by Jenika Snow
She shifted on the bed, and her bare toes touched the cold floor. It would hurt like a bitch to walk, but she couldn’t stay in bed when she didn’t even know where she was. A glance over her shoulder showed a small window and the darkness that still covered the sky. She needed to get to the bank, withdraw what she had, and then get as far from Fairview as she could. But she hurt pretty badly, and every little move she did had her muscles screaming. There were loud, deep voices right outside of the closed door, but they were too muffled for her to tell what was being said. She braced her hands on the mattress and pushed up so she was standing. The pain was excruciating, but she gritted her teeth and pressed through it. Grabbing the thin blanket that had been covering her, she wrapped it around herself and glanced to her left. There was a partially opened door, and she could see the edge of a toilet right inside. Walking caused even more pain to radiate all the way up her legs, but when she was finally in the bathroom she braced her hands on the counter. With the light now on she stared at herself in the mirror and grimaced. One side of her face was slightly swollen, and a nasty purple bruise was already forming. Her lip was busted, and there was some dried blood on her chin. After turning on the faucet and washing off the copper colored smear, she turned and grabbed the small hand towel that hung on the rack.
When she heard the knock at the bedroom door everything in her stilled. She didn’t move for a few seconds, but then leaned to the side slightly so she could see into the bedroom and at the front door. It was pushed open a second later, and she saw a woman come in with a set of clothing, and a bowl on top of that. The woman stopped when she saw the bed empty, and then she glanced around the room.
“Hello?” She moved closer to the bathroom and smiled when she saw Adrianna. The woman had to be in her early thirties, and her clothing suggested she might have been a stripper. “I’m Pam.” She held out the stack of clothes and bowl she held. “I was told to bring this to you.” When Adrianna didn’t answer right away the woman looked at the bed. “I’ll just set these things here. I know the doctor was going to come in and check you out once you were awake.”
Adrianna swallowed and moved out of the bathroom, but couldn’t help but wince with every step she took. The woman didn’t cause any red flag to rise inside of Adrianna.
“You need to sit down and have Doc Harley check on your feet.” The woman glanced at her face very intently. “And other parts of you.” She gestured toward the bed once more. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”
Before Adrianna could say anything the woman was walking back toward the door. Adrianna wasn’t going to sit and wait, and instead followed after her as quickly as she could. The woman had left the door ajar, and when Adrianna pulled it open the rest of the way and leaned out so she could see outside she saw a long hallway that opened up into some kind of great room. She couldn’t see anyone, but the voices were even louder now that there weren’t any walls closing the noise off. She tightened the blanket around her and moved down the hallway Adrenaline pumped through her veins and dulled some of the pain in her body. Adrianna knew she should be afraid, but she reasoned that surely if they meant to harm her they could have done it already. Besides, she had nowhere else to go, and had no one else to help her. She needed to trust someone, right? She heard the woman start to speak to someone just around the corner, and all other noise seemed to cease. No one spoke once the woman was finished talking, but then there was the sound of several chairs scraping across the floor. Adrianna stopped, her heart now in her throat, and her hands feeling as though she was going to rip through the blanket for how tightly she held it.
As if her body was working without her control, she took a step back, and then another one when she saw three men round the corner. They stopped when they saw her, and although she felt lightheaded, as if she might pass out, Adrianna did not meet the floor. She drew upon her reserve of strength and pressed forward. Instead, she looked into the almost savage face of the biker that was in front of the other two. She could see other men move behind the bikers currently blocking her only way out, but for some reason she didn’t feel fear, like she assumed she would have. She was apprehensive, and of course endorphins pumped through her body as she tensed, but that was a natural and automatic reaction. The man in front, only a few feet from her, was possibly the biggest guy she had ever seen. He wore one of those leather vests that she had seen the local biker gang have on when they rode through town. The patch on his left side stated he was the Sergeant at Arms, whatever that meant. She didn’t know him, but what she did know was that he was dangerous. That she knew without a doubt.
He took a step closer, and she moved one back. When he held up a hand, almost in a nonthreatening manner, she stopped. “Easy now. You’re safe here.”
His voice was so deep that a slight shiver worked its way through her body. She glanced over his impossibly wide shoulders and saw there were now five men standing behind him. They all watched her with this hard composure that didn’t give anything away, and when she glanced back at the biker right in front of her it was to see he wore the same stoic expression.
“What’s your name?” His voice was deep and low. He might be trying to appear nonthreatening, but given his size and the fierce look on his face, it just wasn’t working for him.
He had to be at least a foot taller than her five-foot-three frame, and the muscle he was packing under the leather, cotton, and denim had her throat tightening. God, the size of his hands alone had her thinking that he would have no problem crushing whatever was in that massive grasp. His arms, holy hell, his arms were thickly corded with muscles, too. And why was she checking him out like this?
“Your name?” he asked again.
She snapped her gaze up to his face, one that had dark, trimmed scruff covering his jaw, and looked into his eyes. Even from where she stood she could see that his eyes were this odd shade of grey. “Adrianna Carmine.” She breathed out and then licked her lips. She saw him run his gaze down the length of her body, stop when he got to her feet, and he stared at them for a suspended second. “Who are you?”
