Page 42 of Shadow Touched

He gave a quick, consolatory smile beforeleaving. Thorn turned to him.

“Okay, I don’t know if I believe thisparanormal story, but I trust you. And I’ll let the insult that Iwould betray you slide. If I wanted you gone, Brim, there are lessdevious ways to do it.”

“I never thought a brother could stab me inthe back. I have to admit, it played a head game with me.”

“Yeah, I suppose it would,” Thorn said.“Don’t breathe a word of Knuckles to the rest of the club. If it isone of us, that could push the traitor back into hiding.”

“My thoughts exactly. By the way, when didyou install the security camera?”

Thorn frowned. “About a month ago.Discovered the lock at the back gate had been tampered with,figured it was just local kids curious about the club.”

“Interesting,” Brim muttered. His mindraced. “Mac from The White Death was able to hack into it. Maybe hecan find out who was driving that car from other surveillancecameras.”

“Want me to give them a call?”

Just then a nurse appeared in the doorway,beckoning to him.

“Yeah,” Brim replied. “Right now, I’ve gotto see Leia.”

Thorn gave him a pat on the shoulder as Brimhurried by.

Chapter Sixteen

Leia’s eyes fluttered open, and for a momentshe couldn’t remember where she was. The smell of antiseptic andthe IV in her arm told her she was in the hospital. Then it allcame rushing back in a flood, including the car that had beenaiming for Brim, and brought everything back into focus and sheshifted a little. Pain lanced through her body. Breathing throughit, she looked around and saw Brim asleep in the chair next toher.

A shadow still surrounded him.

Slowly, she reached out and touched it.Images whirled through her head, and it took more concentration toslow it all down. One by one the pictures coalesced until she wasable to rewind, and she saw a knife plunge into his chest. He fell,eyes wide open as death claimed him.

A tear rolled down her cheek. The car hadmissed, but the knife would not. Even if she could prevent that,just like the car, the scenario probably would keep changing untilshe failed. Until his killer was victorious, and she could seeeverything except the person wielding the sickle. Leia withdrew herhand and let it fall limply to her side.

“You shouldn’t move.”

Startled, Leia turned her head and saw Brimstaring at her. How long had he been awake?

“You have a mild concussion,” he continued,his eyes were flat, matching the tone of his voice. “A lot ofbruises. The doctor said you were lucky—no broken bones, but hedidn’t see you fly through the air.”

“How long have I been out?”

“Not long. The doc said you’d probably bereleased in the morning.”

An uneasy tension settled in the room.

“I’m glad it didn’t get you,” she whispered,needing to say something.

“Why did you do that, Leia?”

She didn’t pretend not to know what he wastalking about. “It’s my job to protect you.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When heopened them, she gasped at the naked pain she saw.

“I have faced down the barrel of a gun moretimes than I care to admit, and none of those times have everscared me shitless quite like seeing that car hit you.”

“You said I’m going to be okay. No harm wasdone.”

He shook his head. “That is neither here northere. I can’t let you continue—”

“There’s still a shadow left on you.”

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