Page 68 of Ruthless Rebel

“No Presidential welcome,” Ash drawls by way of greeting, baiting them both as I help Lincoln out of the car, and their enforcer smirks.

“Prez is busy with our girl, but I see you brought both your boyfriends with you,” Killian drawls, stumping out his cigarette, and leaning up off the wall.

“Yes, but don’t stare too long, Killer, you don’t want your VP there getting jealous,” Asher smirks, not scared in the slightest about baiting two of the most dangerous men of Black Hallows, not when he is considered one himself.

“Lets all keep our eyes on our own boyfriends and get this over with,” Ezra cuts in, moving to knock on the back door of the clinic.

Not even a minute passes before a woman pulls open the door and half peers out from behind it, smiling softly. “Hey guys, come on in.” She steps back, holding the door open for us all, and then locking it behind us once we are inside. “This way,” she guides us into a small office and gestures for me to lay Lincoln on the bed.

Killian and Ezra stay by the door, yet still their eyes look intrigued as I help Lincoln pull off his shirt to show his wound. The woman, Dr. Aria Harris, pulls over the portable x-ray machine, as I peel away Linc’s bandages so she can assess the wounds. From what I’m told, she works under the table for the Crows, often patching them up whenever required for a cash payment. Apparently she is also married to a police officer, and I can’t help but wonder how someone on the right side of the law would end up in a room with all of us.

“Wound looks clean cut and simple, stitches are good,” she assesses, prodding it in the same manner I did earlier, but not seeming to care for Lincoln’s grunts of pain.

“It was in and out, not too deep. I fought him off and got out of there before it could get any worse,” Lincoln informs her, and she nods mindlessly, turning on the x-ray machine and preparing it for him.

Asher is silent as he watches her, his sarcastic smile from outside nowhere in sight, and I frown in wonder, about to ask what’s wrong, when he finally breaks the silence. “What happened to you?” He questions darkly, his focus solely on Aria, and she freezes.

It’s only then I really focus on her, and notice the bruise under her eyes. It looks to be a few days old, almost out of sight really, but it’s definitely there, and of course Asher didn’t miss it.

“Rough dog the other day,” she replies easily, avoiding his gaze, and focusing back on the x-ray.

“Dogs like that deserve putting down,” he replies calmly, not believing for one second that a dog did that to her, and she smiles softly.

“Oh trust me, I know. I’m working on it, and I don’t need any help,” she snaps in response, then takes her time checking Lincoln’s chest, side, and stomach, searching for anything, but she doesn’t find it. “Everything looks good, I’d say you’re very lucky, just try not to push yourself too hard for a few weeks, let it heal,” she tells Linc, who now has that dark look in his eyes, as his focus remains on her, as she prescribes him some meds.

Killian and Ezra head back outside, nodding their thanks and goodbye to Aria, as I help Lincoln back into his shirt and off the table. Then we slowly make our way out of the room as Asher pays herin cash.

“I don’t have to open this envelope to know there is too much in it,” she huffs, trying to give it back to him.

“It’s triple your usual fee, for the inconvenience,” Asher drawls, refusing her outstretched hand as he follows us out.

“I work for the Hallowed Crows, I’m always at an inconvenience,” she grunts, and I can’t help but smirk. “I really don’t require the extra,” she adds as she reaches the back door and pushes through it, finding Killian and Ezra already back on their bikes.

“Then put it towards getting rid of that dog,” Asher tosses over his shoulder, as he walks back to his car. “And if you need help burying it, you know to call us,” he adds, before sliding back behind the wheel and slamming the door without another word.

Lincoln and I share a look before we turn back to Aria, and I hold out my hand for her to shake. “Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” I smile, and she just nods and smiles, before slipping back into the clinic, and I hear the telltale sign of the door locking.

By the time we make it back to the penthouse, after picking up Lincoln’s meds and some dinner, he is almost out cold. Asher and I help him upstairs and put him to bed, before we head into the kitchen to eat with one another quietly, both of us no doubt feeling the tension of what happened.

This is exactly what I was worried about, Lincoln running off to do what he does and getting hurt. Yes, he escaped with minor injuries in hindsight, but what if he hadn’t? What if this Billy had fucking killed him, and I lost him for good when I only just got him?

“He’s fine,” Asher whispers, breaking the silence, and when I look at him in question, he rolls his eyes, and tentatively takes my hand across the table. “I can see your mind working a hundred milesa minute, worrying about him. He’s fine, Lo, you need to relax.”

I can’t help but look at him and snort, “That’s rich, coming from the guy who carved out the heart of the man who stabbed him, and gifted it to him in a fucking jar.”

Asher only smirks, shrugging one of his shoulders as he reaches for his drink. “Well, I don’t like people playing with my things.”

My smile attempts to mirror his, but the image of that wound on Lincoln’s side still plagues my mind. “What if the knife would have been just a little higher, a little deeper?” I ask, going over every worst case scenario. “He could be dead right now, we could have lost him, I could have lost him,” I force out, swallowing down the emotion now choking me, but it doesn’t seem to work. “I can’t lose someone else,” I add in a whisper, and Ash is up and around the table before I can even take my next breath.

“Lo, you’re not going to lose him, I promise. This isn’t like your parents, and Lincoln is many things, but he isn’t reckless, and I promise I won’t let anything happen to him.” His stare searches mine, and I know he sees the trauma of losing my parents that always lingers there.

I remember all too well what it was like to be five years old and have my whole world turned upside down. My sister was the only thing I had left, and when we went to the Roytons it took me a while to open up. I spent years getting used to them, falling in love with them, and then when I had, Elle King showed up. All of a sudden my family was changing and growing again, and we’ve come too close to losing it too many times. Opening myself up to someone like I have with Lincoln and Asher is never something I planned. I was happy to whore around, keeping everyone at arm's length, but they snuck past my defenses and now I have two more people I love to worry about.

“Are you going to cut out the hearts of everyone that hurts him?” I ask, searching his stare, for what I’m not sure.

“If that’s what it takes to protect him, then yes,” he answers without pause, and it stops me in my tracks, because never did I think he would admit to something so freely. “And if someone lays a hand on you, then they will lose that hand, and then their heart,” he adds, leaning down and bringing his head to mine. “We’re all in this together now, right, no more running?”

I breathe him in, letting the scent of him wash over me and relax my muscles as I slide my hand into his. “No more running.” He slips into the chair next to me and goes back to his dinner, when I finally add, “What about the guy? Billy?”

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