Page 47 of Taming Raptor

“That bad?” I reached my hand up to assess the damage.

“Ah! I wouldn’t do that,” he advised as he grabbed my wrist in a light hold. Despite the insanity of the last hour, I inhaled a calming breath. My shoulders that were previously knotted, felt loose and chill.

“You’re an ass, but thank you,” I sighed, giving him a lazy smile, because I knew damn well what he’d done. He returned my grin. Over the years he’d been like a big brother to me—maybe not on the same level as Finley though, because he’d been my best friend since we were kids.

“Ohhh. Whoa!” Chains stopped short when he entered the room and gave me a wide-eyed stare.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” I demanded, narrowing my gaze at them as I fought having a mental breakdown. I glanced down and saw the blood on my clothes. Panic bloomed and I tried to see where it was coming from. Though I hurt like a motherfucker, I was relieved to find it wasn’t coming from where I thought.

“You uh, got a little something um,” Chains hesitantly stammered as he made a nervous hand motion, pointing at his forehead. His lips were pursed, and his eyebrows were practically touching his hairline.

“Ugh, if that’s all it is, I don’t care about that. I’m not stupid—” I swallowed hard—“I know Ruby is… didn’t make it. But what about Blade? He got shot too.”

Venom hadn’t answered me earlier and I was afraid of what that meant.

“He’s gonna be okay,” Angel replied as he passed through Voodoo and Chains to kneel next to me. His normally warm olive complexion appeared a bit pale. “Chains and Hawk loaded him up into the cage to get him back to the clubhouse. I’ll get him finished up then he’ll just need some rest. Let’s see what we can do for you t—.”

“Angel, you don’t have to. You look beat, I can clean up back in my room,” I cut him off. Relief hit me at the confirmation that Blade would be okay.

“I’ll be okay, I promise. You probably want me to take care of this before you go home.” He gave me a comical look that screamed “yikes.”

“I’d say you definitely want to take care of that,” Voodoo agreed with a solemn nod.

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and ignored the pinch in my forehead.

Venom held my hand and my eyes suddenly went droopy. Angel held my hair back and reached for something on my head. His chocolate brown eyes were mesmerizing, and I started to feel like I was going to doze off. The sudden sharp pain made me gasp. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone, and a warm tingly sensation spread over the area. He repeated the process several times before he moved on to my cheek, then everywhere else.

By the time he was done he was absolutely ashen and a little unsteady. It hurt my heart that helping me had done that to him.

“What’s that?” I cautiously asked as I pointed at the small pile of bloody objects.

“Splinters of wood from the desk. You had them sticking out of your forehead and cheek like a freaking porcupine. Your neck and shoulder were grazed by bullets,” Voodoo explained. “Damn, woman, you’re lucky.”

I sure as hell didn’t feel lucky.

There was a good chance I’d have to leave the only place to ever feel like home—and the people I considered family.

And I’d be doing it alone.

“Crazy Train”—Ozzy Osbourne

A groan was ripped from me that originated in my chest. My eyes seemed to be full of sand as I blinked to get them to stay open.

“How are you feeling?”

I turned my head slowly toward the form sitting next to me. I knew it was Voodoo, but hell if I could get my eyes to focus. A few more blinks and he came into view.

“What the fuck happened? I feel like I took a sledgehammer to the chest.”

“Well, you did kind of get shot. Angel could only heal you so far so he had enough left to take care of Cookie,” he told me.

“What the hell?” I shot up in bed, my own injuries immediately taking a backseat to concern for Sage. The foolishly quick movement made me wince and the room spun.

“Easy, she’s okay. I swear.”

“I need to go see her,” I insisted as I tried to get off the bed in our infirmary. That was when I realized I had an IV and I was naked under the sheet. “Jesus, where the fuck are my clothes?”

“We had to cut them off you. You were shot in the chest and the leg. But look, I need to talk to you for a minute. Then I’ll get Angel in here to unhook that shit. For Christ’s sake, I tell you that you were shot twice, and you don’t ask what happened. Your first instinct is to go to her.” He sat in the chair next to me with his elbows resting on his thighs.

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