~ Ryder ~
Ryder’s eyes slowly opened and the room drifted into focus. Looking down, he tried to see his injuries. Immediately, it all came flooding back with several stark realizations hitting him all at once.
Thank fuck that he was alive, thinking coherently, and breathing on his own. Grateful to the old man who had intervened when Ace was about to blow his brains out, he realized how close he’d come to dying. Making a mental note of the life debt, Ryder vowed to repay it as soon as he was on his feet again.
There was a sharp, stabbing pain in the back of his head near the base of his neck, and it was severe enough to make his lip quiver. That shit hadn’t happened to him since he was a fuckin’ kid, and it was pissing him the hell off.
Stand up, shake this shit off, and be a man. His father’s words reverberated through his aching head, leaving behind hollowness where warmth and motivation should be. His old man had been one mean son of a bitch and lived his life by an arcane set of beliefs that felt peculiar to Ryder.
He’d raised him and his sister all by himself, engraining more than a bit of his weirdness into them, but Ryder missed him anyhow. Subsequently, the cumulative effects of getting run over by a truck and catching a few bullets virtually guaranteed following his father’s advice would prove an impossible task tonight…assuming it was night.
Steeling himself for the pain he knew was sure to come, Ryder forced his body up to a sitting position. The searing pain in his head literally took his breath away and made the room spin in lackadaisical circles. Closing his eyes to stave off the nausea climbing up this throat, he eased back down on his pillow. He was in serious pain, and the drunk couple yelling totally transparent, lovey-dovey shit back and forth was not helping.
That’s when it finally hit him; he appeared to be in a medical facility of some sort rather than jail, which was always a possibility when you were dealing with cops. He couldn’t be just sitting around on his dick when Ace was still out there somewhere, looking to do harm to his brothers. Regardless of the excruciating pain, getting back on his feet was the only thing that mattered to him at the moment.
Ace’s mocking face rose in his mind, and Ryder knew he would have to be diligent about finishing the job he started by shooting him. Trying to sit up once again, he accidently knocked over a side table. He’d seriously underestimated the effect of whatever drugs they had given him. For the first time in his life, merely moving his arms took all the strength he could muster.
This whole situation was total bullshit, caused by whatever poison they were pumping into his veins. Refusing to allow it to break him, he pulled furiously at the IV hanging from his arm to keep any more of the meds from entering his body and consequently making him weak. Cursing under his breath, he realized that someone was going to hear the ruckus he was making, and he was in no condition to effectively defend himself until the damned drugs wore off.
Just as he’d feared, one of the nursing staff came rushing into the room, appearing astounded at his clumsy attempts to get out of bed. Hastening her way over to him, she tried vainly to push him back down onto the bed. Her small hands on his massive chest were a barely noticeable distraction. In his drug-induced haze, he found the idea of her trying to physically move him totally fuckin’ hilarious. Did the diminutive nurse actually think she could push him even an inch? Smiling up at her, he resisted the initial urge to gather her up in his arms and sit her pretty little ass in his lap.
“You have a concussion, Mr. Staunton, therefore you shouldn’t be trying to get up. Do you mind if ask why you tore out your IV?”
In response to her unwanted interrogation, he gave the inquisitive little bitch an icy glare as he responded brusquely. “Does it ever occur to you folks that maybe we don’t all want that poison dumped into our veins?”
Of course, she was in professional nurse mode at the moment and not in the correct frame of mind to accept him advocating for less medication. “You’re injured and not thinking properly right now, Mr. Staunton. You need the medications to keep from getting an infection, and the IV provides fluids when you’re unconscious and can’t consume liquids on your own.”
Shaking his head in disagreement, Ryder was certain that in her mind all her trite justifications made perfect sense. In his opinion, doctors didn’t have the right to pump a man full of shit he never agreed to. Rather than mansplaining all about his theory that doctors should render minimal lifesaving care until the person gives consent, he decided to stick to the point.
