Page 106 of Nate

“Nate! Nate! Oh, my God, please say something,” Markie said as she knelt beside him where he lay on the floor with his eyes closed. She sighed when she saw him open them.

“Damn, that hurt like a bitch,” he said, then tried to sit up. “Rafe…”

“I’m here. He missed me.” Rafe squatted and looked at Nate’s arm. “I think it just grazed you.”

“Shit, if that’s how much a graze hurts, I’d hate to be shot.”

Rafe helped him sit up against the wall, then looked at Markie with a grin.

“Markie? It’s nice to finally meet you, though this is not the best way. I’m Rafe Marshall.” Rafe shook her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Rafe.” Markie smiled at him.

“Hey, I’m bleeding here. Stop flirting with my woman,” Nate snapped, making her and Rafe laugh.

“You told me she was beautiful, but—”

“Shut the fuck up, Marshall.” Nate glared at him as Rafe laughed.

“I saw him,” she whispered.

“Saw who? What are you talking about?”

“This past week. The day I met you for lunch. I saw Jarrett across the street.”

“And you didn’t tell me? What the fuck, Markie?”

“I knew you’d have gone to look for him.”

“Yeah, I would have, and this might not have happened.”

“Do not put this on me,” she snapped.

“Then tell me who else to put it on. You should have told me or Sam. Damn it, Markie. He could have killed you.”

“Well, obviously he didn’t!”

“You two can settle this later,” Rafe interjected.

Nate took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

“Sheriff’s department,” a voice called out.

Markie walked toward the door. “You can come in.”

She watched a tall, good-looking deputy enter, followed by another one.

“Ma’am, I’m deputy Logan Townson, and this is deputy Nevada Shelton. Are you alright?”

“We are now, but Nate got grazed.”

“Nate?” The deputy squatted beside him. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

“I’ll be alright, Nevada. It’s just a scratch.”

“Scratch hell. It’s a deep graze wound. Logan, call for an ambulance.”

“I’m not going in a damn ambulance,” Nate snapped.

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