Page 55 of Trick's Elite

Trick chuckled. “Okay. Fine. Can you grab us some food? Things that won’t be too harsh on her stomach. Also, some snack food and something to drink.”

“You got it. I’ll be back later to help redress her wounds as well. Siren wanted me to tell you that he is also available if anything medical comes up.” Ranger was quiet for a moment, then he added, “I know you need time, but they all mean it.”

He gave a nod. “Actions mean more than words.”

“Fair.” Ranger patted him on the shoulder before he left the hotel.

Trick could practically feel Mama Hen’s eyes on him from behind the front desk. He smirked and asked, “What?”

“Just proud of you, boy. I may have opinions about the shit she pulled, but I recognize that she was acting from misguided perception. You love her, and I commend any man who will go up against the world to protect the person he loves.” The desk phone rang. “Proud of you.” She picked up the receiver and put it to her ear.

A wave of appreciation for her and Ranger rolled through him, and on the backside of it was a sliver of hope that his family really could put aside their issues with Stiletto and get to know her for the beautifully complex woman she was inside.

With a smile, he returned to the room and started stripping down to take a shower.

Stiletto

When Stiletto opened her eyes, it took a moment for her to remember where she was. She had expected to see the cabin where she spent months with Trick, learning, loving, and fighting with him. Her hand was warm, pulling her out of her thoughts of their time together. Glancing down at it, she saw the beautiful dark skin of his hand covering hers. Following his arm with her gaze, she saw him asleep on the cot that he had pulled up next to her bed. He was wearing only a towel, and Stiletto took that as a gift from the gods. The man was fucking stunning.

When her bladder was screaming too loud, she turned her hand over and gave his a squeeze. “Matthew,” she said softly, not wanting to jar him awake, but her efforts were futile.

Trick sat up suddenly, and his head swung in her direction. “You okay? What’s wrong? What do you need?”

She gave him a smile, thinking he was the most adorable nurse ever. “Relax. Nothing’s wrong. I just have to use the restroom, and I figured that if I tried to go on my own, you would have a conniption.”

He stood and began moving the wheelchair to the other side of the bed. “You’re right. I would have.” He rounded the foot and stopped on her right side. As he set the locks on the wheels, he added, “I’m here. Use me.”

She snickered. “I don’t think the surgeon would approve of that just yet, but I’m down to try.”

After her trip to the bathroom and getting back in bed, Stiletto patted a spot on the mattress. “Sit with me.”

Trick hesitated, but eventually, he eased onto the bed and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I know you haven’t wanted to discuss it, but we need to.” She took his hand in hers. “It was not wrong for me to do what I did. If I would have watched you get shot, I can’t tell you what kind of damage that would have done to me. It would have been much worse than what I’m dealing with now.”

Staring down at their clasped hands, Trick replied, “But Ididwatch you get shot. Babe, I’m a shifter. It takes a helluva lot to kill me. Instead of months of recovery, I would have had days or weeks of recovery.”

“And I would have had months to years of trauma to deal with.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Face it… You’re never going to be able to convince me that I should have let you take that bullet.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I love you.”

“Love you, too. Now, can we talk about your anger with your family.”

The bullheaded man shook his head. “Nope.”

She let out a sigh. “Iwillbe bringing this up again, since I’m just as damn stubborn as you are.”

He grinned. “And I love every frustrating second of it.”

“Good. Now, get me some food and my meds. My abdomen is starting to scream.”

Trick gave her a quick kiss and slid off the bed. “I’ll text Ranger and find out where he is with our dinner.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Trick

Theyhadbeenbackin Warden’s Pass for just over a week, and Trick was only slightly worried about leaving Stiletto’s side. He needed to go to the clubhouse and thank the Ol’ Ladies for the care packages they had put together for them. Not only were they filled with soft and stretchy clothes, toiletries, and items to make Stiletto more comfortable, there were also movies, games, and cards that were made by the kids and signed by all of the Ol’ Ladies. They truly went above and beyond what he asked of them.

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