Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
But the nightmare’s got a tight grip. She’s sobbing now, tears wetting the pillow. “Asshole,” she mutters. Probably thinking of Demon. Bastard’s gone, but his memory lingers.
“No, stop!” She cries out once again, sitting up with her eyes closed. One hand covers her eyes and the other her mouth as if she can’t bear to see to whatever is haunting her dreams. “Stop, stop, please,” she whimpers and falls back against the bed.
“Maggie,” I whisper, more to myself than to her because she’s lost in her memories.
The shouts and cries become real tears. I understand what she’s going through, but I wonder what exactly is haunting her. Is it the day she lost Demon or waking up to find that all the family she had in the world had turned against her? Is it the trauma of the beating she took?
I don’t know, but eventually, she settles back into a deep sleep, and I leave her, heading home to eat and shower and fight my own demons.
The next day, I return to The Chamber, bringing Maggie food she never eats and water she never drinks. She’s healing well, and that’s all I can ask for.
The nightmares persist. On the fourth day, they return with a fever. The moment I walk inside The Chamber, she’s already thrashing around on the bed as if she’s fighting for her life, shouting and crying in anger. In pain. I lunge forward to stop her from toppling off the bed, and instantly, my hands touch silky soft skin.
She’s almost naked. All except for a skimpy tank top and a pair of low-cut panties that show off her slender waist, a belly button ring, tattoos, and a protruding hip bone.
“Fuck.” I have to swallow hard, pushing away thoughts I shouldn’t have. This ain’t about that. It’s about helping her.
“No!” One arm slices through the air and smacks my face.
With gentle but firm hands, I manage to hold her still. “Easy, Maggie,” I breathe out. “You’re okay. You’re with me. It’s Nova.”
With a final, heart-wrenching sob, she goes limp, breathing heavily. The storm’s passed, for now. I straighten up, feeling a dull ache in my chest. How many nights have I jolted awake like that, cold sweat sticking to my back, gasping for air?
“You’ll be okay,” I whisper before rushing out of The Chamber.
When I get outside, I realize I’ve left my medical bag beside her bed. I don’t dare go back for it. I can’t.
If Maggie wakes up, I might forget that I’m the nice guy she accuses me of and show her the darker side of me.
My bag will be fine until tomorrow.
Me? The jury is still out on that.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Maggie
I sit up with a groan that is a clear reminder that I’m alive. The pain in my side is there, but it’s nowhere near where it was. Shit, where it was. I don’t know how much time has passed, but I remember the ass-whooping I took from my own damn crew.
One hand goes to my side, and I feel the scar, but the stitches are mostly gone. There’s still gauze on my face and neck, but the pain is minimal. And slowly, the memories come back to me.
The free clinic. The sexy doctor.
“Fuck.”
The sexy biker doctor who also happens to be a member of the Reckless Souls, the biker crew who killed Demon. I fall back against the bed and let out a long sigh. I’m in a fucking dungeon, the windowless area that’s supposed to keep me safe and out of view of my own—my former—gang.
I sit up again and notice that I’m not tied up, so obviously, I’m not being held captive. So, maybe the sexy doc isn’t a total liar. I look around the pitch-black space, unable to see a fucking thing. I reach out beside me, and my hand lands on a lamp.
After a minute of blind touching, I find the switch, and light fills the dungeon. I’m lying on a bed under a sheet. A quick look under the sheet reveals I’m wearing a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top that doesn’t belong to me. “What the actual fuck?”
I go completely still when I hear the heavy metal door swing open and then slam shut, eyes scanning the area for something I can use as a weapon. But the intruder appears before I find anything and holy fucking shit, he’s hotter than I remember.
“Nova.” He is fine as fuck, tall and lean, with light brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a bearded smile that’s full of…affection? No, that can’t be right.
“You’re awake,” he says, his smile bright and relaxed. “How are you feeling?”
“A little out of it,” I admit easily, folding my arms to glare at him. “And wondering what happened to my clothes?”
He steps closer to the bed with an unbothered shrug. “Your clothes were pretty bloody.”