Page 24 of Savage Heart

“She’s club,” Trouble announced without a single moment of hesitation, refusing to acknowledge the life-changing claim he’d just uttered. Then, he dipped his chin toward the little girl in Odin’s arms. “So is she.”

Benson cast a knowing look toward Odin and Erika, then back to Trouble.

Trouble looked at the EMT at Liz’s head and demanded, “I’m going with her.” The EMT, hearing the unbending command in Trouble’s voice, only nodded before heading out the door with Liz.

Detective Benson nodded. “Right. I’ll let you get Ms. Simpson settled at the hospital, then I’ll be in to get her statement once she’s been checked, and is able to speak with me. Call me if anything…comes up.”

Trouble bit back the urge to tell the fucker not to bother, since he’d be taking care of the fuckers who hurt Liz all on his own. The club took care of their own, using law enforcement only when necessary. Over the two years, though, they’d had to rely on the LVPD more often than they would have liked. Couldn’t have been helped though, not with the kidnapping of a public figure, the raiding of a cartel’s warehouse where the fuckers had stashed women they’d trafficked, or the arrest of a cult leader and his disgusting pervert cronies, who’d been marrying and raping children for over a decade.

As Trouble passed Odin on the way out the door, Odin stopped him with a hand on his arm. “We’ll be behind you as soon as we get this little one all she needs for a sleepover.”

“Sleepover?” For the first time since they arrived, Erika’s eyes lit up.

Odin smirked. “Yeah, you like that? You want to have a sleepover with Uncle Odin and Aunt Skathi?”

Erika’s smile dimmed. “Will Mama be okay? Can I see her?”

Trouble crouched down to meet her eye to eye, though she was a little thing, so he still seemed to tower over her. God, the urge to lean forward and wrap her in his arms was strong as fuck, but she’d probably freak out to have a strange man take such liberties with her. No doubt, Liz taught her all about “stranger danger.”

Smiling softly, his heart warming at her tiny return smile, Trouble offered, “She’ll be just fine, little one. And I’m sure Uncle Odin will bring you to see her real soon.” Trouble smirked at Odin’s new title, loving the warmth that spread over Odin’s features. The man was made for a family.

And you’re not, that insidious voice that sounded too much like his pa hissed in his head.You aren’t worth the shit on my boots, boy….

Ignoring that voice and the look of concern that darkened Odin’s face, Trouble hurried out of the condo and jumped into the back of the ambulance.

There’d be time to deal with those thoughts later.

After Liz woke up.

After she explained what the fuck she’d been thinking, keeping his daughter from him.

But she had to wake up first.

She just had to.

What would his world look like if she didn’t?

God. Damn.

It felt like her ribs, head, and arms had been ripped from her body, thrown into a blender until pulverized, then glued back onto her body in the wrong places.

Shit.

What happened?

Blinking, Liz tried to focus on the off-white blur overhead.

Ugh.

She knew what those were—a staple in every hospital in Las Vegas. Drop ceiling tiles.

Why am I—

She gasped, jerking to sit up. Pain slammed through her head, vibrating down her chest and into her ribs, and her right arm was heavy and throbbing.

The Russians…they came into her house….

“Erika!” she cried, then whimpered at the agony pounding through her body.

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