It took him several seconds to answer her, and the longer he stood there staring at her, the more nervous she became. “Malice.”
Malice? What kind of name was that? He must have seen the confused look on her face because he answered her unspoken question.
“Trevor Mason, but I go by Malice.”
Adrianna didn’t want to know how he could get a nickname like that, because it seemed violent and dangerous, and implied he probably had done some pretty bad things. She nodded and licked her lips again.
“You’re going to cause more harm than what has already been done.”
Before she could respond he was right in front of her. She had to crane her neck back just to look in his face, and the scent of leather and something dark and spicy filled her nose. Her heart was beating this fast and hard rhythm at having him so close, but for some reason she couldn’t move away. And then he had her in his arms as if she didn’t weight anything at all, and was striding back into the room she had just come from. She should have kicked and screamed for him to let her go, but all she could do was stare at his face and keep her mouth shut. She hated that he had this strange control over her, but she also couldn’t deny the instant relief she felt now that she was no longer standing.
“Marx, send the doc in.” He called over his shoulder without missing a stride. Once back in the room he set her on the edge of the bed and took a step back. He was staring at her face, and she noticed he seemed very tense. Another man came in a minute later carrying a black nylon bag. He didn’t look much older than thirty, and although they hadn’t said who he was, Adrianna knew he was the doctor. He was too clean cut to be in this biker club; that much was clear by his button down oxford that was this weird shade of green, his cream colored Dockers, and his brown leather penny loafers. He looked like he should be teaching in a university, or giving consultations behind his desk. What he didn’t look like he should
be doing was hanging out with a bunch of these rough and tough motorcycle men that were twice his size.
“Hi there. I’m Preston.” He grabbed a chair that one of the other guys handed him, and set it down in front of her. “Could you help hold up her leg?” He spoke to Malice, and the biker was down on his haunches and holding her leg up a second later.
The feel of his big, calloused hand wrapped loosely around her ankle shouldn’t have had her feeling this weird kind of nervousness. Adrianna couldn’t help but stare at the long, strong length of his fingers, at how her leg looked so small in his hold, and how she had never thought that part of her body—or any part for that matter—could be considered small. But this man made her feel that way, made this feminine part of her stand up straight and take notice in some kind of primal recognition. This was a man, and she was a woman, and that was what her body and mind were screaming at her.
“These cuts are only superficial, but they will be pretty painful,” the doctor looked up at her, “especially if you don’t keep your feet up and let them heal.” He looked back down at her feet and started cleaning them with various things he grabbed out of his bag.
The room stayed silent, and she glanced up. Not all the men that had been out in the hallway had come into the room, but there were still three standing by the door. They all had on the same identical hard expressions. She slid her gaze to the guy currently holding her ankle and was surprised to see he was staring right at her. His grey eyes watched her intently, as if he could read what was going through her mind. Good luck with that because I don’t even know what is going through my mind.
“I’d suggest staying off your feet as much as possible for the next day or so.” The doctor leaned back in his chair and stared at her. “But I know lying in bed for an extended amount of time will probably start to get a little uncomfortable, too.” He had put some bandages on the soles of her feet, and the man holding her legs gently lowered them to the ground. “Although most are superficial, there are a few lacerations that are a bit deeper. You don’t need stitches, but adding too much pressure on them will delay the healing process. So, just take it easy.” He smiled, and when he lifted his hand she flinched back. It had been an automatic reaction, but it was clear. The doctor stopped, knitted his brows, and then glanced at the guy beside her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled out. These men were trying to help her, for whatever reason, and she was letting her emotions take control. Tightening her hands in her lap she straightened and nodded. “Sorry,” she said again. “It’s just been a bad night.”
The doctor nodded and took hold of her chin in between his thumb and forefinger gently. He turned her head to the left, and then to the right. For several seconds he kept her head stationary as he clearly looked at her busted lip and bruise. Maybe she should have felt awkward having these strange men check her out like this, but the truth was she had never had people—much less strangers—help her. Adrianna knew that in time they would want to know what was going on, and of course she would tell them. There was no sense in lying, but maybe they could help her get to someplace else where Phillip could not reach her. Honestly, she didn’t know if he was even still alive, and if he was she there was a good chance he’d come after her for payback.
“Not much can be done for the bruising or split lip.” Preston let go of her and exhaled loudly. “Just some ice for the minimal swelling.” He stared at her for a few seconds, and she felt like he was waiting for her to say something. “Your boyfriend do this to you?” He phrased it like a question, but she could hear in his voice he already knew the answer. She didn’t know why she didn’t respond right away. “Maybe a husband?”
Adrianna swallowed, and the rawness in her throat from when Phillip had his hands around her seemed to intensify at that moment.
“Can you give us a minute alone?” Malice looked at the doctor. He then looked at her. “You okay with that?”
She looked at him and then at the doctor before finally nodding. “Yeah.”
Preston stood and left the room. The other three guys all looked at each other, and then they left, too, as if Malice had given them some kind of silent order. Once the door was shut and it was just the two of them alone in the room, she shifted on the bed and kept her gaze on him. He stood and took a step back, but kept his gaze on her as well.
