Page 7 of Rampant

“Where’s Dad?”

Adam perched his elbows on his knees. “Dad is…he’s…busy.”

I pushed myself up despite the pain, needing to be on equal ground. “Don’t feed me that bullshit.” Jax had been dodging the question since I’d first opened my eyes in this place. Now Adam was doing the same.

He dropped his head into his hands then dragged his fingers through his hair. When he looked up, stress etched across his features, tightening his mouth and jaw. “We’re on much better terms than we used to be, so you can cut the attitude.”

“Since when?”

“Since you got out—” He cursed under his breath.

“Got out of what?”

“I think Jax should be the one to tell you about that. He should be back soon.”

“I don’t even know the guy.”

“You know him better than you think. He was your cellmate.” Adam closed his eyes. “Shit.”

A heavy glob of dread pressed on my chest. “Cellmate?”

He rose from the chair. “I realize this is horrible timing, but I have a meeting I need to get to. I just stopped in to check on you. I heard you were awake.”

“Some things never change,” I muttered. “Whatever you’re keeping from me, just tell me. It couldn’t get any worse than this.”

“I’m not sure how much youshouldknow. We don’t know what caused the amnesia. Maybe you should take the doc’s advice and talk to someone who specializes in this stuff.”

“You mean a shrink?”

“Yes, I’m talking about ashrink.” Sarcasm dripped from the last word. “Excuse me for worrying about my little brother.” He wandered around the room, and each second of disquiet niggled at my irritation. I didn’t like being left in the dark.

“The sheriff’s waiting to talk to you,” he said, clearly changing the subject. “And speaking of, so is Nik. Are you up to seeing her yet?”

I shook my head. The last memory I had of Nikki involved a night of the wildest, roughest sex of my life—the kind that marred skin with bruises.

Eight. Fucking. Years. Ago.

I was scared shitless to find out what had happened since that night.

Had I made it to the UFC?

Were Nikki and I a…thing? A thing didn’t encompass how I felt about her. I was far from ready to settle down, but if that day ever came, it was too easy to see her filling that role. Easier to think of her than the brunette who tested my sanity and willpower every time I saw her. I wasn’t about to touch jailbait.

Except she wasn’t jailbait anymore.

My head spun, though whether from the puzzle pieces of my own mind, or the constant ache in my shoulder, I didn’t know.

The door suddenly opened, and Jax stepped inside. “How’re you feeling?”

I glanced down at the bandage covering the area where a bullet had passed clean through. “Good as can be expected.” My gaze veered to my brother. “Adam won’t tell me shit.”

They exchanged a look, and I gritted my teeth.

“This is getting old. Spill, or I’ll find out on my own.”

Adam looked at his watch, and the shuffle of his feet told me he was itching to ditch. “I think you should fill him in, Jax. You know him best anyway.”

What the hell? How could this stranger know me better than my own brother? Okay, so we weren’t exactly close, but still. We were family.

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