“That may be, but you need to back the fuck up and talk to me like I’m a fuckin’ human being and not some senseless fuck like the guy down the hall, screaming romantical nonsense to his old lady. I know that I’m supposed to be all grateful and compliant and shit, but that ain’t the way the good Lord made me, doll.”
Unclear what he’d expected her response to be, he was pleasantly shocked when a contrite expression instantly jumped onto her lovely face. “I honestly wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or coerce you into accepting medications you clearly don’t want. Many patients wake a little discombobulated and not thinking clearly. I can now see you do not fall into that category, so you have my sincerest apologies. What would you like to know?”
“What the hell is wrong with me? My head feels funny.”
Tilting her head slightly, she articulated her words carefully for no reason he could discern as she explained the obvious. “You were hit by an oncoming vehicle, causing a severe concussion. Then you were shot twice.”
“Any particular reason you’re takin’ me on this scenic guided tour down memory lane? In case you forgot, I was fuckin’ there, so clearly I know all about that shit. What I need to know is what happened after I came here.”
Rather than showing irritation, she smiled indulgently at him as she responded, seemingly not as offended by his gruff manner as most women he’d met. The ounce of acceptance and understanding when he was having the roughest day of life loosened something slightly in his chest.
“Unfortunately, EMS had to sedate you on the chopper, and that’s contraindicated for individuals who’ve sustained a head injury.”
“Contra what? Can you speak freakin’ English, doll?”
Rolling her eyes at him, she quickly explained in a way he could understand. “I know this is difficult to believe, but you fought the emergency responders while you were being transported in the medical helicopter. They sedated you for your own safety.”
Never one to underestimate his own irresponsible stupidity in the face of danger, he almost laughed that she thought such a response was beyond the norm for him. “That’s not hard for me to believe at all. In fact, it sounds just like some shit I would do when I’m outta my head. I’m a natural born fighter, and that shit does not just go away every time I bump my head.”
The woman grinned at him, clearly appreciating his manly idiosyncrasies and self-deprecating humor. “I’m no doctor, but since you’re hydrated and alert enough to take medications, you won’t need the IV you…umm…removed to be reinserted.”
Trying to shake off the slowly diminishing headache, he chose not to argue that they weren’t sticking him again because he’d already drawn his line in the goddamn sand by removing it. To demonstrate his appreciation for her being kind and trying to understand his point of view, he tried to moderate his tone. “Look, lady, I don’t care if you’re a doctor or not. You must know if and when I can get the hell outta here.”
“I know your physician had not approved you to be ambulatory yet, and that’s a strong indication that it would not be reasonable to expect you to be steady on your feet while the medications are still in your system. Continual attempts may result in tearing open your sutures or even falling and incurring another injury. If you lie back down, I’ll tell you everything I know and help you get whatever you need as best I can.”
Knowing he was being somewhat unreasonable, Ryder massaged his chest as he tried to formulate a plan of action. His chest ached as he nursed the irrational fear that if he laid down, he would not be getting up again. “I ain’t laying back down until you start spitting out answers to my damn questions. Where the hell am I?”
“You’re at St. Mary’s on the outskirts of Bismarck, and you’ve been here—”
“Fuck,” Ryder hissed under his breath. “Bismarck, North freaking Dakota?”
Following what appeared to be her normal, empathetic manner of interaction, she fluffed his pillow as she conversed soothingly, “Yes, Mr. Staunton, you’ve been here nearly five hours. As I said, EMS elected to bring you by helicopter due to the severity of your injuries. Some bright spark probably thought we were the best option for you because we specialize in traumatic brain injuries.”
“Jesus, I hear what you’re laying down for me, but I seriously need to get out of here.” Though she hadn’t explained why, Ryder didn’t reckon there was much chance of that since his head was splitting open just from sitting up in his bed.
“I’m unclear on exactly why you’re so intent on leaving this very modern and well-appointed medical facility. I cannot stress to you enough that your very survival might depend upon the monitoring and medical support of our TBI team. They are the best in the business, as evidenced by the fact that doctors come from all over the country to see how we operate.”
