Page 36 of Wicked Lies

Nick bolted from the chair, then braced his arm under Samson’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“You were sleeping.” Samson shifted his weight to the end table. “I didn’t wanna wake you.”

”So you thought you’d smash the lamp on the floor instead?” Nick surveyed the damage. “Never did like that lamp.”

“What’s going on?” Jax stood in the doorway, his shirt tails out, rubbing his eyes.

“Help me get him to the bathroom before he wrecks the whole damn place.”

Jax screwed up his face.

“Don’t worry, asshole.” Samson joked. “I ain't gonna ask you to hold my dick.”

“Very funny.” Jax supported Samson’s other side.

“Geez, that’s an image I didn’t need,” Nick said.

“Shit, don’t make me laugh.” Samson wheezed. “It hurts too damn much.”

When they reached the bathroom, Samson leaned on the doorjamb. “I think I can take it from here.”

“If you can’t, I’ll call up one of your harem women.” Jax nudged Nick as they waited outside the bathroom.

“Even with a busted rib and a punctured lung, I’d be able to get more tail than you,” Samson called through the door.

“Keep dreaming,” Jax countered. “Most of the women you hook up with are like hurricanes. They start off blowing and sucking, then, in the end, they just take your house.”

“Ahhh, fuck,” Samson groaned. “I told you not to make me laugh.”

When they got Samson back to bed, Nick stacked the pillows behind him to make it more comfortable for him to sit up.

“Damn,” Samson slowly lifted his legs onto the bed.

Jax left the bedroom and returned a few minutes later with glasses and the bottle of Jack Daniels.

Nick poured each of them a shot. Samson downed his, eased into the pillows, and sighed. “That should make friends with the pain meds and take the edge off.”

Nick sank into the bedside chair again while Jax leaned against the dresser.

Samson shifted on the bed. “How’d the dinner go?”

“It didn’t.” Nick searched his brain for a way to put the night into words.“Frank pushed, and I pushed back. I ended up getting my ass thrown out of the place. It was a total fuck up. That bastard set me up good.”

He left out Cheryl breaking into their office. No sense giving Samson more to worry about especially since Nick didn’t even know how he felt about it.

“Frank’s not gonna stop.” Samson eased his head against the pillows and gazed at the ceiling.

“I told Nick I think we should back off for a while,” Jax added.

“And I told you that’s not gonna happen,” Nick countered.

“Maybe he’s right,” Samson shifted again.

“Since when did you ever back down from a fight?” Nick challenged.

“I’m just sayin’ we gotta be careful.” Samson pushed himself higher on the bed.

“Careful? What kind of bullshit is that?”

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