Page 131 of Dozer

She released a shuddering breath. “Once he gagged me, I screamed a lot. The gag felt like rug burns.”

I kept her hand pressed to my face.

“I’ll need to touch you. Is that okay?”

The sheet shifted, the mattress dipped, and Willow made humming affirmations. She didn’t gasp or show horror.

“We should do a rape kit?”

Pippa trembled with a harsh inhale.

“Nah, we don’t need shit for cops. He’s taken care of.”

“I hope he suffered,” Willow said as she continued to gently inspect Pippa’s injuries. “This looks like a knife wound. You’re going to need stitches. If you’re comfortable here on Levi’s bed, you could just lie down.”

Pippa inched back on the bed but didn’t release my hand.

I shifted to stand, and her eyes widened. “I’m staying. Get comfortable,” I said.

Pippa scooted back onto the pillow.

I went around to the other side of the bed and sat at the top near her head.

Willow pulled a chair next to the bed and began treating the cuts and scrapes.

“Coffee is ready.” Levi set a cup on the dresser for her mom. “Do you want coffee?” she asked me, but her gaze shifted to Pippa.

“Later. Thanks, Levi.”

“I’ll be out in the kitchen if you need anything.”

Willow worked on Pippa, cleaning her cuts, coating them in cream, and prepping her deep gashes for stitches.

Pippa distracted herself by tracing the ink on my arms and hands.

“I wouldn’t ever say you’re a lucky girl,” Willow said. “But it’s lucky when he stabbed you, he didn’t go deep. Without x-rays we can’t be sure nothing is broken.”

She asked her questions about where Pippa hurt, could she take a deep breath. Willow pushed and prodded on her organs and ribs.

“I don’t think anything is broken, but at least three weeks rest. Your ribs are probably cracked.” Willow turned her attention to me. “I’m assuming since you’re here and not at the hospital, that this is Heller business.”

“She’s my business,” I said.

Willow smiled. “Then I’m glad I’m finally meeting her.” She winked at Pippa. “He’s my favorite, and he knows it.”

I stretched my legs out next to her, leaned against the headboard, and closed my eyes as Willow told Pippa stories about me as a kid.

Sometimes, I forgot that there were good parts of growing up. At some point, my life had become a grind of smoking weed and running with the MC, watching instead of participating.

Then this girl crawled under my skin. Instead of getting into her head, wanting her to crave me in the dark ways I needed her, I ached to hear her laugh, to see her smile.

In that cabin, he’d forced her into places so dark, so black, I wasn’t sure she’d be able to find a way out. I worried I’d just take her down because I was so fucking deep into hell, the only way out was fighting.

My eyes were still closed. I wasn’t sure if Willow thought I was asleep or just lowered her voice to soothe Pippa.

“What about the morning after pill?”

“I’m on the shot.”

---