“Christ, you sound like an infomercial extolling all the virtues of St. Mary’s; do you know that?”
Frowning at his insolent remark, she pressed her lips into a thin line as if she were attempting to hold back a torrent of insults. Instead of cutting loose with those critical remarks, she spoke as respectfully as possible. “If you leave before you’re stable, you can be pretty much guaranteed of a negative outcome. Nothing going on in the outside world could possibly be worth your life.”
For some reason, annoying her was somehow gratifying, and he couldn’t stop himself from stating curtly, “I have someplace to be.”
Continuing her calm and respectful tone, she explained, “Your loved ones will understand. None of them would expect a seriously injured man to leave the hospital, especially one in your condition.”
He wheezed out a laugh and his hand immediately went to his side. “The fact that you actually believe that I have loved ones is downright adorable, doll.”
“Everyone has someone who cares about them.”
Her presumptuous words demonstrated how little she understood of his world, consequently provoking the dark beast lurking just beneath the surface. “Ain’t nobody out there that gives a fuck where I am, except my club brothers and the man tryin’ to kill me.”
As if to illustrate his point, he growled, moving forward in a vaguely threatening pose that had served him well over the years and watched her jerk slightly away from him.
Absurdly pleased with her response, he thought to himself that she should be warier of dangerous men. This pretty little bitch was far too trusting of the wrong kind of men to suit him.
Moreover, after what happened to his sister, he was on a mission to see that kind of shit didn’t happen to anyone else he knew. If edging into her personal space taught her to be appropriately wary of strange men, she would be safer for having experienced the momentary fear. In his mind, he was doing her a service.
Getting back to the subject at hand, he stated flatly, “I can’t be sitting around here making nice with all the doctors and pretty nurses with a goddamn target on my chest. Can’t you see how having a killer on my tail might make it impossible for a man to relax?”
Her occupation notwithstanding, Ryder got the feeling she genuinely cared about her patients in general, especially when her voice took on a twinge of desperation as she tried to convince him to prioritize his medical needs. “The trauma surgeon pulled one slug out of your leg and another out of your arm. As I mentioned, you have a concussion and some fairly potent sedatives in your system. If you walk out now, I doubt you’d make it a hundred yards before you collapse.”
“I sure the hell can’t just lay here and do nothin’, doll,” he sneered.
Waving one delicate hand in the air as she placed the other on the slight curve of her hip, she didn’t seem inclined to give up on him. “You can’t shake off a couple of gunshot wounds like they’re nothing and just go on about your merry way.”
Rolling his eyes, Ryder barked a humorless laugh, both annoyed and charmed by her naiveté and persistence in trying to save him from himself. “A couple of bullet holes are nothing. If the bastard hadn’t hit me with his truck, he wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to shoot my ass, that’s for sure. Thank God he wasn’t going at top speed, or I’d definitely be a dead man.”
“Her hand flew to her mouth in horror at the visual he’d inadvertently created in her mind’s eye. After shocking her, he lowered his voice, attempting to dial down the alarm. “He’ll be comin’ for me. I gotta get movin’.”
Once his words sank in, her head came slowly up to look at him, and he could see shock and some disbelief on her pretty face. “You think a killer is going to stalk you across the state line?”
However smart she was, this chick just didn’t get it, and he was quickly losing his patience with her innocent ways. “Hell, the fuck yes, I surely do. Look, lady, I know that sounds all manner of crazy, but I promise you, he won’t stop ‘til one of us is dead.”
Her enormous, pretty, blue eyes stared at him for a long moment. After a lengthy pause, she spoke so softly that at first, he wasn’t sure what she said. “I don’t know why, but I do believe you.”
Finally, here was a woman willing to go the extra mile to understand where he was coming from. “You have got to get me outta here because he will be comin’ for me, I promise you that.”
Next, she broached the issue any professional woman in her situation would be most concerned about. “Do you think he’ll try to come inside the emergency room?”
