Page 27 of Hell on Wheels

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

Flint didn’t get a chance to respond.

“We’ve got Maddog,” Patriot assured me as several big guys in leather rushed inside and lifted Flint off the ground, carrying him toward the Crossroads. I wobbled as I stood, and Patriot scooped under my knees, heading in the same direction.

“Angel,” I mumbled, knowing I couldn’t keep this secret any longer. “He’s got my sister.”

“Shit,” Patriot cursed. “We’ll figure it out.”

I had to accept that answer for now.

My head lowered to his shoulder as I tried not to vomit. My stomach felt queasy. I didn’t have more than a few cuts and bruises, including a sore jaw. A nasty bump on the head, too. Didn’t make sense why I felt so weak. Maybe it was just the aftermath of fear and adrenaline.

“Is Flint going to be okay?”

“Maddog’s been hurt a lot worse. He’ll be fine. Just a little flesh wound.”

A flesh wound? “What? Was he shot?”

“Damn, honey. Why do you think he was bleedin’? The man took a bullet to the shoulder. Don’t you worry. We got him.”

Flint had been shot in the shoulder. Oh my god!

Concerned, I lifted my head, looking for him as soon as we entered the clubhouse. The rough bunch of bikers placed him in the guest room. Patriot lowered me onto the bed, a short distance from Flint.

Bikers rushed around under Patriot’s guidance, cleaning my hero up, removing the bullet, and bandaging his wound. There were numerous stitches, so Flint would need to keep his movements minimal until the injury healed. This last part came from a pretty blonde in red scrubs.

“He’s going to be fine. Trust me. This club looks after their own.”

I stared at the blonde nurse, wondering how she fit in here.

“I’m Nylah. Rael’s ol’ lady.” She shrugged, tossing the long, silky strands of her hair over her shoulder. “Let’s take a look at you.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

She cleaned up the scrapes and noted the lump on my head wasn’t as severe as I thought. My throat was slightly bruised, along with my jaw. I didn’t need stitches, though.

Nylah handed me a couple of pain relievers and water. “Thanks.”

“Let me know if you need anything. You both should rest. I’ll check on you later.”

I nodded, watching her clean the room and take out the blood-soaked linens.

Patriot seemed to know quite a bit about the human body and standard medical procedures as he finished up with Flint and then ticked his head toward the bed. “Get some rest. He won’t wake up for a few hours. I gave him strong painkillers.”

“Alright.”

I climbed onto the mattress next to Flint, resting my head on the pillow as I watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Eyes fluttering, they closed as a soft sigh escaped my lips.

A hand squeezed mine as my eyes opened. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until I blinked, stifling a yawn.

“Hey, little dove.”

“Hey, sexy hero.”

“I like the sound of that,” he admitted, lifting my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm.

“You’re sitting up,” I observed. “Shouldn’t you be lying down? To keep from pulling on the wound?”

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