Page 13 of Savage Heart

“Why did you come to the medical room? Did you need something?”

From the darkening of his features and the tension in his body, she knew he didn’t appreciate that she hadn’t risen to the bait.

He opened his mouth to—she had no idea what—but the appearance ofherat the door stopped him.

Her eyes slid to Liz, the shit-colored depths burning with hatred and menace, before they shifted to Trouble where theystayed as her expression turned sultry. The smirk on her lips was telling. The woman was about to say or do something to piss Liz off.

“Ooo, Trouble, baby, you still haven’t gotten that bottle of Advil? I need it after you pounded the fuck out of me last night…and this morning. I ache all over, baby…but I need you again.” If it were possible, Amelia’s smirk grew, encompassing the whole of her expression. Her face was one big “fuck you”, and Liz didn’t give a shit.

She couldn’t. She was over Trouble. She was over the drama. She just wanted to finish with the supplies and get her daughter. They had a pizza and cartoon movie date.

Sighing, she flicked her gaze to Trouble who was staring at her, his eyes dark, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t even turned to acknowledge Amelia, who hadn’t noticed Trouble’s lack of attention. She was too busy giving Liz the stank eye.

Keeping looking at me like that, precious….

God, the temptation to say “fuck it” to her oath as a doctor and punch Amelia was strong. When Liz’s parents were alive, she’d never known a moment of violence; she’d been loved, cherished, and championed by a father who fought every battle for her. Once she lost her parents and was plunged into a life of “kill or be killed” “fight or go down bloody” she’d learned just how scrappy she was. She wasn’t a professional fighter like Tessa or a badass like Skathi by any means, but she could pull hair, bloody a lip, break a nose, and bruise a windpipe like a goddamn Tasmanian devil. And seeing Amelia and dealing with her shit never failed to stir that ferocious, whirling demon.

But she fought it. Because she was a professional, doing her job, and she refused to let someone like Amelia ruin her reputation.

Liz fought the urge to let her annoyance show on her face, becausehewas still looking at her, his eyes penetrating deep.What? Didn’t he like his trashy women to blurt out shit about their sexual escapades to their ex…whatevers? That couldn’t be new for him, especially since he kept sticking his dick in Amelia, who was even slutty and crass for a club whore.

Speaking of….

Amelia, wearing only a t-shirt, slunk into the room from the doorway, draping herself over Trouble’s shoulder, her lack of bra and panties obvious as she made no move to pull the rising t-shirt down over her exposed ass and pussy.

Disgusted—as a womanandas a doctor—Liz couldn’t hold her tongue.

“Amelia, I realize you have little respect for me, but, out of respect for the men who come into this room expecting a level of cleanliness, and sterile, sanitary conditions, I ask that you wear appropriate clothing in here at all times.” Amelia glared, her face turning red. But Liz wasn’t done. “The last thing these men need is to catch chlamydia from the exam table.”

Liz, so focused on Amelia’s face as the other woman prepared to blow her top—not that she was wearing much of one—she wasn’t prepared for the bark of laughter that exploded from Trouble’s chest.

Amelia immediately turned disbelieving eyes on Trouble, who was attempting to smother his laughter and hide his grin behind his fist.

Growling, Amelia turned back to glare at Liz, but Liz met the woman’s glare with a cold, indifferent look. She would not be intimidated by someone who couldn’t even put on a pair of panties before traipsing around in public.

“You—you bitch!” Amelia snarled, taking a step forward, her hand raised, no doubt to slap Liz.

Right before the cat could scratch her, Trouble grabbed hold of Amelia’s hand.

“Stop, woman,” Trouble barked, making Amelia jerk as if hit. Apparently, she wasn’t used to that tone from him.

Finally, turning to look at Amelia, he leaned in and spoke, his voice low and commanding, “Don’t hit the doc.” Amelia pouted, her Botoxed lips looking comical rather than sexy.

Straightening, feeling a sliver of relief that at least Trouble respected her enough to keep the bitches in line around her, she almost smiled. But that sliver was set on fire in the next moment.

“You hit her and mess her up, she’ll get pissy, and she won’t be much use to us.” Trouble spoke those words…looking directly at her. Every syllable, like a punch in the gut. His expression was cold, his eyes back to their icy green. There he was. The true Erik Skaarsen.

She should have known Trouble didn’t give a shit about her. He never had. Never would. What more did she need to see, hear, feel, absorb into her soul before she remembered he was nothing but his namesake? Trouble. Pain. Humiliation.

Hating the burn behind her eyes, she was glad her mask of indifference hadn’t slipped, though it was wobbling on the edge.

Need to get out of here.But she was a fucking goddamn professional, so she wouldn’t be chased out of her own clinic! She didn’t give a shit if the compound belonged to the MC; Odin had given her jurisdiction over the medical room, and she would hold on to that power with all she had, because this was her port in the storm in a place where she couldn’t stop the heartache from stabbing at her every time she crossed through the gates.

Taking a step back from the couple, she returned to what she was supposed to be doing: resupplying the medical closet and getting the hell out of there.

Behind her, Amelia and Trouble’s voices carried on a conversation in low tones she couldn’t hear. Not that she gave a shit what they were talking about.

Focusing on her task and making herself ignore the people behind her, she finished quickly. Closing and latching the rolling case, she moved to close the closet door, but a hand reached out and held it open. A hand she knew by heart. She’d traced over those veins, each crease in his knuckles, she recognized each freckle…because those hands had held her heart once upon a time.

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