Page 6 of Exile & Lula
My mind stopped replaying the awful memories from the parking garage and focused on Exile cutting me free of my binds. His words repeated in my head until they acted as armor for what awaited me at the hospital.
By the time we reached the emergency entrance, I wanted to see Exile’s eyes again.Would they be as inviting under the harsh hospital lighting?
I slid off the motorcycle and held on to ensure I didn’t end up on my ass. Exile gripped my arm, tender yet commanding. He glanced down at where I clung to the seat while my battered legs adapted to standing again.
Looking up at him, I instantly wished I hadn’t done so. The concern written across his handsome face made me want to cry. I couldn’t remain strong when he watched me with such warmth.
I ripped my gaze away from his and looked around at the bikers watching me. Zodiac was quickly off his motorcycle and on his way to take charge. I inhaled sharply and reminded myself who I was.
Lula Reed made people flinch. She didn’t break. I refused to show weakness, even if I wanted to crawl into a corner and cry until today felt like a faded memory.
Zodiac Bondi was a showy kind of handsome with pale blue eyes and dark blond windswept hair. His beard was thicker and a little wilder than Exile’s. I didn’t want to hold this man’s gazeas he sized me up. If I could choose, I’d send the other men away and keep Exile at my side.
“Need me to carry you inside?” Zodiac asked with utter sincerity.
“She’s fine,” Exile answered for me.
“No,I’mfine,” Zodiac responded immediately. “That’s why I’m standing straight and not ready to drop.”
Exile climbed off his bike and walked around to steady me. “She hurt her feet, is all.”
His words provided cover for my weakness, yet I felt the other men judging me. I stood straighter, reaching inside myself to find my usual icy armor.
Limping inside the hospital, I walked to the front desk and told the receptionist I was waiting for Jarred. Her gaze took in the sight of my bruised face and then the large, tatted men around me. I felt her piecing together the situation.
“We’ll remain until your people arrive,” Zodiac told me and gestured for his men to head outside. His gaze turned to Exile as he added, “While we set up a perimeter, you can play the lawyer’s personal bodyguard.”
Zodiac’s words sounded like teasing, yet he didn’t smile. Never reacting to his president’s taunt, Exile walked with me to a chair to wait for whatever happened next.
“I’m Exile,” he said as his palm roughly brushed across his jaw. “I probably should have said that back in the bedroom.”
“I know who you are,” I spat back, sounding overly bitchy. Exhaling, I tried to control my tone. “I heard about your sister. The Void did that, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what happened to my friends today?”
“Are you asking if they’re alive?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know the answer. Might be best to wait to hear that from your people.”
Nodding, I raised my right foot and checked the damage. I did the same with my left one. Finally, I lifted my gaze to meet Exile’s.
I wasn’t surprised to find him watching me. He didn’t hide his interest well. That was why Zodiac left Exile here and took the other men outside to create a protective wall against possible threats.
“How did you know I was in that house?” I asked in a soft tone to hide my suspicions.
“We have a snitch inside the Void. You were where he claimed you’d be.”
Noticing how Exile wasn’t very good at hiding his feelings, I chose to believe his explanation.
My ex-husband was completely different, hiding his feelings behind a cold demeanor. I’d never pushed him to open up. His new wife, Alani, refused to let him hide, and they were happy in a way Jarred and I never were.
Next to me, Exile could barely contain his emotions as we waited in the emergency room lobby. He wanted to demand service. Feeling him ready to speak to someone, I rested my hand on his arm.
His gaze became laser-focused on where I touched him. Exile’s eyes flashed to my face, searching for something.
