than he had expected. Wasn’t helped by the fact that they were stiff with blood. What he needed were sweat pants, but these would have to do. He’d finally gotten them on, after having to stop a few times to wiggle them into place. He’d given up on his socks, but was now trying to bend over to get his shoes on. The pain was a lot, though, and bending his stomach in any way was pure agony. He ended up positioning one sneaker on the floor and trying to hold back the tongue with one foot while sliding in the other. It wasn’t going well.
He had just got his foot in one, though something was twisted and not right, when a sudden voice behind him startled him.
“What in the world are you doing?” Sara stood there with her arms crossed, giving him a displeased look.
At least it was her and not a nurse or doctor. “I’m checking out.”
“Doesn’t look like you’ve been discharged.”
“I have been. Dr. Saxton says so.”
“Why would you do that? Why rush it?”
“I can’t explain it fully right now,” he said. “But I have to get out of here. There’s something I have to do.”
“You’re not in any condition to do anything right now except rest.”
He started trying to get his other sneaker on, but she bent down to help him. She adjusted his first sneaker, too, then tied them both.
“Thanks.”
“How are you going to do anything if you can’t even tie your own shoes?”
“I’ll manage.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Then I’m going to take care of you until you’re well enough.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I guess I have to call security then and tell them that you’re out of your mind, talking crazy, trying to leave when you shouldn’t.”
“You wouldn’t.” He gave her a stern look.
“You really want to test me?”
“Why are you even here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I do get an occasional day off.”
“Wow. How nice of them.”
She shrugged. “I usually offer to work anyway. I don’t need days off. I need money.”
“Then go to work. I’ll manage on my own.”
“Not a chance.” She walked to the wall where the button was to call for a nurse. She held her thumb above it, ready to press if he didn’t relent.
He sighed. “Why are you doing this?”
“I just am.”
“Is this some payback crap?”
“Maybe.”
“Well don’t.”
“Saxton. I am coming to take care of you. And that’s that.”
He threw his hands into the air. “Fine.”
Inside, his heart was leaping for joy. When she’d first offered, he wanted her to come, but he couldn’t allow himself to go there. Having her in his place all the time like that, caring for him. He might as well jump off the edge of the slippery slope, right into heartbreak. But if she was going to insist like that, even to the point of threatening him, what could he do? He’d never let her know, of course, that he was thrilled. He had to work on keeping his feelings for her in check, so they could be squashed and eliminated.