Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Sighing over how he used his cute nickname for me, I followed Blade over to the x-ray machine. I was a little worried by how at ease he was with getting the images he needed because it made me wonder how often one of the Iron Rogues got seriously injured. But it was nice not having to wait for the results.
I was so relieved when he said, “I have good news. No fractures, just deep bruising. You’re gonna need to protect that side, rotate between ice and heat for ten to twenty minutes at a time, and take over-the-counter pain meds as needed. Let Patch know if you don’t see improvement with the pain or it gets worse.”
“Thank you so much,” I murmured as I fixed my shirt and let Kian’s leather vest settle around my body.
“Is she healthy enough to handle being on the back of my bike for two hours?” Kian asked.
“Yup, as long as Tessa pays attention to what her body tells her, she’s good to go,” Blade confirmed. “If the ribs start to bother her, pull off the road for a little bit to give her a break.”
6
PHANTOM
Before leaving the Iron Rogues compound, I put Tessa on the phone with Grey and had her answer all of his questions so he could work on keeping her money out of her dad’s hands now that I’d gotten her away from him.
Once she was done, I stowed my phone in one of my saddle bags and put my helmet on her head. The corners of my mouth curved up because she looked so damn cute. I’d have to get her one of her own as soon as possible.
“Where are we going now?” she asked softly. “And why did you ask Blade if I could handle a two-hour ride? It sounds like fun, but I need to get home and do some cleaning before I make dinner.”
Apparently, I hadn’t been very clear about what was happening. “You’re not going back to your dad’s house, sweet girl. There is no fucking way I will ever let him harm you again.”
She frowned, and her forehead creased with her confusion. “I have nowhere else to go, Kian. School doesn’t start for—”
“You’re coming with me,” I informed her. “We can figure out school later. Right now, I just need you safe and with me.” If she wanted to finish school, I had no problem with that, but she’d have to transfer to somewhere closer to home because she wasn’t going to live anywhere but with me.
I was prepared to argue with her, but she looked up at me through her long auburn lashes, and her plump lips curved into a small smile. “Okay.”
Pleased with her response, I returned her smile and gave her waist a gentle squeeze before lifting her onto my bike. Since she was so tiny, I was grateful that I’d added higher foot pegs so I could take some of the older kids on rides. Our motorcycles were practically sacred, so other than a few of my brother’s tween spawn, Tessa would be the first female to ever ride on mine. It had always bothered me to think of a woman taking up space while I was riding, but I’d loved every second of the ride to the Iron Rogues doc, other than the painful situation in my jeans.
“I don’t have much with me,” Tessa reminded me with a worried expression. “My stuff…”
“We’ll get all your shit later, baby. We’ll figure out the rest when we get home.”
Once we were both situated, we hit the road. Tessa was a natural. She held me firmly, but the longer we rode, the more I felt the tension ease out of her. Although, I was sure that some of that was also due to the distance we were putting between her and her father.
He’d never be able to get to her on the SS compound, which was the only reason I was glad to be taking her there. After spending so many years as a spy, a lot of people preferred solitude. But for me, I had enough of the loneliness, so when I retired, I moved into the clubhouse.
I’d kept my shit there anyway because I was rarely home, so why pay for an apartment? However, as we neared home, it was the first time I wished I had a place of my own. Somewhere Tessa and I could truly be alone. Although, until we knew the extent of her situation—including whether her dad’s bookie would come after her when he didn’t get his money—she was safest at the clubhouse.
But I’d start looking for places for Tessa to choose from immediately. After moving up in the ranks and having very little expenses for the past seventeen years, I’d built up a hefty nest egg, so we didn’t need her money to live very comfortably.