Page 5 of Hold On Through The Pain

“You okay?” he asked as he slid into the driver’s seat.

“I am now. Thank you. I had no clue he was such a jerk. My friend set us up. I’m not sure why he believed we would have sex on the first date.”

He hated scumbags like the guy who’d hit Shannon. He’d had his ups and downs withwomen, but not once had he ever hit one of them. And every guy knew sexy time on a first date was iffy, or they should know that.

At a stoplight, he glanced at her, worry filling him. He didn’t really want to go back to that bar. “So was your car back there?”

She shook her head. “Um, no. I took a shared ride.”

“Oh. Did you want to order another one? I mean, I got you into my truck and didn’t even ask what you wanted.”

Her lower lip trembled, and she shook her head. The light turned green, and he took off, driving up another few blocks before he found the pharmacy. He pulled into the lot and cut the engine.

“I can’t call anyone or order a car. My phone is in his car.” Her whispered words were filled with sadness.

“What?” A new round of anger struck. “We should go back there and get it.”

“He’s gone. I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll get you another one?” he suggested.

“I can’t. My dad wouldn’t understand that. I’ll figure it out.”

She looked even more overwhelmed. Maybe later in the week, he’d find a way to buy her a burner phone.

He stepped out of his truck and rushed around,but she already had her feet on the ground. Earlier, he’d been concerned with her well-being. Now he wasn’t so much worried about her safety and took a long look at her in the pharmacy’s harsh fluorescent light. Even with the gray cast of the light, she looked amazing in her rose-hued dress and two-inch heels.

When his gaze met hers, she lifted her brows. “You don’t look so good.”

He shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“That’s BS. You look pale.”

He pocketed his keys, and pain shot up his arm. “It’s the lighting.”

Shannon shook her head, and her lips thinned. “No, you look bad. There’s an urgent-care place next door.”

He took a step away from his truck. “I don’t—” His knees gave out and almost buckled. Shannon moved fast, propping him up.

“That’s it. Let’s head over there. Come on. Walk with me.”

She led him inside and helped him check in. He handed over his ID and insurance card. No other patients were waiting to be seen, so they took him right back since he was still bleeding.

“Well, what happened here?” the doctor asked as he stepped in, his gaze on Striker’s injured arm.

“It’s not bad. Just a scratch,” Striker said, tryingto make light of the situation. “Seriously, it’s nothing.”

The doctor washed his hands at the sink and pulled on a pair of gloves. “If it wasn’t bad, you wouldn’t be in here. Let me look at what we have.”

The doctor had the nurse clean the wound. Blood oozed from his arm, spreading on the cloth below. Maybe it was worse than he’d suspected.

He glanced up, catching Shannon’s gaze. She hadn’t left, which amazed him. She didn’t have to stay, but here she was still by his side.

With the wound cleaned, the doctor was back by his side. “I’m glad you came in. You need stitches. You’ll need an antibiotic too.”

Shannon stepped close and held his other hand. The doctor gave her a long look, then glanced back to Striker.

“Striker didn’t hit me,” Shannon blurted out.

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