“Hell’s bells, he’s totally unhinged and brazen as hell. He won’t think twice about shootin’ the place right up.” Watching her wrap her arms around her stomach in what was obviously a protective pose tore at his heart. Scaring the resilient woman he was growing a solid liking for made him feel like shit, but allowing danger to blindside her was the bigger concern.
“Maybe you’re just being paranoid. It could be an adverse reaction of some sort to the medication.”
“Trust me, it ain’t.”
The sound of raised voices filled the air, drifting back from the direction of the medical station. One of the physicians demanded for security to be called in halting, broken English.
Immediately, the compassionate woman standing before him, who’d appeared so composed and intense when she’d enter his room, seemed to fold in on herself. It pained him to see all her assertiveness fall away, leaving fear and anxiety haunting her angelic face. Some protective instinct reared up inside of him, and he wanted to wrap his beefy arms around her and assure her everything was going to be all right, but unfortunately that was not an option at the moment.
Rather than sugarcoat the situation for her, he hissed quietly, “That might be our killer.”
Dropping her chin to her chest, she appeared to be deep in thought or possibly falling into despair. It was difficult to tell.
The disgruntled biker gripped onto the side of the hospital bed, trying to steady himself as he stood with as much dignity as possible under the circumstances. Seeing his knuckles turn white and feeling the sweat dripping down his forehead, he knew without a doubt that he was too weak to run from the diabolical fool chasing him.
His nurse suddenly launched into action, pacing back and forth as she muttered under her breath. “Don’t even think about trying to walk out of here. You won’t make it more than a few steps into the hall before he catches sight of you. We can’t take a chance on him opening fire in the building. There are too many lives at stake.”
Sinking back down on the bed, he whispered, “Got any great ideas, ‘cause I sure the fuck don’t.”
She shook her head. “I’m thinking.”
Ryder hated to see her in the line of fire, another hapless victim caught in the cross fire between his club and a demented madman. “Get the fuck out, doll. Run.”
“I’m not leaving you in the clutches of a coldhearted killer.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’re a human being. That’s all I need to know.”
This time, it was Ryder’s turn to be impressed as the seemingly defeated woman found her backbone again. “Fuckin’ stubborn, courageous bitch. Get behind me. Maybe if he nails me, he’ll be so eager to make a clean getaway, he’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not an idiot. I’m the witness. Killers never leave us alive.”
Rubbing the throbbing vein in his temple, he realized the smart little bitch was right. Shit, what had he been thinking? Everyone knew killers didn’t leave witnesses behind. He watched her pull open a cabinet under the sink and begin jerking out supplies. She chucked handfuls of stuff into a large garbage bin. It seemed like a gigantic waste to him.
Staring at her incredulously, he literally could not fathom what she was doing. “Ain’t no time to be cleaning house, sweet cheeks. He’ll make holes in my road-weary body, faster than you can plug ‘em up.”
She flashed him a quick, mischievous smile, those blue eyes flashing. “Button it up, gorgeous. I finally thought of a way out of this mess.”
As if to demonstrate her resolve, the woman quickly shoved the bin against the wall and walked over to him. “Lean on me.”
Wrapping one of his arms around her neck, she dragged him the few steps across the room. Bracing herself on the built-in cabinet, she turned him sideways. “This is going to hurt, but you need to ease yourself into the opening. I’ll take as much of the weight as possible. Try not to tear open your sutures.”
Winded from the effort of moving, Ryder didn’t bother with a response. The pretty little bitch was saving his life. He needed to shut the fuck up and get with the program. As he bent down, she shifted her leg against him, easing him into the small compartment. It hurt like hell, but he sealed his lips.
Shoving his chart into his hands, she quickly shut the door. Alone, sitting in the dark, Ryder felt like a child again. A helpless little boy hiding from his father’s fists. Forcing himself not to panic, he clutched the cold metal chart as he listened to what was going on in the room.
Within moments, he heard the curtain being ripped open. It was a metal-on-metal scrape he recognized from the nurse coming in earlier.
