Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“Fun,” Brenna muttered.
Lock squeezed her hand harder.
“I’ll get you some painkillers. Ice packs will help too. That gash near your eye is nasty. I can stitch it up for you here. I have lidocaine to numb it and a suture kit to close it up, but it’ll scar. If you go to the ER, you can request a surgeon stitch it closed for you, and you’ll have a much lower risk of scarring.”
“I’m not going to the hospital. Besides, I think a scar will be pretty kickass.”
Lock rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.”
That had Brenna frowning. “Would it bother you?”
“Huh?” He blinked.
Her face flushed, and she avoided his gaze.
Lock cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You mean, would a scar bother me?”
She nodded, pink-cheeked.
This woman.
“No, it wouldn’t fucking bother me. Christ, baby, I don’t give two shits about a scar. Hell, you could have a million scars on your face, and I’d love you just the same. Like you said, it’s badass.”
A grin spread across her face Lock couldn’t resist kissing.
“Ahem.”
Brenna drew back, red-faced again. “Sorry, Pulse.”
“I’m not,” Lock said. He kissed the back of Brenna’s hand. “Finish up so we can do more of that.”
“You’re all fucking coupled up,” Pulse muttered, shaking his head.
“Aww, don’t be jealous, brother.” He winked at Brenna just to see her face turn pink. The first thing they’d done, even before Pulse came in to check her out, was give her something to wear that wasn’t a child-like dress. As soon as the offending garment came off, she shuddered in relief. Then he’d wiped the blood off her face. Now clean, she looked much better, except for the whopper of a gash near her eye.
And the bruises.
She bore a significant number of facial bruises. Hell, she had bruises all over her damn body.
“Let me get serious for one minute,” Pulse said. He leaned in and gave Brenna a grave look. “I can take care of your injuries here. That’s fine. But if there is more, you need to go to the hospital?”
“More?” Brenna frowned.
“I’ll be blunt. If you need a rape kit, you need to go to the hospital.”
“Oh.” Her heavy sigh punched Lock in the chest. “No. It was close, but Lock got there in time,” she whispered, eyes glassy.
“Okay, good.” Pulse rose to his feet.
“But Kelsie…”
Their club’s nurse nodded. “I assumed as much by her reaction to men. Harper and Jo are in with her now as well as Ty.” He grinned and shook his head. “That motherfucker won’t leave her side, and he’s the only man she allows within five feet of her.”
With Jo’s background in law enforcement and with Harper’s career as a social worker, they’d be the best choice to help the woman. Her reaction to Ty was interesting, to say the least, but Brenna wouldn’t question it. Whoever made Kelsie feel safe was fine by her.
“I want to see her.” Brenna winced and gasped as she tried to sit.
“Nuh-uh.” With a gentle hand, Lock guided her back down. “The ol’ ladies will take good care of her. Ty will too. I promise you.”
Huffing, Brenna sagged back against the bed. “Fine.”
Thank fuck.
He’d have sat on her if it came to that, but she must have sensed how close to the edge he was.
“I’m going to go check on Kelsie,” Pulse announced. “If she’ll let me check her over, I will. If not, I will have Harper and Jo take her to the hospital.”
“Make sure—”
“They will,” Pulse said. “They know to make sure she is only treated by female providers. Remember, Bren, this is what they want to do. These are the women they are creating a shelter for.”
“Thanks, brother.” Lock pulled Pulse in for a quick hug. Of all the Handlers, he was the one who kept to himself the most. When they first formed this chapter of the club, he’d wondered if Pulse would even join. For a while, he’d assumed he wouldn’t, but he’d surprised them all by committing.
As soon as Pulse left the bunkroom, Brenna patted the edge of the bunk. He strode over and sat, bracing a hand on either side of her body. Then he just stared at her. Every bruise, every cut, every mark pierced his soul and ignited a rage he didn’t know how to deal with. When his twin sister died, he’d spiraled down a long, dark tunnel of grief he had only recently broken free of. If Brenna had been taken, that tunnel would never end.
Jinx and Spec were taking care of the men who’d participated in the auctions, planned them, and the man who’d laid his hands on Brenna. Lock wasn’t a violent man by nature. Usually, he’d be happy to let the club’s enforcer handle the gruesome details of dealing with their enemies. But tonight, he wondered if he’d be satisfied not getting his hands bloody.