“Now, how about you tell me what happened so we can see what to do next?” He grabbed the chair that the doctor had been sitting on and sat in it.
“I got hit.” The look he gave her was a “No shit” kind of one, and she looked down at her hands. Honestly, she was at a loss as to what to say. Sure, she wanted to go into every sordid little detail that made up her crummy existence, talk about how stupid she was for not seeing the signs right in front of her, but now that she was faced with doing just that a part of her was actually frightened to.
He exhaled roughly and leaned back in the chair. When he crossed his arms she couldn’t help but stare at the way his massive arms bulged. “How about we start with the basics?”
She glanced back at his face and nodded. “Okay.”
“You’re from Fairview?”
She shook her head. “Not originally. I grew up in Littlemore. It’s the next town over.”
He didn’t move, didn’t respond, and continued to stare at her as if he wanted her to finish what she had started saying. But then he started speaking instead. “Your boyfriend do that to you.” He didn’t phrase it as a question, but she found herself nodding as if to answer him.
“Yeah.”
He nodded slowly, and she saw the way he gritted his teeth. She saw the way his jaw locked up tight, and she could see the muscle underneath his stubble covered cheek jump. “He do that more than once?” He phrased it like a question again. “You’re safe here. No one will hurt you.” He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs that were as big and muscular as tree trunks.
She nodded and glanced down at her hands in her lap. She hadn’t realized until then that she was twisting her fingers together almost painfully. “No, this isn’t the first time, but it is the last.” She lifted her head and stared right into his eyes. This man seemed like a cold, hardened person. He didn’t show emotion, didn’t buffer what he said, and although she knew that he was dangerous just from the air that surrounded him, she did feel safe. It was a very strange feeling to have with this stranger, but it was one she had nonetheless. “That’s why I ran, but…” She swallowed again, willing that damn lump in her throat to go down. Without thinking she lifted her hand and loosely circled her neck. It was sore, but certainly not as sore as other parts of her. “I hurt him.” Flicking her gaze to his, she saw that he was still sitting as motionless as a statue. Then, very slowly, he leaned back again in his chair. The leather of his biker vest creaked from the movement, and she got a concentrated whiff of whatever cologne he wore, and of the subtle scent of motor oil. It was an odd combination, but strangely enough it was very pleasing.
“You hurt him?” His voice was steady and non-accusing. He held her gaze, never wavering it from her. Although she should have felt like a bug under a microscope from the intensity of it, she felt strangely calm. It was very odd to feel this way given the life she had led, and it was very hard for her to not want to embrace it like a warm blanket.
God, when was the last time she had ever felt like this? Never. She had never felt like this, and that was comforting and frightening. He knew nothing about her aside from the small bits and pieces she had just given him, and adding outside drama to anyone’s life wasn’t normally what people wanted for themselves. But he wanted to know everything, and she felt obligated to tell him, that it was his right to know since he had saved her. Her heart started beating faster and harder, sweat broke out between her breasts, and she tried to breathe in deeply. As she opened herself up to the memories of what had happened so short a time ago, she started to shake uncontrollably as those emotions started crashing back into her. All she saw was Phillip coming afte
r her, of the blade going through his flesh so easily it was sickening, and the words tumbled from her mouth on their own.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He reached out as if he meant to touch her, comfort her even, but right before he made contact he curled his fingers into his palm and pulled his hand away. “Take your time.”
She nodded, closed her eyes for a second, and told herself that she wasn’t back there with Phillip. “I don’t know if I killed him.” As soon as the words left her she wished she could take them back. Just saying them out loud made the situation even more real. God, what if this guy went to the police? He might have saved her, but who was to say he wouldn’t turn her over to the authorities? Just because he looked like some kind of outlaw that broke the law in his leather and wearing a hard expression didn’t mean he actually was any of those things. And then she started crying. The tears fell from her even though she tried to stop them. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried, couldn’t remember the feeling that her world was crashing down around her. With all the shit she had lived through, all the heartache and disappointment she had dealt with, Adrianna had always kept herself in check. But now, all she felt was this unraveling inside of her, and she didn’t know why it was claiming her right now.
“Hey.”
She wiped a few tears away and looked at him. He looked uncomfortable for a second as he stared at her with knitted brows. A hard, gasping sob left her, and her vision blurred as her tears refused to stop. “I-I’m sorry.” Her words were stuttered as they came from her. She felt broken, felt like she didn’t have a grasp on reality and was about to float away into nothingness. But maybe that nothingness was what she wanted, because that would be better than being something that didn’t mean anything to anyone. Wiping the tears away she sucked in a large lungful of air and turned her head so she was no longer staring him. She had never broken down like this before. She opened her mouth, maybe to tell him just that, but nothing came out. Before she knew what was happening he was sitting on the bed beside her and had his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her in close to him, and she didn’t stop herself from resting her head on his shoulder, and clutching at his shirt. Right now she didn’t worry about how weird and foolish this was. All Adrianna did was feel the warmth of his big, hard body pressed against hers, and let the sound of his heart beating a steady rhythm calm her.