Tiffany’s genial voice immediately sounded off. “Are you here for our Jeffery Thomas? The ambulance drivers picked him out of that house fire across town. We weren’t sure who to call. Would you happen to have his insurance information? They’re going to need that if you don’t want him to end up with a huge hospital bill.”
Ryder thrilled at the clueless tone of her voice. This chick was good. The momentary relief turned to worry as he imagined the huge, hulking form hovering over the small, vulnerable woman. The sound of boots stalking over to her almost made Ryder jump from his hiding space. Then he remembered this was not only his only chance at life, but it was hers as well. She had been correct about her being a witness. Ace was not the kind of man to leave behind a witness. He’d kill her quick as a wink and not think twice about it.
“It stinks in here.”
Ace’s full-throated growl and close proximity to his new female friend set Ryder’s nerves on edge. Forcing his lips closed, Ryder throttled back the instinct to pummel the man back a few feet from the vulnerable, fresh-faced female trying her best to protect him. Now was definitely not the time for thrilling heroics.
“What’s that stench filling the room?”
“The smell of burning flesh, I imagine. I barely notice things like that anymore. Look, your loved one got transferred to ICU. You are going to have to go there if you want an update on his condition.”
To anyone else’s ears, the nurse’s words and tone of voice might have sounded casual and professional, particularly in this environment. Ryder wasn’t fooled by her fake calm, though, because he could hear the echo of fear and desperation hidden beneath the surface of her easygoing demeanor. It was like a siren’s call, beckoning him to detach himself from his current circumstance and focus on defending her from the treacherous man standing before her.
The deep voice was rough and harsh. “I want to see his chart.”
“Sorry, sir, St. Mary’s is not authorized to allow that. If you want information on Mr. Thomas, you will have to speak to the physician. If Mr. Thomas wishes you to be privy to his medical information, he can sign a written release. As I said, he was transferred to ICU almost an hour ago.”
Pausing long enough to seem confused, she asked, “Did you say you were a member of the immediate family?” Her crisp reply revealed a deep-seated ability to hide her true feelings. It was enough to make Ryder wonder where such an innocent young woman might have acquired such a jaded trait.
Instead of answering her, the contemptuous man stalked back out of the bay, and his footsteps soon faded into the distance. Her footsteps faded as well, and Ryder assumed she was making sure the man had exited the building.
Immediately, Ryder pushed the cabinet door open and took a deep, cleansing breath. Grabbing one ankle, he pulled it awkwardly out to rest on the cold, institutional flooring. Repeating the process with the other foot, he used his good arm to grab the top of the cabinet and began hoisting himself up.
Within minutes, his new partner rushed back into the room and yanked the curtain closed behind her, concealing them from view. She ran to his side, draped his arm over her shoulder, and helped him up. Ryder didn’t have it in him to object when she eased him down onto the bed.
“Did he leave the premises?” Surprised at the harsh and raspy sound of his own voice, he realized he was not doing nearly as well as he’d originally thought.
“Yes. I watched him get into a pickup truck and drive away. Someone told him we were on diversion and that meant his loved one could have been taken to another area hospital.”
“Once he figures out I ain’t in one of them, he’ll circle back around.”
Her voice was calm, but her wide eyes gave away her fear. “I know how men like him are. I could see it in his eyes. He’s not going to give up looking for you.”
As a result of her refusal to leave him to his fate, critical thinking, and her astonishing courage in the face of danger, Ryder had to admit that he was becoming fascinated with the diminutive nurse. In fact, he had a hard time keeping the open admiration from his voice when he spoke to her.
“You are one smart little bitch. Now you see why I need to get outta here before he realizes his mistake.”
Smiling slightly back at him, she chewed her bottom lip, seemingly mulling the situation over in her mind. “Agreeing is not particularly helpful. You’re bleeding around your sutures and are in no condition to leave. Can’t you see that?”
Nodding, he stood again and tried to take a step toward her as he kept eye contact. “Hell yes, I can see how foolish it is to leave when I’m bleeding and unstable on my feet, but what you need to see is that we got no fuckin’ choice.”
