Page 26 of Savage Thief

My head spins so fast my neck pops. “Thank God, you’re not dead. I did not relish the idea of dropping your dead body off and asking for a ride back to town.”

Through the strands of his hair, I see the right side of Hark’s mouth lift with more energy than I see in the rest of his body.

What have I done? I should not have gone to him. I might be snarky and whipping him with a good tongue lashing feels good, but honest to God, I do not want this man to die for a second time because of me.

“Glad to not put you in an awkward position. Follow the road a quarter of a mile and veer to the right.”

I take an even smaller road around the side of the large house. “Are you sure? It looks like there are people home who could help us?”

He only nods and since the guy in the back isn’t telling me to stop, I keep my foot on the gas. Deep groves take the place of gravel causing us to bounce. Hark grunts and I back off the accelerator a fraction.

Low-hanging pine branches slap at the windshield making it hard to see when the road turns and dips. My high beams bounce off the glass front of a darkened building with overflowing garden beds rimming the property. It’s not totally abandoned but you can tell the love of the place has waned.

Instead of stopping I take an easy right as instructed and see the small two-story house at the end of the drive. Lights are on but the door isn’t opening at the sounds of us pulling up.

I slam the truck into park and lay into the horn. “Hey, can we get some help here?” The new guy hops out of the back and swings Hark’s door open. Together we somehow manage to lift him out and up a set of stairs.

I’m not looking when I hear the door swing open just as we get to the top landing. My full attention is on Hark.

I sling his good arm over my shoulder and speak to whoever has the heavy footfalls. “I assume you have a talent for stitches and painkillers?”

I swing my head around when I don’t get an answer.

I take in a gulp of air unprepared to see the man whom I always thought of as Zeus step out onto the porch. Not even a little. Or for my past to kick me in the teeth.

And the hits keep on coming.

I stumble and it’s not the weight of Hark nearly putting me on the floor. Before we all take a tumble, I plant a foot in front of me and right myself.

“Ms. Titan?” Dark brows pinch over an astonished expression. Those same blue eyes and familiar face belong to a man who talked me through the worst night of my life four years ago fill with questions.

I, on the other hand, don’t have any good answers. I am just trying to keep my stomach from rioting on me and heaving up the last bit of wedding cake forced down my throat.

Since I can’t melt into the floor, I do the only thing I can and raise my chin and give a stiff nod. My gaze latches onto his. He hasn’t changed at all. Then again, I was peering at him through pain-clouded eyes.

“Doctor Rook.” Chills run the length of my spine and every ounce of blood in my face takes a quick nose dive.

“What are you doing here?” He takes in my wedding dress and the state of the man propped up on my shoulder. I’m sure the sight of blood isn’t new to him, but the mafia princess bride wearing most of it is a new angle.

I answer with a question of my own. “You’reDoc?” I didn’t say it was a smart question, but hearing his grunt of confirmation is good. Because I don’t know how much more blood Hark has to lose.

I keep my voice small while trying to scrap all my brain cells together to form more intelligent words like, “Please don’t give me away.” When I see his lips start to move with no doubt questions that will put more out into the universe than I care to share now or ever.

I feel all eyes on me. Even Hark’s.

“You know Doc?” the new guy pipes up. I guess we are all about stating the obvious tonight.

“Where is…”

Familiar blue eyes look down at me and I silently plead for him to shut the fuck up. I am not in the mood for a game of twenty questions. There would be no winning side for sure.

Rook thankfully gets the message.

I hang my head so my hair can obscure the shock and dread on my face.

Silence.

And then everything falls into fast forward.

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