Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 86823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
My stomach dropped to the floor. Fuck, he hadn’t heard me say I love him, did he? I didn’t want him to run away. I didn’t know which would be worse – thinking he was dead or knowing he didn’t want me anymore.
“You’re okay,” I whispered, biting my lip as tears formed in my eyes. “Fuck, you’re okay.” I chose to focus on that instead of my confession.
He wiped my tears away with his thumb. “I’m okay, baby. Though, my tattoo probably isn’t anymore.”
Of course, he got fucking shot and almost died, and all he could think about was his stupid tattoo. He was such a typical man, but I loved him. I didn’t know when I realized that I loved him completely, but damn it all to hell, I really did. I didn’t know how long it would take for him to return those feelings, but I was willing to wait for as long as it took. As long as I had him by my side, I was going to be okay.
He looked at Luke who had come to stand beside the bed. Travis glared at him. “Look, man, I know I promised you I’d never let a woman come between us, but if I ever fucking catch you talking to Katie like that again, I’ll fucking put you in a hospital, do you understand?” he ground out through clenched teeth.
“She fucking came here and brought Amy with her, Travis. You know it’s fucking dangerous as hell here still. We may have gotten rid of the problems with the Black Skulls, but there are still people with the Bloody Royals that are running wild and pissed off about Nicholas’s death.”
Travis laced his fingers through mine, surprising me by standing by my decision. “Amy being here is a problem you need to take up with Amy – not Katie. Just as Katie said, Amy is eighteen and can make her own decisions. She wanted to be here, so this is where she’s at. That is in no way Katie’s fault.”
Fuck, if he heard all of that, then did he hear that I love him? Oh, God, if he did, what was he going to say about it?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“And as much as I hate Katie being here, I need her here, and I’m glad that she is. We both know that I’ve never been able to endure a hospital stay. She’ll make it a little easier to bear. We’ll send them both back home when I’m able to leave the hospital,” Travis stated.
Say what? Oh, hell no.
“The fuck you will,” I said. “I’m not fucking going anywhere.”
“Katie—” he began, locking his eyes with mine, but I wasn’t giving in.
“No,” I spat, cutting him off. “Fuck no. I know how to handle bad shit. I’m a Holland, Travis. This is in my blood. I’m not going back home when you’re released just because some shit here is bad. You wanted me, and you decided to take the Black Skulls. So, I will fill the role that is expected of me. That role requires that I stick around for you and the club, no matter how hard it gets. Every woman that has been graced with the last name Holland has done so, and I don’t intend to stop now.”
Travis groaned and closed his eyes, obviously not wanting to argue with me. Either that, or he saw it was pointless. “I don’t like it one bit,” he said finally.
“I don’t care,” I retorted. “Get over it.”
Amy came into the room and smiled when she saw Travis was awake. “Good. Maybe now, you’ll get some sleep,” she said to me. She caught the glare I sent in her direction, and she bit her lip. I knew she had said it on purpose, though. “Oops. Was I not supposed to say anything about that?” she asked, feigning innocence.
I knew she did it on purpose because even she knew that would be a fight I wouldn’t win with Travis. He would make sure I got my sleep. If he wanted me to be anything, he wanted me to be healthy.
Travis grabbed my chin, turning my head to face him. “How long have you gone without sleep?” he asked.
I shrugged. “A little over twenty-four hours, I think,” I murmured, biting my lip. I grabbed his hand in mine though, desperate not to argue over something as silly as this, not when he had just woken up. “Please don’t be angry. I was already awake, and it was evening time when my dad called me, and I got so worried—”
He cut me off by placing a finger over my lips. “Stop and just lay down, okay? I promise that I’m okay. You need to sleep.”
I nodded and laid down beside him on the bed, putting my head on the side of his chest that wasn’t injured. He wrapped his good arm around me and held my hands on his torso with his bad arm. He looked at Luke. “Mind turning off the lights? I’ll call when she’s awake so we can discuss plans further.”