“Mr. Staunton…” Walking over to him, she helped steady him on his feet instead of forcing him back down onto the bed.
In his humble opinion, that was yet more progress, since she didn’t appear to be on automatic pilot anymore where he was concerned.
“Call me Ryder.” His head was still throbbing, and his fingers were half numb, but he wanted to hear his name on her lips. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his eyes to drift from her face down to her chest, landing on her name badge. Tiffany Stone, RN. Looking up to recapture her eyes, he spoke quietly. “Miss Tiffany, if I’m going to survive, I need your help.”
“I don’t know how I can be any more help than I already have in this situation. I’m just a nurse.”
He hated seeing the fear so clearly stamped on her attractive face as she gazed up at him.
Cupping her face in his hands, he tried to communicate the urgency of his need. Meeting her eyes, his words were sincere when he told her, “I can’t be found here, electronically or physically. You are the only person I have right now. Will you help me?”
After facing off with the estranged man, Ryder could tell that his open honesty affected her, softening her to his request.
“Look, doll, you were amazing. How often do you get the chance to match wits with a killer while a man’s life hangs in the balance?”
Ignoring his attempt at humor, she replied thoughtfully, “Fine, Ryder. This is my last day at this job, so I’ll take a chance for you. Updating your information in our database shouldn’t be too difficult, since we have identity issues with our patients off and on. If I don’t modify that information, they might give him information on you if they think he’s family.
“Him coming here again is too much of a risk for you and the other patients we’re treating, so it’s a lesser of two evils kind of choice for me. In fact, we might be able to stash you in one of the empty offices in the back for the night, then on the off chance that he comes barreling back in here, he won’t find you lying helpless on your back.”
Grabbing her by the arm, he whispered, “You’re a woman after my own heart.”
Ignoring his gentle flirting, she placed a warm hand on his chest and eased him back again. “I’ll be back when things calm down, gorgeous. In an hour or so, it’ll be a ghost town out there. You’ll likely be transferred to another hospital in the morning. They won’t want to discharge you in your condition.”
“I need my…personal effects.”
Turning her sharp gaze on him, she quipped humorlessly, “I saw your personal effects, Ryder. I’m betting you’d be happy if I just brought your wallet and gun, right?”
“Don’t look at me like that, Tiff. I got a killer on my tail. Of fuckin’ course I want my one and only weapon.”
Sighing, she folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t see how that’s going to happen. The social workers log it and lock it upon arrival. I don’t even have access to it."
“I can’t protect us without a weapon. Can you bring me one in somehow?”
Her eyes got huge. “Are you seriously asking me to bring you a weapon? No, absolutely not. I don’t mind helping you stay alive, but I’m not going to end up in an orange jumpsuit over bringing a perfect stranger a weapon.”
“So, you think I’m perfect?”
Her eyes widened. “What? No. That was a figure of speech.”
Ryder smirked. “You already called me gorgeous. I think you do like the look of me.”
She glared back at him. “Don’t even think of trying to sweet talk me into breaking the law. I won’t do it. Not for you or any other hot guy.”
“So, now I’ve stepped up to hot?” For some godforsaken reason, he couldn’t stop himself from flirting with the adorably innocent nurse. Now was so not the time, but Junior was raring to go.
Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms over her chest. “Sure, you’re hot. Are you happy now?”
“Come, sit on Daddy’s lap.” Where the fuck did that come from? Ryder realized in that moment that his dick was doing all the talking.
“You’re freaking unbelievable. You don’t have time for shit like that. You’re a walking dead man, remember? Get your head together.” The woman’s face was flaming red. Whether it was from true anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell, but it was fucking sexy as hell.
Her harsh words felt like getting doused with cold water.
“Whatever you say, Nurse Stone.” He heard his tone of voice change as he edged into asshole mode again. Something about being brought up short by the hot nurse seriously aggravated him. She was all kinds of right about how this wasn’t the time or place, but it still pissed him off.
There would never be an appropriate time for a woman like her to sit on his lap. This was a fact he was all too aware of, and it had him feeling some kind of way.