Page 24 of Bloom: Part 1

Jamie nodded. “You really like him? You’re not playing games with him?”

“I only play with my victims.”

“Is he?”

“Is he what?”

“Is Dr. Collier going to wind up one of your victims?”

I licked my lips. “Depends.”

“You can’t hurt him, Bloom.” This time when I stepped closer to him, Jamie didn’t budge. He had balls. I had to give him that. “Don’t try to intimidate me. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“How can you be so sure?” I circled him like a predator. My fingers twitched with the unfamiliar sensation of restraint. Jamie was a part of the club family, off-limits. The rules were clear, but rules weren’t something I was particularly fond of.

“Because if you hurt me, you’ll start a war between the two clubs. Wouldn’t that be stupid, given how close the two clubs are now? Would you want to cause the death of your brothers?”

“Maybeyourbrothers would be the ones dead.”

“You’re not naïve, Bloom. You’re on our turf. Don’t be too cocky. You’re not so different from the rest of us boys, you know. Why won’t you hang out with us?”

“I don’t like you.”

That shut him up. Technically, it wasn’t true. He made me uncomfortably aware of how little control I had over my life. I was a failure at everything except killing. A psychiatrist had to help me to regulate my emotions. Who wanted to hang out with someone whose presence was a constant reminder of that?

“You’ve never even tried to get to know me,” he said softly.

“I don’t need to. I have all the brothers I need.”

“You know friendships and family don’t need to be finite, right? You can have as many or as few people in your circle as you want.”

“What makes you think you belong in my circle? You’re just another Reaper bitch like all the boys, aren’t you?”

Jamie’s eyes flashed with anger. “Listen here, Bloom. Call me what you want, but you don’t talk shit about my friends. They’reloyal and hold down their men. You don’t get to look down on us because you’re a patched member and we aren’t.”

Unless someone specifically likes that, you don’t call someone a bitch because they bottom.

The twin brother’s words echoed in my head. Fuck. I pinched my lips. I hated apologizing. “Sorry,” I mumbled. He would tell me where to shove my apology, and of course when he did, I had to respond in kind, and it would be another argument all over again.

“Just don’t make us to be lesser than our men. We do for them so they can do what needs to be done.”

“Whatever.”

Jamie sighed. “I won’t take what you said to heart because I know you’ve been through a lot, and things might be a bit murky for you, but it doesn’t change the fact that if you want to talk—”

“I got a shrink for that.”

“—I’m still here. And yes, I do think Dr. Collier has some feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean he’ll act on them.” Jamie walked toward the door. “If you decide you need help, the offer still stands. I know him better than anyone, though that’s not to say much.”

“Didn’t you say he sent you here?”

Jamie slapped his forehead. “Oh, right. He wanted me to tell you that he’s going to be tied up in a surgery that will last several hours. You should go home.”

A lump formed in my throat. Was he really busy or avoiding me?

“He really is in surgery, Bloom.”

I scowled. “Get out of my head, will you?”

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