Page 32 of Nines's Time

I don’t miss the anguish and fury of those words. Libby’s words ring in my ears again.The heart wants what the heart wants and knows it at first sight. Time holds no bars against what is fated and what will be.Was she talking about this man all this time? That time held no meaning to the fact she gave her heart to this man. That she let herself become nothing more than a slave and toy to the monster who raised me in order to protect the man she gave her heart to.

A distant memory pops into my head, and I blink up at the infuriated man staring at me in rage. “She named me Meadow because that’s where you asked her to be yours. That’s what she said. That her heart was in a beautiful meadow where she would always be no matter where life took her. It was her mind’s safe place, a meadow filled with lilies and purple flowers. She told me about it, said it was where she’d go when the pain set in.” I stammer the words in no more than a whisper, but they could have been heard by everyone near me.

Calyx loses the look of rage and stares at me for a long moment, my words sinking in.

But as he stares at me, I find I can’t be here anymore. I need space. I need air. The room is suffocating me. My vision blurs, and I rip myself away from Nines’s arms and rush out of the clubhouse. Black dots pepper my sight, and I try to focus, but it’s not easy. I run, ignoring the sounds of my name being yelled from behind me. I make it halfway across the parking lot to the gates when my knees collapse under me and everything goes dark.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

NINES

“What the fuck just happened?”

I ignore the question and lift Meadow into my arms. So much has happened in such a short amount of time it’s got to be a lot on her. I wish I’d told Sniper to hold off on calling Calyx.

Fucking Calyx.

Everyone at the club knows who Calyx is and what he’s into. The man runs a group of mercenaries for hire. They take whatever job comes their way, and they don’t ask questions. The only rule they follow is the one that leads them in life. He and his men are not to be fucked with unless you want your throat slit.

And this man is Meadow’s biological father.

“Nines, get her up to your room. I’ll put in a call to get Scorn to check on her,” Blow says.

“She should be fine.” I turn with Meadow in my arms and meet his stare. “It had to have been too much for her.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but we need to check out her head.” Blow motions to the side of Meadow’s face.

“I’ll take care of it.” And I will. When she collapsed, she’d fallen before I could catch her and grazed her cheek on the rock. “If I need Scorn, I’ll let you know.” I don’t want anyone else touching her right now. Not after that shit. She doesn’t trust them yet, but she does me. And I’m not about to let her believe otherwise.

“Right.” Blow nods.

I make my way past him and the others, feeling their eyes on Meadow as I carry her inside and through the clubhouse. In my room, I lay her on the bed and clean her wound.

Someone knocks on my door just as I get a bandage on her cheek.

“Yeah,” I call out, letting whoever is on the other side know they can come.

The door opens and Calyx is standing there with Sniper and Nerd.

“She okay?” Calyx doesn’t take his eyes off Meadow.

“She will be,” I answer. “But Meadow’s been through hell. I guess today was just too much for her.”

Calyx nods and looks to Nerd. “What information do you have on her?”

“Nothing you’re gonna like.” Nerd runs a hand through his hair as a feminine voice comes from behind them, calling his name. Nerd steps to the side to show Cara standing there looking concerned. “Hey, babygirl, you okay?”

“Yes, but is Meadow?” Cara asks, moving to stand next to Nerd. “I heard she was here, I wanted to meet her, but I didn’t want to intrude. You know.”

“I know what you mean, babygirl,” Nerd murmurs, wrapping an arm around his woman. I’d heard some of what the two of them have been through, but I don’t know the full story. What I do know is that Cara had been kidnapped and raped before Nerd found her. “Why don’t you go relax in the room for a while? Don’t want you stressing yourself out. I’ll come find you when we’re finished here.”

“Okay.” Cara nods and leaves the room.

Nerd looks to each of us, then to Meadow, and back to me as if in question. I shake my head slightly. “Now’s not the time to talk about it. Not until she’s awake and I can make sure she’s good. It’s her story, her past. I can’t disregard the trust she put in me with the parts she’s shared so far.”

“What are you to her?” Calyx demands tersely.

I meet his gaze and square my shoulders. “I’m her man.”

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