Page 36 of Coming Up Aces

Asher grew restless the longer they were on the road. The I.V. bag was nearly empty, so whatever was in it, probably pain medicine, was wearing off. The few times he opened his eyes, Asher gave Rayna a sleepy smile. He didn’t talk, but his chestrumbled a few times. Her Cheetah assured Rayna that Asher wasn’t in too much pain, and that he enjoyed her hands in his hair, so she kept up the rubs and gentle scratches. Viper seemed mesmerized by the motion as his eyes never left her hand. Rayna wondered if the male was thinking about his own mate.

Instead of going to a hospital once they arrived in New Troy, they drove to a clinic. A male they called Rev, along with his mate, Bethany, met them at the back door with a gurney. Rev helped Viper climb out of the back, then took his place. Rev briefly checked Asher over before instructing Rayna to remove the I.V. bag from the handle. Since the bag was empty, Rev rested it on Asher’s chest before lifting him off Rayna’s lap. Her legs were asleep, so she gingerly lowered herself to the ground, dancing around as she waited on the pins and needles to dissipate. Once she could walk, she followed everyone inside.

Bethany ushered Viper into one room while Rev wheeled Asher into another. Rayna remained by the door, not wanting to get in the way, but Rev motioned her forward. “If that were me lying there, I’d want my mate close.”

A soft gasp came from the bed, and when Rayna looked at Asher, his eyes were wide. She winked at him, then closed the distance between them and ran a hand along his hair, leaving it there until Rev needed her to step back so he could run an ultrasound. Asher’s eyes never left hers. She could see the question there, but she wanted to wait until they were alone to talk about being mates.

Rev placed a hand on Asher’s shoulder. “Everything looks good, Brother. It was a through and through. The bullet missed anything vital. It did nick one of your ribs, but whoever operated did a good job. Are you in pain?”

Asher finally looked away. “Yes, but I’d rather deal with the pain than not be able to stay awake.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Rev removed the catheter from the back of Asher’s hand and disposed of it along with the fluid bag. He placed electrodes on Asher’s chest to monitor his vitals and flipped a few switches on the machine. “I’m going to step out and check on Viper. If you need me, send your mate down the hall.”

Asher’s eyes flicked to Rayna as Rev left them alone. “My mate?”

Rayna sat on the side of the bed and gently took his hand. “If you’ll have me.”

“Why…” Asher coughed, and Rayna offered him a sip of water from the cup Rev had left on the side table. After he got his fill, he asked, “Why would you want me, though?”

Rayna retook Asher’s hand. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re the sweetest male I’ve ever met. I know you’re demi, and I’m willing to wait however long it takes for you to have romantic feelings for me.”

“I… It probably won’t take as long as you’re thinking. I… fuck, this is embarrassing.”

Rayna brushed her hand across his hair. “You can tell me anything.”

“I’ve already had, uh, stirrings, if you get my meaning.” The blush on his cheeks was adorable.

“That’s wonderful, Asher. For now, though, I don’t want you to worry about that. I want you to focus on healing. We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other. You might find you don’t want me after a while.”

“Can… Will you take off the mask? For now? I’d like to see the real you.”

Rayna removed the wig first, then carefully peeled the prosthetic away from her face. She placed them on a chair, then turned toward her mate, smiling. “Better?”

“Much. As for not wanting you, I don’t see that happening.”

Rayna leaned down and pressed her lips to Asher’s forehead, lingering a few seconds.

Lucy and Tamian entered the room, interrupting them. “Hey, Asher. How are you feeling?” Lucy asked.

“Like I was shot,” he deadpanned. To Tamian, he said, “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

“No problem. Can you tell us what happened?”

“I got to Oasis and couldn’t find Viper, so after waiting half an hour, I decided to fly over. I saw Ruth leaving the chapel, so I followed her to the main house. Abraham and David were already there, and they began arguing. David told Abraham he was done with all things Ministry and threatened him about going after Rhiannon. When Abraham called for his guard, I shifted back to my skin and got dressed, thinking I could voice them all before things got out of hand. I was too late.”

Rayna’s Cheetah bristled when Asher told how he was shot by a stray bullet. “I voiced the guard outside, and he helped me back to my bike, but before I could call for help, I passed out. I overheard the doctor telling Abraham a guard brought me to the clinic. Silas, the doctor, and his wife, Claudia, left immediately after patching Abraham up. Oh, Abraham said he had somewhere already set up down South in case something like that happened.”

“Fury followed Abraham, so we should know where his new place is soon,” Lucy explained. “Tamian called a Gargoyle named Lachlan who’s as good or better than David with computers. I know Pops asked me to come help, but honestly, this is more than I can handle.”

“You should put him in touch with Bishop. He and Henry are looking into Rayna’s boss. They can compare notes so Lachlan isn’t starting from scratch.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Do you need anything? Either of you?”

Asher’s eyes were drooping, so Rayna answered for them. “No, thank you. Asher needs to rest, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Sounds good. Rev and Bethany will take care of you. Don’t hesitate to call, though, if you need somewhere to hide out. You can come stay with Tamian and me.”

“Thank you both for everything.”

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