Page 10 of My Knight

I nodded in return.

Yarder clapped a firm hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze—steady and strong. “We’ll figure this out,” he said.

Poppy stepped forward and gave me a quick hug—light but sincere. “I would say I want to see Saylor before we leave,”she said with a small smirk, “but I don’t think you’re gonna let that happen.”

“You can see her tomorrow at the clubhouse,” I grunted.

She laughed, kissed Yarder on the cheek, and together, they turned and walked down the hall. Yarder’s arm stayed around her shoulders as their voices were low as they disappeared around the corner.

Once they were gone, the silence returned.

Just me. Just the hallway. Just the soft beeping from Saylor’s room and the low murmur of nurses down the hall.

I stayed there for a moment.

Then I took a deep breath.

I didn’t know what the hell this was—what this thing inside me was doing. I didn’t understand why I felt so goddamn tethered to her all of a sudden. It didn’t make sense.

But I wasn’t walking away.

Not from her.

Something about seeing her on that stretcher, broken and bleeding, had flipped a switch in me I didn’t know existed. I couldn’t undo it. Didn’t want to.

I was going to keep Saylor safe, no matter what it took.

And we were going to put an end to Boone and Gibbs—once and for all.

Chapter Four

Saylor

I felt like I’d been run over by fifty dump trucks, then backed over for good measure. Every inch of my body ached like I’d gone twelve rounds in a bar fight—and lost. My shoulders throbbed, my ribs felt like they were held together with twine, and there were bruises on top of bruises, layered like a damn lasagna of pain. Even breathing felt like too much effort.

I dropped a sock on the floor and, without thinking, bent over to grab it.

Big mistake.

Pain shot up my spine and flared in every joint like firecrackers. I gasped and froze halfway down, paralyzed by the searing ache that flared across my back and shoulders.

“Baby,” Pirate scolded gently from behind me. “Let me get that.”

I slowly sat back up like I was made of rusted metal. My eyes followed him as he bent down without a wince and retrieved the sock like it was nothing.

Must be nice to have a body that wasn’t trying to retire from existence.

He knelt in front of me and held the sock. “Give me your foot.”

“You’re crazy,” I breathed and tried to laugh but only managed a pained wheeze.

Pirate looked up at me. His dark eyes soft but serious. “You almost passed out from bending over. I’ll put your socks and shoes on.”

I stared at him like he was speaking another language. I knew he was trying to help, but my pride was hanging on by a thread. Still, yesterday after Mac had come by, she went back to my tiny house and packed a bag for me. I saw what she grabbed—my favorite vintage Nirvana tee, black jeans, black socks, and my scuffed black Chucks. My normal armor. My normal vibe. Something that looked like me, unlike this drafty hospital gown.

“You can’t put my shoes on,” I sighed and pushed the sweaty strands of hair out of my face.

“Why not?” he asked without missing a beat.

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